[Angela Manno]

Hi Duane,

One “rational” means tribal people (American Indians to be precise) use in their discernment process is to consider the effect an action will have on the next seven generations. We need both intuition and reason! I think maybe one reason our intuition fails us is our alienation from nature. In the words of a Delaware Indian in the early nineteenth century:

“No one can have visions because the earth is no longer clean.”

“. . . [T]he sensitivity required to understand and respond to the psychic energies deep in the very structure of reality itself” may be contingent on our contact and intimacy with a pristine nature. I have been on a retreat in such an atmosphere for the past two weeks where I notice these “spontaneities” rising in myself, through dreams and all different forms of intuition,  where this “intimate presence” can be more easily felt.

A good thing to ponder in these post-Thanksgiving days, in honor of the people who developed and practiced those technologies that allowed them to live in harmony with the Living World.

Thanks,

Angela

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Angela Manno]

Hi Duane, I’m reading your article for ReVision (Summer 1988) on continuous creation and it’s blowing my mind! Personally, I don’ t think the Universe has to have all the properties of a living system as we know it on Earth. We’re derivative of the Universe and the Universe is beyond a living system — it’s the Mother of Living Systems. Just as Thomas Berry noted in a private conversation with me many years ago about the Gaia theory, “As the mother of life and having these capacities for self-adjustment, it is in a sense a greater form of life than any particular form on the Earth.” I don’t think we should be defining qualities of the Universe in terms of our biological standards. It’s too limiting. Thanks, Angela

[Angela Manno]

Thanks, Terri– this is a good point. If you’ve identified yourself as apart from nature (and your fellow man), why would you want to open up that can of worms? I agree prayer, as well as action, is needed to open our hearts and all hearts. This is a good article I found on the subject which I think adds a helpful perspective:

How Pope Encyclical Could Affect More Than Just Catholics:

“ ‘The pope’s encyclical can only make a lasting impact if pastors commit to addressing the environment from the pulpit more frequently, and if faith-based environmental groups capitalize on press coverage to teach more believers about their work,’  the Rev. Sauder said.”

Read more at http://national.deseretnews.com/article/4871/How-Pope-encyclical-could-affect-more-than-just-Catholics.html#IokVFCSDkYHxXb6b.99

[Angela Manno]

As I’ve been reading the document, I keep thinking about Thomas and Ewert Cousins, how they would feel so pleased, how they are smiling now. The language in the encyclical — The Technocratic Paradigm is the Technozoic Vision to me; the reference to Teilhard (pg 61), the beautiful way he talks about affection for the family of living things (Earth Community), how he repeated EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED so many times (has anyone counted?) — made me feel so at home, that Thomas’ work was heard.  When he mentions God as Father, I tried to think about that — a Father requires a Female counterpart to generate, but since the world is created from nothing, perhaps it’s just as appropriate as saying the Theotokos (Mother of God) is a Virgin. The fact that he brings in human life and its dignity as part of his Integral Ecology — and his critique of the economic system — is so enveloping. I would like to use this as part of my slide presentation, “Picturing the Ecological Age.” The quotes about the intrinsic value of other creatures and that if they go extinct, they will no longer be able to give glory to God really touched me. As part of my consulting work, I’m going to create a program for Catholic Schools where I will talk about the Encyclical and Thomas Berry’s work and facilitate imagining and implementing solutions for their homes, school, community.

An artist colleague was doing an installation this weekend challenging eminent domain with the Visual Artist Rights Act by creating an art piece on the land that would be taken over to put in a gas pipeline right near Indian Point nuclear facility. What came to mind is, “It’s God’s art.” And lo and behold, there was the phrase, “Nature is nothing other than a kind of art, namely God’s art. . . .”

I’m so excited about this document. This Pope has a greater platform than any other human being and I believe we could be at the threshold of a new direction for humanity, what we all have envisioned for so long. I’m so glad to have a chance to participate in the Great Work with this new document as an aid.

It is stated somewhere that “we are not the Earth” — but that we derive our being from it (I’m paraphrasing)? Can anyone tell me where that is? This is different from humans are the Earth’s self-reflexive awareness. I’d like to hear a discussion about that!

I still have some pages of the Encyclical to go. I’m bringing it to the hospital now, as I have to go to urgent care (a precautionary measure). I’ll look forward to reading new and continued comments while I’m there.

[Angela Manno]

Airing Sunday —

Watch: The Neil deGrasse Tyson climate denier takedown we’ve been waiting for is finally here

http://www.salon.com/2014/0/29/watch_the_neil_degrasse_tyson_climate_denier_take_down_weve_been_waiting_for_is_finally_here/

From the Salon.com article (link above):
In the upcoming episode of “Cosmos,” host Neil deGrasse Tyson is taking on climate deniers directly — and National Geographic just released the first clip. If these two minutes are any indication of what the rest of the episode (airing Sunday) is going to be like, we can expect a simple, elegant takedown of their most tired and misinformed arguments.

Regarding your post above, Jennifer, I have always known the most likely predicable outcome for the Earth would be to end up like Venus, if we keep doing what we’re doing.

It’s terribly sad, but not unlike the individual that keeps smoking and putting toxic chemicals into his or her body.
Someday the consequences will appear and it will be very hard to stabilize and get back to health. It will require
a complete “lifestyle change” and even then healing is not certain.

That person/patient will also have to understand and start to care about his or her health.Just as we will have to do collectively. Fortunately, people seem to be waking up.

[Angela Manno]

Thanks for your comments, Duane. I brought your book The Living Universe to the hospital with me, along with the PDF of the Papal Encyclical!  Your book is a profound study, one which has made a big difference in my life. I’ve also assigned Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity’s Future in my class “Eco-spirituality & Action” and feature Voluntary Simplicity in my slide presentation, Picturing the Ecological Age.

Jennifer, an author from the Huffington Post Religion blog agrees,  “Laudato Si’ is absolutely stunning in sweep, depth, and wisdom. It is exactly the right document, at the right moment, by the right person.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-pruett/francis-momentous-encycli_b_7620554.html

Hi Terri, It’s good to hear from you again! I appreciate this dialogue and hope we will continue.

 

 

 

 

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