Religious values and the peace and security we all crave
By Su Mellersh-Lucas
December is a good time for reflection upon our Christian values and the state they're in. As we come up to Christmas 2005 torture is now back in fashion whether you're the CIA or a terrorist cell or any number of so-called 'security' organisations around the world. Do you notice how often the word 'security' is bandied around to justify such horror and check out how many 'security' forces feel obliged to indulge themselves in it.
How can we justify our complicity (as citizens of the world) in such a crime against humanity - no matter how evil we think some people are, surely there is no logical defense for the perpetration of evil in the 'fight against evil'. Let's get this into perspective - Jesus suffered a particularly cruel end to his life because the Romans were also into torture in their colonialist ventures around the Middle East. (Sound familiar?)
The Dalai Lama and real leaders like him dare to speak a fundamental truth. Nothing other than relentless, determined, dogged, selfless, heedless acts of compassion will change things to end suffering and bring about the peace and security we all crave. Its a huge ask and so many of our leaders have not shown the 'mettle' for such a difficult act of moral courage. But then again they need us (the masses) to get behind them to support them in such a pursuit. If torture is now in it's because we've not shown the moral courage en masse to keep it out.
Mass movements of public outrage are our only hope of generating pressure for change.
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1 comments:
I think that what you are saying is that we are loosing our capacity for discerning and for acting upon it. Something to do with confidence in our values perhaps?
I found this quote in The Age, by the 2005 winner of the Noble Prize for Literature, Harold Pinter. This is one of the most accurate articles I have read in a while.
"It's a scintillating stratagem. Language is actually employed to keep thought at bay. The words "the American people" provide a truly voluptuous cushion of reassurance. You don't need to think. (...)
What has happened to our moral sensibility? Did we ever have any? What do these words mean? Do they refer to a term very rarely employed these days — conscience? A conscience to do not only with our own acts but to do with our shared responsibility in the acts of others? Is all this dead?"
The great American hypnosis
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