Call Me Mother

What the world needs now is not love, sweet love; well, certainly not what is regarded as love in common parlance.  (But, that is a whole other blog.)  What the world needs now is humility, honest and sincere humility – by the bunker load.

The lack of humility, which manifests itself as arrogance, rudeness, naked ambition, soaring egotism, discrimination, prejudice, cruelty, colossal selfishness (and I could go on!) blinds and binds individuals, communities and societies.

Interestingly, the lack of humility always finds a common expression amongst it proponents.  The common expression is the attack (multi-dimensional) of anyone who has faith.  Even individuals who profess a faith themselves can and do lack humility to such an extent that they attempt to justify the arrogant bullying of “others into the right way of thinking”; those “others” who were happily engaged in their own business!

What has happened to an individual’s right to be and believe? If a person’s faith/belief system is unobtrusive and harmless to others – what rationale or incentive does anyone have to attack it?

I have just spent an imposed fortnight with three atheists – and how very tedious they truly were.

They discovered, through interrogation on day one, that I have a faith.  Every day, since that time, they have debated with each other the impossibility of religion.  Dissatisfied that I do not engage in their ridiculous and illogical discussions, they have asked me questions and been baffled by my responses.  (I have absolutely no desire to share the after-life, in which they claim not to believe, with these people and have not the slightest inkling to evangelise.)

Interestingly, it has come to light that one was raised by very religious parents, the second has his children at faith schools and is fascinated by theology, whilst the third speaks fondly of witnessing the delightful devotion of the faithful whenever he is abroad.

Clearly, these three atheists (like Richard Dawkins) lack the humility to acknowledge the truth.  No-one, who truly disbelieves something, wastes irreplaceable and obsessively long periods of a finite existence focussing upon it.  That is madness.   

Despite popular myth, Eurocentric arrogance and ignorance, nonsensical chatter and panicked denial; there is no such thing as militant or extremist religion/faith – whatever the complexion.  There is just adherence to one’s belief system, which may and should grow more devout the longer one journeys.

To know a religion/faith, observe it in the form practised by its most devoted followers.  Find the pure core of it – and you will be equipped to analyse and assess it.  Then act.

There is no shame in declaring one’s adherence to a belief system whilst allowing another their adherence to a differing viewpoint.  Shame and dishonour surface when one seeks to impose a belief system upon another – come what may.

Be clear in your beliefs; practice them, cherish them and hold them dear.  Be prepared to die for them; and know that, regardless of the world’s noise, the eternal truth is that no-one can change your integrity (your heart) without your permission.

Live well.  Die free.

My knowledge of cycling could be written on the back of a postage stamp and still leave room for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare; however, I am slightly puzzled by the current shenanigans.

Lance Armstrong may or may not have taken performance enhancing substances –just like any other athlete.  Still, it does seem perverse that he is being stripped of titles etc… when he has never failed a drugs test.  Should triumphs really be decided by gossip or public opinion?

Add to that the idea that fatigue after more than a decade of fighting must equate to admission of guilt and the lunacy becomes so severe that one can only question the complete lack of objectivity displayed.  (One feels whispers, not unlike those associated with apartheid and generations of attempted justification of the dehumanising of people groups, floating in the background.)

Folk may be wholly convinced of Mr Armstrong’s guilt or innocence, but in a democracy, surely evidence-based decision making has to reign supreme.  Until there is clear evidence of wrongdoing, how can stripping a champion of his achievements ever be justified?

As I mentioned earlier, my ignorance of cycling is palpable; but natural justice – well, we can all recognise that.