I can certainly understand why you’d want to do something and I certainly support your endeavors.

Desires are decided at the hardware level by one’s DNA. Peoples’ choice on what percentage of their desires they act on is based on what their software says about their desires times their hardware’s ability to resist or redirect impulses.

Open-mindedness is, I think, another hardware-software interaction. Some peoples’ hardware simply doesn’t have the fundamental DNA, times childhood development, times the software of being trained to generate empathy models of others. Said a different way, people whose brains aren’t trained to fully expand get stuck in small, non-empathetic thought patterns. This would partly be due to how much brain cells can grow. Do you have brain cells that produce the right proteins and enzymes that learning something new is fun? Or is it so exhausting that you want to avoid it?

If people grow up mostly pigheaded, it becomes a positively-reinforcing cycle where you avoid learning anything new, no longer seek out new or more sophisticated points of view, and feel no lapses in their small, circular logic. But anyone stuck at this level is unlikely to be interested in expanding their horizons, and has instead been trained that if they stick to a small core of beliefs they can browbeat their way through most situations against unbelievers, through a mixture of anger and other strong emotions.

I wish there was some kind of pill that could massively expand peoples’ interconnectivity, like a hardware concoction that rapdily stimulates neural interconnection and then fills the new neural networks with “software” thoughts, perhaps via radio or other even faster medium. Liquid “enlightenment”, if you will. If I were an advanced civilization seeding earth with something like that would probably be my first task.

Until then, we only have a very difficult way of increasing complexity, enlightenment, and tolerance in people and will have to accept a lot of people who think and act basically like barbarians for reasons that are more or less beyond their control.

When I heard the response that you got from the texas coach and later from the Last Word DJ’s, I was so disappointed, both for you and for all the people that were listening out there that deserve more than quotes from tracts. I grew up in the church and am now heavily involved with my home church and it saddened my that these guys were so attached to their dogma that they couldn’t meet a real need when they saw one. Which is what I think Christianity is really all about. Your friend Rod pretty much nailed it. I would only add that nice is too small a word. I think we’re called to love each other, truly and deeply in a way that breaks barriers and builds eternal bonds. (figuring out what that means on a daily basis is a constant struggle and joy)

Anyway, I realize I’m a stranger on the internet, but I just wanted you to know that I was touched by your story and that I’m glad you’ve got a friend like Rod who’s willing to share his faith instead of trying to sell you on God. If you’re ever interested in talking more about anything (especially sci-fi or art), that be cool. Otherwise, I wish you the best on your journey and I hope you eventually get that media empire up and running.

Peace,
Dave