Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Never How It Should Be, Always As It Is
It's amazing that in the 21st century, when people have access to television, the Internet, and participate in the global economy, where it is very difficult to claim ignorance of the other peoples of the world, we are still waging war and killing each other over religion the same way we did in the dark ages. Before the dark ages, even. All this knowledge, all this awareness of the world and its people as a whole, and we're still waging wars for the same reasons as before, back when people were genuinely ignorant of one another. I've always been a proponent of the idea that hate is bred mostly through ignorance, and that enlightenment would help prevent some of the stupider mistakes of humanity. But there's something in the human spirit that keeps the irrationality going. We must always fight over our beliefs of how the world should be, regardless of how the world is. It's disappointing when knowledge is rendered powerless.
3 comments:
Thank you. Couldn't have put it better myself. No matter how much you teach us people, it's impossible to know everything. What we know is a microscopic spec of the whole that's out there, but people are stubborn, opinionated and superstitious. And because of that, groups of people establish war machines fueled by ignorence, jealousy and unconfirmed facts that we take for absolute truths.
i share in your concern, its quite interesting how the majority, it seems, of hateful monstrosities are centered in peoples religious or moral beliefs this it very ironic as those beliefs and standard usually teach of peace and love, when they are found in there original or pure form. i believe its not an inherent stupidity, but of an underlining need to be lead by mankind. the extremely strong emotions attached to religion provide a perfect atmosphere for a power sinking man with natural leadership ability to hijack those emotions and with very little effort, regretfully, steer whole communities and nations in very opposite directions while the people are unaware of a change in course. This is able to happen time after repeated time, due to man's natural subconscious need to be lead and to belong to a group with a purpose,for good. in hindsight we often see that these purposes were not for good but ill and power, but the subtle and discrete way it happens it seems good to them at the time. as for enlightenment solving this problems, i think it is definitely a step in the right direction, however that view seems to state that if only people could think and reason, they would choose the right. however our history shows that some of the worst events caused by man were caused by very intelligent people who man a conscious choice, then carried it to its limits and beyond.
there is a speech that i enjoy on this topic,half way through it takes a religious turn. i find the applicable point very vallid. if u would like heres the link to the download of the MP3, if not sweet. but thanks for that i enjoyed thinking on the topic. sorry my grammar sucks hope u got through it alright. ill see you around soon.
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=browse&speaker=Eyring%2C+Henry+
B.&topic=peace&type=&year=&x=7&y=8
ideology: An objective view of the world, stating not just how the world is but how it should be. When you say "We must always fight over our beliefs of how the world should be, regardless of how the world is" you speak of ideology. Only when we as a people disregard dogma and embrace reason and common human decency do we stand a chance of learning from our past.
Post a Comment