"'Tis very certain the desire of life prolongs it."

-Lord Byron

Friendship of Augustine

In Augustine's Confessions, he tells us of a friend who was killed by sickness while he was still in his youth. Later, Augustine became convinced that even though his friendship was a good thing, it became evil when he put it ahead of God. Why is it that friendship and that which is best is contrary to devotion to God? If all good is from God, then why is one of the world greatest goods uncompatible with him?

Wisdom of Confucius

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest

-Confucius

The Drug of Religion

"Religion is the opium of the people." So said Karl Marx, in order to demonstrate his point that to him it seemed that religion's only use was to keep the uneduacted and poor in control. He was not the only believer in this opinion as many years before, Napoleon said:"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."

Common Sense

Common sense is not so common.

-Voltaire

An Enemy's Mistake

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."

-Napoleon

What You Have to Do

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. "

-Epictetus

Faith

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

-Augustine

Theocracy

What is theocracy? From its name, it would seem that a theocracy is the rule of God. In that sense a Theocracy would only be achieved if God himself came to rule men. However, many governments have been called theocracies including Egypt, Catholic Roman Europe, and modern Iran. In these countries we see the rule of men who claim to be put in power by God, and as such intermediaries are infallible. In point of fact, many of the kings of Europe believed that they were appointed by God, and the emperors of Rome believed they were gods. On the surface these different civilizations had various sorts of governments and societies, yet in all of them the rulers wished to have the authority or at least the blessing of the divine.

Super Black Holes

Scientists now think that the centers of galaxies are actually gigantic black holes. As large as our Solar System, these gravitational sinks have the mass of billions of stars. These galaxy centers could also be called galaxy devourers, as these massive black holes suck the surrounding material of their galaxies into them, creating what scientist call quasars. Quasars are really these black holes, or rather the radiation that is given off as matter spirals into oblivion. The light that is given off from these quasars can be seen from as far as 13 billion light years away.

Life and Health

"Attention to health is life greatest hindrance."

-Plato

Socrates' Wisdom

I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.

-Socrates

The Upanishads are Manichaeans?

"Sir, in this ill-smelling, unsubstantial body, which a conglomerate of bone, skin, muscle, marrow, flesh, semen, blood, mucus, tears, rheum, feces, urine, wind, bile, and phlegm, what is the of enjoyment of desire? In this body, which is afflicted with desire, anger, covetousness, delusion, fear, despondancy, envy, separation from the deseirable, union with the undesirable, hunger, thirst, senility, death, disease, sorrow and the like, what is the good of enjoyment of desires? And we see that this whole world is decaying like these gnats, these mosquitos, this grass, and these trees that arise and perish.

Maitri Upanishad

the Five Commandments of Buddha

Let not one kill any living being.
Let not one take what is not given to him.
Let not one speak falsely.
Let not one drink intoxicating drinks.
Let not one be unchaste.

-Buddha

Anger

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.

-Plato