0:08

What's it all? Is

0:16

who just. Long.

0:20

Way to. Build

0:25

Sam. Harris declares a crisis

0:27

of Meaning for Twenty Twenty

0:29

Four in his recent podcast

0:31

a huge debate is Sam

0:33

Harris in Written On Meaning

0:35

So obviously Harris's podcast get

0:37

your attention. In fact, you're

0:40

really seem to. Have. Got

0:42

your antenna up This

0:44

particular one? Well, I

0:46

think it's important here

0:48

to distinguish as we

0:50

listen to these clips

0:52

between subjective and objective

0:54

meaning in life. My

0:56

concern is with whether

0:59

life has an objective

1:01

meaning, purpose, and value,

1:03

but I think that

1:05

Harris is talking more

1:07

about the subjective search

1:09

for fulfillment. As he

1:11

says, Later, the search for

1:13

happiness and frankly, I think if

1:15

you want to find simply that

1:18

sort of subjective meaning in life,

1:20

then you just need to follow

1:22

the advice of a person like

1:25

Jordan Peterson and align yourself with

1:27

a noble cause that as much

1:30

greater than yourself and lose yourself

1:32

in that and that will provide

1:34

a sort of subjective sense of

1:37

meaning. To. Your life. But

1:39

it obviously doesn't do

1:41

anything to establish an

1:43

objective meaning to your

1:45

existence, nor a purpose

1:47

for your existence, nor

1:49

objective value in life.

1:52

Was listen to some excerpts from

1:54

the podcast starting with this first

1:56

one. Here's how the podcast begins

1:58

is now widely. Knowledge that even

2:01

in the most affluent societies, brat especially

2:03

in the most affluent societies, there's a

2:05

crisis of meaning. There are many signs

2:07

of this. There's. Was often

2:09

described as an epidemic of loneliness

2:12

that also widespread erosion of social

2:14

trust and new extremes of political

2:17

partisanship. Their. Soaring levels of

2:19

drug addiction and overdoses in

2:21

many western countries, he gives

2:23

evidence of the crisis of

2:25

meaning and things like widespread

2:27

loneliness bill which The New

2:29

York Times did an article

2:31

on as well That there

2:33

really is this epidemic of

2:35

loneliness it seems, deteriorating public's

2:38

trust, extremes and political partisanship

2:40

and increase in drug addiction.

2:43

I do think that some

2:45

of these are plausibly related

2:47

to a sense of the

2:49

loss of meaning. For example,

2:51

loneliness would be a good

2:53

example, or drug abuse would

2:55

seem to be related to

2:57

a sense of meaninglessness and

2:59

lives. I'd add on to

3:01

this list as well. Ah,

3:03

suicide and mental illness, which

3:05

is increasing among young people

3:07

as indicative of a crisis

3:09

of meaning. Here's. The

3:11

next clip from Sam Harris as check

3:13

this out. It's pretty clear that the

3:16

abundance of modern life is no guarantee

3:18

of live in a good life. Simply.

3:21

By and more stuff and watching hours of

3:23

tic toc each day. Can't. Be

3:25

the final fruition of. Millennia,

3:28

Of human straining. It. Certainly

3:30

seems like something's missing. The

3:33

question is what? well, many preachers,

3:35

I'd be glad to hear that

3:37

Bill Had we've been saying of

3:40

the Christian Church for a long

3:42

time, that material possessions internet themselves

3:44

are often not satisfying, and Sam

3:47

ads social media to that, as

3:49

well as his mission of tic

3:51

toc. Yes, it's a biblical motifs

3:53

that a man's life does not

3:56

consist in the abundance of things

3:58

that he has. Its. A

4:00

deep paradox that those you

4:02

have the most materially can

4:04

also be the most miserable.

4:06

And so something is missing.

4:08

What is it? Well, the

4:10

Bible would identify it as

4:12

something spiritual. There's a spiritual

4:14

dimension to human being that

4:16

needs to be addressed as

4:18

your of the next excerpt

4:20

from Sam He begins to

4:22

talk about understanding your own

4:24

mind. While. There many levels on

4:27

which our collective problems need to be

4:29

addressed and then maybe many ways to

4:31

alleviate this apparent crisis of meaning. But

4:33

one remedies for more of us to

4:35

understand our own minds directly. And.

4:37

To take responsibility for them all the chaos

4:39

we see in the world. Beyond.

4:41

Natural disasters. Is a

4:44

symptom of human minds been

4:46

out of control. Greed, seer, hatred,

4:48

ignorance, fall, certainty. He states

4:50

of mind can reduce whole cities

4:52

to rubble. Very goes against confirming

4:55

that sin is a problem

4:57

and can reduce whole cities to

4:59

to rubble. He says we

5:01

need to understand our own minds

5:04

and I suppose prevent these.

5:06

Destructive. Thoughts Bill understanding

5:08

our own minds eyes

5:11

and could lead to

5:13

severe depression and despair.

5:17

But. I suspect that for. Terrorists.

5:19

This idea of understanding

5:21

your own mind is

5:23

really a code word

5:26

for his advocacy of

5:28

meditative. Our. Practices that

5:30

we'll see in some

5:32

forthcoming clips. Let's.

5:34

Go to the snacks clip clip number

5:36

for of course most of us can't

5:39

change the culture in any significant way.

5:41

We can change the laws, We can

5:43

change our institutions, We can advocate for

5:45

change. Who. Can and our voices to

5:48

the to pass any on social media but

5:50

there for a few people can affect things

5:52

quickly and scale. However, each of us can

5:54

radically change our own lives and the lives

5:56

of those closest to us. By. understanding

5:59

our. And. I. Think

6:01

it's a fresher million people Bill

6:03

We feel like there's nothing we

6:05

can do to change things and

6:08

merely adding a post on Facebook

6:10

that relatively few people will read

6:12

doesn't seem to do much good,

6:15

but he says we can change

6:17

our own lives by understanding or

6:19

might. Well I have to confess

6:21

that this is a frustration that

6:24

I too feel or of want

6:26

to make a difference and yet

6:28

sometimes I feel so helpless. To

6:31

make a difference in our decaying

6:33

culture. So it

6:35

can be very discouraging. Or,

6:38

but I do agree with

6:40

Harris's emphasis upon the possibility

6:43

of individual reform at even

6:45

if you can't affect the

6:48

world, you can at least.

6:51

Be. Working on your own lives and

6:53

that's positive. Yeah, until author a

6:56

little biblical theology. And on that

6:58

I mean ah. Christ just took

7:00

a handful of loaves and fishes

7:02

and multiplied. That. And

7:05

go where it is just a

7:07

principal. The guard can multiply our

7:09

efforts. It occurred to me and

7:11

so is this. Not quite is

7:13

discouraging in our it is And

7:15

as well as it's another good

7:17

reason to be involved in a

7:20

local church. Because you're adding your

7:22

vote, you're adding yourself to a

7:24

collective and did that, the church

7:26

can be more effective at a

7:28

change. Yes, I think that's well

7:30

said cabin. As Christians, we have

7:32

a very. Different World Views

7:34

and Sam Harris does. because

7:37

we believe that history as

7:39

ultimately under the providential direction

7:41

of God who can take

7:43

our feeble and little efforts

7:46

and bring great things out

7:48

of them that we never

7:50

could have envisioned or unexpected.

7:52

And so. I

7:55

think the Christian can draw

7:57

encouragement from his belief in

7:59

the. Providential supervision and

8:01

governance of God. Lesser,

8:05

check out this next clip. His

8:07

this clip never five. We. Live

8:09

under the cursive parcel. Attention. Partial.

8:12

Attention to the people we love. And.

8:14

To are deeper priorities. And. To

8:16

the ongoing consequences of using our

8:18

attention and such superficial ways. We.

8:21

Don't notice what? we don't notice almost

8:23

by definition. So. We tend to

8:25

be bad judges of what this fragmentation of

8:27

our minds is costing us. Bill

8:30

Was has echoes of Neil

8:32

Postman famous book Amusing ourselves

8:35

to death We can literally

8:37

distract ourselves with superficial technology

8:40

to personal oblivion and the

8:42

neglect of those around us.

8:45

Yes, or by throwing ourselves

8:47

into work and thereby and

8:50

ignoring our obligations to spouse

8:52

and family. Or I think

8:55

frankly, Kevin that ignoring one

8:57

spouses especially a problem. Today

9:00

and this results in a

9:03

kind of growing separateness between

9:05

man and wife as they

9:08

begin to live increasingly different

9:10

and separated lives. And

9:13

ultimately makes the marriage go

9:15

stale, perhaps even fail. And

9:18

so I think, especially as

9:20

Christians of we need to

9:23

take this admonition to be

9:25

giving do attention to our

9:27

spouses and families. As

9:30

God would have us to do, Here's

9:33

the next exit. Listen To this. Even

9:35

when we've gotten almost everything, we won. We.

9:37

Are strangely unsatisfied. Were.

9:40

Never quite full of happiness or

9:42

ever truly empty of desire. Therefore,

9:44

we're almost never at rest or

9:46

even at ease, and many of

9:48

us aren't even sure we want

9:50

to be. aspiring to contentment. Somehow

9:52

sounds like an admission of defeat.

9:54

This has been a perennial spiritual

9:56

problem, of course. But. There's reason

9:58

to worry that modern. If is made it

10:01

harder to understand much less solve. And

10:03

an endless series of life hacks won't do

10:05

the trick. Is not a matter of

10:08

dialing in your sleep. Or. Your diet. Or

10:10

your fitness. Or your finances. Those

10:13

are all good things to sort out, of course, But.

10:15

The problem we face is deeper. It's

10:17

quite literally existential. With the passage of

10:19

each new year where are forced to

10:21

confront the cyanide ness of life. As

10:23

wells are tragic failures to make the most of it.

10:26

And. To appreciate what we have in

10:28

each moment he loves to talk

10:30

about in that clip Bill left

10:32

us. break it down. We have

10:34

existential dissatisfaction that we think we

10:36

want to satisfy, but then if

10:38

we did, we would admit defeat

10:40

as he said and have no

10:43

pursuits. I. Suppose and any

10:45

says it comes down to

10:47

the find night this of

10:49

life.i think what. Is. Shining

10:51

through here is a

10:53

kind of buddhist. Philosophy.

10:56

Of Life. According to

10:59

the Buddhist ethic of

11:01

as Harris says, our

11:03

problem is that we

11:06

are are not empty

11:08

of desire. We crave

11:11

and desire more and

11:13

therefore experience discontentment and

11:15

existential dissatisfaction. And paradoxically,

11:18

the Buddhist solution to

11:20

this problem is not

11:23

to achieve satisfaction of

11:25

or. To fulfill those desires

11:27

but rather it is to

11:29

extinguish all desired because if

11:32

you don't have any desire

11:34

for anything then you will

11:36

never be discontented. You will

11:38

eliminate discontent been from your

11:40

life by extinguishing desire for

11:42

our but it seems to

11:44

me that this is a

11:46

on a deeply problematic view

11:49

of life that as you

11:51

said really of leads to.

11:53

Having no pursuits to to defeat

11:56

and not accomplishing things for the

11:58

kingdom of god hard and for

12:00

fulfilling the ministries and calling said

12:03

God has given us. I

12:06

once heard it's sad that.

12:09

Happy. Is. The man

12:11

who dies with unfulfilled dreams

12:13

Him, and that's a paradoxical

12:16

statement, is as happy as

12:18

the man who dies with

12:20

unfulfilled dreams. What that means

12:23

is that right up to

12:25

the end, he was still

12:28

pressing forward, still pursuing those

12:30

dreams. still. Ah, having that

12:32

vision and that's what gives

12:35

life. It's drive and and

12:37

zest. I think I'm and

12:40

so. I don't want to

12:42

ever quit dreaming And and.

12:44

Ah quit having a vision for a what

12:46

more I can do what gods and do

12:49

through me in this life. A

12:51

few more clips Bill was check out

12:53

the snacks and when he starts to

12:55

introduce meditation. A. Real understanding

12:57

of our predicament. Requires.

13:00

Meditation. And my meditation.

13:02

I don't mean some strange practice propped

13:04

up by stranger beliefs, a minute, actual

13:07

awareness of what your mind is doing

13:09

in each moment, the ability to pay

13:11

attention to ability to stop talking to

13:14

yourself so the you can recognize what

13:16

the mind is like prior to being

13:18

distracted every waking moment by thoughts. Real

13:21

meditation isn't a life hack. It isn't

13:23

a hobby. It isn't even a solution

13:25

to a problem is the recognition of

13:28

what the mind is like prior to

13:30

solving any specific problem. I case I

13:32

talk about meditation and related topics on

13:35

this podcast. Some. Of the and

13:37

one can have about the mine through meditation

13:39

Sound obvious. Or. Try and

13:41

yet they run very deep. The

13:43

spirit of impermanence. I just referenced

13:45

presence. Everyone understands it conceptually well.

13:47

Notice how quickly time is passing?

13:49

We see the face in the

13:51

mirror. aging. We know that nothing

13:53

lasts. but somehow this knowledge doesn't

13:55

make us wise. Meditation allows us

13:57

to experience to truth of him.

14:00

Permanence much more clearly. when you pay

14:02

attention, you see that there's a mirage

14:04

like quality to even the most intense

14:06

experiences is nothing you can really sing

14:08

to. And well as my so depressing

14:11

at first release in one's hold on

14:13

experience leads to a real ceiling of

14:15

freedom. I see my

14:17

face aging and his

14:19

podcast over the years

14:21

best as reserves that

14:23

is Solution is meditation.

14:26

Or know there's a Christian view of meditation?

14:28

Do you think? Of

14:31

what he's saying is similar

14:33

to that Isaac Here we

14:35

see or hear these overtones

14:38

of Buddhism coming through ever

14:40

more clearly the emphasis upon

14:43

impermanence and particularly notice when

14:45

he said about meditation achieving

14:47

a state of mind prior

14:50

to your thoughts. This is

14:52

a kind of the length

14:54

slate, a kind. Of

14:56

his frame of of

14:59

mind that is without

15:01

sort of. And.

15:03

I do not think that

15:06

this is anything like a

15:08

Christian view of meditating on

15:11

truth, which is involves thinking

15:13

as opposed to achieving this

15:16

state of. Being.

15:18

A sort of. Blank. I'm

15:21

I think we can realize

15:23

the impermanence of life of

15:26

and even are very selves

15:28

And this only goes to

15:31

wonder line the necessity of

15:33

some eternal permanent foundation for

15:35

life. Here's the nurse Cliff

15:38

and which he talks about.

15:41

The most important thing that he's

15:43

ever learned. More. And

15:46

more one finds that one can be

15:48

truly facility of for the next good

15:50

thing happens not merely because it has

15:53

happened. The search to become happy relaxes

15:55

and one find someone can simply be

15:57

happy more and more. Even while.

16:00

Makes positive changes in one's life.

16:02

And. Even why one seeks to make changes in

16:04

the world. Of course, there are

16:06

other insights from meditation. the sound far

16:08

more paradoxical or even spooky. France has

16:11

the idea that the self. The. Feeling

16:13

that we're the unchanging subjective experience

16:15

is an illusion. This insight into

16:17

selflessness or what can be described

16:19

as non duality. Can. Be hard

16:21

to understand conceptually. And hard

16:24

to experience directly, but it is

16:26

available and it is without question

16:28

the most important thing I've ever

16:30

learned. Citrus thing and up. I

16:32

don't know what is view is

16:34

here. Bill or he apparently thinks

16:36

that the key to happiness is

16:38

interview of non duality. that mind,

16:40

body dualism is an illusion. Got.

16:43

This is Buddhism.

16:45

Kevin on the

16:47

Buddhist view. the

16:49

cells is illusory.

16:51

I literally do

16:53

not exist. I'm.

16:56

Now. This view of life

16:58

is the antithesis of the

17:00

affirmation of human value ah,

17:03

and meaning. and I believe

17:05

to the contrary that a

17:07

serious phenomenology of mind will

17:10

lead to the affirmation of

17:12

the in material soul or

17:14

or sells out who is

17:17

the seed of our conscious

17:19

experience. And one of the

17:22

best demonstrations of this is

17:24

in the brand new blocked.

17:27

By Brandon Rick, a

17:29

boss and Jp Moreland

17:31

called the Substance of

17:34

Consciousness where they do

17:36

a phenomenology of consciousness

17:38

and list about eighteen.

17:42

Traits of. The.

17:44

Soul of the mind that

17:47

are apprehended through inner ah,

17:49

acquaintance with the self and

17:52

it really is quite a

17:54

stunning Phenomenology Added is just

17:56

completely the opposite of this

17:59

Buddhist. No self view

18:01

which are claims that ultimately

18:03

I do not really exist

18:05

and and the goal of

18:08

live on Buddhism is annihilation.

18:10

Ah Nirvana. The drop of

18:12

water returns to the ocean

18:14

and is reabsorbed and ceases

18:17

to exist. Here's

18:19

the conclusion of Sam's podcast,

18:21

wherein he reflects on the

18:23

coming year. As. I look

18:26

forward with some apprehension. To. What

18:28

seems likely to be very chaotic New

18:30

Year. I. Feel tremendous gratitude to

18:32

know how I will stay sane

18:34

and seek to help others stay

18:36

sane. It's obviously hard to predict

18:38

the future, but Twenty Twenty Four seems

18:41

like an unusually open book. Their least

18:43

two wars of real consequence been thought

18:45

now and then. I just regional conflicts,

18:47

but wars whose outcome seems likely to

18:50

affect me. International order for a generation.

18:52

And. It's easy to see how war

18:54

might spread, in fact, is becoming a

18:56

little hard to see how it won't

18:59

spread. And the Twenty Twenty Four Presidential

19:01

election in the U S barring a

19:03

miracle is going to be some kind

19:05

of nightmare. Even in the best case,

19:07

it will further expose and exacerbate the

19:10

divisions in our society. and edition of

19:12

artificial intelligence to the chaos of social

19:14

media does not seem auspicious. There is

19:16

surely a hurricane of lies and misinformation

19:18

heading our way. The tug of history

19:21

can be celt everywhere. And it

19:23

is ominous. I honestly don't think

19:25

I've ever felt this concerned about

19:27

the state of the world. But

19:29

sanity is possible. wisdom is possible,

19:31

love and compassion and gratitude. Or

19:33

possible it is possible to surrender

19:35

one's thoughts about the past and

19:37

future so that the beauty of

19:39

the present shines through whatever happens.

19:41

And Twenty Twenty Four, I'm going

19:44

do more of that. and I

19:46

hope you'll join me. Well.

19:48

To his credit. same as

19:50

trying to be positive that

19:53

he sees petits or Chaos

19:55

this year in two wars:

19:57

the presidential election, the impacts

19:59

of artificial intelligence, the on

20:02

social media, and things like

20:04

that bill. Yes, I think

20:06

I feel that same precipice

20:08

of history on which we

20:11

seem to stand, and it's

20:13

just frightening to think what

20:15

could happen days the the

20:17

situation in the world today

20:20

seems so perilous. Ah, and

20:22

yet, isn't that odd that

20:24

someone like. Harris. Who

20:27

is not a theist should

20:29

speak about how he has

20:31

gratitude for things, gratitude, Gratitude

20:34

to whom Ah to whom

20:36

does the. Non. Theist

20:38

give thanks Ah He says that

20:41

we forget the thoughts of the

20:43

past and the future and just.

20:47

Let the present shine through. Just

20:49

live in the present is that

20:51

The solution that seems to me

20:53

to be terribly. A

20:56

superficial I'm So, as

20:58

much as I'd appreciate

21:01

his concern for our.

21:04

Perilous, Situation I don't

21:07

year substantive answers

21:09

here, but almost

21:11

a kind of

21:13

a retreat into.

21:16

Meditation. And withdrawl rather than

21:18

engagement I suppose. Your conclusion, Bill

21:20

it is. It seems that Sam

21:23

Harris once the love and service

21:25

to others that the Christian faith

21:27

is all about. but he. Doesn't.

21:30

Want. The. Christian faith, right?

21:32

It's very clear that

21:34

he. Doesn't

21:37

house. God. And

21:39

his worldview, much less Jesus

21:41

Christ. I think it's a

21:43

terrible shame. com. And.

21:46

I don't find a

21:48

credible. Solution in

21:50

this sort of Eastern mysticism

21:53

that he is following. I

21:55

hope that he continues to

21:58

search and that somehow. Through

22:00

the Holy Spirit guard nice break

22:02

into his life.