Old Glory

There is a website www.mapsofworld.com documenting the symbolism of the American flag.  Every aspect of the flag from the colors, to the stripes, and the stars symbolizes an intangible quality.  “Stars represent the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the strip is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.  The color of white signifies purity and innocence, red valor and bravery and blue vigilance, perseverance and justice.”  Since the first official flag in 1777, the flag has undergone many physical changes and the meaning of the elements have changed throughout American history.  But I think if you ask most Americans today they would say the flag stands for our freedom.  It is interesting that although the many elements of the physical flag have meaning, the intangible quality of freedom stands out. 

So why do some Americans get upset when another American in protest does not stand at attention to the flag as the National Anthem is playing?  Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our freedom which is represented by the flag.  But some feel that the values represented by the flag have been diminished by the actions of others.  They feel by protesting they are reminding us to strive harder for the ideal, not destroy the ideal or repudiate those who gave their life for the ideal. 

So what about someone burns a flag in protest?  How is that different that not standing at attention?  Is the ideal being destroyed by the actions of the government or the Americans burning the flag?

As a fellow American, I have to ask myself what is the intent of the protestors? If they are asking us to strive harder for the ideal or the values represented by our flag, I should listen and work together with them to do so.  If we are not willing to listen or reflect to better our actions, then we risk diminishment or destruction of the ideal or symbol.

It is interesting that God who is our eternal light cannot be diminished or destroyed by our actions.  He is not an ideal, but the alpha and the omega.

The Locked Door in the Universe

     Physicists may be unable to answer why there is something rather than nothing (the existence of the Universe) because the nature of physics forbids it.  There are two numbers that affect the construct of the Universe. If those two numbers were slightly different, the universe would not exist.  The first number is the Hicks Boson particle that proves the cosmic energy field has one constant value everywhere giving mass to the Universe.  Physicists may be unable to find a particle smaller than the Hicks Boson that might unlock further secrets of the universe.  Physicists have also discovered the Universe is speeding up because of dark energy.  Dark energy consists of the largest number in the Universe, but has no known explanation as to why.  It is interesting that physics cannot unlock the door that requires us to have faith in an unseen force that is eternal and infinite.

The Unifying Theory

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
Albert Einstein

Scientists have been trying to reconcile two physics systems or theories. General relativity, which we observe as deterministic and every cause matches a specific, local effect.  And quantum mechanics at the subatomic levels which show that interactions jump without a specific, local effect and are based on probabilities versus definitive outcomes.   Scientists are debating whether our universe is primarily deterministic or based on probabilities, but as scientists now know - both have their applications.

As humans, we are both energy and mass (E=MCsquared), so both theoretical systems apply.  However, the deterministic view prevails in our human journey.   In our experience as humans we directly identify causes with effects some of which can be verified.  Others, are based on opinion.  For instance, when we stub our toe we feel pain.  Studies of the body show we have nerves that transmit pain.  In other instances, we may lose a job which can attribute to a number of causes or events leading up to that event.  In both instances we have a deterministic view, one event directly causes another.  

But what about those interactions where we cannot directly draw a relation?  Experiments performed by physicists have shown one atomic particle can cause another particle to revolve miles away with no physical interaction.   But this is at the subatomic level, how does this affect our lives experienced at the macro level which appear deterministic?

I have written in previous essays about the unus mundus, the deeper order within our universe.  What if God’s consciousness and our soul which are eternal are reflected in the energy field at the subatomic level? What if the effects of God and our soul are probabilistic not deterministic, but affect the macro universe?  What is our minds could make the jump from deterministic to probabilistic which is to see patterns and connections without a specific, local effect?  What if the nature of consciousness is probabilistic not deterministic?  What if consciousness manifests itself at the quantum level and that is why scientists cannot determine how the mind is connected to the brain which is an organ of the human body?  What is the mind exists separate from the brain, but interacts with the brain by an unseen force?  What if this is part of the unifying theory physicists are attempting to solve?