Realities of Religion and Politics

We the people.  What wisdom in such a simple yet meaningful concept.  Unfortunately, the promise of equality too often falls short to profit and segregation.  Too often we make short-sited decisions in favor of personal greed instead of providing a foundation for a healthy, happy and sustainable society.  Too often we forget that we are a part of a community.  We forget that we are a people.  We forget that we are one world.

Fear has often driven this forgetfulness.  Fear of not having enough.  Fear of being wrong.  Fear of others.  Fear of the unknown which keeps us complacent.  Fear often proves to be a motivating factor in establishing laws that protect what financial gains we have.  Fear keeps the wealthy…wealthy.  Fear keeps us from understanding those that are not like us.  Fear sends us to war and keeps us at war.  Fear builds fences. 

Historically speaking, fear has caused massive bloodshed.  Take a look at Somalia, Kosovo, Rwanda, the Holocaust, Aboriginal Child Removal Policy (Australia), Indian Removal Act (North America), the Inquisition, Witch Trials, etc.  Unfortunately, this is only a short list.  After reading the list, what do you think?  Are those all things of the past? 

On December 12, 2011, Amina bint Abdel Halim Nassar was executed for sorcery and witchcraft in Saudi Arabia.  She was beheaded for blasphemy.  Unfortunately, that’s only one example of the destruction fear causes in the daily lives of worldly citizens.  It’s unfortunate that these things have happened, but it’s unfathomable as to why they continue to happen.  How can we put a man on the moon, discover the double helix, or describe quantum physics and still be so utterly ignorant? 

Knowledge of what is good is nothing new. 

“To see what is right and not do it is want of courage.” – Confucius

“I am not Athenian or Greek, but a citizen of the world.” – Socrates

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” - Edmund Burke

Yet too often, we do nothing.  Too often, we choose to be blind and dumb.  Too often, we find bliss in reaffirming ignorance. 

It’s reaffirming to find a congregation that thinks the way we do and oh what a coincidence that it’s exactly what god wants.  The town of Keyser, WV has a population of 5,303 as of 2000.  It also has 4 different United Methodist Churches (let alone all the other denominations).  They were, and primarily still are, the Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church South, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Brethren Church.  Each one maintains a slightly different socio-economic status and viewpoint, yet each one supports the “true” meaning of god’s will.  Keyser is not an anomaly. 

Some doctrines claim that homosexuals are living in sin.  Some say blasphemy should be punished by death.  Some say people of a different race are inferior.  Some say god blesses the wealthy.  Some think god helps a sports team win a game.  Some believe in stoning sexually active women.  Some believe that anyone who doesn’t believe like them should be killed.  All are confirmed to be most righteous.  All are living the true desires of their god.  Based upon personal affirmation all of them can do as much good or bad and claim to be right. 

This is the danger of allowing religious beliefs to govern society.  In this type of society, people make laws not because it’s right, but because a book or a person tells them to do so.  If it takes a book or religious belief to convince our political representatives that it’s wrong to cheat, steal or kill, then we should be ashamed to foolishly elect them. 

We know what is right.  We know what is wrong.  We can see…but will we speak?

Santa Fe

All I need in life is sustained happiness.  When I’m happy, I have something worth living for.  Oh sure, there will be some hard times and some unpleasant moments but overall, life is full of joy and gratitude when you have the foundation of love from another.  All the trinkets that one could buy in this developed world are worthless when compared to the gift of sincere and undiluted love.  Of all the things that could consume one’s time during their waking days, nothing compares to the simple moments shared with the one that makes you smile.  This posting is a heartfelt thank you to my partner on this awesome journey called life. 

Santa Fe, holy faith, sacred belief, the foundational essence that keeps you smiling each day; that’s what I think of Jeri, my wife.  Part of the inspiration for this posting comes from the music video of the song Santa Fe by Beirut.  I highly recommend watching, listening and hitting the replay button.  Whoever or whatever serves this role in your life, hold on to it.  Always remember how the simple smile is all you need to not only keep going but to enjoy life’s journey. 

The video starts off with sadness, but there’s more.  The protagonist is lifted from the depths of sorrow by his Santa Fe and life becomes worth living again.  He remembers the sheer joy of just being with his Santa Fe, playing on the beach without a care in the world.  He remembers the joy of sharing a simple meal with his partner and his friend.  He remembers how grand moments in time can be when shared with the ones that make your life worth living.  These moments are what make life…life.  The love of another helps make life ever so vivid no matter the situation.  Having a Santa Fe and being a Santa Fe are what allows one to keep finding the joy in even the hardest of situations.  It also makes those high times feel as though you’re in an all-encompassing paradise.

Live in these moments.  Remember these moments. Be inspired by these moments.  Live…smile… laugh…love…remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlwDbdiaAvI&list=HL1323878505&feature=mh_lolz

Scarcity

I remember the story being told by my mom on a few occasions and it always brings a smile to my face.  I say I remember the telling of the story and not the actual event as I must have been about 2 years old at the time.  The story... toilet training.  Here is how I remember the story…

My dad is a budgeter.  He had (and still has) a budget for everything, including my disposable diaper allowance.  Since it was apparently becoming time for me to be weaned from diapers, my dad decided to have a conference with me.  He took me to his storage closet, filled with whatever supplies were needed for the house (toilet paper, batteries, light bulbs, diapers, etc.) and showed me the stack of diapers.  To a 2 year old, that stack of diapers appeared to be all the diapers that could possibly exist in the world.  He calmly informed me that when that stack was gone there would be no more diapers.  At that point I would simply have to use the toilet with no alternatives. 

I don’t recall what I thought as a 2 year old, but it must have been clear to me that there was a definitive limit to the diaper resources of my world.  It was so clear, evidently, that when that day of the last diaper arrived I accepted it without incidence.  I simply started using the toilet.  There was no other option. 

Now again, I was just a toddler with no real recollection of the events, but I’ve heard the story enough and it has a moral that I think deserves to be shared.  The moral, of course, is to use your resources wisely.  We live in an abundant world, yet it is definitively limited.  We will run out of resources at some point.  Someday, there will be no more diapers to absorb our mess.

If we use something today, then we won’t be able to use it tomorrow.  If we as a society use limited resources today, then we will leave a future world without the opportunity to use those resources.

We will run out of oil.  We will run out of money when we maintain a negative savings rate.  We will run out of opportunities to do the right thing.  We will run out of time. 

How do you want to live your life?  How do you want to be remembered?  How do you want to affect others?  How do you want to spend your day?  How do you want to spend your time?  …It’s probably time to start.  Time is getting scarce.