Patrick Byrne: It’s hard to outgrow a heavy Catholic upbringing. I certainly had that. I was an altar boy and left when I was about 13 or 14 and became interested in Asian philosophy. My sense of how the world works is very Daoist, which is to say Daoism . . . Daoism became ..., which in Japan is pronounced “...”. So it’s my, I guess, a Zen sense of how the world works. My sense of my obligations in the world probably come from that . . . that Catholic upbringing. So I’d say if I had a personal philosophy, it would be those . . . those two. I have no disrespect for organized religion, but to me it’s a handrail. And it’s a handrail to help you get somewhere. I mean the idea is . . . The goal is getting . . . Well it’s not even a goal; but there’s that place and those handrails, and it’s easy to confuse the two. I’d say only in the sense of . . . I’m not sure that anything has any meaning. I’m not sure that 50 million years from now, anything we’ve done means anything more than what some ants are crawling around on a rock mean anything more than they have. But if there is meaning, that meaning is to be found in service. It’s in the way you live your life and the . . . and the real service you provided other people. But I’m not even sure that . . . I’m not sure that makes the grade. We may all just end up ...some ants crawling around on a rock in space.
Recorded on: 10/29/07
Discuss
shawn brandom on January 20, 2008, 10:59 PM
christ crucified and resurected.
shawn brandom on January 21, 2008, 3:59 AM
christ crucified and resurected.
daniel somers on January 21, 2008, 6:33 AM
I would find it most interesting to listen to Patrick at legth on this subject. My upbinging is a carbon copy of his and I have drawn the same conclusions. I believe that in the end we will be judged by how we have given of ourselves to the rest of the world. What and who the judge will be is left to interpatation of what God is. To many people have been killed because of this interpatation of God and I am sure this is not what God had intended. Religion is the foundation of civility and we build upon it to make a better world.
daniel somers on January 21, 2008, 11:33 AM
I would find it most interesting to listen to Patrick at legth on this subject. My upbinging is a carbon copy of his and I have drawn the same conclusions. I believe that in the end we will be judged by how we have given of ourselves to the rest of the world. What and who the judge will be is left to interpatation of what God is. To many people have been killed because of this interpatation of God and I am sure this is not what God had intended. Religion is the foundation of civility and we build upon it to make a better world.
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