While humans are inherently social creatures, we are not like ants or bees. Each of us is created as an individual, akin to a tree or the CEO of our own lives. Our belonging groups often attempt to undermine the value and importance of the individual for political reasons, and religions sometimes take it a step further by preaching human irrelevance and labeling us as born sinners. However, if you remove human beings, the entire concept of spirituality collapses. God and the Devil are metaphoric realities that require human physicality to exist. Good and evil cannot be acted out without human beings. A beautiful lily in a forest pond has no eyes to appreciate its own beauty. A ghost town becomes desolate, a haunted house fails to scare anyone, and the spiritual fabric of God unravels if it loses the thread of humanity.
Spirituality and justice are fundamental to humanity—or at least they should be. Without our spiritual essence, we are merely physical beings. However, as humans, we are blessed with our own “atom of autonomy,” a god-like ability that grants us free will, personal sense of justice, compassion, and the capacity to love, even to the point of self-sacrifice. We have evolved from living in caves and bushes to thriving in mega cities. Today, we exist in societies with their own justice systems. In modern courts, we are required to take an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Unfortunately, being born into communities with their own traditions, customs, rituals, and political rules exposes us to these influences and often compels us to reinforce and protect them, despite their political taints. We are bombarded with knowledge designed to brainwash us into conforming to the values and importance of group politics and belonging.
Individual strength, importance, and relevance have historically been discouraged. Personal spirituality and a sense of justice—the core treasures of humanity—often take a back seat to group politics. While we cannot live without societies or political systems, the connections between political belonging and human suffering are undeniable. We continue to suffer from committing injustices against one another, a reality we cannot escape, at least not yet.
If you believe that belonging to a group is the only political way of human existence, either your spiritual strength is insufficient to question prevailing political trends, or you do not understand that, as human beings, we are like trees rather than branches. A tree belongs to a jungle, and as human beings, we belong to humanity as a whole. Just as trees exist without claiming individual pieces of land, humans live in diverse societies, yet we still kill each other over race, nationality, and religious beliefs.
I am emphasizing the importance of personal spirituality and a sense of justice, which allow us to coexist peacefully in diverse societies. From birth, our parents, communities, nations, and religions add layers to our identity, to the point where we forget our primary identity as human beings endowed with autonomy, free will, compassion, and the capacity to evolve. Since we are created by God as evolving entities, no matter how much we learn, we must continue to grow and evolve. Remember, there are no boundaries set by God, and no one is controlling our actions unless we are influenced by our belonging groups and accept everything politically sold to us. If your truths come solely from your groups, you are undermining your God-given authority by believing you are just a branch attached to a tree called a group. If you think the knowledge provided by your group is ultimate, you are undermining your inherent evolutionary nature, which is a disservice to both yourself and your creator.
An African proverb I came across states, “A wise man never knows all; only fools know everything.” This suggests that even as groups, we cannot claim to know everything. Therefore, buying into politically tainted group truths is a form of individual politics.
Reading a holy book, obtaining a master’s degree, or earning a PhD does not equate to complete knowledge or a well-rounded human existence, especially in today’s society. Embracing our limitations and remaining humble can be beneficial. Although we do not grow horns or wings, our continuously evolving knowledge reminds us of our nature. Every time we learn something new, our brains produce new neurons. To me, this signifies that our potential is evolving, and predicting it with a computer is impossible.
There are no limits, boundaries, or natural caps imposed by God. If you feel limited, examine the causes of these limitations; they often stem from your belonging groups, which aim to prevent you from questioning the status quo. These groups are primarily concerned with political control over the general population. Conflicts are not limited to opposing groups; they also exist within religions and nations as sects and political parties. Although belonging groups may claim their views are divinely inspired, they are using both God and you for political purposes.
Growing up, I observed that some people visited the tombs of saints while others preached against such practices, leading me to question the sectarian differences among Muslims. In Pakistan, visiting a saint’s tomb to make a vow and then feeding the needy is common. Yet, there are conflicting beliefs about the saint’s powers. The issue is not whether saints or religious figures perform miracles but about believing in known and unknown realities as truths. The responsibility of giving or receiving rests with living, breathing human beings. The real question is what motivates your actions: Is it your individual effort, or is it because you believe God is working through you?
Ultimately, we must question these differences and explore spiritual phenomena beyond our group views. Finding God cannot be achieved through physical digging, nor can we accept the claims of our belonging groups without question. At the end of the day, we all stand on the edge of our faith, uncertain of what lies beyond. Claiming to know the unknown without assumptions is called blind faith. While blind faith may be useful, it is not solely about its usefulness beyond the cliff of faith; it is about how we live our lives. God must be found spiritually during our living years so we can benefit others and be beneficiaries of spirituality.
Since spirituality is universal and inherently just, there are no judgments, differences, or determinations of who is right or wrong—it simply exists as spirituality. Focus on how human beings give physicality to spirituality. If hungry people are fed due to others’ sense of responsibility and reciprocity, the reasons and methods behind this should be a matter of pride. Be proud of being human, rather than adhering to the politically influenced notions of right and wrong propagated by your belonging groups. If you are influenced by your group, ensure that your sense of right and wrong is guided by your own spiritual and personal sense of justice. If thinking beyond your group’s teachings feels foreign, consider: Are you a branch of your belonging group, or are you a God-created tree in your own right? By removing the judgments imposed by your group, you will be able to see spirituality working within humanity, regardless of group affiliations. Try to eliminate all political influences if you can, and observe the beauty of God working through individual human beings. If you cannot see beyond the confines of your sect or religion, ask yourself why. Why can’t you recognize spirituality in physical actions as acts of God? Even if you don’t believe in God or saints, you still owe it to yourself to seek answers. Our groups often confine us like fish in a pond, yet a spiritually aware individual is far beyond such limits, encompassing the vastness of oceans and space. Sectarian and religious differences should not overshadow our spirituality. If you feel constrained within your pond’s boundaries, delve into your individual self. If you wholly accept what your group says, remember that our potential holds unknown, evolving possibilities. To discover the ultimate truth of human existence, you must evolve further to separate the politics of belonging from your spiritual realities. Understand what it means to be human and recognize the potential you hold individually. Personally, I believe that we have no limits, boundaries, or restrictions imposed by God and nature; that’s why we continue to evolve despite political and religious constraints.
If you can teach me something new that benefits all humanity, I am open to learning. If it benefits only a few, it is political, and I advocate for spirituality and justice for all. I believe in equal human rights and oppose all forms of racism, prejudice, discrimination, and sectarianism. To me, God exists wherever we all are. If you are religious and believe in exclusivity, I would eventually question your spirituality and personal sense of justice. If you are political, I would question both your spirituality and your political sense of belonging, as politics can compromise personal justice.
Defining God, spirituality, and justice is straightforward if you can ask yourself these basic questions: Why is spirituality present in all human societies? Why does it exist regardless of specific religions or even in the absence of religion? Why do we still do to others what we do not want done to ourselves or our loved ones? The answer often lies in the politics of belonging to our groups. Can you personally overcome this? If not, why?
Spirituality is from God and universally embedded within all of us, crossing all human group boundaries. Learning to belong to humanity as a whole should come naturally, but in reality, it is often the most challenging to achieve. Thousands of years of political brainwashing have led individuals to view themselves as mere branches of their groups, rather than as the trees God intended us to be. The powerful politics of our groups is a phenomenon we still need to overcome. As branches, we cannot think like trees, even if it challenges our creator. I am optimistic that one day we will transcend the confines of our political affiliations and learn to belong as God intended.
Politics of belonging to our groups diminishes our individuality and makes us less than what we were meant to be. This is why we are easily exploited politically by our groups. Racism, prejudice, discrimination, and related issues stem from our individual weaknesses because we allow ourselves to follow our groups’ teachings. We proudly inflict on others what we would not want done to ourselves or our loved ones because our sense of belonging has diminished our personal spirituality. We have lost our God-given free will, sense of justice, compassion, and love. We have even lost our self-respect, self-importance, and self-esteem, resulting in spiritual harm. We fail to consider the impact of our actions before we commit them, leading to spiritual bankruptcy. This is not only an individual issue but also affects groups, nations, and religions, which have lost their souls in the name of group politics.
Individually and collectively, we can address our spiritual transgressions by acknowledging and resolving our issues. We often recognize our wrongdoing only when the burdens become too heavy to bear. This may not be apparent physically due to early brainwashing, but as we grow, we become more aware of our individual responsibilities. This awareness can help us understand our guilt and regrets. Consider any war veteran struggling with daily life; carrying such burdens is no small matter due to our mortal nature. Despite what individuals or political leaders might say, mental health is a reality for those aware of their burdens. Unresolved suffering only adds to the weight of our souls. For example, Americans have supported Japan after dropping atomic bombs on them, and Germans now stand with Israel in the Palestine issue. I believe that Britain should also address its historical wrongs, such as the suffering of Indigenous peoples in Canada, Palestinians, and Kashmiris, due to past policies. Every innocent death and suffering contributes to our collective spiritual crimes, so we should speak against such wrongs. It is not just about conflicting parties but also about those who instigate conflicts. The recent discovery of a mass grave of children in Canada implicating the Roman Catholic Church exemplifies this.
Logically, our lives have various departments, and while long-term strategies may yield material gains in one area, we must also consider losses in others. Long-term financial gain is encouraged, but if it results in others’ suffering, it becomes a spiritual sin and a burden on the soul. Past actions, such as those of the Canadian government, may not have been considered long-term, leading to current moral and spiritual reckoning. As we evolve, we recognize that past transgressions have left marks on nations and religions. Historical entities, such as empires and communism, have fallen, highlighting the consequences of collective spiritual sins. Canadian Prime Minister’s apology for past crimes is a step, but why stop there? Britain and the Roman Catholic Church should also apologize for their roles. As evolving humans, we must understand the causes of these crimes and question the politics of belonging that led to them. Anything that creates individual or collective guilt should be scrutinized. We may not be able to question the politics of belonging immediately, but with time, both individually and collectively, we must strive to understand our past. Recognizing and resolving personal and collective spiritual issues is crucial for our happiness and contentment. If you take pride in committing spiritual crimes for your group, you are sacrificing your individual soul to politics. While you may not feel the burden immediately, your nation may eventually have to apologize for its collective sins. If we individually become spiritually aware, we will stop participating in spiritual crimes, regardless of political teachings. Spiritual awareness has the power to reveal hidden agendas. By evolving, questioning, and refusing to commit crimes for the sake of political belonging, we can effect significant change. If the Canadian government must apologize for the crimes of the Catholic Church and Britain, then it is clear that political influences persist. Apologies signify acknowledgment, and acknowledgment helps prevent repetition of past wrongs.
Logically, life experiences have the power to shape one’s views, and if you don’t question your views and their origins, you can’t truly believe that your perspectives are based on your own knowledge. Becoming emotionally attached to your views and causes is your prerogative, but if these attachments rob you of your own happiness or lead you to extremes that harm others, you may end up burdened by your soul. With our mortal nature, these burdens can become challenging to bear. As mortals, we must be cautious of things that could lead us away from spiritual well-being. A satisfied soul is a universal remedy for a mortal being; thus, going against your personal sense of autonomy can deprive your soul of satisfaction and lead to various forms of inner turmoil.
If you care about saving trees, do so, but don’t resort to violence over it. You can protest climate change, but don’t shorten your life or someone else’s in the process. Support group politics, but don’t commit spiritual crimes for it, even if it’s in the name of your religious beliefs. Seek liberation and rights for your group, but don’t let political motives lead you to become prejudiced or discriminatory. Instead, advocate for equal human rights. Don’t sacrifice your entire mortal life to discontentment and unhappiness simply because your group promises you a better world or a place in heaven.
Remember, you cannot attain happiness or heaven simply by being Muslim, Christian, or belonging to any other religion. If you believe that, it’s due to your group’s political influence. Politics and spirituality do not mix; thus, making even God a prejudiced and discriminatory entity is a spiritual crime. You’re taught to be a good person to attain heaven, yet contradictory messages often follow, suggesting you commit crimes against opposing groups to reach heaven. If you can’t recognize this contradiction, it’s your personal responsibility to address it. Becoming the CEO of your life can help you see and navigate these political discrepancies. If you think following your group’s politics will ensure your place in heaven, reconsider before committing crimes in its name, especially if your group claims these acts are for God. You need to separate your spirituality from your politics.
I personally believe that God is not prejudicial, discriminatory, or biased. If you believe otherwise, you may face a rude awakening if you end up in a place you tried to avoid. Whether in this life or the next, your fate is judged by your actions, not your affiliations. Your place in heaven or hell is determined by the intentions behind your actions and your direct relationship with God, who, like spirituality, is universal.
I must mention a video I saw of a mullah teaching children the Qur’an while physically abusing them. This suggests he was taught a fear-based philosophy, which I believe should not be applied to humans, who are more than just animals. We possess a personal and exclusive sense of autonomy, a God-like ability to function spiritually and physically. To consider us merely as animals is a disrespect to both our creator and ourselves as humans. Teaching compassion, justice, and love through violence is contradictory and misguided. Fear-based teaching undermines the true meanings of knowledge and leads to its rejection when the fear subsides.
In my previous blogs, I discussed crime rates among nations. The top-ranking nations in crime statistics were not religious ones, which should be a wake-up call for all religions. These nations, claiming to be God’s representatives, should demonstrate the practical effects of spiritual principles. Unfortunately, they fail to show these principles in action. If people know about spirituality but fail to practice it to lower crime rates, and non-religious societies can show results, something is amiss. The issue might stem from fear-based teaching or from a disconnect between learning and practicing spirituality.
Religions should focus on teaching spirituality because it produces good and decent human beings. As I said, spirituality is universal and divine. Politically tainted religions have strayed from true spirituality, losing respect from individuals. People may comply with forced religious education in their youth but later disregard it when they see no divine intervention in preventing crimes. There’s a contradiction: religious people believe that even a leaf on a tree moves only by God’s will and that God is always watching. Yet, violent teachings and harsh punishments seem to negate God’s presence and relevance.
To become a good and spiritual human being, we need individual awareness of spiritual principles and self-regulation. When a teacher, an authority figure, physically abuses children while preaching compassion and love, it teaches them the opposite. This mismatch between teaching and practice indicates a lack of understanding or respect for the true meanings of the knowledge being taught.
Examine what religions claim to teach, like compassion and love, and compare it to their actual practices. Historically, religions have been involved in numerous conflicts, from the Crusades to the Holocaust, and many more. The history of religious extremism shows a pattern of violence rather than compassion. Merging religion with group politics has not only damaged humanity physically but has also eroded individual faith in God and spirituality. This mix of politics and spirituality has led to distrust and damage to belief systems.
As individuals, we can blame opposing or even our own groups for wrongs, but ultimately, it boils down to personal responsibility. We need to be like trees, not branches, to understand the real picture. Ask yourself why you consider yourself merely a branch of a tree. Our creator has endowed us with much more potential than we often realize.
In real life, we don’t merely pass material possessions to our offspring; we also pass on our knowledge. Therefore, we must be mindful of what we transmit to future generations, both individually and collectively. Material progress happens naturally—one generation builds railroads, bridges, highways, and skyscrapers to make life easier for those who come after. Science, technology, and medicine are always evolving, and while we should honor our ancestors for their contributions, we must also address any unresolved issues they left behind. Our technologies continue to advance, and it’s crucial that we don’t pass on outdated conflicts and problems. We must avoid leaving future generations with disputes and wars inherited from their predecessors.
If one generation believed that forceful teaching was acceptable, it doesn’t mean that subsequent generations should continue the practice. We are meant to evolve and not burden future generations with difficulties. Those who care about the well-being of future generations might be politically marginalized, but spiritually, we are taught to strive to be decent individuals. Unfortunately, political concerns often hinder this spiritual growth. Whether or not one is religious, contributing positively to humanity is an essential aspect of our spiritual nature. Neglecting to consider the needs of others or the future is not only a sign of being less evolved but also reflects a disregard for our spiritual principles.
Being religious without being spiritual is often just a political stance. If you evolve beyond this, you will reach a higher level of spirituality. As individuals, we should never feel like a burden to others. Spiritually and internally, we should find satisfaction and contentment from our personal efforts. Thus, we should learn about reciprocation and contribute our fair share to complete the cycle of our mortal lives. We need help as babies, learn to help others as we grow, and seek help again as we age, completing the cycle individually. However, when we are born into specific groups, we often adopt their political rules. If these groups promote prejudice and discrimination, we might become complicit in perpetuating these issues, thereby compromising our spiritual justice for the sake of belonging. This can lead us to commit spiritual offenses and lose our sense of personal autonomy.
If we are not satisfied with ourselves, we tend to look down on ourselves. This personal dissatisfaction often stems from a disconnection between our personal and spiritual selves. It is a key indicator of our lack of self-esteem and highlights how nations and religions have been tainted by politics, transforming into political entities. They have intentionally undermined the spiritual side of their adherents to maintain control and power. They have elevated group, god, and devil to positions of power while diminishing the importance of the individual. Yet, the truth is that nothing works without the presence of the individual.
Especially in the case of conqueror nations, attacking the weakest points of the conquered is a common political strategy. If you can weaken the individuals of the opposing nation, it becomes more challenging for that nation to resist. This tactic is employed by both enemies and allies. If we lack awareness or strength and believe ourselves to be useless, we become easy targets, akin to less evolved creatures like warrior ants or worker bees. Therefore, communities should focus on strengthening individuals, even if it leads to a population that constantly questions and challenges. Remember, our essence, strength, life, and vitality are rooted in each individual.
As individuals, we are like trees with roots and branches, capable of independent functioning. If our self-worth, respect, and esteem are undermined, we may come to believe that we are irrelevant. If we think our group is everything and reduce ourselves to mere branches, we lose sight of our own significance. Our rights and wrongs become the property of our groups, rather than being our own exclusive responsibilities. Yet, each of us is created as a tree—an individual entity. Failing to use our God-given free will and personal sense of justice is a sign of individual insufficiency. We must judge our actions independently rather than merely following group dictates. If we act as puppets of our groups, we fail to honor our human nature. We are meant to be like gods, discerning between good and bad, and imagining ourselves on the receiving end of our actions before committing them. If our groups can use us as mere tools, we must reconnect with our spiritual essence before acting. Disregarding our spiritual nature for the sake of political allegiance disrespects our creator, who equipped us with our unique spiritual identity.
Regardless of where we live, our differing opinions can divide us, but our troubles stem from the politics of belonging. This creates a division between us being right and others being wrong. Our sense of belonging often fuels prejudice, discrimination, racism, ego, pride, and honor—all stemming from the same branch of human identity. If you view yourself merely as a branch rather than the whole tree, you will find your boundlessness and self-respect.
We grow up in various societies with their unique traditions, so when others seem wrong to us, we should consider removing the political influences of our sense of belonging before making judgments. If both sides are politically influenced, they believe they are right, making neither side truly right. When under political influence, we cannot fully grasp the impact of our biases. As evolving entities, we should not claim absolute correctness while still in the process of evolution.
Human life revolves around love; we strive for it and protect it at all costs. The greatest sources of worry and stress, alongside survival needs, are the loss of love. Parents worry not just about their children’s well-being but also about the potential loss of their love. This is why the politics of belonging are so powerful. Historical conflicts have often targeted where it hurts most—killing individuals from opposing groups, regardless of education or societal progress. To illustrate, consider the love triangle concept, which I have discussed before and find relevant in light of current events. The urge to harm others due to political influence is a violation of our inherent spiritual nature.
The Love Triangle
Imagine a triangle within a triangle. At its core is the human individual, equally capable of good or bad. Those surrounding the individual must nurture love to set a solid foundation for how they will act as adults. If a person’s primary education is rooted in fear, it undermines their spiritual development. Religious leaders who preach fear and treat individuals as insignificant contribute to this problem. A lack of love in education fails to produce self-regulating individuals, as seen in societies with harsh punishments and high crime rates.
Religious societies should take responsibility for fostering good behavior by teaching love and compassion rather than fear and control. If spiritual education lacks compassion, it becomes a tool of political control rather than true spirituality. Leaders and communities must address these issues to align with their spiritual responsibilities.
Returning to the love triangle, our core potential—shaped by the love we received or lacked—determines our nature. Love, whether universal, passionate, or instinctive, is what sets us apart. As individuals, we need to understand our roles without political interference. Each of us has a personal musical score, with our actions composing a harmonious melody. To fulfill our purpose, we must engage with our spirituality and contribute meaningfully to the world.
Ultimately, each person’s life and actions are their own responsibility. We must use our free will and personal sense of justice to navigate our lives, regardless of external pressures or group loyalties.
On the other hand, if you choose to grab a drum and beat it relentlessly for a few hours without any breaks, leaving no empty spaces to create a rhythmic melody, you will become exhausted, stressed, and potentially driven to madness. Similarly, if you attribute everything to God and remain silent when it’s your turn to speak, or if you adopt a monk-like attitude of passivity, you might fail to take responsibility for human progress and disrespect our evolving nature. Such an approach can hinder humanity’s evolution, which was our initial duty. Both extremes—total passivity and relentless activity—are counterproductive and work against both individuals and divine purposes. This is why I believe that human beings are the workhorses of God. We are meant to save lives and reproduce so that God can continue with divine spiritual tasks and fulfill people’s prayers. To me, human beings represent the third element in the triangle involving God and the Devil. We judge good and evil because we are the ones who experience them physically. Without humans to judge, the concepts of good and evil lose their significance or might disappear altogether. It is our job as human beings to understand our importance in the larger scheme of life and to live justly toward all others, including ourselves.
Justice is our individual responsibility, which can be challenging at times. A deeper understanding is often required. There are moments when all three corners of the love triangle—self, others, and God—compete, which can tear an individual apart unless we learn to become the CEO of our lives. You can’t simply choose your society over your loved ones, or your lover over your children or family, without understanding the full implications. If you do, you are not being a true CEO and lack a clear understanding of what love truly means.
Balancing all aspects of your love triangle is crucial for spiritual health. You can’t disregard your children, who are a natural source of love, simply because you find a new passionate love. You can’t live solely for the community and ignore your family, or vice versa. Balancing is challenging, especially if you were raised with a strong sense of belonging to a particular group. Remember, as an individual, you are like a tree with your own free will and sense of justice; it is your responsibility to make right and just decisions instead of thinking like a mere branch.
Our evolutionary knowledge is our treasure, and we should wear it with pride. We should be proud of our accomplishments, but they all depend on maintaining a balanced core with love. Logically, you can’t feel anything physically if you are not alive. Nothing can be felt, enjoyed, or reacted to without our physical bodies. Spiritually, while different religions may have visions of the afterlife, we don’t universally agree on these visions. Therefore, it is up to each individual to balance their living years with disputed belief systems or metaphorical realities. We have acquired our spiritual insights through a long journey of evolution, aiming for some form of happiness and contentment despite our awareness of mortality. Sometimes, this loss comes from natural causes, accidents, or war, which can strip us of these divine gifts. We may find ourselves in a dark place, where negative and evil reactions arise. This pit represents our primal side, where we are devoid of the spiritual treasures of love and have the potential to become fearless and barbaric beings, even if we were born and raised as gentle souls.
I often discuss the triangle philosophy because I believe balance is essential; an imbalance in love can lead to spiritual crimes. A child deprived of love in their early years may grow up with issues, potentially becoming a criminal or unable to form healthy, loving relationships later in life. When universal love is out of balance, some people might even commit acts of violence against their own children, as seen in honor-based killings. For example, a Sikh family was documented killing their daughter because she married someone they disapproved of. Passionate love can destroy instinctive and universal love, and vice versa. There was an American woman who drowned her two sons because her boyfriend did not want children; she remains in prison. When children come into the picture, some couples struggle to balance their love triangle, leading to splits where instinctive love overrides passionate love.
When couples break up, the loss of passionate love is felt deeply, but if children are involved, the loss is even greater for the departing partner. They are not only losing passionate love but also instinctive love, which increases the potential for social and spiritual crimes. What would we do without love? If we are capable of committing spiritual crimes despite love, wars often strip us of all forms of love, leading to war crimes and human rights violations. In my view, terrorism and revenge-driven bombing are results of a loss of love, turning individuals into vengeful beings. If we don’t address this, we may continue producing love-loss related crimes and perpetuate cycles of revenge.
Our lack of understanding contributes to these perpetual spiritual crimes. While we know a lot about other creatures, we struggle to understand and manage our own kind. Our global disputes and wars reflect this misunderstanding and the undermining of a balanced love triangle. We use propaganda and politics to disparage one another, labeling others as godless and blaming them for atrocities, while forgetting that we are all human beings reacting to the loss of love. We use God and religions politically, but there is no clear understanding of our past and future, except for the assumptions we’ve made. Given our evolving and constantly changing knowledge, we cannot stubbornly cling to these assumptions.
For millions of years, humanity has existed, and for thousands of years, God has been a part of our lives. Science and religions both offer assumptions about our origins: religions suggest we have been around for about five thousand years, while science claims millions of years. Religions state that God created the universe, while science describes a cosmic explosion leading to an expanding universe. The origins of this explosion and why it occurred remain unclear because it happened billions of years ago. You can believe whatever you want, as it is your personal prerogative, but my concern is why we are prejudiced and discriminatory against each other, and why we still kill each other over these assumptions.
Whether the chicken or the egg came first, or whether God created humans or humans created God, is less important than the fact that the chicken lays eggs and feeds humans. The human individual, who performs divine work, is central to this divine or scientific picture. Yet, politics still drives us to kill one another. What came first has never been clear and may not be important, but we continue to search for evolutionary theories. The world debates these issues due to differing schools of thought. I will not delve into past arguments or scientific theories that only lead to more questions. Instead, I will focus on the present and ask: why are we still killing each other despite our advancements and civilization?
Using common sense and logic has always served me well, and I will continue to rely on them, regardless of others’ opinions. What is and how it should be? If something makes sense to me, I will follow it; if not, I will stick to my own beliefs to live my mortal life with everything God has blessed me with. I prefer not to be confined to a small pond because I believe we are created to be boundless; we cannot be contained in ponds. I advocate for evolving beyond our limited boundaries and broadening our horizons. Live as a legitimate third equation rather than adhering to illegitimate ideological constraints. Such constraints make you subservient to philosophies that prevent you from reaching your full evolving potential. Today, everyone is connected to the internet, so metaphorically speaking, living in a pond with boundaries is like using a computer without internet access—functional but at a very low level.
Don’t simply follow what your group dictates; question political motives and make choices as an independent entity with the free will to explore scientifically, religiously, and politically. Remember, using free will is a privilege that allows us to seek equal human rights. Our spiritual justice often takes a back seat to the insecurities instilled by politics. Since there is no ultimate security for the mortal, we should keep everything in perspective. Living justly towards all, including oneself, brings inner peace, which theoretically should contribute to universal peace.
Here is another triangle that has been flipped and needs to be righted:
- Triangle Man
- Triangle Man2
If you use your free will, you should be at the top corner of the triangle to create balance. It’s up to you to right it.
Politics and the insecurities they create are fundamental causes of internal turmoil and social chaos. If you see yourself merely as an extension of an ideology, a branch of a tree, or a belonging group, you are a victim of personal and internal imbalances. These are human flaws, not assets. True assets are the ability to think independently, use free will, and practice justice for all, including oneself. Regardless of how you view it, human beings should be at the top corner of these senses, not at the bottom. If you are content being opinion-less, take a closer look at yourself; you might find that you would not hesitate to commit extreme acts for your group, become anorexic, or even commit suicide over how others view you. Always remember that you have free will for a reason. If God created humans, then humans were meant to evolve into godly figures, not merely stand in line with other creatures.
Humans have fallen to the bottom due to personal insecurities, which compel us to hide behind nationalism and religions, disguising these insecurities as political and ideological boundaries. I believe humans need to reclaim their true status. Yes, we are all CEOs of our own lives.
Logically, humans should be at the top corner, even if nations and religions believe otherwise. It’s not egotistical or disrespectful to our groups. It’s a twisted logic that religions have strict rules and punishments, yet if they truly believed that God was responsible for everything, they would show more compassion and forgiveness. Conversely, our court systems would be meaningless if God were credited or blamed for everything a human does.
Every invention and social change starts with an idea from a single human being. As we progress and evolve, adapting to societal changes, we learn the importance of individual contributions. This is evident in the rise of religions, ideologies like socialism and communism, or even democracy. Every idea sparks a reaction; if one religion works for some, it may not work for others, leading to new ideologies and sects throughout history. From communism to socialism to various religious sects and atheism, we see signs of progress along with constant conflicts. As human beings, we follow progress, whether it’s slow or rapid. We are in pursuit of our potential regardless of the era we are born into. Human opinion has always been on shaky ground due to our constantly evolving knowledge.
We make mistakes, correct them, and keep going, only to find that our corrections need corrections. From our medicine to social rules and everything in between, everything has been, is, and will always be changing because we are influenced by a higher force to evolve. Since our knowledge is always evolving, we can’t afford to have passionate extremes on our journey of evolution. We are all born as human first, so we must belong to humanity as a whole.
All groups of human beings—whether categorized by race, gender, nation, or religion—are political entities. Religions may claim otherwise, but find me a religion that is completely free from the politics of belonging. To me, religions should focus on spirituality, which has always been foundational in serving humanity as a whole. When religions enter into politics or individuals mix the two, it creates a lethal mixture that disrupts both inner peace and leads to our war-mongering tendencies. An emotionally charged individual might feel they are doing God’s work while committing spiritual crimes.
The real issue behind all religious differences is not God, spirituality, or the way of living itself; it is the politics of belonging. This sense of belonging is entangled between the individual and their groups, with God and spirituality having little to do with it. Since groups are unlikely to abandon their political agendas, it is up to the individual to make a difference. By using free will to make decisions, you have the potential to be the CEO of your life—something that applies to all of us. A CEO can choose not to follow the politics of their group or adhere to the status quo without questioning it. Western societies, for example, allow individuals to hold various religious beliefs while still living in harmony and following the law. However, there are still instances where people fall victim to political extremes, such as the recent incident where a young man, influenced by the politics of belonging, killed a Muslim family. The foundation of this harmonious living is based on constitutions that uphold equal human rights, allowing people to coexist regardless of religion, race, or background.
Understanding the sense of belonging and the freedom to counter political influences is crucial, especially in this age of weapons of mass destruction. Political elites, nations, and religions may not want to resolve their differences because it maintains their power as groups. Our history shows that we have conquered, bought, sold, killed, exterminated, and treated each other inhumanely. If we honestly reflect on our past, we will see the black marks of wrongdoing by our ancestors. It is time to forgive and forget them, as they did their best with the knowledge they had. Today, the world is rapidly changing and connected via the internet, allowing individuals to connect globally regardless of their affiliations.
Balancing the triangles of belonging and love can lead to inner peace for yourself and enable you to spread that peace to others. When individual connections are made, it can spark a bottom-up change. The top-down approach has not worked for thousands of years and will likely continue to fail. Especially in the presence of the politics of belonging to our groups, things might remain the same unless we connect with and belong to humanity as a whole. As individuals, we must take the leap of faith and join hands to unite humanity. Clinging to color, race, gender, nation, or religion has always been and continues to be prejudicial, discriminatory, and against equal human rights. It has painted a grim picture of humanity, so it’s time to address this at the individual level, with the strength of a CEO.
In the past, our governing systems have been constructed from the top down. It’s time for real democracy, despite its imperfections. Each of us is blessed with the ability to make choices, and we are all born CEOs of our own lives. The politics of belonging keeps us enslaved to our groups, as we have been brainwashed not only with political knowledge but also systematically deprived of our self-worth related to our autonomy. It’s time to embrace the whole of humanity, respect and understand the pain of love lost, not only for ourselves but for others as well. We must evolve to the next level so that we don’t kill each other in the name of God or our nations. Especially in American politics today, people are willing to sacrifice democracy for the politics of party allegiance. When families disagree, love should override everything. However, if you cannot balance your love triangle properly, you may suffer the consequences. It is crucial for individuals to understand that the love triangle is not limited to passionate love between two partners nor should it allow universal love to diminish instinctive and passionate love. Remember, we are all created as a whole tree, not just a branch. As CEOs of our lives, we must make the decisions to create personal balance.