March 15, 2010
The Principle Answer
All right, I’m (finally) ready to identify the First Cause of existence. Lets begin with a recap. Information is transcendent and time-less, and can have a dramatic affect of the physical world. Principles are the first cause of information. Principles are qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (objective) values. The First Cause of existence must consist of causeless principles; principles that require no preceding cause.
When you’re right, you’re right
The qualitative principle that defines the First Cause is “Right”. The concept of being right is causeless. It is the most basic qualitative measure. Something is either right or it is “not right” (wrong) – yes or no, true or false, etc.
The First Cause cannot be wrong because “wrong” is actually a measurement of how “less than right” something is. In other words, “wrong” cannot exist without “right” existing first. You wouldn’t know that something was wrong unless you had something “right” to compare it to. (We know that “Spam” is wrong, because filet mignon exists). And, of course the First Cause cannot be right and not right because we know that contradictions are impossible.
Not only is the First Cause “Right”, it is always and completely Right. How? Well, since the First Cause consists of principles, and principles are the first cause of information, then the First Cause is always completely right because it has all the information in existence.
And justice for all
The First Cause must also be a quantitative principle. That principle is “justice”. Justice is inherent balance. Justice states that if a value is taken, it must be replaced exactly. Or if a value is given, then it must be paid back in the same proportion. (On a physical/cosmological level, justice is the first cause of the second law of thermodynamics).
Like “Right”, justice is causeless. Balance (or stasis) is inherent. As in the “right” example above, we wouldn’t know what injustice, unfairness, or imbalance was unless justice/balance existed to compare it to. The First Cause is always and completely Just because, again, it has all the information in existence to insure complete balance.
Now before you start scratching a hole in your head, realize that we all believe in the causeless nature of Right and Just. We all believe that things are either right or wrong. Even moral relativists who claim that there is no right or wrong contradict themselves because they believe that moral relativism is “right”!
We all believe in justice. We prove it anytime we say, “that’s not fair!” We know justice exists and we rely on it as motivation for all our actions. When we do something, we know that there are consequences which we expect to conform to a code of justice. We work because we feel we justly deserve compensation. If someone does something nice for us, we believe that they should be justly thanked. If someone does something wrong to us, we believe they deserve to suffer just punishment. Even those who intentionally do wrong and commit injustice recognize “right” and “just” by their intentional violation of it.
So, in summary, the First Cause of existence is Right and Just.
And that concludes this blog, thank you and goodnight. Watch your step on your way out. Be sure to tip your waitress
Oh…you’re still here.
I know what you’re thinking – “Is that it?! Is that all the First Cause of existence is? A set of $@%# principles?! The great force that birthed this grand universe, the cauldron of creation that flung the galaxies against the black of space, that formed the great nuclear furnaces we call stars, that holds atomic structures together and caused the formation of the fantastic metaphysical complexity known as life… is nothing more than the abstract principles of “Right and Just”? Is that all the First Cause is? Really?”
No. I’m NOT saying that’s all the First Cause is. I’m saying that’s all we can know about the nature of the First Cause based solely on Human understanding. Anything else we know about the nature of the First Cause has to come from a source beyond human understanding. Logically, the best source of additional information about the First Cause would come from the First Cause itself (and since we know that the First Cause is Right and Just, we can probably trust what It says about Itself).
But does the First Cause actually “say” anything about Itself? As a matter of fact, I believe It does…
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Hi!
Is this where faith comes in? In knowing that if the First Cause is always and completely Right and Just, that even if God’s actions feel very vindictive or unfair to us, that they were ultimately right and just when taking into account all of eternity, and all that could and will be?
I understand my vantage point is limited. I even understand from my readings of theological and mythological texts outside of Christianity that, for the most part, spirit beings are an embodiment of a universal principle or aspect of nature or existence, and generally cannot violate the principle that defines them even if they try. (And usually when they do try, they bring about their own death and/or universal chaos.) So if God is, in fact, the principle of Rightness, suffering should only happen because it is the right thing to happen, “right?”
But can wrath ever be Right? Wrath by definition is extreme, and how can an extreme response be Just when justice by definition is a balance? Or is it that the scribes of the Bible observed certain actions as wrathful when they were actually appropriate and right? Or is it that all stories of interactions with God in the Bible are not interactions with the First Cause, but other Elohim at times?
Furthermore, does any other perspective on ultimate Rightness and eternal Justice —Elohim or Human or… whatever else— matter besides the perspective of the First Cause? For instance, I might find my punishment to be injust if I stopped the story there, but including prequels and sequels may allow for some other actions unrelated to my injustice to balance out or “make right/necessary” my fate over the course of the whole story. Considering I still had to endure my injustice, does that mean that it is now made just in eternity, even if it remains unjust to me?
Love your work! And I’m genuinely and earnestly interested in learning more and widening my perspective.
Lela
Also… if you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you would see that they’re doing some pretty incredible things with spam over there lol. Just saying!
Lots of great questions here.
The answer to your first question is “yes”. All of God’s actions, even those that seem unfair to us in the short term, are righteous and just in the long term (this is something I have to remind MYSELF of frequently.
As for your next paragraph, keep in mind that God is not responsible for everything that happens in the world. Especially the suffering. Remember, God “rested” on the 7th day. The proper translation of “rested” is “ceased his activity”. What activity? The activity of being the first cause – of unilaterally initiating His will. God gave the role of “First Cause to Adam/man. After Genesis chapter 2, God NEVER initiates His will. He ONLY responds (through justice) to man’s actions. God does not initiate any suffering upon the world. Man does.
“Wrath” is righteous anger expressed through judgement. When man is unjust, God can respond by equaling out justice. When man’s injustice is so egregious that it makes God angry, that is wrath.
Any justice that is not equaled out during our lives (or forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus), will be equaled out at the Great White Throne of Judgement at the end of time.
I have been to Hawaii several times (and will be there again next summer). And no matter what you do to spam, its still spam, lol!