The actual depth of reality

My son presented a truly interesting concept to me the other day, in the form of an article.  The article  was written by a professor at some university in Southern California.  The idea was basic, what we see as reality is actually an illusion.  As would be expected, I was somewhat suspect, even after reading the article.  But in a brief conversation with my son sometime thereafter, my son explained the idea, in better terminology.
The idea is this.  Just like when we look at our computer monitor and see a collection of icons, which are links to files, the icon itself it not the thing itself, but instead a representation of the file. Our physical eye cannot see the file, which in reality is a string of 0's and 1's, which, when properly interpreted and understood, can communicate a wide variety of things, things far beyond the little icon on the computer monitor.
So too is it with physical reality.  When we look at, hear, smell and feel the world around us, we are actually only seeing a very shallow, one-sided representation of reality.  The perceptions we take in with our senses are limited and we are incapable of "seeing/hearing/smelling/tasting/feeling" complete reality.  The senses are not designed to and simply cannot grasp reality as a whole.
The end result of the conversation between my son and I took the basic concept of the original article, refined it and, in my opinion, vastly improved it.  The author's original concept called the physical a mere illusion.  My son and I, in contrast, defined the physical as not illusion, but only one aspect of reality, a very small part, to be more precise.  The spiritual/emotional aspect makes up much more of reality that the mere physical.
In a conversation I had with one of my younger sons, I took a very tangible example of just how real this concept is.  It is said, in physiology, that the body we have at one point, is completely replaced with new cells, within a seven year time period.  What it is then that defines who we are? Certainly not the mere physical, for within seven years, it is something different.
Ruminate on that for awhile.  It truly is mind-blowing.

Not arbitrary

I’m not talking about some arbitrary religious rules, fabricated by tired, bitter old men, who are only looking to impose and control.  I am talking about short term and long term reality.  You may not like the boundaries that are identified by the Church as non-negotiable.  You may argue that you have the right to love whomever you wish, to put whatever you wish into your own body and to live in any way that you see fit as long as it does not interfere with anyone else, but it simply does not work that way.

Reality, as it is, is corporate, spiritual and physical.  It simply is not valid to argue that you having sex with someone else is simply a physical act between two consenting adults.  Yes, it is physical and consensual, but it is much more than that.  There is a spiritual side to people that is very real and tangible.  

This is not meant to be an argument or a proof.  I’m not interested in having a debate and to prove myself right and you wrong.  I want you to understand what Christianity is, the claims that it is making and what is expected of you in this physical/spiritual reality in which we live. You can reject the claims and authority of the Church, but doing so is akin to rejecting the power and authority of gravity.  The end result will not be beneficial.  

You need to learn the difference between getting what you want and getting what is best.  Hopefully, the two eventually become the same thing, i.e., you transform yourself into the person that is seeking the best possible results in every situation.  The reality of this growth and development process is, I believe, why we have families and a father figure.  As a child is growing up, he has an immense amount of learning to achieve. Having someone in authority over you, directing you in the way that is most advantageous is to your benefit.  By the time you become 18 years old, you should be in a position to continue the path upon which your parents have started you.  You still have authority over you (the Church and the police), but these are incidental.  In other words, you should already be moving in the right direction, with a need for occasional correction and advice.  

Every decision that is made should be built upon what we have learned is good and right and true, not upon what we feel like doing at the moment. This brings us back to the first line of this post.  The boundaries that define reality for us are not arbitrary.  The decisions we make will be motivated by the boundaries we have learned and embraced. Don’t throw away what is real, in order to grasp and revel in what is false and destructive.  Anything that is outside the boundaries of good and true will only lead to death.