When two adversaries enter a room to negotiate differences; in addition to leaving their guns at the door, they are handed secret documents advising them that, regardless of past misconceptions, between the two, there are no differences other than possible skin color and culture. Neither one is genetically different from the other. They both share the same Human Universals. They have the same family tree. They are almost brothers. Is it possible the negotiations would proceed differently? Would the world be a different place because of this information?
We used to have sun and moon gods. Gods for the wind, rain, elevator gods, tax return gods and whatever else man couldn’t explain. But apparently they died out as he discovered answers. So the marketing team of the day, 2500 years ago, came up with an idea that could barely be challenged. And because it couldn’t be seen to be challenged at the time, the idea was advanced as an enlistment tool for more “believers”. Of course, today, should these ideas of all omnipotent, invisible forces be promoted, the scientific community would cry foul unless there was evidence; just the way nobody takes David Copperfield seriously. Unfortunately, old habits, stories and myths, are hard to dispel once they’ve taken hold. I mean, despite conclusive proof that Obama is a U.S. citizen, there are those still in disbelief. Believe it or not, there is a flat earth society.
These 2500 year old dogma policies still dictate discriminatory treatment of individuals. They still set the tone of discussions which have adversely impacted significant portions of earth’s populations. Slavery, Apartheid, Palestinians and Arabs, African Genocide, sexual discrimination, are still issues that have not been addressed in light of discoveries that render all on the earth as of the same genetic flesh. And more remarkable, almost brothers, so to speak, because some thousands of years ago there was what they call a population bottleneck. There was a calamity that dwindled the human population to maybe 1,000 to 10,000 breeding couples. That’s not a lot considering we now number 6 billion and we all came from those surviving couples.
“Black” people still look for recognition as black instead of claiming their right as co- inhabitants regardless of skin color. Why is black bad when people of lighter skin color seek tans? Homosexuals still seek equal treatment, as though they’re different, despite findings that just because their sexual preferences are different from maybe yours, well so are yours different from theirs. But these preferences and behaviors are normal. So, what’s the difference? Why should we care if we weren’t reminded about it every Sabbath? Latinos, Asians, Indian etc. all look for individuality when it’s just a matter of time when there will be no appreciable difference. There’s no difference now under the skin. Wait another 100 years since endogamous barriers are rightly falling because of communication and man’s mobility. Maybe there should be 6 billion identities or labels?
Seeking separate recognition for different behaviors or ethnicities is only buying into the “them vs us” mentality, that there should be something discussed when it should be unnecessary. Buying into the thems vs. us recognizes what was taught 2500 years ago and still today on the Sabbath that homosexual behavior is an abomination and black people should still be slaves because the bible hasn’t changed its consent. Those are colonialist rationales. Those rationales massacred millions of indigenous people, worldwide, from Native American Indians to Aborigines in Australia. And those same beliefs are still taught every day. And those who taught it have descendants that refuse to acknowledge the latest findings if they’re aware of them at all. Do we still recognize eclipses as acts of moon or sun gods? Do we still acknowledge “trial by ordeal”? Why can’t we accept and teach the new information about homosexuality’s equality and the color of one’s skin could simply be the zip code for the person’s roots; and nothing more?
And all those who don’t believe in our culture or religion are infidels? Sort of like; if our culture believes in no blue shirts on Sundays, then you’re an enemy if you do. Remember, we’re all of the same ilk. We all share the same human universals. Some are just accentuated more than others because of environmental stimulation.
Imagine if ducks or rabbits, moose or cats, had similar beliefs or illusions as man. Maybe that’s why they look at us askance? So who’s making the world a crazy place? Ducks or us? Just because we have a brain that can think, doesn’t mean we have to make mental gymnastics any more than we have guns, we should shoot everybody. Ducks don’t make silly laws against buggery or eating certain foods. Man complicates things all by himself. But is it necessary, and are the complications defensible in light of others having their own cultures; such as no orange shirts on Saturdays? Life would be so much simpler if we all started from the same premise that we are equal in all respects. It’s our cultures that are different. And if our cultures are reduced to respecting human rights, then our bright minds can address solving more important issues like world hunger, energy resources, global warming, aging populations, jobs, education, planned parenthood, etc; issues that concern all of us on the same planet instead of fighting for dictating whether one likes butt poking, male or female, women walking behind their husbands, what foods can be eaten when, how many times one must hit the pavement prostrate to a god, blue shirts, orange shirts, and all the other do’s and don’ts required to be a member of a “group”. Forming groups might be a human universal, but the reasons for the formation shouldn’t be timeless, erroneous, myths.
Right now the world seems like a spaghetti bowl of issues that escape resolution. But they can be resolved by eliminating the subjective cloud of man’s creations; his diverse and conflicting, cultural dictates. Boil down to the Human Universals and Human rights we all share that should take precedence in our needs. Solve those issues first without prejudice to cultural or manmade dogma. We all know, as a practical matter, there are no gods but are too afraid to deny their existence for fear of being labeled outcasts from the group. It’s the elephant in the room; just like there are no little green men from Mars. But to solve our earthly problems, because the gods aren’t, we have to leave our misconceptions at the door, and get serious about our common needs. The Harold Camping’s aren’t going to solve our problems. Those who advocate preconditions of dogma before addressing our issues have another agenda and deserve no place at the resolution table. And those who enable those with the agenda can’t complain because they are helping create the impasse. We all know what side of the issues we stand on; dogma or no; ignorance vs. intelligence, if you have to label.
No Flies !
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