I had some thoughts about the impossible conflict that arises when thinkers try to reason with radicals who have been programmed to “think” only from their emotions. However, trying to put it into words was frustrating. It is a vicious cycle feeding the frustration of reasoned thinkers and feeding the radicals through repeated opportunities to activate their programming. It will continue until we implement whatever action is necessary to find solutions and put a stop to the self-serving greed that is being touted as the high road in this country today.
This is not about religion, whether Christian, Islam, or whatever. That is being used as an emotional weapon. This is really about basic human values – empathy, compassion, cooperation, kindness, forgiveness, tolerance, love among others. Such values transcend any single religion interpreted by Man. If your faith is based on a higher power or even if one has no such belief, human values still arise from within.
When we forget this, we lose the best part of ourselves. Then we attack our fellow man, using whatever excuses we can find, flimsy though they may be.
No one has the right to determine whether someone else is “acceptable” in the eyes of their God. If everyone in the world, Christian, Muslim, whatever, spent their time trying to express the basic human values in their individual worlds and less time trying to elevate themselves to the position of judge, there would be little opportunity for all the enmity we have today.
Why is this so hard to do? Because people are so afraid they’re not going to measure up on some invisible test, whether spiritual or worldly. So they spend all their time measuring themselves against others, which usually leads to trying to prove their way is the right way. This generally leads to violence. No one likes a bully, but the truth is that bullies are everywhere. Religion, money, psychological needs – these are some of the triggers that activate radical behaviors.
Are we doomed? Not if we don’t let ourselves get trapped in this vicious cycle. Reasoning with those who are incapable of seeing anything beyond their personal needs is not a path we can follow. We must turn our attention away from the noisemakers and work on solutions.
This is not about religion, whether Christian, Islam, or whatever. That is being used as an emotional weapon. This is really about basic human values – empathy, compassion, cooperation, kindness, forgiveness, tolerance, love among others. Such values transcend any single religion interpreted by Man. If your faith is based on a higher power or even if one has no such belief, human values still arise from within.
When we forget this, we lose the best part of ourselves. Then we attack our fellow man, using whatever excuses we can find, flimsy though they may be.
No one has the right to determine whether someone else is “acceptable” in the eyes of their God. If everyone in the world, Christian, Muslim, whatever, spent their time trying to express the basic human values in their individual worlds and less time trying to elevate themselves to the position of judge, there would be little opportunity for all the enmity we have today.
Why is this so hard to do? Because people are so afraid they’re not going to measure up on some invisible test, whether spiritual or worldly. So they spend all their time measuring themselves against others, which usually leads to trying to prove their way is the right way. This generally leads to violence. No one likes a bully, but the truth is that bullies are everywhere. Religion, money, psychological needs – these are some of the triggers that activate radical behaviors.
Are we doomed? Not if we don’t let ourselves get trapped in this vicious cycle. Reasoning with those who are incapable of seeing anything beyond their personal needs is not a path we can follow. We must turn our attention away from the noisemakers and work on solutions.
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