Musings, or We Could Be Much More Advanced, But We're Too Comfortable Embracing T he Illusion Of Knowledge by T. R. A. Lynch, Sr
Musings
Or
We Could Be Much More Advanced,
But We’re Too Comfortable Embracing
The Illusion Of Knowledge
By
T.R.A. Lynch
Copyright © 2014 by T.R.A. Lynch
All Rights Reserved.
Chapter 1
I am who I am
First, Do No Harm! I know that’s most often associated with the Hippocratic Oath, but the medical profession should not have a monopoly on benign intent. One of the giants, on whose shoulders I am perched, the great visionary and theoreticist, Erich Von Daniken, was harshly attacked when he was first published, being unjustly accused of all manner of mayhem, including a virtual schism. It’s not that I fear criticism, unjust or otherwise, I simply wish to make it clear that I am not attempting to begin a “movement” as I write this opus on similar topics to his, and proffer some new theories. Also, I am not betraying any ideology that I have professed in establishing my existant friendships and associations. I also know “You can’t please everybody”, so, deal with it! And Erich, thank you so much: the view up here is fascinating and, yes, I heard you were a rascal.
And as for Fame and Fortune, as I look upon my three children, I feel that they represent three Olympic Gold Medals in “Parenting”. So fame is already mine. And as to Fortune, I’m already blessed abundantly by God, and a frugal, fiscally-talented wife. The rest is gravy--- which is fattening.
Having said that, I am quick to urge the pursuit of “Humility”, even though I more often don the cloak of “Arrogance”. I know it’s wrong, ergo I err. But there are times in life where Humility must be practiced.
One such time Humility is downright essential, is when I pray, since I am keenly aware of my “littleness” in the eyes of God, who consistantly treats me much better than I deserve. While I ponder this “better than I deserve” treatment throughout my life, I have often wondered if it is due to some deed of mine from my past that especially pleased Him. If so, I long to know what it was so I could do it again out of profound gratitude. But then, God is great and merciful, and doesn’t need any paltry deed on my part. Although that doesn’t diminish my appreciation. (Believe it or not, I actually thank God for green lights as I drive.) Don’t forget, I still dabble in arrogance like everyone else. Tally ho!
Chapter 2
Our Beliefs Get Scrutinized
In many of the TV shows lately, we often hear about Biblical topics and beliefs, widely accepted by Judeo-Christian communities, being re-examined due to the discovery of things such as the “Dead Sea Scrolls” and historical records from various sources. Some of these shows can actually cause discomfort if we feel our cherished beliefs are being challenged, rationalized away, or downright contradicted. How dare they?! But let’s not forget, at one time it was a virtual consensus among the Enlightened and the Literate that the Earth was irrefutably flat and that the Sun revolved around the Earth! But then that irreverent upstart named Copernicus came along and proved elsewise. And as the times proved, his biggest obstacle was overcoming the “Illusion Of Knowledge”. And speaking of illusions, those who opposed Copernicus’ findings thought the Earth was the center of the Universe, not merely the center the Solar Sytem. (Now here’s a great demonsration of Man’s arrogance: I believe that modern day psychologists would agree with me that, in word they said the Earth was the center of the Universe, but in my heart I believe they meant, knowingly or not, that Man was the center of the Universe.) That idea seems to still echo in our era, eh?
Aside from his pursuit of the understanding of the movement of the planets, Copernicus was probably no more malevolent than you or I. Thanks, Copey. We owe you.
And, before I go any further, I must pause here to acknowledge that great Intellectual, Author, Pulitzer Prize winner, and former Librarian of Congress (1975-1987) : Daniel J. Boorstin (10/01/1914-02/28/2004). It was from him that I “borrowed” a portion of this book title ( the “Illusion of Knowledge” verbage). Thank you, good sir, and please forgive me if I don’t cite more of your praiseworthy achievements.
Now, toward the other end of the intellectual spectrum, I would be remiss if I didn’t cite another government autocrat of renown, Charles Holland Duell (1850-1920), Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1898-1901). Duell was wrongly credited with having made a recommendation to our 25th President, William McKinley, that the U. S. Patent Office be closed down because “everything that could be invented, has been invented”. Although ultimately cleared of this unsavory repute, nonetheless, at least for a time, he languished in the shadow thrown by the “Illusion Of Knowledge”. You’ve been exhonerated post facto. Sorry, Charlie. ‘Scuse the diss.
Now returning to the treatment of Biblical themes brought into closer examination, let us begin, expectadly, in Genesis Chapter 4. The Lord, God, banishes Cain from the land for having killed his brother, Abel. Cain said to the Lord: since I must become a restless wanderer on the earth, “anyone may kill me at sight”. Oh, really?! And who might constitute this “anyone”? Surely not his parents, Adam or Eve, the only other people believed to exist at that time. Or is the absence of more people merely a fallacious assumption (Illusion) on our part, simply because the Bible omitted the story of their origin? Evidently there was an unrecorded Creation event of at least one more tribe that was separate from the bloodline of Adam and Eve, ergo the source of Cain’s fear for his life. (Note: since this tribe was created separately, one might suspect that they were not subject to the same curse as the descendants of Adam and Eve when expelled from the Garden of Eden). And if another tribe did co-exist without Adam and Eve’s bloodline, how many other tribes might there have been, and how widely dispersed were they? Another small matter: Dinosaurs. Just because the Bible or concurrent sources don’t seem to reference the good ol’ T-Rex, the Brontosaurus, or Triceratops, are we to infer that, despite tons of organic artifacts, they never actually existed? Even with my margin of naivete, I might have a problem with that one. And speaking of animals, in Chapter 2 of Genesis, man gave names to all the cattle, birds of the air, and the wild animals. Yet, notice the tolerable omission of the Bible in reference to where Man received the vocabulary to name hundreds of thousands of creatures on the spot. Hey, Adam, pulleease don’t challenge me to a game of Scrabble.
Chapter 3
Enoch
Well so far, we have visible omissions in the Bible to things like: the origin of Adams linguistic skills, dinosaurs, other tribes not of Adam and Eve’s bloodline, nor to physical life forms off-world. But, does omission-to-record, equate with absence-of-existance? ‘Tis a puzzlement!
Now we must ask ourselves, since the Bible was first “published” in the year 397 at the Council of Carthage, and since then many other tangential ancient documents and records have been un-earthed (I guess Cain was the first person ever to be “un-earthed”), is it conceivable that the Bible needs to be up-dated? No, no, no! I told you I’m not proposing any changes, other than stepping outside of our belief system Comfort Zone. (Wow, that still sounds kinda scary!)
Okay, just for giggles and laughs, let’s say a new Council-of-Carthage-type event were to convene in present day. If a carbon-dated document, written by the hand of a known Biblical figure, thus passing scrutiny, were to be offered up, and it finally did allude to dinosaurs, and other non-Adam & Eve bloodlines, would it make it into the New Canon? And if so, since
For example: the Book of Enoch, the recovery of which is credited to the famous Scottish explorer James Bruce (1730-1794). In 1773, (1,376 years after the Council of Carthage) Bruce returned from a trip to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) with three copies of the “lost” Book of Enoch. Now, Enoch, perhaps known to some as “Thoth”, was no slouch. He was the father of Methuselah, the great grand-father of Noah, and lived 365 (that’s an interesting number for those who notice numbers) years. But he did not die, per se, since the Bible tells us that he “walked with God” and that “God took him”. OMG: How exciting could that have been? Okay, Enoch has a blingy pedigree, and he’s on God’s Short List. How’s that for bona fides? So, you tell me: should his book be considered for inclusion into the New Canon? And if it were, it would contain scripture verses with some interesting data: that Enoch appears to view the earth as from a distance (some say this was while in orbit) where he supposedly learned about such useful topics as astronomy, mathematics, agronomy, metallurgy, the structure of calendars, written language, and perhaps other things. He did mention the existence of “angels”, both good and evil. And we are told that the rendering of the word “angel” means Messenger.
Chapter 4
The Nephilim
So, let’s take another look at Angels. We just saw how Cain, at the moment he killed Abel, was the only surviving child of Adam and Eve, yet he feared “anyone” might kill him. So from that, we learn (surmise) that there was at least one other tribe on earth. And if we think of angels as messengers, why couldn’t God use who He wishes as a messenger? But also, could not another tribe or people have been placed on other planets as well? If not, why not? Alright, back to Genesis, chapter 6, we see the origin of the Nephilim. The story goes that the “sons of heaven” saw how beautiful the daughters of Man were and took them for their wives. Now, I don’t know about you, but “taking” a wife seems pretty physical to me! So, this suggests two viable explanations: 1. Angels can alternate in form between a dis-embodied spirit and a flesh-and-bones creature, or 2. A flesh-and-blood tribe/people/race (not of Adam & Eve’s bloodline) was created off-world , thus qualifying for the title “sons of heaven”. And this would go pretty far to explain why an angel (off-world messenger) would use a craft that caused fire and smoke, and trembling of the earth, as is sometimes reported with an angel’s visit. So, as Giorgio A. Tsoukalos put it on a recent TV show: “My God doesn’t need a ship to go from point A to point B”. But, physical beings do, adding to the likelihood that God would use that off-world (extra-terrestrial) race as messenger from time to time. (Sometimes you feel like a spirit, sometimes you don’t.)
Getting back to the Nephilim, scripture goes on to tell us that the offspring of the sons-of-heaven and the daughters of man were remarkable creatures--”the heroes of old”, “the men of renown”. So their deeds were physically and intellectually “far beyond those of mortal men”. (Sorry, Supes, but they did it first!) It must have been so hard for them to be humble.
Chapter 5
Atlantis
Now, at this point, I can’t resist injecting an excerpt from one of my other books, although not necessarily verbatim. The book from which I borrow is fiction, but the scene is exhilarating. (Yes, I’m donning the cloak.)
“And it came to pass that the Nephilim grew in knowledge, skill, powers, and strengths beyond mortals, attaining an exalted stature before men. And they dispersed across the land, each having acquired their own multitude of followers. And the Nephilim languished in the gifts and adoration showered upon them in the cities each founded. And to encourage the adulation and gifts from their followers, they performed great and mighty deeds. And the people were awed. So the deeds continued and their humility slowly eroded.
In time, the Nephilim decided to gather, on the day of the Equinox, at a location, designed and engineered by, and for, them. It was a magnificent island, with beautiful structures designed for comfort and beauty, employing technologies unknown to the rest of the world. There were exquisite gardens, fountains, obelisks, and gold-domed buildings encrusted with exquisite jewels. The lawns were covered in soft grass, where peacocks, both blue, and white, strolled calmly. In a field, other animals, not seen anywhere else on earth, grazed while magnificent songbirds performed and an island breeze bore the fragrance of exotic flowers across the landscape.
Now each day, there was a General Assembly, the main reason for the Gathering. Each of the Nephilim brought along their own retinue, which included a scribe, and they all gathered in the Great Hall--a massive place with perfect acoustics and seating that met the number in attendance.
One by one, the personal Scribe from each “hero” would bring out the scrolls documenting the deeds recorded therein, and read the scroll for all to hear. Some deeds were physical (speed and strength), while others were intellectual using a technology of their personal device, like flying, or wielding weapons using light or sound.
And so it continued, one hero after the next, being praised by the crowd which included hundreds of mortal servants.
But on the seventh day, a massive dark cloud covered the island. And there could be seen lightning within the cloud which roared with peals of thunder. And the island began to shudder, slowly building in crescendo. The cloud even appeared inside the Great Hall, high above all the attendees. And suddenly a voice from within the cloud permeated the Hall saying: “I hear many words of praise mingled with applause, yet I hear not my Name. Who is it that would seek honor and praise meant only for the Giver of all good things?” But no-one answered. And the voice of The One continued: You have accepted the praises of men, causing them to turn from Me. You allow yourselves to be called “gods”, yet you know your fathers. [Some lines of excerpt omitted] .....Then The One caused the great island to shake, and the buildings began to tumble.
One of the Nephilim, the one known for his speed, gathered what scrolls he could, which was many, and dispatched a group of servants to transport the scrolls to a place of safety, a place later known as Alexandria.
Then The One shook the island which descended into the sea taking all who were still on it, and it sank! “ [End of excerpt]
So, here we have a possible explanation for the reason why Atlantis “sank in a single night”, and a possible explanation for why the Nephilim were eliminated, not even leaving a bloodline to wander the earth.
Chapter 6
Noah
Another Biblical figure being looked at on current TV shows is Noah. Even on the internet people are “feuding” about his actual age. (Hey, folks, if you want to definitively validate a birth certificate, start with that guy in D.C.) Anyway, Noah is another great figure and role model. While mankind was busy grieving God and making Him regret that He ever made man, Noah, alone, was found righteous. Genesis goes on to say that “Noah found favor with the Lord”, and was “...blameless in that age, for he walked with God”. And the Jewish Encyclopedia says Noah was “blameless in his generations”. Okay, another person who God had on Speed Dial! But let us not forget Enoch. Back in Chapter 3, we sort of “agreed” that his “Book of Enoch” was a likely inclusion into the New Canon. Now in the Book of Enoch, we learn that Noah was alone in his righteousness, but perhaps in another way, too. Okay, I’m sure you’ve noticed all of this Biblical focus on “bloodlines”. Enoch records that Lamech’s wife, Bathenosh was found to be with child, even though neither Lamech, nor any man, had touched her. Lamech, being understandably distraught, conferred first with his father, Methusaleh, who referred him to his father, Enoch (who walked with God). Enoch reported that God had assured him that all was well, that the child (Noah) was a gift from God.
So, inasmuch as the Lord got totally disgusted with the Antideluvian Aggrievors and decided to “start from scratch”, as it were, by repopulating the earth with a “new and improved” species of Man (all descendants of Noah, mind you), it seems quite expectable that God would have “tweaked” Noah’s DNA.
Chapter 7
The Last Ice Age
Now, if anyone has noticed, or actually cares, I’m attempting to present topics in chronological order, as it were, so the themes, themselves, may not seem continuous, but please bear with me.
Next let’s look at the ice caves of Lascaux, France. First discovered in 1940 by 18 year old Marcel Ravidat, et al, the ice caves in Lascaux, France are some of the most beautiful works of historical art left by Paleolithic man. The cave art got so much attention from the press, that tourists were flocking to see them, eventually causing the caves to be closed to the public due to high carbon dioxide levels (apparently caused by exhaled breath, perfumes, flatulence, and deodorant) which damaged the art. So, henceforth, only a few select experts are allowed entry.
In time, I felt it necessary to start a rumor that art and history experts had, finally, deciphered the cave drawing message. The rumor: It seems the art work was done by a Neanderthal in the final days of the last Ice Age (ca. 15,312 B.C.), and translates: “Caution; campfires cause Global Warming!”. (I wonder if the cave man’s name was “Aa-gor” ). Another example of the homo-centric universe ? Incidentally, as for our current “global warming” crisis, in August of 2013, South Dakota had a freak blizzard (snow storm) that caused the deaths of 100,000 head of cattle--the worst such loss in U.S. history. And it went largely unreported by the media because it didn’t comport with their position on “climate change”, the new name for global warming adopted by the “moving target” bureaucrats.