http:\/\/gnhuu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/GNH-Sept-17-2017.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n <\/p>\n
I encourage us for the next few minutes to assume an unbiased and objective mindset.\u00a0 <\/span>Let\u2019s review a set of facts I\u2019ll present and then make a reasonable conclusion about them.<\/span><\/p>\n We all know about the two recent hurricanes which struck the U.S.\u00a0 <\/span>Never before have two hurricanes with such strength hit our country in the same year.\u00a0 <\/span>Hurricane Harvey caused unprecedented flooding in Houston.\u00a0 <\/span>Nearly fifty inches of rain fell in that area within a forty-eight hour period – the most ever recorded there in that amount of time.\u00a0 <\/span>Weather experts say it was a one in one-thousand year event.<\/span><\/p>\n Hurricane Irma completely devastated multiple Caribbean islands.\u00a0 <\/span>It became a category 5 storm earlier and farther to the east than any other recorded hurricane.\u00a0 <\/span>At one point, it nearly exceeded the upper limits of hurricane strength categories with winds over 190 miles per hour – something unprecedented in history.\u00a0 <\/span>When Irma reached Florida, it was over four-hundred miles across – entirely covering the state.\u00a0 <\/span>Only by Irma losing some strength over Cuba was an even worse Florida catastrophe averted. <\/span><\/p>\n Many people believe climate change helped make these hurricanes stronger than they would otherwise have been.\u00a0 <\/span>Proof of that connection is not direct or absolute.\u00a0 <\/span>Nevertheless, both hurricanes traveled over ocean waters that were very warm – much warmer than what has been normal over the past hundred years.\u00a0 <\/span>Warm oceans evaporate at higher rates – and water vapor is hurricane fuel.\u00a0 <\/span>In fact, three hurricanes are churning in the Atlantic as I speak – one possibly following Irma\u2019s path.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not just tropical hurricanes that are causing worry.\u00a0 <\/span>Storms of all varieties – blizzards, tornadoes and torrential rains are increasingly more intense.\u00a0 <\/span>Their levels of rainfall or snowfall far surpass what used to be considered extreme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the opposite end of weather, droughts are more intense and longer lasting than historically normal. \u00a0 <\/span>The California drought that ended this past winter lasted over five years.\u00a0 <\/span>Water aquifer levels below ground were brought to never seen before lows.\u00a0 <\/span>Parts of Africa continue to suffer longer than normal droughts that are rendering many areas uninhabitable. <\/span><\/p>\n Warmer ocean temperatures are also blamed for melting large areas of glacial ice – in Greenland, the North Pole and in Antarctica.\u00a0 <\/span>Such ice is thousands of years old but it has only recently rapidly melted.\u00a0 <\/span>In July, an ice berg the size of Rhode Island melted enough so that it separated from Antarctica.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s now drifting north to melt and further increase sea levels.<\/span><\/p>\n In the North Pole arctic area, sea ice is now mostly gone during summer months when only a few years ago it never melted.\u00a0 <\/span>The Arctic ocean is thus open in the summer between northern Europe across the North Pole to Alaska and Asia.\u00a0 <\/span>A luxury cruise liner just completed a voyage across the Arctic sea for the first time in history.\u00a0 <\/span>Once again, warmer than normal ocean and air temperatures are the cause.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, rising sea levels due to melting glaciers and ice bergs are affecting low lying coastal areas.\u00a0 <\/span>The city of Miami regularly has its streets flooded during full moon high tides.\u00a0 <\/span>Sea levels across the globe have risen in the last one hundred years by almost a foot.\u00a0 <\/span>At that rate of increase, cities from New York to Miami to London to Hong Kong will be under water a hundred years from now.<\/span><\/p>\n Few people doubt that climate change is occurring.\u00a0 <\/span>Most scientists, however, assert climate change is caused by rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere which creates a greenhouse effect and higher temperatures.\u00a0 <\/span>This, they say, is primarily due to one factor: human caused air pollution.\u00a0 <\/span>Other human caused air pollution comes from gasses in spray cans, from the raising of cattle and other ruminant animals that produce methane flatulence, and from widespread deforestation of trees.<\/span><\/p>\n Scientists say climate change <\/span>can<\/b><\/span> be caused by natural factors such as increased solar radiation, a change in the Earth\u2019s orbit, or variations in the reflectivity of the Earth\u2019s land mass.\u00a0 <\/span>In hundreds of studies, however, several facts have been proven.\u00a0 <\/span>Natural factors that could cause climate change have been ruled out.\u00a0 <\/span>Solar radiation hitting the earth has remained constant.\u00a0 <\/span>So has the Earth\u2019s orbit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, human caused factors that could cause global warming have all increased.\u00a0 <\/span>Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have steadily increased over the last hundred years.\u00a0 <\/span>Gasses from aerosol sprays have also increased.\u00a0 <\/span>And, large areas of the earth that used to be forested have been cut down to make room for the raising of livestock.<\/span><\/p>\n All of this has led the International Panel of Climate Change Scientists to conclude recently that, \u201cIt is\u00a0extremely likely<\/i><\/b>\u00a0that human activities have exerted a substantial net warming influence on Earth\u2019s climate since 1750.\u00a0 <\/span>And by \u2018extremely likely,\u2019 we conclude a probability greater than 95%.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Many people, however, strongly disagree with that conclusion.\u00a0 <\/span>They believe climate changes are natural and that there is no direct evidence to link the events I\u2019ve recited and human made pollution.\u00a0 <\/span>Indeed, they claim the evidence is circumstantial and thus weak.<\/span><\/p>\n The definition of circumstantial evidence, however, is\u00a0any fact\u00a0that relies on an inference<\/i><\/b> to connect it to a conclusion \u2014much like a fingerprint at the scene of a crime <\/span>implies<\/b><\/span> someone who left the fingerprint is the criminal.\u00a0 <\/span>By contrast, direct evidence\u00a0supports the truth of a conclusion <\/span>explicitly<\/b><\/span> – like a video showing a person commit a crime.\u00a0 <\/span>In other words, direct evidence is evidence that does not need inference<\/i><\/b> to prove a conclusion. <\/span><\/p>\n To prove a scientific conclusion using circumstantial evidence – like human caused climate change, one piece of evidence cannot be relied upon.\u00a0 <\/span>Scientists must use the sum of many circumstantial facts to <\/span>reasonably<\/b><\/span> prove something – much like the International Panel of Climate Change Scientists used hundreds of studies to conclude they are 95% certain people are causing it.\u00a0 <\/span>Indeed, in criminal convictions that use circumstantial evidence, the standard is that the collected pieces of circumstantial facts must show guilt beyond a <\/span>reasonable<\/b><\/span> doubt.\u00a0 <\/span>That does <\/span>not<\/b><\/span> mean guilt beyond <\/span>any<\/b><\/span> <\/b>doubt.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the magazine <\/span>Psychology Today<\/span>, there are three kinds of human ignorance.\u00a0 <\/span>One is ordinary<\/b> ignorance which means that one simply does not know something.\u00a0 <\/span>A fact has not yet been learned.\u00a0 <\/span>There is nothing wrong with ordinary ignorance. \u00a0 <\/span>Another kind of ignorance is called higher<\/b> ignorance which means a person acknowledges his or her ignorance on a certain subject and has the intention to gain knowledge to erase the ignorance.\u00a0 <\/span>Higher ignorance admits there are some things which cannot be 100% proven by direct evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The third kind of ignorance is willful<\/b> ignorance which means that a person intentionally knows what is reasonably true, but chooses to ignore that.\u00a0 <\/span>Willful ignorance is when a person refuses to abandon their beliefs and instead learn or accept knowledge that contradicts his or her beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n My point and the subject of my message today is this:\u00a0 <\/span>our goal as spiritual people is to embrace higher<\/b> ignorance and work against willful<\/b> ignorance.\u00a0 <\/span>For most of us, that is a common sense argument.\u00a0 <\/span>Most of us accept the higher form of ignorance which says we cannot absolutely prove human caused climate change, but an examination of the facts says it is reasonably true.\u00a0 <\/span>That contrasts with the willful ignorance of those who deny it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The same is true of Biblical creationists who claim God made humans and animals only six thousand years ago.\u00a0 <\/span>They refuse to abandon their beliefs even in the face of countless pieces of scientific circumstantial evidence indicating there has been a natural evolution of species over billions of years that has led to present day humans and animals. \u00a0 <\/span>Are there direct pieces of fossil evidence showing a sequence of one lower life form having evolved to its more advanced cousin?\u00a0 <\/span>There are a few but not a couple complete sequence of fossils.\u00a0 <\/span>Just as with climate change, such direct<\/b> evidence is very rare because its difficult in almost all matters to directly prove something.\u00a0 <\/span>We almost always must rely on circumstantial evidence – and our reason – to conclude what is true.<\/span><\/p>\n It is easy for me and perhaps for you to point fingers at those who deny the science behind climate change or evolution.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m a rational person who would never want to be willfully ignorant.\u00a0 <\/span>And yet, if I honestly examine all my thoughts and actions, I am often willfully ignorant.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m blind to many of my faults.\u00a0 <\/span>I can refuse to heed medical advice, I don\u2019t always act, speak or listen as I know I should – with decency, kindness and respect.\u00a0 <\/span>I admit to holding implicit bias within me – stuff that I hate but it\u2019s nevertheless there.<\/span><\/p>\n Psychologists say there are three reasons why I and others are willfully ignorant.\u00a0 <\/span>First, I can be what is called a \u201ccognitive miser.\u201d<\/b>\u00a0 <\/span>I do not cognitively examine the evidence of something if I don\u2019t feel I have to.\u00a0 <\/span>As I related in a message last month, I avoided having a colonoscopy for over seven years even though I knew facts prove that for anyone over 50, it saves lives.\u00a0 <\/span>When I finally did have the test in June, a small but treatable cancer was found and a few weeks later surgically removed.\u00a0 <\/span>I will be fine.\u00a0 <\/span>But had my willful ignorance continued, I could be standing here five years from now with a much worse prognosis.<\/span><\/p>\n I can also be a cognitive miser about my flaws and weaknesses.\u00a0 <\/span>I often fail to examine my deficiencies and thereby don\u2019t try to improve myself and grow.\u00a0 <\/span>This willful ignorance about my health or my weaknesses is itself a flaw.\u00a0 <\/span>Self-awareness, however, requires I embrace higher ignorance and admit the things about me that I refuse to accept.\u00a0 <\/span>Only then might I embark on a useful endeavor to grow, learn and change.<\/span><\/p>\n A second psychological reason I can be willfully ignorant is that I – like many people – prefer conformity.\u00a0 <\/span>Like many people, I frequently rely on group-think to direct my actions and thoughts.\u00a0 <\/span>Conformity has positive aspects that can encourage us to cooperate, find common ground and live at peace.\u00a0 <\/span>But it also leads people to ignore alternative facts, ways of life and things that go against popular beliefs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The third and last reason people are willfully ignorant is that most hate to admit when they are wrong.\u00a0 <\/span>White supremacists cannot admit the\u00a0 <\/span>abundant studies that show Blacks, Hispanics and other people of color have equal or higher intelligence capabilities than do whites.\u00a0 <\/span>Fundamentalist Christians cannot admit portions of the Bible are wrong. Far too many politicians and those who support them dangerously refuse to believe people are causing climate change. \u00a0 <\/span>For these people, misguided or bigoted <\/span>beliefs<\/b><\/span> define who they are no matter what the facts otherwise show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The antidote for willful ignorance is education and a willingness to acquire new knowledge.\u00a0 <\/span>Indeed, the foundation of all education is a humble admission of ignorance.\u00a0 <\/span>I assume that\u2019s why many of us attend here.\u00a0 <\/span>We have the humility to know what we don\u2019t know and the courage to want to learn and grow. \u00a0 <\/span>Our presence here is also an implicit admission that we are flawed – or at least I am!\u00a0 <\/span>Any spiritual community is worthless unless it serves as a symbolic school<\/b> for the flawed, as opposed to the <\/span>pretense<\/i><\/b><\/span> that it is a museum<\/b> of the perfect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In a gentle and loving community like ours, we encourage, inform and, at times, hold each other accountable.\u00a0 <\/span>We do this not to judge, demean or shame.\u00a0 <\/span>Instead, we come here with a common desire to be more self-aware and then to change for the better.\u00a0 <\/span>And that in turn will help us change the world for the better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That is why higher ignorance is crucial for us and for the world.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s why willful ignorance is so dangerous.\u00a0 <\/span>Higher ignorance is firmly rooted in using reason to conclude, with circumstantial evidence, what is true and what is not.\u00a0 <\/span>And so I encourage us one and all to be be gentle educators of others about climate change, evolution, God and other universally important subjects.\u00a0 <\/span>But I also encourage us to examine ourselves and find where we too can be willfully ignorant – in our flaws of bias, arrogance, disrespect, and unkindness that we refuse to acknowledge or change. By embracing a higher ignorance, we will create beautiful change – in ourselves and in the world.<\/span><\/p>\nI wish you all much peace and joy.<\/span><\/p>\nMeditation Moment…<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(c) Doug Slagle, Minister to the Gathering at Northern Hills, All Rights Reserved Click here to listen to the message or see below to read it. I encourage us for the next few minutes to assume an unbiased and objective mindset.\u00a0 Let\u2019s review a set of facts I\u2019ll present and then make a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3568"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3572,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3568\/revisions\/3572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}