My Philosophy (Spiritual, Political, and Life)

The highest ethic is love  

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

We should fight for the equal dignity of all human beings, no one is more important than another. Love in its deepest sense (Agape) is sacrificial and puts others’ needs ahead of one’s own.  Love can be felt, but ultimately is a decision we make for the betterment of other human beings. Affection for other people or things often comes from a sense of enjoyment (eros), this is a lesser form of love. It is good but not what we mean when we refer to the highest ethic. The working definition comes from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God loves human beings and created us to be capable of love which is why He gave us free will. Free will is necessary for humans to be able to choose to love. That choice necessitates that we can choose not to love. Certain aspects of freedom are an important component in the capability for love. It is good to choose to sacrificially love other human beings as they are our equals as free will choosing beings and human beings being made in the image of God. 

Genesis 1:26-28 

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 

So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;

    male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

What I mean by human beings as being made in the image of God, refers to what elevates human beings over all other animals and plants on this planet. We have within us a spirit or soul that interacts with our physical brain and physical bodies. We have self awareness that goes beyond that of other animals,  and we communicate intellectually with one another verbally. Our moral understanding of the world is elevated with our internal conscience. Our spirit or soul has an elevated free will, where we are not only guided by physical need, but a desire for existential meaning and fruitful work. This is why humans create art, construct governments, record history, and build tools that make work easier. We are the leaders of this earth, because our higher level souls reflect God’s creative and intellectual nature. All humans should be esteemed with this human dignity, which is why when humans are murdered we try to bring the murderers to justice. We view human life as important in a way that nothing else on this planet really compares, and rightfully so. 

While free will  is inherent to human beings, we all are sinful. We all have in our nature an inclination towards acting selfishly. At some point we all lie, choose self over others, or hurt others (cheating, rape, greed, slandering others, stealing, murder, assault physically, or act jealously). Obviously self defense or lying out of love (like the french farmer at the beginning of Inglorious Bastards who lied about hiding Jews), are exceptions because they are either self protection or actions done in love. Romans 3 comments on our inherent sinful nature as human beings.

Romans 3:19-24

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God being perfect judges human sin. He sees that every human being is guilty of sin and falls short of moral perfection. This is another reason we are all equal, yes some human beings have done more good morally than others. But we all have wronged others in some way and fall far short of moral perfection. It’s not our job to judge moral greatness since we lack the ability to fully know human beings in the way we would need to to judge their whole life. We can call out obvious external shortcomings but we fail to see the whole picture of anyone’s life. According to God we deserve judgment for our sins but He offers forgiveness if we choose to accept Jesus’ death on the cross as a payment for our sins. As morally imperfect beings who are we to decide the right consequences for our mistakes? Our sinful nature also has explanatory power in why human rulers and leaders are very often susceptible to corruption and greed (Sam Bankman Fried, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, MBS, Popes, US presidents, Cesars, Csarz, most kings, and plenty of other examples). Our leaders tend to be flawed at best, because power often brings selfish pride with it. A good pursuit is humility, understanding that our human dignity is equal with all other human beings. Protecting the positive freedoms of other human beings is good, and providing for people’s needs who are less fortunate. 

Political Philosophy

Governments are good for protecting civility, anarchy leads to chaos. If we can call out corruption and greed at its highest levels we should. No matter what, human governments are going to be imperfect, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to improve and move towards what is good. I think power being divided and checked by the people is a good thing and can protect against certain levels of corruption. Democracy is at its best when an informed public votes to protect civil freedoms. Both unrestricted capitalism and universal socialism can have problems. Marx and others have made strong criticisms against capitalism in its tendency towards greed. Those with money can become more and more powerful and often corrupt, rigging the system towards themselves. Socialism can thwart innovation because those who create have less of an incentive. Now I would argue there is still an incentive to innovate, but I agree without significant monetary gain it is significantly lessened. Communism when it has been tried has failed (I am not advocating for marxism), power ends up in the hands of a few rather than the dictatorship of the proletariat. I think the best economy probably is a combination of the two (socialism and capitalism) in a mixed economy. Good regulations can help thwart endless greed. In the U.S. we see significant issues in our pharmaceutical companies (Purdue Pharma). I think something we could work on is a more empathetic and less greed driven approach to human health care.

Freedom of the press and free speech are important protections for our society. That does not include threatening the lives of other people. Free speech and a free press allow people to call out corruption within the state. Also it allows honest dialogue which is where real meaningful conversations are had. When the state begins to limit free speech it often does so with an inherent bias towards the state. For example you can’t critique the Chinese Government in China. Often in the United States the biggest media platforms are run by partisan leaders who have a political agenda in how they share the news, at least on a national level. I think independent journalism not tied to huge partisan companies is often better. We should be critical of our news sources and not blindly trust one given source. Media personalities, even independent ones can be quite misleading. Alex Jones would be an example of someone who espouses a lot of radical information that is misleading. His false claims have been proven wrong and incredibly harmful. Copyright laws, defamation lawsuits, and objectively proven lies are some of the good limitations to free speech. People should be free to speculate and articulate opinions on things that are subjective or where objective truth has not been established. Vulgarity is often the language of the people and should be protected assuming prior limitations mentioned above. I think a very liberal protection of free speech is beneficial to both potential progress and creative endeavors. 

I think separation between church and state is very important. Freedom of religion or belief is good and I think what God desires. When any religion is tied to the state it limits human civil freedoms, and often the religion and state are heavily corrupted(The crusades, Sharia law, the holy roman empire, and countless other examples). Often belief in the religion of the state is coerced and not genuine. If the most important thing was that everyone had the same belief then God wouldn’t have given people free will. Instead I think more important than that is the capability of real love which again requires free will and the possible choice not to love. He loves us and desires for us to love Him which cannot be coerced. Therefore protecting the religious freedom of everyone as long as said religions do not restrict civil and basic freedoms of the people is a good thing. The purpose of a good government is to protect basic civil and human freedoms. 

Perspective

It is good to appreciate the beauty and good in the world. Encouraging one another after an act of sacrificial love or benevolence is good. Enjoy good music, beautiful art, a good meal with friends, or an awesome movie. Appreciate the beauty we see in nature. Practice gratitude for the good things we have in this life. Rather than envying what we don’t have, appreciate what you have been given. Enjoy human relating in its deepest sense, enjoy a good conversation. Get to know other people because they always have something interesting we can learn from them. Be gracious in relating, forgiving many offenses, so people can be free to be honest around us. When people can be open and honest we can have the most real and meaningful interactions. Sex in the context of meaningful commited love is a beautiful thing. Learning is an endless pursuit and as we find truth it is a beautiful thing. Reading is a good practice and we should read diverse literature. I enjoy a good laugh or a passionate conversation about weird diverse subjects between friends. Learn to see the human dignity in those you disagree with, don’t demonize unnecessarily. 

Matthew 5:43-44 

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

When I was growing up I often heard stories end with “happily ever after.” Similarly I thought that when I completed a long term goal or did something grandiose, I would experience some form of long form bliss. This kind of thing would be an effortless outcome of some major victory in life. This hasn’t happened, when I reach said destination I have one moment of satisfaction, and then comes another conflict. I have learned you need to find ways to enjoy the ride or striving before you reach a destination. If you can’t enjoy the ride, you won’t enjoy the destination much. Often people define themselves by their successes or failures, they feel they can earn their value. If they don’t succeed they don’t deserve happiness, so they wallow in misery when they fail. This is an active choice to define ourselves by what we deem as earned merit, yet God sees our value not in a way that we could earn. We are truly dependent beings, we can’t control everything and sometimes results are based on luck. Sometimes we get help that helps us do things beyond our own capabilities. On the other hand failure, rejection, and times of suffering are times when character is built. 

1 Peter 1:6-7

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

Can you persevere in times of difficulty? Can you learn from mistakes? Are you defined by how others see you? These times of difficulty are when shit hits the fan and you act on what you truly believe. Suffering is the strongest means of growth, I’m not saying that every hardship has a deeper underlying meaning, but every hardship is to some degree an opportunity to press on. Often we can learn a lot about ourselves by how we respond to these difficulties. Some people try to numb themselves so they don’t feel the weight of life around them. When we do this we don’t just miss the negative emotions, but also the positive ones. Others ride the waves of life riding the high highs and then crushed by the lows. These people are often super sensitive to things outside of their control and their lives are volatile. Their emotions control them and they are just lost in the sea. I think as Christians we are called to build a thick skin, so that we are rarely if ever offended by the people of this world. Like in Ecclesiastes 3 in life there is a season for almost every emotion, and we are right to be in touch with our emotions. While we feel our emotions we are responsible for how we respond, do we hold our thoughts captive to the truth? Having realistic expectations and understanding the nature of the world we live in can help us prepare for difficulties ahead. As we continue to press on in suffering we build a certain toughness where it doesn’t wreck us quite so hard, because we know to an extent there will be another side. The beauty of Christianity is that even in these times we have strong reasons for hope knowing that ahead is life with God in heaven. That there will be an end to suffering on this Earth when Jesus comes back. Also we know that the one who created us loves us as we are and offers guidance in His word. With all this in mind we should not ignore our emotions, and we shouldn’t give control over to them either. We should take risks knowing that failure and rejection don’t define us, while not being overly reckless. Happiness is just a fleeting feeling, other emotions have a time and a place.

Joy is something that comes with hard work choosing to purposefully focus on positive truth in gratitude and hope. It doesn’t overcome every other feeling, but it becomes a new status quo as we learn to see through God’s lens of the world. Human nature has a tendency to focus on things that are going wrong in the world, that’s why our news sources tend to focus on crime, corruption, or other negative news stories. Perspective makes a huge difference, this is highlighted well in David Foster Wallace’s speech “This is Water.” If we allow our perception of the world to go unchecked, most of us will naturally have a negative self focused view. We take for granted so many of the blessings in our lives, and we fail to see positive possibilities. One thing to consider is that we didn’t earn our opportunity to live, life is a gift and each day is an opportunity. Along with this every positive and good thing we experience in life is a blessing. If we have a car, we often take for granted the ability to travel to a friend on a moment’s notice. We live in an age where medicine has advanced significantly in the ability to treat most diseases. Rather than overlooking these basic truths, we should purposefully count our blessings and appreciate the good in our lives.

Understanding our identity 

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

As human beings we tend to define ourselves by external features, yet God looks at the heart of humans to see who they truly are. Height, ethnicity, and weight are all external features plain to the eye. Sometimes that ethnicity attribute can be a bit confusing, but you get the gist. The question often asked among introspective human beings is “who am I?” What are my defining characteristics? There are many things about our bodies that we have little to no control over. For example; I had an endocrinologist who tested my bone age when I was really young. I was advanced in puberty for my age and I was projected to be 5 foot tall. I took a drug that slowed puberty which allowed me to grow to be 5 foot 5 and a half. I was lucky because my parents realized they were both short due to early onset puberty. I wish I was taller, but at the end of the day who gives a shit! Certain life choices can shape our physical appearance like plastic surgery, diet, and exercise. Ultimately we often learn to cope with things outside of our control. As children we learn through watching the people around us, this is seen as how we are nurtured. We also are genetically predisposed towards certain things, this would be our nature. Our nature and nurture is met with a will, where we make decisions that impact our lives. I have OCD which is something I am genetically predisposed towards, however when I am met with an OCD thought I have the choice of how I am going to respond. I also can take medication which can help with the chemical imbalance in my brain. I am a soul or spirit that interacts and makes decisions in a physical body naturally wired with a cultural and learned understanding of the world. Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz learned a lot while researching OCD, he coached Leonardo Dicaprio on playing Howard Hughes in the film The Aviator who in real life struggled with OCD. He wrote a book titled You are Not Your Brain, in this book he details learning that our decisions that we make can help rewire our brain. He did brain scans and compared them before and after the patients partook in cognitive behavioral therapy. He saw significant changes in the brain scans largely due to the practices brought forth through this therapy. Human beings are a combined amalgamation of all these contributing factors. As we age our bodies and minds physically change and eventually decline. Some of us are naturally wired to be self critical and usually see ourselves in a negative light. God says that as human beings made in His image each of us in some sense reflect His nature. God also calls us His children, we were uniquely and wonderfully made. In ephesians 2:10 God calls us His masterpiece. Ultimately the Bible tells us that our identity is less how we view ourselves in a way comparing ourselves to subjective standards, but how God sees us. God sees the whole us, external, but more importantly internal. He loves us and sees our faults and successes, He knows our limitations. We cannot earn our forgiveness through being good enough, He loves us and pursues us wanting us to come to Him for forgiveness for our sins. He sees our hearts, He sees us when no one is looking, He looks at His masterpiece longing for us to see the love that He has for us. He celebrates our acts of kindness and love, and offers to forgive our many mistakes. We are complex and flawed masterpieces fearfully and wonderfully made with our own free wills. God being keenly aware of our limitations looks upon the disabled with compassion, I firmly believe He will redeem those incapable of making a decision to ask for forgiveness. External definitions of identity fall far short of capturing the full us, weaving together everything God sees us for what we really are and celebrates His complex masterpieces. We are not defined by how we see ourselves but how God sees us. 

Colossians 3:12-15

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

I think learning to forgive is a huge part of living a loving life. In this life we are often wronged and if we count all those wrongs against us throughout the rest of our lives we become embittered. Forgiving but not being naïve and forgetting, I think forgiveness is often choosing to move forward toward love despite being wronged. Also having the humility to acknowledge how we have wronged other people and are meaningfully equal with those who have wronged us and those we have wronged in our human dignity as fellow beings made in the image of God. 

If there are three pursuits I desire to have with my life it is Hope, Love, and Gratitude. Hope that sees the good and beauty in this world. I have confident hope that because of Jesus’ death and forgiveness I will spend eternity in heaven with God. Hope in free human beings acting in love towards others. Hope in God’s love being seen in this often gloomy and imperfect world. Love towards my fellow human beings especially those I disagree with. Love to my friends who often choose to love me despite my flaws. Love to those who are weaker and need help. Gratitude for every good and beautiful thing and person in my life. Gratitude for my very existence. Gratitude for opportunities to share God’s love with others. Gratitude for the beauty I see in nature (especially water). I fail in this endeavor every day yet through God’s grace and the forgiveness of others I can press forward aiming at this target. I know I have in me cynicism and arrogance yet I try to move forward toward these ideals.

I see God’s love in my aunt and uncle who take care of and love my autistic cousin who can’t speak. I see God’s love in how my parents choose to love me through my rebellious bullshit stages. I see God’s love in how my brother and sister-in-law critically think about how they are going to raise their young kids while communicating their unconditional love for them. I see God’s love in those friends who have forgiven me for my many offenses and still pursue deeper friendships. I see God’s love in the delight of my mom’s sister and her family to have deep and fun conversations as we get to know eachother better  despite disagreeing on many things. I see God’s love in the many teachers of mine like my friend Paul who voice truth into my life with compassion. 

Below is a list of different pieces of art that have impacted the way I see the world. I don’t agree with every point made in all these pieces, but generally I think they reflect the complexity of the human experience with an appreciation for human dignity. Enjoying good art is an exciting way to learn from other human beings. Just because we don’t agree with everything someone says doesn’t mean we can’t learn something significant from them. The books I recommend I generally agree with. 

Stand-Up comedy

Mike Birbiglia- My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend 

Mike tells a story about getting through bitterness and learning to free himself through some level of forgiveness 

Bo Burnham-Inside

Bo captures the loneliness of isolation experienced during the pandemic. It reflects the need that we have for human connection, the internet is not a complete substitute.

Movies 

50/50 (2011) Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen 

Adam (Joseph Gordon Levitt) gets diagnosed with cancer and experiences an existential crisis while trying to keep living.

Shithouse (2020) Cooper Raiff 

Alex (Cooper Raiff) is alone for the first time at college, he wrestles with feeling inadequate while learning to form new friendships. 

Blue Like Jazz (2012) Marshall Allman 

I haven’t read the book, but I love the movie. Don (Marshall Allman) wrestles with his faith on a very secular campus. Will he let the failures of Christian’s in his life define his faith.

Groundhog Day (1993) Bill Murray and Andie Macdowell 

Phil is stuck in Groundhog day on repeat, and he has an existential crisis. Can he find meaning? Can he fake love? 

Patterson (2016) Adam Driver 

This film follows a bus driver/poet in New Jersey for a week. He appreciates the beauty of the world around him. Even though the movie is about him Patterson (Driver) sees that the movie of life isn’t all about him.

Brigsby Bear (2017) Kyle Mooney 

James (Kyle Mooney) is a fish out of water. He learns how to move forward from childhood trauma with the help of friends and family.

Mini Series 

War and Peace (2016) Paul Dano and Lily James 

This story is a masterpiece, I haven’t read the book. This historical fiction takes place during the Napoleonic wars with Russia. The characters wrestle with meaning, love, death, economic highs and lows, responsibility, and faith. 

Band of Brothers (2001) Damien Lewis

Soldiers in easy company fight in WWII learning the cost of war. Leadership changes have a major impact on the company.

Songs 

James and The Shame- Believe Me 

A man loses his faith, he is hurt by his family as he tries to communicate what he genuinely believes. 

Dissect The Bird (Live)- John Craigie 

This song celebrates the miracle of life. 

Amazing Grace-Sufjan Stevens 

This song celebrates God’s grace for broken human beings. 

You Say-Lauren Daigle 

This song is a beautiful description of our identity in God  

Pursuit of Happiness-Kid Cudi 

Cudi tries to find real happiness through pleasure, he finds it is always fleeting. 

Love Yours- J Cole 

Be grateful for what you have and love the people in your life. 

Books 

Choosing Gratitude- Nancy Leigh Demoss 

A book on the importance of purposefully choosing to be grateful and practicing gratitude in prayer. 

Heaven-Randy Alcorn

Randy helps you envision heaven from a biblical perspective. He explains many misconceptions and helps you see the joy ahead. 

Luther-Eric Metaxas 

This biography of Martin Luther tells the story of how the gospel was brought back to the light. It’s a cautionary tale of faith based on tradition and ritual as opposed to God’s word and a real relationship with God.  

Brain Lock- Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz 

This book is about fighting OCD, but it also helps explain the relationship between the mind and the will.