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Charles R. Fulweiler, Ph.D. writes: When I try to state what I have learned in my life, I iterate and reiterate that we seem, over the last millennia, to have been trying to learn to live without hate and without fear. From time immemorial, most people have dreamed of being safe---really safe. We can learn that the cycle of life and death is natural and not to be dreaded. Isn't it enough that we have the privilege of being born? Since we have been given the privilege of living here can we learn that there is nothing to be afraid of? Can we live our lives without fear but with acceptance and understanding. Yes, we have finally reached a point in our development at which we have learned a great deal and, if we have the will and the intelligence, we must know that we can live with joy and without fear. We must have the will to persist in this new understanding in spite of fanatic resistance on the part of those who would preserve the status quo, and we must use our intelligence to recognize that this is not a game with "winners" and "losers." No, this is not a game, it is the result of living in a world that we can destroy with our fear and our unthinking violence, and everyone loses. We must always remember, and cherish the memory, that it can also be made a garden spot of the universe--- it really is our choice---Those who question whether Man has free will pay close attention. Love, respect, tolerance, compassion, forgiveness, understanding, the privilege of good hard work---these are the only building blocks for a life of joy and happiness and peace of mind. How many millions of times have they been preached to us without our understanding them. We don't understand them because they are said in the context of a world in which killing from fear or for profit or for fun is rampant. ... Can we grow up enough to accept the responsibilities of being adults and become truly good stewards? If we stay as children, misbehaving but convinced that someone will come behind us and clean up our messes, then surely we will not survive. What I have written is in a sense a blueprint for accomplishing this metamorphosis. We turn toward understanding, knowledge, love, sharing, good work and a sincere desire to help our sisters and brothers. We know that these values are rock solid building blocks for successful living. We know this---we understand this---we preach about these values---we must now act on them! We are one. As one we must realize that we survive together or we don't survive at all. This is a clarion call to good people throughout the world to once and for all time shun evil. Set honest rules that benefit all---and then adhere to them as scrupulously as possible. Neither riches, however great, nor intelligence, however profound will stave off the inevitable consequences of our failure to solve the problem of learning to live, as adults, with our fellow man not pit our-selves against him, of learning to live with our beautiful world not loot it, and learning to love and respect all the creatures that share it with us. (08/22/02) |
