Racism

I don't think it's just me who sees more and more racism in the news lately. But I think that if an intelligent person just takes the time to think through some basic truths, he or she would have to discard racism on an intellectual basis.
Unfortunately, there are the things that a person knows intellectually, and then there is the ingrained emotional patterns of thinking, programmed in us from childhood, that taint our view of others. This latter emotional programming can only get turned around by personal experiences, meditation, and time. This is hard work, and your formerly walled-off and protected inner self may feel in danger! Deciding to open the lines of communication between yourself and those of other races and actually doing so, for me at least, has felt like a march to the gallows. In contrast, the smashing of the intellectual reasons for racism is fairly easy, though not entirely painless.
Let me say something controversial, and then persuade you of the truth of it. Creationists and evolutionists both believe the same thing.

"WHAT? OMG, HOW CAN HE SAY THAT?"

Well, because it is true. There was a Time magazine a few years back (sorry, don't have the reference) that, in the context of evolution, talked about our decendance from an original 'Eve.' You see, if we are solely the product of evolution, we had to have come from a common genetic strain, a single family. The odds that two or more separate genetic strains would produce offspring that could interbreed is impossibly, stupendously huge. So Evolutionists believe we came from a single family.
Surprise-- Creationists believe the same! Whether Adam and Eve, or Noah and his family are referenced as our parent family, creationists must come to the same conclusion as evolutionists, that we come from a single family.
So, I am related to everyone else on this planet! There is no one else who has ever been born or who will ever be born who is not related to everyone else. We are all cousins! No matter how white you are, you are related to those of every other shade! (and vice versa, of course)
And this also means that Mohammed and Jesus are related (gasp!).
Here's another way of thinking about it. An individual has two parents. Each of those two parents has two parents, and each of those four grandparents has two parents, and each of those eight great-grandparents have two parents, etc. Draw this out on a piece of paper. You will see an inverted pyramid. Now if you map back a few centuries you will find you have thousands upon thousands of ancestors. Trace your lineage and you will be amazed at what you find.
Think of the wealth of knowlege we have gained by the inclusion into our culture and knowlege base individuals like Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare, Carl Jung, John Lennon, and yes, Martin Luther King Jr. You are related to all of these people, and you have inner genius and insight in you, like they did! Now think of all the individuals who, because of war or because of racism, their wealth of knowlege and insigt has been denied to you. Tragic, isn't it?

Urgent, Change Needed!

My nerves are on edge, my heart is racing. I feel a tremendous urgency to read everything, learn everything, and to show people what I'm learning, and convince them. Of what? The urgent need to change.
My kids and I took in a movie tonight. It was X-Men 3. I have given much thought to this in the past, and this movie tonight sure fit my theory. It is really more of an observation than a theory.
We Americans are obsessed with magical powers. Many people are upset about the Harry Potter books and movies because of the witchcraft in them. This is only part of the problem, however. There are so many books and movies that stimulate our imaginations and entice us to fantasize about having psychokinetic or other powers. X-Men 3 is a very good example of what I'm talking about. Other examples of the same obsession with powers are the many vampire and/or werewolf movies. I admit, these are very entertaining to me as well. So, what's the problem?
The question is, in our thirst for this activity or distraction, what are we really telling ourselves about ourselves and the world we live in? Are we secretly thinking that if we had those powers we could brandish those powers to intimidate others, like a common thug that brandishes a gun, to get what he wants? Admit it, you'd feel almighty powerful, if you just had those powers!
Power is a heady, intoxicating drink. None of us could handle it, I'm sure. Remember what Winston Churchill said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." I played a computer sim game a few years ago. I'd get everything built up and working great, and then I'd get bored and I'd trigger a tornado or other disaster.
You see, that's why we cannot be God. We'd be too much like Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty, trying to take shortcuts to get to our selfish wants, not considering anyone else's wants or needs.
I've been watching the political power-grab free for all that currently seems to be intent on wiping out this formerly great country, the USA. It's heartbreaking to me, to see my beloved country circling the drain, faster and faster. What is at the heart of it? What is driving this death wish of Uncle Sam's? The lust for more power. Can't anyone else see how it will end?
There is no shortage of people that are proud to call themselves a 'red-neck.' I think our country's wholehearted acceptance of The Simpsons, Married With Children, Jeff Foxworthy and Larry ('git 'er done) the Cable Guy, is because they tell us that we're OK, even if our educational system is ranked 52nd in the world or whatever it is. So, because dimwittedness is now the acceptable norm, these people really don't want to think about stuff too much. It's too much work. In regards to patriotism, striving to excellence in this country, they'd rather engage in nationalism, or just assuming that we are inherently superior to other nations. Instead of the work of investing emotionally and compassionately in the welfare of people in other countries, 99% percent of which are good down-home folks who'd charitably take us in if we were down on our luck, this misguided and lazy section of middle America would rather say, "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out!"
And then there are the defeatist Christians, who say, "Well you know, these are the end times. What're you going to do?" These people are misguided too, in my book, because they don't really want to do things to preserve our environment. They don't really want to see what they can do to prevent war, or human injustice. They don't really care about what happens to the USA. If we all had to be implanted with GPS enabled identification chips next week, they'd just shrug, "End times."
You know what? If you have one of these attitudes you are doing what I think of as 'twisting God's arm.' What if God doesn't think the time is right, just now? I would speculate that some Christian Germans thought they were in the 'End Times' during the reign of the Nazis. Do not try to twist God's arm. He will not be manipulated by the likes of you!
Does the following passage of the Bible apply to us?

(Matthew 12:38, 39) Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet...

If it was a physical sign it would say to turn back. Stop being so overwhelmingly enamored by James Bond gadgetry, cameras, cell phones, ipods, computers. Stop the fantasizing about psychic powers, or what you would do if you won the lotto. Stop trying to grab more power, to use more, consume more, and to have more than your next door neighbor. Stop being so selfish, wanting others to be your servants, beneath you.
Start appreciating your family, your neighbors, your fellow countrymen and the rest of our great big family here on this planet. This is where true riches are hidden.

Working for the Win-Win

I was discussing this topic with my kids, trying to get them to coexist peacefully, when it occured to me that this is the problem in my country and in the world.
A coworker once told me that for anyone to make money on the stock market, that meant someone else had to lose. I disagree.
This idea is unhealthy competition, that is, thinking that you must lose in order for me to win. This is a Win-Lose scenario. Why can't we live in a Win-Win scenario instead? Which is more Christian? If you are a Christian, can you really believe in a Win-Lose scenario? Wasn't this ultimately the basis for Jesus' saying to love your neighbor, as yourself?
If you do win in a Win-Lose scenario, how do you feel?
Are there any Lose-Win scenarios, where someone would lose in order for others to win? Jesus gave it up, so that we could win.