Thursday, March 28, 2002

SYNOCRACY How will we make decisions in a synergic future? In today’s world 2002, it is assumed without question that majority rule democracy is the best way to organize humanity. To even offer a criticism of majority rule democracy is to invite an immediate and often emotional charged attack on oneself. We are quickly asked to choose between majority rule democracy or the dictatorships of communism/fascism. We are quickly reminded that if we don’t like it here in a majority ruled democracy, we are free to leave. ... But what if there were something better? (03/28/02) Integrating Knowledge With Needs Chris Lucas writes: Scientists, in their attempts to maintain a detached 'objectivity' have always rejected the consideration of subjects, of values, of teleology, of purpose. This bias has had the unfortunate effect of throwing out the baby of 'meaning' with the bathwaters of 'delusion' and 'irrationality' by trying to force a continuous complex reality into a straitjacket of disjoint either/or 'factual' categories. Under the misguided assumptions of Aristotelian logic, if the 'objective' is 'true' then the 'subjective' must be 'false' and thus to be avoided at all costs. The results of this has been blindness to much of our human reality and it has allowed emotional and holistic indifference by thinkers full scope to destroy the very structure of our planet and our lives as sensing, feeling and acting organisms. A world of detached 'things' has replaced, under a scientifically falsified philosophy, a reality of connected 'processes'. To repair this long-running erroneous worldview we must first realise that science is about people - no people, no science. It is humans that generate all scientific theories, that categorise the world, that act on those theories. To deny science has values is to deny ourselves, a self-contradiction quite absurd in its repercussions within both our academic and economic structures. (03/28/02) Fear will hold you prisoner Joanna Frizzell writes: For us to achieve world peace we need to let go of our fears. We need to become loving, tolerant, patient, forgiving, aware, faithful, open-minded and open-eared people. Anything created from fear will only create more fear and more obstacles (ex. the atom bomb). What is created from love will only bring more love and more togetherness (ex. Habitat for Humanity). Let go of the need to control and don't push away things that you are not familiar with just because you are not familiar with them. Celebrate differences, celebrate adversity, and celebrate changes and challenges that come with every day. Life is hard and painful, one struggle after another. And we must embrace our pain and our suffering because that is where our beauty, our revelations, and our greatest accomplishments come from.  (03/28/02) Peace, Love and Harmony Seek the truth and the truth will set you free. Peace is the way. Love is the answer. Harmony is the result. The purpose of education, whether religious or secular, is to help a person function effectively in society. War is not effective either for the individual or society. All true religions teach peace. The Golden Rule is a peaceful principle because it produces equity. We should share our wealth with our brothers and sisters because we are all part of the same human family. All teachings which divide us are false and all prophets who preach such division are false prophets. (03/27/02) Many Civilisations Have Nurtured Humanity Fayza Aboulnaga writes: Here I wish to clarify that the term Islamic civilisation does not necessarily mean those who profess the Islamic religion but the adherents of this civilisation live on lands which extend from the Atlantic ocean in the West to the borders of China in the East, passing by parts of Asia, Africa and South Europe. And they belong to different religions. They are brought together by common or similar value systems. An attempt is made to describe this civilisation as being reactionary and rejecting progress, advocating violence and refusing to co-exist with other civilisations and cultures. We even hear those who reiterate that terrorism is linked with this civilisation because of practices carried out by a minority of those who adhere to this civilisation, or who might adhere to this civilisation. This is despite the fact that similar examples are to be found in other parts of the world, among people of other civilisations and religions. But unfortunately, sometimes such conceptions find their echo in different parts of the world. (03/27/02) 9:51:12 PM

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