A Purpose Statement
It is my current belief that the most
important thing for me to do at this point in my life and in history, will be
to create music, art and theater that is based on our understanding of the
natural world, the cosmos as it really exists, without resorting to superstition
and supernatural explanations or metaphors.
Humanism is an approach that says we do not know all the answers, but we must
continually look for the answers and be prepared to adjust our understanding as
it expands and to not stubbornly hold to old, outdated ideas. There is no
evidence whatever that there are any supernatural beings at all - there are no
gods, ghosts, gremlins, angels, devils etc.
We have just come through several centuries in the western world, where the
supernatural is the default explanation and source of religious belief.
This in turn has provided us with the western world's great music.
I prefer a gentle approach where I simply want to be one of those that will
provide an alternative to that viewpoint. I do not intend to argue
against the old, traditional ideas. There are writers who are doing a
good job of arguing the atheistic position and inspiring the rest of us to be
courageous in our creativity even though we are a small minority - at least in
the U.S.
There is a new morality that is needed for respect for the entire earth and all
its inhabitants. The religious traditions do not provide this because
they are based on old texts that do not address contemporary issues. But
there are texts that do, and these can be the subjects for a whole new set of
musical and artistic creations. I would like to share a couple of my poems:
It
is Something
Unfortunately there are wise people who have been maligned and misrepresented
and they deserve a fair hearing. Take a look at what they really have to
say:
Epicurus
Thomas Paine
Albert Einstein
Les