There may be some still around who can remember an old familiar once popular tune, “If it’s not wrong, its right; if it’s not day, it’s night; if it’s not black, its white. It’s got to be this or that.” The message is as faulty as its reality. Yet that’s the subliminal general sub-consciousness of far too many individuals, organizations, institutions, movements and especially religions, the spiritual impetus that should unite us all, characterized as “the Spirit of this age.”
Launching on such journey of unification, however, must begin with an independent search after truth-–“that which is in accordance with fact or reality,” as defined by Webster–“unfettered by superstition or tradition.”
The first milestone would reveal the oneness of the entire human race, the basic unity of all religions, the condemnation of all forms of prejudice whether religious, racial, class, national or other; the equality of men and women (as the two wings necessary for a bird to soar); the globalization of compulsory education; adoption of a universal auxiliary language, the abolition of extremes of wealth and poverty, and necessity of the harmony which must exist between religion and science! These stand out among the essential elements of perfection characterizing a true pathway to peace–“Not only possible but inevitable,” as first stated in the Baha’i Holy Writings which include the world’s most recent GPS leading to it.
We cannot allow ourselves to be engulfed in seas of emotions of hate and revenge at any of the sadistic, satirical or other offensive occurrences in the daily news or of that perpetually projected through prime-time TV shows that glorify murder, hate and revenge in the name of “entertainment.” The subliminal psychological effect of such a constant depressing diet is underestimated. Although the “good guys” usually win in the end, the process is usually brutal, deadly and depressing. As one must think high to rise, so too must be our encouragement to do so.
“Black Lives Matter” is the current popular craze throughout the nation and the world with ever increasing organizations and movements flying under that banner. Add to these, “So do White lives, Native American Lives, and the Lives of all of the nationalities of innocent men, women and children being slaughtered throughout the world in the name of WAR under any noble reason given. What matters equally is the BEHAVIOR of these LIVES-–especially of those in positions to set better EXAMPLES. Let’s not fall in the trap of becoming judges, juries and executioners through the media! ALL LIVES MATTER! Let’s engage in bringing ALL BEHAVIOR up to the same standard–starting with our own. It doesn’t have to be this OR that. We must learn the power in respecting and perfecting “this AND that.”
With today’s quantum leaps in science and technology the evidence should be abundantly clear that “the world has indeed become too small for anything but brotherhood and far too dangerous for anything but peace.” (Investigate! 1-800-22unite)
