LAYERS OF POWER & CONTROL
EXAMPLES: CONTROL BY LAYER AND EVENT TYPE
A: No Human Control
* Galactic Events; sun's life cycle, asteroid impact, extinction of species
* Long Term Course of Human Events; fate of nations, war, destiny of
mankind
* Natural Events, Large Scale; locust, flood or drought, earthquake, plague
B: Limited Human Control
* Short Term, Local, Course of Human Events; depending on personal
authority, power
* Natural Events, Local, Small Scale; accident, runaway horse, bugs in
your garden
* Choices, conduct of others; depending on personal relationship,
balance of power
Personal Life Choices, external; state & city of residence, career, life
style
C: Full Control, or the illusion thereof
* Daily Course of Local Human Events; when personally involved and
responsible
* Daily Conduct of personal life; except for status, accident, forces of
nature
* Personal Life Choices, internal; attitudes, emotions and beliefs
Select any two beings (God & man, man & bear or cat & mouse), then
identify a situation in which these two beings may wrestle for control,
such as a flood, avalanche or famine. Describe how you determine the
balance of power and control.
DISCUSSION
This discussion is intended to illustrate the multi-level nature of
Authority, Power and Control in various situations--whether they be
natural or man made. In A, B and C above, each level exerts force over
the levels below. That is, the catastrophic impact of a large meteorite
on earth would render absurd any effort at control by mice and men. Even
if a person can control a runaway horse or command an army, he or she
may be rendered powerless before those forces having control in the
layers above. And, having the ability to choose ones beliefs does not
abate the flood nor lift one above the raging waters.
Granted that man cannot control storms or earthquakes, that is not
offered here as proof of God's existence, or that He does have the
authority and power to control natural events. Man has the freedom of
choice, the freedom to believe what he wishes, the freedom to act as an
independent agent with authority and power in certain limited & local
events.
A person may not wish to acknowledge the existence of God or His
authority: Yet he or she cannot deny that the forces of nature are
beyond his or her own control, and the only choice remaining seems to be
that no Being has control over the forces of nature: Which is an obvious
wrong conclusion, except that men choose to believe what they wish.
Those who choose to believe no Being has control of the forces of
nature, and that large scale long term events proceed without cause or
direction, make this choice in the belief that they can determine their
own destiny. Having decided to believe that, some then proceed to the
belief that they can determine the fate of mankind regardless of the
course of galactic events or the forces of nature.
According to the definition of the terms "individual" and "equal," no
two individuals are equal except by consent. Since by definition no two
individuals are equal, then man is not equal to God in any situation,
except when God grants man authority in that situation. A man and a bear
are not equal unless the man carries a weapon. Even then, if he is a
poor shot in a panic, the bear is the superior being. A cat and a mouse
are not equal, and except by stealth or agility and the nearness of the
rat hole, the cat controls the conclusion of the encounter. No two men
are equal in any situation due to education, class distinction, position
of authority, age or physical ability, size and weight or possession of
a weapon; and an illusion of equality depends on an understanding, or
assumption, of consent.
CONCLUSION
A man or woman has the God given right to control his or her own life,
unless intruded upon by forces acting from a level above. If you start
on time, you will arrive on time, if the wind does not blow a tree
across your way. If you graduate with a degree in animal husbandry you
may have a career in farming, if there is not a drought.
A King commands an army, and may initiate a war. Yet, having the power
to begin a war does not ensure control of its outcome. While a King or
his General may believe they are in control of a war, surely none of the
individuals under them believe themselves in control. And, the course of
more than one war has been turned by the forces of nature--when winter
intervened, thus demonstrating the layered structure of force and control.
Indeed, the history of nations, ships at sea and the whole range of
human endeavor chronicles unexpected or tragic conclusions wrought by
forces beyond man's control. We witness this in our daily lives when an
unexpected storm dumps snow into a city and closes its airports,
business and schools. We witness this in the lives of others when a
random act of violence, or an accident, irrevocably and forever alters
the course of their lives.
How, then, can humankind entertain the delusion that they can determine
their own destiny?
Do you think humanity can control the destiny and fate of mankind?
Perhaps you will explain to me, then, how you will prevent war in the
mid-east, or an asteroid from striking the earth? Stop a volcano in mid
spew or a tsunami a mile from shore, and tell me then how much control
you have.
http://www.xprt.net/~servitum/main/about/asteroid.html
owd
http://www.xprt.net/~servitum/
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WAR! Thou son of hell! Shakespeare.
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A bad peace is worse than war. Tacitus.
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By peace he shall destroy many. Daniel
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