Sunday, July 12, 2009

Matters of the Heart

I came across this song by Traci Chapman and its really a cool song. The lyrics shows a clear example why western ideals of love compared to the views of Islam is fleeting, awkward and counter productive.

I lose my head
From time to time
I make a fool of myself
In matters of the heart
We should have been holding each other
Instead we talked
I make a fool of myself
In matters of the heart

But I asked before
Your reply was kind and polite
One wants more
When ones denied
I make a fool of myself
In matters of the heart

I wont call it love
But it feels good to have passion in my life
If theres a battle
I hope my head always defers to my heart
In matters of the heart

I guess Im crazy to think
I can give you what you dont want
I make a fool of myself
In matters of the heart

I wish that I had the power
To make these feelings stop
I lose all self control
In matters of the heart

I cant believe
Its so hard to find someone
To give affection to
And from whom you can receive
I guess its just the draw of the cards
In matters of the heart

You caught me off guard
Somehow you reached me
Where I thought I had nothing left inside
Ive learned my lesson Ive been edified
In matters of the heart

Ive spent my nights
Where the sleeping dogs lie
Not by your side
It feels so lonely
Once again Ive left to much to chance
In matters of the heart

Here I sit
Im feeling sorry for myself
Its quite a sight
But I have you to thank
For reminding me
Were all alone in this world
And in matters of the heart

Im already missing you
Although we wont say good byes
Until tomorrow afternoon
Maybe when and if I see you again
Well see eye to eye
In matters of the heart

I have no harsh words for you
I have no tears to cry
If the moon were full
Id be howling inside
It only hurts
In matters of the heart

If today were my birthday
Id be reborn
As brontes bird a bird that could fly
And all accounts would be settled
In matters of the heart

Matters of the heart

A product of too much time in my hands... (Part 1)

Life is about making choices and we are always responsible for the course of action that we choose to take. However while we can clearly understand the meaning of being responsible for one's choices the question is; do we understand what or who shapes and guides our choice?

Those who view men and women as the progenitors and masters of their own destiny would say that choices are made by the mind, by the ideas produced by the logical reasoning of the human brain. And where do this ideas come from? It stems from within our own minds; our own consciousness, moving independently of any outside stimuli and determining the course of our actions through our own will. The "I think therefore I am" of Descartes is a clear example of this philosophy.

This kind of thinking glorifies the individual, and as such puts the individual above everything else. The world exists and history marches forward solely because of the will of human beings.

On the other hand, there are philosophies that view ideas to be a reflection of matter and that what remains constant is the material world. In the social sphere this philosophy argues that free will and the march of history is determined by social factors shaped by the material development of a given society. In this preposition individuals are seen as part of a social class that has its own psychology related to its role in the material order of the world.

The first philosophy view free will as a product of reason, while the second one view free will and reason as the product of the existing material conditions. Both philosophies was a reaction to the dominant view espoused by the catholic church regarding predestination and free will. Both philosophies denies the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent supreme being who has determined the course of history not only of the whole human race but also that of individuals.