If the carrot and stick philosophy has been openly used, preached, and discussed throughout our history—even in recent times—why are we making Quid Pro Quo such a big deal? Humans have employed politics since our earliest awareness, using it even to connect with God. This is why our religions lay claim to political and justice systems. To me, religions should remain purely spiritual; any political system that favors one group over others forsakes spirituality. While politics is necessary for governing systems, our belief systems should prohibit Quid Pro Quo due to its nature of deal-making. Heaven and hell represent a clear Quid Pro Quo; if you perceive even God using Quid Pro Quo, spirituality has been left out of your belief system.
This political phrase has permeated and continues to permeate most societies. While politics is essential for daily governance, our belief systems should remain pure, devoid of hidden agendas and falsehoods.
Political religions suggest that politics forms the basis of faith in God, presenting scenarios of heaven and hell. The concept of heaven and hell vividly promotes today’s popular term: Quid Pro Quo. This blog targets those who perceive God as purely spiritual and believe that politics should not infiltrate the spiritual realm. The carrot and stick, or heaven and hell, reflect human political traits seeping into our spirituality.
Does this imply there is no heaven and hell? I believe humans rise above mere animals because we possess the ability to self-regulate. This self-regulation originates from our spiritual side, allowing us to surpass even our genetics. If we acknowledge our evolution, why do we remain spiritually entrenched in the carrot and stick philosophy? Heaven and hell clearly symbolize the carrot and stick philosophy, or in other words, religious Quid Pro Quo.
Let’s examine this in more detail.
Today, this term is tossed around daily in the news. I thought it would be beneficial to use it as a blog title to elucidate its meanings.
In our spiritual realm, Quid Pro Quo does not and should not exist because God has dutifully provided every individual with a functional body and a conducive environment for life. Each human must use this body to live a mortal yet moral life, exercising free will. Belief in God is a personal choice. I aim to connect Quid Pro Quo with human politics to uphold God’s integrity. Our belief systems should be pure, devoid of politics, because God resides within them. How can one cleanse their belief system of Quid Pro Quo and question this politics?
Personally, I aim to purify my belief system of anything that blames God for our discriminatory and prejudiced politics. If successful, I would become a better human, avoiding blame, discrediting, and humanizing God as politically infected.
At a cellular level, we function individually, yet collectively, we function as humanity. Assuming that God, like a body or cell, punishes and rewards out of anger, akin to punishment and reward, clearly anthropomorphizes God.
By removing emotional and political aspects from religion, one discovers dissimilarities, just as a tree and its seed share a connection but aren’t identical. As individuals, we play vital roles in life’s larger scheme, akin to cells in a body. However, a cell cannot perceive the entire body without assuming its entirety. If you think otherwise, you must transcend your preconceived notions about God to see clearly and without bias.
Upon doing so, you’ll uncover a different spiritual world within yourself. Furthermore, you’ll discover your true identity and purpose in life. You’ll realize that life entails a duty of reciprocity. Interestingly, this duty does not mandate conformity, unlike bees or ants.
God does not punish us for failing to pray, disobedience, or committing crimes. Religions, on the other hand, preach a philosophy of Quid Pro Quo. To me, God belongs to the spiritual realm, which remains free from human political insecurities.
In human society, we devise crime and punishment for social justice and peace. If these were from God, no one would commit crimes; we’d be angelic, akin to ants or bees. Millions of people defy and disbelieve in God, committing spiritual crimes with impunity. Why? Because the spiritual realm lacks Quid Pro Quo. It is devoid of politics or bribery.
This invention stems from our insecure animal side, seeking security through group formation, which inherently involves Quid Pro Quo politics. Dragging God into our politics is not new; it’s been happening since our awareness of God. We’ve bestowed immense power upon God, yet depicted God as human-like, as we remain insufficiently evolved to transcend the politics of belonging.
Free will has been granted for a reason: to choose how to lead a mortal life. Examples abound—people living differently within families, societies, nations, and religions. As individuals evolve, they can judge their actions as good or bad. Interestingly, our perception of good and bad evolves with our own evolution.
Spiritual growth stems from understanding reciprocity as a mortal duty. This can occur only when one transcends the politics of belonging to their group and embraces humanity.
We possess both a history as creatures and a spiritual being. In everyday life, we encounter countless examples of this duality. We are influenced by whichever side we nurture and develop during our growth. If your love triangle remains intact, your spiritual side is strengthened. Otherwise, your animal side, geared towards survival, dominates your decisions and choices.
If you seize the opportunity to understand yourself better now, you’ll uncover your potential. You’ll learn to unlearn core imbalances and emerge as a spiritual entity (read: love triangle).
If you view natural disasters as divine punishment for devilish actions, this article isn’t for you. However, if you’re open-minded and curious, it’s worth a read.
I believe humanity evolves under God’s guidance.
Individually, we may not sprout wings or horns, but our evolution is perpetual. We’ve made great strides in science, technology, and medicine, yet we grapple with emotional and spiritual intelligence. Our imbalance causes considerable distress; shouldn’t we strive for balanced evolution?
In the animal kingdom, alpha creatures reign. In human societies, even alphas may falter, forced to accept scraps due to power shifts. Law and order—essentially, Big Brother—intervenes, yet the politics of belonging can corrupt even Big Brother, akin to God. A keen observer can discern that power persists, protecting the powerful, regardless of alpha or beta status. Ideally, Big Brother should safeguard the weak, yet the one percent receives protection instead. To clarify, I do not advocate socialism or communism, as these systems fail to ensure equal justice for all. I advocate spirituality, which demands justice for all. If an individual can challenge a group and attain justice, that is spirituality.
Humanity has long been embroiled in turmoil. Our systems—constitutions and religious rules—leave no room for evolution, designed to maintain order without ensuring equal justice or human rights. The new phenomenon in humanity is the universal desire for equal human rights, transcending geographical boundaries.
We’ve established some order in human societies, yet the struggle against hierarchy persists, reminiscent of our cave-dwelling days where the alpha thrived. Although better than cave life, we’re troubled by those advocating change and those clinging to an idealized past, bereft of evolutionary potential. We’re torn apart individually and face societal injustice. Politically powerful individuals manipulate ordinary folks, even invoking God and religion, manipulating justice through coercion and bribery. Today, discussions revolve around wealth concentration in the one percent, despite tax systems and governance. What ails us? What are the root causes? What are the solutions?
First of all, we have to acknowledge that we are creatures who have two sides within our core. Second, our physical side, or what you can call our animal side, and our spiritual side, or what you can call our human side, should be in balance. Remember, one can’t live without the other, so we are stuck in this situation until we evolve further to create balance.
Our animal side is full of creature-type insecurities, which drive us to hoard wealth, from mattresses to offshore investments in tax havens. It is all related to our animal side’s need for security. Yet, our spiritual side preaches the understanding that there is no security for mortal beings; life is about using money to live with quality. This quality can vary widely, so choose wisely how you live. If you prefer your current lifestyle, continue, but try to understand spiritual rule number one: do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself or your loved ones.
Despite evolving for eons, we still struggle to self-regulate and live peacefully, engaging in a mortal life of give and take. It’s obvious that we need resources to fill our stomachs, which in turn helps us become spiritually aware. Always remember, our spirituality depends on a full stomach. If more people go hungry, there is less left for the weak and vulnerable. This problem has persisted since our days in the jungle. Many people, regardless of religious beliefs, still adhere to a dog-eat-dog philosophy. A society that fails to care for its weak and vulnerable cannot be considered healthy. Our trouble lies in our tendency to take everything to extremes—believing staunchly in total capitalism, socialism, communism, or even democracy can sometimes be destructive.
When Big Brother assists the weak and vulnerable, some still label it unfair and socialist. If individuals are helped to hoard resources, others call it unfair and capitalist. As mortals, we are all essentially renters; claiming ownership is impractical and absurd because all material possessions are left behind when we depart. Yes, you can leave things behind for your family, but you still must leave. We have systems in place for land ownership after death, yet every major city in the world has living, breathing homeless individuals.
Like animals marking their territory for resources in the bush, we as humans still exhibit this mentality, despite our awareness of personal mortality. Other creatures are not aware of their mortality, so they live as they see fit. We, however, have evolved to understand that our time on Earth is temporary. This knowledge should have transformed our behaviors beyond mere animal instincts, yet we have not fully reached that point. Until we do, the best solution for our society is to create balance through an equal human rights-based justice system.
If we follow this path, we can reduce personal extremism within our families and groups, eventually clearing it from human societies as well. When an individual can take a group to court and win based on human rights, it represents progress and a significant step in the right direction. In essence, whether dealing with a group or an individual, they should all be treated with equal spiritual justice. Remember, do not do to anyone what you would not want done to yourself or your loved ones.
Certainly, Big Brother must care for the masses, but a political system favoring one over the other is biased and not based on equality. Our religions and isms have failed us spiritually because they could not balance justice between the masses and individuals—they often sided with the masses. While this may seem logical, it is not fair; hence, I deem it political rather than spiritual.
Most of us are born with able bodies, so reciprocity should not be politicized; it is our duty as individuals. If we rely on God or others to secure our share, it contradicts individual spirituality. Hoarding and causing others to starve or suffer may not be considered a social crime, but it is certainly a spiritual one.
Our collectively created but invisible Big Brother is akin to God, drawing power from living, breathing individuals. Therefore, the value of the individual should always be paramount in our governing systems. Take a critical look at our governing and belief systems and discover for yourself how quid pro quo permeates everything we do. Politically, it may be acceptable to some, but spiritually, it defies the law.
In earlier, less evolved times, we did not have God or Big Brother; strength determined power. Today, things have become more complex, with power no longer in the hands of individuals. Some people are hesitant to relinquish their guns because they feel vulnerable without them and mistrust Big Brother. Should one give up guns? It’s a matter of perception and spiritual awareness—how comfortable are you living in the Wild West of modern-day humanity?
Our dilemma is that we willingly surrender our power to Big Brother—or rather, to the select few who politically control Big Brother. Our resources flow to those few who believe that embracing animal instincts for survival is acceptable. We will not find solutions until we evolve to the next spiritual level, where we do not commit injustices against individuals while caring for the masses simultaneously. With strong instincts for individual survival and divisive present-day politics of “us versus them,” fixing humanity will not be easy unless we evolve individually to the next level.
This next level involves bringing spiritual strength to an equal level with our animal side, internally as individuals and collectively as humanity. We must care for not only our family members but also humanity as a whole. Some of us, as creatures or animals, have not evolved enough to recognize that those who go hungry or fall ill are part of humanity. Human responsibilities involve reciprocity; it is not required by God but necessary for assisting the needy among us, as God draws divine strength and value from healthy, happy human beings. If everyone takes but no one gives, the entire spiritual or divine system collapses.
With our governing systems, Big Brother has joined God and the Devil in ruling humanity. However, times are changing rapidly. Equal human rights have emerged as a strong, competing force, now demanded by ordinary individuals and groups worldwide.
Humanity has begun to combat prejudice and discrimination, leaning toward democracies over other forms of governance. Where humanity will stand in a few decades is anyone’s guess, but awareness and awakening are positive signs. Our times demand rapid evolution. Climate change is a reality, yet some political leaders, ignoring climate-related extremes, refuse to cooperate due to politics. They must come to an agreement and work together before climate refugees flee their homelands.
With Big Brother’s advent, we now have three invisible entities: God and the Devil dominated our early evolutionary days, but today’s society deems Big Brother equally influential.
Historically, the Devil and God arose from the strong desires of the weak, spawning organized religions. Curiously, the removal of God and the Devil is now achieving the same effect. Communism, socialism, and even democracy emerged from the desires of the weak to unite and aid one another.
Right or wrong, our evolution is independent of our nature; we will evolve, whether we desire it or not. Like-minded people will unite and strive for strength, but they will remain a group, not humanity as a whole.
The fundamental desire for strength is linked to awareness, but when undesirable side effects surface, we recognize them and strive for change. Another issue is that some of us wish to change while others resist. Thus, we create divisions within groups, further fragmenting humanity. Today, humanity comprises around two hundred countries and an organization—the United Nations—operating much like our societies. A few strong individuals govern, while the majority are weak. How can we unite as one humanity when every nation harbors internal groups? We also have religions and their sects, fiercely protecting their identities, and democracies with their divisions into political parties. From the beginning of communal awareness, we have divided and gathered. Modern democracies prove our ability to overcome differences—just look at the diversity of belief systems within human societies, especially during cultural events like Canada’s folklore time. Everyone is free to promote and showcase their traditions and customs without prejudice or discrimination. This freedom exists thanks to laws founded on equal human rights. When individuals evolve to accept others as equals, transcending group politics that preach prejudice and discrimination, true progress occurs. Yet, we still have a long way to go; even the United Nations employs a veto system based on prejudice and discrimination, despite its global membership.
Consider the journey of our incomplete, evolving process. Humanity has embarked on this journey for a very long time, experiencing numerous changes—from groups led by strong alpha leaders in the bush to divisions based on race, nation, and religion. We shifted from individual power to group power, then to regional governing bodies, nations, and religions. Our individual strength has been compromised as group mentality has thrived, making the emergence of Big Brother inevitable. Some today oppose Big Brother, but most desire police forces and government authority. Examine your society and determine if quid pro quo is a legitimate political necessity. Whether you agree or not, ponder its implications for your belief system—spiritually, quid pro quo is a crime.