The Human Agenda

Why America Needs Socialism by G.S.Griffin

2021 Vital Conversations A Program of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council, CRES, And Mid-Continent Public Library - The Antioch Branch Quotes and Questions selected by David Nelson ZOOM #816 896 3836

May 12, 2021 Why America Needs Socialism: The Argument from Martin Luther King, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Other Great Thinkers by G.S. Griffin
This book presents a contemporary case for socialism built on the words and ideas of history’s greatest leaders, thinkers, and artists. Exploring their views and connecting them to present day struggles, Griffin is crucial reading for anyone seeking to learn from the past to change today’s world in revolutionary ways. G.S. Griffin is an activist writer in Kansas City, cofounder of the Kansas City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, co-founder of a cooperative to support progressive causes and candidates and works in political advocacy at Communities Creating Opportunity. He will be with us for this Vital Conversation.

1. “Capitalism is an economic system characterized by the private ownership of business and industry, where earning a profit by selling a good or service is each owner’s basic and necessary goal.” (p. 16)
“Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.” (New Oxford American Dictionary)
What would you add to these two definitions to enhance a conversation about socialism in America?

2. “Many readers of faith believe that higher powers created humanity to be sinful by nature. Thus, it makes sense to many that capitalism is natural, and the way things must remain.” (p. 15) Do you agree that humanity is sinful by nature? How do you defend your opinion?

3.“Not only is it possible, but Einstein saw it as the true purpose of socialism; to keep growing, to keep bettering ourselves. Likewise, Mahatma Gandhi disbelieved in the supposed ‘essential selfishness of human nature’ because man can ‘rise superior to the passions that he owns in common with the brute and, therefore, superior to selfishness and violence.’” (p. 19). Do you see hope for change in human behavior? What is your suggestion for bettering ourselves?

4.“For near 200,000 years – most of human existence – people survived on cooperative economics and a more classless society, where the life, wealth, and work of the ruler or leader was not significantly different than any other member of the group.” (p.20). “Studies indicate that modern adults are not instinctively selfish—our first impulse is typically to cooperate and care for others.” (p. 21). What happened to us to change and tolerate the divided and oppressive system we have today?

5.“Now that we know society largely determines human nature, rather than the reverse, there is only one logical question to ask: what kind of society should we create? (p. 23) What kind of a society would you like to create? What do you need to move in that direction?

6.“Harriet Beecher Stowe, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, wrote that ‘capitalists’ and slave owners alike were ‘appropriating’ the lower class, ‘body and bone, soul and spirit, to their use and convenience’. The rich man believed ‘there can be no high civilization without enslavement of the masses, either nominal or real.” (p. 30). Do you agree that racism and capitalism work together? Can we eliminate racism without addressing capitalism?

7. “Over ninety percent of our nation’s existence has been marked by war, and surveys indicate people around the world view the United States as the single greatest threat to world peace.” (p. 111). Do you agree? Make that case for or against the US being the greatest threat to world peace. Talk about Vietnam, Mexico, Guatemala, Philippines. (see p. 111)

8. “Socialism also eliminates capitalism from the bottom-up…Under socialism, the exploitation of labor and authoritarian power are consigned to the dustbin of history, replaced by cooperation, equity, and democracy…In the socialist model, work cooperatives are the humane alternative to capitalist businesses. In a cooperative, all workers share equal ownership of the firm. This translates to equality in power and in wealth…Elizabeth Blackwell wrote that Christian socialism would mean labor receiving a fair and increasing share in the profits it helps to create.” (p. 120-122) Can you imagine our country with cooperation, equity, and democracy? How would that be different from the country you experience today?

9. “In truth, the mechanisms and incentives that drive technological, systematic, and other forms of change remain in place in co-ops. Outside inventors can still sell or license their creations to cooperative businesses; start-up founders, while sacrificing total power and wealth hoarding, can still bring their creations to the world, doing what they love and making money off it…Co-ops are also more stable that capitalist firms, even during economic crisis.” (p. 125-126). Have you invested in or participated in a co-op of some form? Describe the experience. What worked for you and what did not work for you?

10. “Imagine living in an America like this…Might we grow, collectively, less greedy and more caring? Less individualistic and more attuned to the needs of all, the common good? (p. 129). When have you experienced life in a less greedy and more caring way? Describe the situation and the benefits of such an arrangement. What can you do to make this happen more often in your life and in your community?
Some examples of this are:
• UBI (Universal Basic Income) p. 145f.
• Guaranteed work through public works projects - p. 149f. “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” Nelson Mandela said. (p.155)
• Universal Health Care p 156f. “This does not mean the State will own the hospitals and employ the doctors. Instead, the reverse would be true –the doctors, nurses, receptions, and janitors (the workers) would own the clinics and hospitals.” (p. 156)
• Universal Education p. 164f “A socialist society would include free K through 12 education, pre-school and college…democracy would enter education. Teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, janitors, and other workers would own their schools…Public schools will remain ta-funded and neighborhood-based, following a democratically determined national curriculum.” (p. 164-165)

June 9, 2021 Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, David Kessler
In 1969, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross first identified the stages of dying in her transformative book On Dead and Dying, and decades later, she and David Kessler wrote the classic On Grief and Grieving, introducing the stages of grief.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - Vital Conversations April 14, 2021

April 14, 2021 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.
This 1906 novel by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair (1878–1968). The novel portrays the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the United States in Chicago and similar industrialized cities. Sinclair's primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the United States.

Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American writer, political activist and the 1934 Democratic Party nominee for Governor of California who wrote nearly 100 books and other works in several genres. Sinclair's work was well known and popular in the first half of the 20th century, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943. Very few works of literature have actually changed the course of history, but The Jungle is just such a work. It touched this nation and the world, and it contributed enormously to the landmark passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. This book is said to have decreased America’s meat consumption for decades.

1. Have you ever been in a meat packing plant? What was it like? The Jungle is considered “agitation rather than art”, according to Morris Dickstein. Sinclair himself insisted that his book was intended not as an expose of the meat industry but as an argument for socialism, to which he had recently been converted. Much socialist activity was happening in the US. Upton Sinclair was sent in 1904, by the publisher of “Appeal to Reason” in Girard, Kansas to examine conditions in the stockyards of Chicago. The resulting novel, based on seven weeks of intensive research, was serialized and achieved great notoriety even before it came out as a book.
The book begins with a Lithuanian wedding of Jurgis Rudkis and Ona Likoszaite, who become characters in the novel. They spend more than a year’s income on the wedding day feast (the veselija). “The veselija has come down to them from a far-off time; and the meaning of it was that one might dwell within the cave and gaze upon shadows, provided only that once in his lifetime he could break his chains, and feel his wings, and behold the sun…Thus having known himself for the master of things, a man could go back to his toil and live upon the memory all his days.” (p. 12).
2. Why would people spend so much on a wedding? Why do you think the author begins the story with a wedding?

“The stench was almost overpowering, but to Jurgis it was nothing. His whole soul dancing with joy – he was at work at last. He was at work and earning money!” (p. 44)
3. Have you experienced joy in a job? When and where? Did it last?

This is a story of human challenge and tragedy. Jurgis buys and loses a house, his wife and children die, he confronts injustice in a variety of places and yet he presses on, even before discovering hope in politics. “Marija, who takes to prostitution to support the family and educate children, shows considerable growth, and our respect for her is enhanced. Elzbieta is the picture of the all-suffering, all-sacrificing, all-forgiving mother who, undaunted by the heavy odds against her, fights back.” (p. 83 Mookerjee)
4. Where does courage and persistence come from? How do you hang in there when the world seems against you?

“He went on, tearing up all the flowers from the garden of his soul, and setting his heel upon them. The train thundered deafeningly, and a storm of dust blew in his face; but though it stopped now and then through the night, he clung where he was – he would cling there until he was driven off, for every mile that he got from Packingtown meant another load from his mind.” (p. 214)
5. Did Jurgis find a better life in the country? Why did he return to Chicago? How did you discover “your place” in the world?

“The voice of the poor, demanding that poverty shall cease! The voice of the oppressed, pronouncing the doom of oppression! The voice of power, wrought out of suffering – of resolution, crushed out of weakness – of joy and courage, born in the bottomless pit of anguish and despair! The voice of Labor, despised and outraged; a mighty giant, lying prostrate – mountainous, colossal, but blinded, bound and ignorant of his strength. And now a dream of resistance haunts him, hope battling with fear; until suddenly he stirs, and a fetter snaps – and a thrill shoots through him, to the farthest ends of his huge body, and the banks are shattered, the burdens roll off him – he rises – towering, gigantic; he springs to his feet, he shouts in his newborn exultation---". (p. 307)
6. Have you experienced a “discovery” of such magnitude? Is this a “born again” experience?

“The Socialist movement was a world movement, an organization of all mankind to establish liberty and fraternity. It was the new religion of humanity – or you might say it was the fulfillment of the old religion, since it implied but the literal application of all the teachings of Christ.” (p. 315) “A Socialist believes in the common ownership and democratic management of the means of producing the necessities of life and a Socialist believes that the means by which this is to be brought about is the class-conscious political organizations of the wage-earners.” (p. 336-337). “I would seriously maintain that all the medical and surgical discoveries that science can make in the future will be of less importance than the application of the knowledge we already possess, when the disinherited of the earth have established their right to a human existence.” (p. 3440
7. How convincing is this novel and especially the speeches of the final chapters on your thinking about socialism?

May 12, 2021 Why America Needs Socialism: The Argument from Martin Luther King, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Other Great Thinkers by G.S. Griffin
This book presents a contemporary case for socialism built on the words and ideas of history’s greatest leaders, thinkers, and artists. Exploring their views and connecting them to present day struggles, Griffin is crucial reading for anyone seeking to learn from the past in order to change today’s world in revolutionary ways.

Vital Conversation March 10, 2021

2021 Vital Conversations A Program of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council, CRES, And Mid-Continent Public Library - The Antioch Branch ZOOM #816 896 3836

March 10, 2021 Siddhartha by Herman Hess
In the novel, Siddhartha, a young man, leaves his family for a contemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom. To add to our conversation, we will have present a friend of a friend who is a lifelong Buddhist and spent part of his childhood in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. He will share how his Buddhist Faith has been important throughout his long life. Thanks to Temp Sparkman for writing comments and questions.

Some questions on “Siddhartha.” I’ve listed pages so you can see the context of each question. I’ve listed pages so you can see the context of each question. Surely group members will be pleased to read passages out load.

Siddhartha had a happy life in a vibrate family. He grew up around learned men and a mother that sang to him. His Brahmin father “saw him growing up to be a prince among the Brahmins.” But Siddhartha began to question his rearing. p 3-5
1. When did you begin questioning the teachings you grew up with?

2. Siddhartha was determined to “Let the self die.” p 11
Have you or anyone you know attempt this kind of inward journey? Is it possible to empty the self?

When a group of Samanas passed through his town Siddhartha and his friend Gaventa decided to join them the in their simple life styles. Then they met the Buddha “Gotama.” p25
3. Is anyone in our group ‘Buddhist’ or has at least read about the Buddha?

After leaving the Buddha, Siddhartha awakens fully present to himself and to the world. (Have someone read p 33, paragraph 2)
4. Has anyone had a similar moment with a devout religious person?

The book gives a long passage on Siddhartha euphoria of the world around him. (Read p 37.)
5. Has anyone experienced this kind of moment of awareness?
Did this turn in Siddhartha pilgrimage surprise anyone? Do you see a connection between this and his early rearing?

Siddhartha has a strange dream, (Read p 40)
6. Anyone here want to interpret the dream?
In a moment or euphoria S. becomes fully present to himself and the world. (Have read p 37, 38.)
7. What were you thinking as this was being read? What does it say about his state of mind? Is this going to set the tone for the rest of his life?

Siddhartha comes upon a beautiful woman Kamal. p 41-43. He wants to please her by reading one of his poems. (Read on p 47.) She likes it enough to give a kiss, but tells him that to get him out of poverty’s grip he should visit the merchant Kamaswami which he did.)
8. Were you surprised that Siddhartha succeeded as a merchant?
Then that he eventually rejects it? (Read last paragraph p 80-81.)

Siddhartha meets a Ferryman at the river and recounts his rejection of riches to give him meaning. Then he meets Kamala, on her way to a pilgrimage to Gotama. with her son named Siddhartha. She is dying from a snake bite.
9. How did you react to Siddhartha attempts to reach his son? (Read p 95, paragraph 2, p 96, paragraph 2, p 100, paragraphs 2 & 3.

Siddhartha has become the Ferryman and is telling the now old ferryman his altered consciousness of the river as summarizing his life.
Read 107 paragraph 2, second paragraph and page 111 first paragraph.)
10. As a group, pronounce ‘Om’ 5 times.

Siddhartha’s oldest friend Gaventa appears and asks Siddhartha “Have you a doctrine, belief or knowledge which you uphold, which helps you to act and feel and right?” (Read p 120, paragraph 3.)
11. If you read the pages of this reunion, what did you make of them?

12. Reviewers have tagged “Siddhartha’ as a search for meaning.
As you read about him, did you reflect on whether you can characterize your own life? Do you remember when you began thinking intentionally about your life? (a teacher, in a business, in government, as housewife/house husband, religious ministry, counselor, et al.)

April 14, 2021 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.
This 1906 novel by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair (1878–1968). The novel portrays the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the United States in Chicago and similar industrialized cities. Sinclair's primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the United States.

The Human Agenda
David E Nelson
humanagenda@gmail.com
816.896.3835

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

Quotes and questions selected by David Nelson.

Releasing Conversation: Do you believe human beings are inherently good (Planet A) or inherently bad (Planet B)? Why? What difference does it make which you believe? Did you watch the events January 6th in Washington D.C. while it was happening? Describe your feelings then. What are your feelings today about the United States? Who have you talked with about your feelings?

1. Veneer Theory – “The notion that civilization is nothing more than a thin veneer that will crack at the merest provocation. In actuality, the opposite is true. It’s when crisis hits - when the bombs fall or the floodwaters rise – that we humans become our best selves.” (p. 4). Share a story from your experience that illustrates this.
2. Placebo effect – “If your doctor gives you a fake pill and says it will cure what ails you, chances are you will feel better. The more dramatic the placebo, the bigger that chance…If you believe something enough, it can become real…We are what we believe. We find what we got looking for. And what we predict, comes to pass.” (p.8-9)
Nocebo effect – “Warn your patients a drug has serious side effects, and it probably will. If you believe something enough, it can become real.” (p.9) Ashil Babbitt died inside the Capital on January 6th. What do you think she believed? Why did she believe these things? What did the tens of thousands who participated in rally in Washington believe?
3. Compare the two stories; Lord of the Flies by William Golding and the real event told by Peter Warner.
4. “In one corner is Hobbes: The pessimist who would have us believe in the wickedness of human nature. The man who asserted that civil society alone could save us from our baser instincts. In the other corner, Rousseau: the man who declared that in our heart of hearts we’re all good. Far from being our salvation, Rousseau believed civilization is what ruins us.” (p. 43-44). Which corner do you stand in? Can you make the case with personal stories? “That’s how our sense of history get flipped upside down. Civilisation has become synonymous with peace and progress and wilderness with war and decline. In reality, for most of human existence, it was the other way around.” (p.110). What does the author mean by this?
5. What did you learn from the Easter Island story? The Stanford Prison Experiment? The Stanley Milgram’s Laboratory? “Hannah Arendt argued that our need for love and friendship is more human than any inclination towards hate and violence. And when we do choose the path of evil, we feel compelled to hide behind lies and cliches that give us a semblance of virtue.” (p. 173). Does your personal experience and observation agree with her? “Belief in humankind’s sinful nature also provides a tidy explanation for the existence of evil. When confronted with hatred or selfishness, you can tell yourself, ‘Oh, well, that’s just human nature. But if you believe that people are essentially good you have to question why evil exists at all. It implies that engagement and resistance are worthwhile, and it imposes an obligation to act.” (p. 174) When have you benefited by using communication and confrontation, compassion and resistance?
6. Had you heard about the death of Catherine Susan Genovese before readying Humankind? Why did this story get retold so often?
7. “Tactics, training, ideology – all are crucial for an army, Morris and his colleagues confirmed. But ultimately, an army is only as strong as the ties of fellowship among its soldiers. Camaraderie is the weapon that wins wars.” (p. 205-206) If you were in the military would you agree? If you know men or women in the military would you agree? “Terrorists don’t kill and die just for a cause…They kill and die for each other.” (p.208)
8. “Infants possess an innate sense of morality. Infants as young as six months old can not only distinguish right from wrong, but they also prefer the good over the bad.” (p.209) What does the author suggest has been done to train human beings to hurt and kill others? Military friends, is this your experience? What would it take for you to kill another person?
9. Power Paradox – “Scores of studies show that we pick the most modest and kind-hearted individuals to lead us. But once they arrive at the top, the power often goes straight to their heads – and good luck unseating they after that.” (p. 229) Why do you think 75 million Americans voted for Donald Trump in the recent election?
10. “Exchange suspicion for a more positive view of human nature. Just imagine, academics would burn the midnight out of a thirst for knowledge, teachers would teach because they feel responsible for their students, psychologists would treat only as long as their patients require, and bankers would derive satisfaction from the service they render…This question is neither conservative nor progressive, neither capitalist nor communist. It speaks to a new movement…a new realism. Because nothing is more powerful than people who do something because they want to do it.” (p. 277-278) What motivates you to do your very best?
11. “Play is not subject to fixed rules and regulations but is open-ended and unfettered. Unstructured play is also nature’s remedy against boredom…Dutch historian Johan Huizinga christened us HOMO LUDENS – ‘playing man’. Everything we call ‘culture’ originates in play.” (p. 282-283). How do you play? When was the last time you really played?
12. “Hatred and racism stem from a lack of contact. We generalize wildly about strangers because we don’t know them. So the remedy seemed obvious: more contact. After all, we can only love what we know” (p.352) In order to “stay human” who can you contact in the near future? What other ways can you “stay human.”

Maury Berggren - A Human Sighting

Maury Berggren (1938-2021)

For five years I had the honor to serve as Pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Manhattan, Kansas. There are several hundred people whose lives became interwoven with mine during those years. The relationship with Maury Berggren was one of the precious ones that will never end. He welcomed Ann and I to Peace and remained a partner in our personal and pastoral journey. He cemented a compassionate connection from the moment of our arrival. Thank you, Maury, for your friendship.

Maury as an artist gave his gifts to so many. Hundreds of students will never forget him. Dozens of churches continue to feature art made from a variety of wood, pottery, and other mediums that proclaimed the sacredness of all creation and the wonder of divine love. The statue of the “Boy with fishes and Loaves” and “Christus Rex” are two of my most prized works of art. Maury created a lasting memorial for our daughter Molly which remains on display at Andover Lutheran Church. The Peace Dove Window shines every night in our back yard. Thank you, Maury, for your art.

One year during Lent, Maury asked if we could create together a vision of the “Last Words From the Cross.” Each Wednesday Lenten evening I prayed and spoke, the congregation sang and listened and watched as Maury shaped with his hands the cross and the people around it. Watching the artist create was an act of worship that touched us deeply. Thank you, Maury, for your worship leadership.

Several years Maury made presents which Ann and I gave to each other. He invested hours planning, creating, and completing these symbols of devotion that remain a part of our home. Our “Family Cup of Blessing” was used for celebrating our family and our hospitality shared with others. Thank you, Maury, for helping our family grow in love and compassion.

Maury Berggren completed his earthly life the first week of 2021. The relationship he made will last forever. Thank you, Maury, for being a wonderful child of God and one of the best human sightings I have ever witnessed.

Thanksgiving Blessing 2020

Blessing Prayer Thanksgiving 2020
Rams Horn Community

Blessed are you Creator and Lover of the Universe. You gift us with a beautiful world, wonderful human families, and the ability to hope even in times of chaos and sadness.

Give peace and strength to our nations leaders. May the values and vision on which our nation was founded guide all practices and decisions.
Protect the most vulnerable among us, especially all who are currently sick or in isolation.
Grant wisdom, patience, and clarity to health care workers, especially as their work caring for others puts them at great risk.
Give rest to first responders, firefighters, community leaders and others in our Estes Park community who have floods, fires; natural disasters, in addition to ongoing challenges
Guide us as we consider how best to prepare and respond in our families, workplaces, and communities. When we must be apart for reasons of safety, we trust that you embrace us all with your sheltering wings.
Give us courage to face these days not with fear but with compassion, concern, and acts of service.

Even as we live with daily disappointments we remain aware of the many blessings we celebrate this year.
We are grateful for the Rams Horn Staff who continue to make the words “Welcome Home” feel so good.
We celebrate Rocky Mountain Nation Park and the many non-human members of our family who remind us of the wonders of creation.
We remain aware of all those we know as members of our Rams Horn family. Separation is painful, but it does not end our appreciation.
We celebrate the sacred bond we share with all persons of faith around this fragile planet and know that no act of love is ever lost in the universe.

Blessed are you Creator and Lover of the Universe. You gift us with a beautiful world, wonderful human families, and the ability to hope even in times of chaos and sadness.

Amen

David E. Nelson, D.Min.
humanagenda@gmail.com
816.896.3835

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Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar

Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. This is the story not only of the powerful lure of liberty but also of George Washington’s determination to recapture his property by whatever means necessary. Never Caught is an important new work on one of the world’s most celebrated families and is the only book that examines the life of an eighteenth-century fugitive woman in intricate detail. It is a must read for anyone interest in American history. At the end of the book are 11 Reading Group Questions. Possible releasing conversation: Share your name and say something about slavery.

“Was this not the time for Ona Judge to seize the day, leave the Washingtons, and never look back? Could she find the bravery, the grit, and the power to leave everyone and everything that she knew? Several factors influenced her decision and tipped the balance sheet in one direction over the other.” (p 93). What have you learned in recent months about the history of slavery in the USA? How is it different than other countries? How did it come to be so “normal” and acceptable for such a long time?

“Rape and forced breeding torturously enlarged the institution of slavery, reminding every enslaved woman that she was never safe from sexual attack.” (p. 97). Why does the author, Erica Armstrong Dunbar, prefer the term “enslavement” and “enslaved” over just the word “slave”? What is the impact of centuries of enslavement on both the Blacks who were slaves and the whites who were slave owners? Describe the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 and make the case for and against it.

“Ona Staines (Judge) looked the president’s nephew in his eyes. Righteous indignation and a belief in her right to be free prompted her final and fierce response to Bassett, telling him, ‘I am free now and choose to remain so.’” (p. 166). Where does such courage come from? What other examples of strength can you recall from the news or from your own life?

“With the death of George Washington, 123 slaves who lived and toiled at Mount Vernon learned that Washington’s final will would eventually emancipate them from bondage, an indication that the president had indeed struggles with the concept of slavery.” (p.173). Why do you think Washington was unable to emancipate his slaves while he was alive?

“It was her faith in God that carried Ona Staines through the most difficult times in her life. In her later years, Staines reminisced about her sojourn to Christianity and literacy, two silos that she encountered once she fled north.” (p. 184) What is it about Christianity and literacy that gives power and hope for formerly enslaved people and for you?

“On February 25, 1848, eleven days after the doctor’s visit, Ona Maria Staines was carried away not by slave catchers, but by her God.” (p. 186)

Holy Trinity Lutheran Chicago

Faith Story
David E. Nelson
Holy Trinity Lutheran Chicago
September 13, 2020

I have always had a vital connection to the church. For my first several decades I lived in the parsonage next to the church since my father was the pastor. Attending worship on Sunday and other activities was the norm in my life. I was ordained in the Lutheran Church in America, a predecessor to the ELCA and served parishes in a rural setting and university community, both in Kansas and my last parish was in Kansas City, Missouri, where we still live. In 1995 I resigned from parish ministry and now practice my baptismal ordination in other ways.

I seek greater connections with women and men of other religious traditions and was one of the founders of The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council and served as convenor during the early years. As an Appreciative Inquiry Coach, I have been gifted to partner with men serving time in the United States Penitentiary who were changing their thinking and behavior. They taught me to understand that deep inside us all is a sacred core that longs for respectful connections with others. I have been privileged to partner with men and women who provide public health and safety through pre-hospital care and community action. I seek connections especially with those sisters and brothers who have been oppressed or ignored by others.

The weekly celebration of the eucharist plays a major role in our spiritual journey. I reconnected with Craig at the beginning of the Covid 19 Pandemic to discuss celebrating eucharist online. His invitation to worship last Easter changed my experience and thinking about worship and technology. Holy Trinity does Zoom worship with deep reverence, excellence in preaching and outstanding technology. Religion and science are not only compatible but essential to remain faithful to our baptismal ordination. We have been nurtured in the adult learning provided on Zoom. I now have new friendships in connecting faith and life. We will continue to live in Kansas City even as we worship and grow spiritually with you at Holy Trinity in Chicago.

SPEAK A NOVEL by Louise Hall - Vital Conversations

September 9, 2020
Vital Conversations
Speak: A Novel by Louisa Hall

This creative work is woven from a varied series of first-person narratives: Mary, a 17th‑century Puritan girl emigrating to America; Alan Turing pre and postwar; Karl Dettman, a 1960s scientist working on artificial intelligence (a character based on real-life computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum); Gaby, a young girl in 2035 suffering from a trauma-induced “lock-in” syndrome after her beloved robot doll was snatched from her; and Stephen R Chinn, who is in a Texas prison in 2040. Chinn is a Steve Jobs-style genius and entrepreneur who made billions designing and selling intelligent “babybots”, who fell from grace when his invention proved too successful. Shy kids bonded with their bots to the exclusion of actual humans. Convinced their development was being impaired, the authorities confiscated them, and a psychological epidemic of stuttering, fitting and freezing swept through the child population. Chinn looks back on his life: from school nerd, via a stint as obnoxious pickup artist, to lonely billionaire prone to dating shallow supermodels who, in a narrative knight’s move that is genuinely affecting, unexpectedly finds happiness with his physically unprepossessing cleaning lady – for a time, at any rate.

Download C66A909D-EA48-4927-BCC6-D52BE266D619

Possible releasing conversation: Share your name and in one sentence say something about “artificial intelligence.”

1. Karl Dettman. “…one day that machine will remember your words, but it won’t ever feel them. It won’t understand them. It will only throw them back in your face.” (page 30). What does it mean to you to both understand and feel the words that are spoken?
2. Alan Turing. “It is our goal, as you know, to describe the actual sequences by which human beings develop their mind-sets…We are even now reopening our investigation into the Fibonacci sequence, in the hopes that it will reveal to us new secrets about cellular growth.” Page 66). What is the Fibonacci sequence and how might it help understand human reality?
3. Stephen R Chinn. “And what if these bots (AI Babies) took over? What if they relieved us of power? We tend to assume that sentient machines would be inevitably demonic…They would govern the world according to functions, and the axioms their programmers gave them.” (page 86). What are sentient machines? Could they do a better job in many areas? Are there things they could not do better than humans?
4. Karl Dettman. “Like it or not, the programs we invent will be used in battle and despite your aversion to watching the news there’s no way you haven’t seen the battles this country fights; the scorched peasant villages, napalm bombs, naked children running out of the smoke.” (page 112) Is it inevitable that computers will be used more for evil than good? What can we do now to avoid that today?
5. Alan Turing. “I’ve begun to imagine a near future when we might read poetry and play music for our machines, when they would appreciate such beauty with the same subtlety as a live human brain. When this happens, I feel that we shall be obligated to regard the machine as showing real intelligence…you’ve always remained open to the possibility that my science and your religion might coexist. After all, we’re both after the same things.” (page 156). Can we say a machine has intelligence? Can science and religions coexist? Are we after the same thing?
6. MARY3 (an artificial babybot). “But who are you, other than the person you’ve selected this morning to be? Isn’t that what humans do when they try to be liked. Select the right kind of voice, learned after years of listening in? The only difference between you and me is that I have more voices to select from.” (page 176-177). Are human beings as good at relationships as a well programed artificial babybot?
7. Alan Turing. “I find it hard to believe that a machine, programmed for equanimity and rational synthesis could ever act as maleficent as we humans have already proven ourselves capable of acting. I fail to summon the specter of a machine more harmful that Hitler or Mussolini.” (page188). Is our “humanness” a gift or a problem in today’s world? Would artificial intelligence make better choices in elections, problem solving, global survival and living in peace with justice?
8. “Some theorists argue that all our words are dishonest, given that we can’t actually mean them. Others have argued with less success that as long as we have the words for emotions, it must be assumed that we have the emotions.” (page 241). Think and talk about the relationship between our thoughts, feelings and the words we use in writing and speaking. When you speak, do you want others to listen or to hear? What is the difference?
9. Stephen Chinn. “It’s difficult to overstate the euphoria one feels while programming a mind, even if you’re tinkering with someone else’s outdated code. The engineer who builds whole cities isn’t so powerful. The computer programmer alone is the creator of a universe in which he dictates all laws.” (page 257). When do you feel the most powerful and creative? How can you participate in “creating a universe”?
10. Ruth Dettman. “Surrounded by such alien creatures, I found myself yearning for the comforts provided by our computer. I longed for its cool, unchangeable body, sitting still on the desk. For its total lack of vanity, just questions, bright green on the gray screen, and the careful absorption of each of my answers.” (page 274). Do you long to be asked serious questions and be listened to without “the other” interrupting? Would an intelligent computer make a better friend and ally than a person with prejudices and ego?
11. What is a Turing Test? Do you know a superior method of measuring humanity?

October 14th Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. This is the story not only of the powerful lure of liberty but also of George Washington’s determination to recapture his property by whatever means necessary. Never Caught is an important new work on one of the world’s most celebrated families, and is the only book that examines the life of an eighteenth-century fugitive woman in intricate detail. It is a must read for anyone interest in American history.

David E. Nelson
816.896.3835
humanagenda@gmail.com

Maybe We Are All Santa Lucia bringing light into darkness

“Who are you really?” Matthew 16:18-22 August 23, 2020 North Oak Christian Church David E. Nelson D.Min.

When we moved to Kansas City in 1981 Trinity Lutheran Hospital was one of the active medical facilities on Hospital Hill. It was founded by Swedish Lutherans and had kept the tradition of celebrating Santa Lucia on December 13th of each year by having a young woman or girl dress like Lucia and visit the patients. Our daughter, named Lucia, was asked to play Santa Lucia at Trinity Lutheran Hospital. Several of the patients asked, “Who are you really?” “I am Lucia.” Who are you really? It feels like I have been asked that a lot lately. Perhaps you have felt it as well.

When I first read the gospel for this Sunday, I was reminded of this question over and over again. Jesus has spent some time with his disciples. Preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” He heals the sick, shares the beatitudes, teaches with many stories and shares insights with this small group. And today we read after coming into the district of Caesarea Philippi he asks his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” It almost sounds like a trick question. Like me asking you “Who do people say David Nelson is really? Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, but who do you say that I am? Peter answers, “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this “rock” I will build my church and the gates of hades will not prevail against it.”

Most Roman Catholic argue Jesus is referring to Peter and see him as the first Bishop of Rome. Many Protestants suggest Jesus is referring to the proclamation “You are the Messiah” not to a specific person who proclaims it but to all persons who make this declaration. “WHO ARE YOU REALLY?” You are one who proclaims, “Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God.” We are created in the image of God, redeemed by Jesus the Son of God and sanctified (made holy) by the Spirit of God. Therefore, we are one with all of creation, especially all humanity.

The story is told of a student of the Baal Shem Tov, who arrived at synagogue one morning for the daily prayers only to find the Baal Shem Tov angry with him. “You killed a man in Cracow!” the Baal Shem Tov declared. The student was aghast. “Rebbe! I’ve never even been to Cracow!” “True,” the Baal Shem Tov replied. “But last night you became angry with your wife. In Cracow, there is a person who, though much coarser than you, is attached to the root of your soul. When you were unable to restrain yourself from yelling at your wife, that energy rolled all the way to him, and he ended up killing someone. But it was your responsibility. This vast, interconnected entity is the true meaning of humanity being created in the image of God.

Covid 19 Pandemic – We live in richest nation in the world and are failing at stopping this vicious disease. The whole nation is being asked “Who are you really?”
As we watch the public murder of Black men and women and people cry our “Who are you really?” People are screaming Black Lives Matter – As we study white privilege, systematic white racism. Asking each of us and asking this nation. That’s my brother who was murdered. That is my sister who died.

Who are you really? You are baptized into the Body of Christ, the church, to live and learn from Jesus and those who follow him how to value justice and peace.

Who are you really? As the second reading assigned for today exhorts us to not be “conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds”.

Who are you really? When our sisters and brothers suffer with Covid 19 and as over 170,000 families have been battered with resulting deaths.

Who are you really? When a member of our family stares into the boney eyes of death we remind him and each other that death may end a life, but it does not end a relationship and nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Who are you really? We are people who pray along with Saint Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Back to that story of Santa Lucia. In the darkness – light. Here is a video of what happens in many churches and homes on the darkest night.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+videos+-+Santa+Lucia&&view=detail&mid=CAF5B5

Who are you really? Perhaps our Lucia was right. We all need to be like Santa Lucia. We all can bring more light into the darkness. Maybe that is who we really are.
FSS