Much has been written about pain from a theological and philosophical perspective. This essay is from a purely experiential perspective excluding the two aforementioned.
"Pain hurts."
This very short, two word essay illustrates the limitations of experience. Yet, it seems the culture in which I live, is quite content with experience alone as the guide to life. Perhaps this is because deep down the culture is based on materialism, the belief that the material world is the only world.
Ok, I'm guilty of a misleading title. I really want to share my thoughts on materialism, not my thoughts on pain. Materialism reduces the quality of life to the level of an earthworm. Earthworms feel pain but lack the capacity to reflect on its significance.
Materialism offends my sense of logic. "Cogito ergo sum" is now "sentio ergo sum". The axiom "I think therefore I am" has been replaced with "I feel therefore I am". I live in a culture in a passionate pursuit of feelings.
If one was searching for treasure and encountered a golden pocket watch from the 1800's, logic would dictate the watch, with its intricate springs and gears was made by a watchmaker. Yet, a materialist views the intricacies of the material world and concludes they happened by chance. Indeed "chance" is the only possible option in his way of thinking.
Now to the point. Materialism can disguise itself as religion in which a god or gods or spirits are thought of as invisible, yet material beings.
For example; we can not see infrared light but it is still a part of the physical world and acts much like visible light and is subject to the laws of physics.
Materialist view God in the same way. An invisible being, perhaps quite powerful, but limited by the laws of nature, a God who is part of the universe, not the creator of the universe.
I am respectful of anyone's beliefs, including materialist. What I find alarming are people who are unaware of what they believe.
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