You only have to look at the Middle East where generations of Arabs and Jews are still fighting over scraps of land that both believe are their birthright.
For us here at the bottom of the globe, seemingly sheltered from the carnage that is a result of different belief systems, it is difficult to imagine what it means to sacrifice all for the common good - a formula for living set by other mere mortals yet accountable to no one.
To some extent, we should be able to learn lessons from those who have put faith in false doctrines that require blind allegiance from those seeking the truth or at least some answers to questions that continue to trouble the mind.
Whether the teachings of ancient dogmas will be an effective influence on future civilisations still remains to be seen but one thing is certain - the ones that continue to preach hatred and division will suffer the consequences of their own misguided pursuit of hegemony.
While it is anybody’s guess as to the public mood for a reset of international alliances once this current bloody Middle Eastern skirmish has been temporarily settled, we can only hope that a lasting peace will be based on faith in a system that treats every citizen as a unique human being with equal rights to self determination within a society that respects freedom of choice.
Unfortunately, that may be expecting too much in a world that is dominated by regimes that are either atheist or promoters of a God that is nothing more than idol worship. Alternatively, although discredited by centuries of failures, a belief in one’s own ability to survive the pressures of modern society is enough for some and good luck to them even though it would appear that wanting to “go it alone” is more often than not, a recipe for disaster in itself.
For my money and based on my own experience of survival in a world increasingly influenced by the objectives of self appointed tyrants, a belief system that satisfies one’s personal needs is the only pathway to an enduring peace of mind.
I have chosen Christianity simply because it accommodates my own personal failings, which in a life without faith, for me becomes an intolerable existence.
How can you forgive someone for things they have done to you without acknowledging your own imperfections? And relying on a framework that accommodates all those individual weaknesses helps to make it happen.
However, consider this. A life without a faith is no more than “believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden!” - a juxtaposition that reflects on the charges so often laid at the feet of Christians. We can’t both be right.
So, the choice of which one of all these recipes plays a part in our personal lives, if any, remains a personal decision and so it should.
We reap what we sow.
Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.
18 comments:
You do you Clive. I personally find it troubling that people have to look to ancient fabricated literature to tell them rape and murder is wrong. I consider myself a humanist. It's comes naturally to show respect to others and lead and honest life.
This past weekend was the 80th anniversary of the release of prisoners from Auschwitz and Birkenau POW camps and coming up is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. What have we learnt since then? However, there is a book which I now have titled Freedom, The End of the Human Condition, by Jeremy Griffith, who is an Australian biologist, and who has spent over 40 years on this. The book is available online. A top Canadian psychiatrist states that this is the book that will change the world. Happy reading!
Kevan
From Wiki: the phrase "believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden ... is often used to describe a whimsical or fantastical belief in something unseen".
Clive's mindset in a nutshell.
Welcome to the discussion Barend.
I don’t recall trashing your atheist view. I am happy to accept others think my life experience is based on fantasy. That’s their problem and yours.
I prefer to think that a world populated by people searching for the truth has more hope of a peaceful future than the situation we face today where most folk survive or die in a world controlled by bigots.
That’s your choice, not mine.
Hi Clive. Can you explain this statement; "[today] where most folk survive or die in a world controlled by bigots."
No worries!
It is rare these days to find a country even in the Free World where the government are committed to giving the people what they want and have voted for.
If you look at the regimes who are in danger of being unceremoniously dumped by the voters or, as in our case and in the US - already have been, the reason is more often than not because they tried to impose their ideas against the will of the people. Of course, in countries behind the iron curtain the people have no choice at all.
A character trait of a “bigot” is that they refuse to entertain the possibility that their ideas are wrong or are out of touch with mainstream opinion
- eg. Biden / Harris administration and the soon to be former governments - Albanese’s in Australia and Trudeau’s in Canada.
Is that a good enough explanation for you Ewan? l thought not!
You thought right. So you are saying that Biden/Kamala, Albanese and Trudeau are bigots. Total nonsense. They are liberals. Liberalism to you is bigotry. History lesson, Clive. The iron curtain ceased to exist in 1991.
Correction; the iron curtain ceased in 1989.
The label 'liberal' has become a problem with the americanisation of the English language. In that ghastly distortion of English, it has come to mean PC/marxofascist/woke. To us sophisticated speakers of British English ('English from England'), 'liberal' means, to quote the Oxford online, "willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas; relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise."
There is nothing 'liberal' about Harris or Trudeau. They are totalitarians. I guess that makes them the bigots too. For once, I am with Clive!
So Harris and Trudeau are 'totalitarians and bigots'! So, what does that make Trump? What utter rubbish!
I didn’t call them bigots. I said their regimes had all the characteristics of a bigoted leadership. They impose their will on their citizens believing their policies are the only way forward.They, like Ardern here, claim to be “liberal” thinkers and you obviously support their clandestine way of doing things. Few who supported them when they came to power would do it again having been tricked once. Elections since have shown the voters don’t see them as liberals anymore - whatever that means.
And you also deliberately misread my loose categorisation of those who live under dictatorial rule as being behind an un-democratic wall.
The term suits the current situation better than most even though the original geographical enclosure is no longer confined to the states of the old Soviet Union.
My guess is that readers will happily accept my use of the term in the context of this discussion.
So no need for history lesson Ewan
We already know what happened.
P.S. Read Barend’s comment below. Pretty much sums it up.
Trump is a libertarian, Ewan. Oxford: "(1) an advocate or supporter of a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens (2)a person who advocates civil liberty."
The likes of Harris and Trudeau don't believe in civil liberties. Reverse discrimination/DEI and 'hate speech' legislation are vehemently anti-civil liberties.
Barend, I reject your argument absolutely. You want an example of bigotry? Then, how about Trump taunting Harris as being black? Harris polled around 77 million votes. To claim she is a 'totalitarian bigot' is to insult every one of them.
Trump is a lot more colour-blind than is Harris. He judges people by their competence. Harris makes appointments on the basis of race (and sex). She is one of those who claims that all the world's ills are attributable to White sexually normal males. If that's not bigotry I don't know what is.
I'm happy to insult 77 million pseudointellectuals. It's nice to know one of me is worth that many of them! Thanks mate.
Ha, Ha
It may have escaped Ewan but he is found hoist on his own petard.
I might add - not the first time being found out although his relentless portrayal of Trump as the devil incarnate without justification suggests he himself qualifies as a “bigoted” poor loser.
Too bad!
Well Clive, the opening laugh and concluding insult only serves to reveal your motivation - personal one-upmanship. Why don’t you try a bit of intellectual dialogue on these global issues that affect the planet? I have believed from the start, now more than ever, that Trump is a very dangerous and objectionable man. I have always openly stated my views, and take it from me, I stand firmly behind every word. There are many reasons for this, but let’s settle for his tariff policy, seems that it is current the most topical. I have no doubt that this will make the world a poorer place. Does it concern you that many people in Canada, Mexico and China will lose their jobs over this? And that is just the start as Trump has promised that there’s more to come. I suspect that of those singing Trump’s praise include few Kiwis that are in the business of selling their production abroad. They are bound tobe worried.
Barend obviously is happy at being accused of insulting the 77 million Americans that voted for Harris by calling her a totalitarian bigot, given his gratuitous thanks to me for pointing it out.
You may see me, Clive, as a ‘bigoted poor loser’, so good for you. Shall we just say that I beg to differ, and leave it there.
“ Intellectual dialogue” Give me a break!
Your contributions to this and other discussions- almost always in response to what l have said -
actually reveals your own motivation which has always been to discredit my support of Trump’s policies and his performance in the job he was elected (twice) to do.
Your’s is a vendetta while mine is simply reporting the truth.
But l do agree we should beg to differ and leave it there. Although l wonder how long this latest truce will last given your reputation for breaking promises.
>"But l do agree we should beg to differ and leave it there."
I too agree.
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