Happy New Year, and may health, happiness, and success abound for all.
Despite our wishes, last year did not fare well due to the coronavirus. Still, I hope the coming year brings hope and optimism to everyone. I believe our mortal existence lacks meaning without hope and optimism. Without happiness and contentment, we question the purpose of our lives. Remember, if everyone faces challenges, we cannot blame others or ourselves for life’s shortcomings. Interestingly, I continue to wish everyone the best of health and happiness, regardless of whether these wishes come true. Ever wondered why we do this? Hope, optimism, happiness, and contentment are not merely positive attitudes; they are crucial aspects of our evolution. To me, without these wishes, we stagnate and fail to evolve; thus, they are ingrained in our nature.
Regarding the coronavirus, vaccines have arrived, a testament to our practical wishes to evolve and learn. Imagine a time in history when we knew nothing of viruses, yet we survived. Today, our focus is on our current challenges and how we confront them. Where does the individual stand in the grand scheme of life to solve these problems? What is the significance of a living, breathing human being? Had we solely relied on prescribed religious methods, would we have reached scientific, medical, and technological advancements? I respect religious spirituality but view politically enforced beliefs as akin to political groups or parties, as should everyone else. If we had adhered solely to them, we might still be in primitive times, sacrificing virgins.
In essence, I aim to explain why I place the human being at the top corner, with God and the Devil at the bottom of my philosophical triangle. It is not to deny their existence but to underscore the importance of humanity, often lost due to group politics throughout history. Credit should be given where it is due, not solely to God or the Devil, but to the primary physical agent.
Many pray and continue to pray for divine assistance, which I respect, believing in the spiritual existence of God without doubt. However, I emphasize the vital role of human beings in the existence and meaning of God and the Devil simultaneously. My query concerns the importance of the physical human in this divine depiction. How does God work and assist? Why do bad things occur? Remove the human from this divine scenario, and what remains? We each ponder these questions in our own way, often divided yet passionate in our opinions. If you approach with an open mind, you may find my explanation along the way; otherwise, we may disagree.
Around this time last year, I wrote “Our Invisible Realities: God, the Devil, and Big Brother.” Continuing from last year’s exploration of invisible realities, particularly in light of recent news on police shootings linked to Big Brother, is crucial. Despite its political uncertainties, Big Brother increasingly influences modern human societies, including our views on God and the Devil’s invisible realities. Interestingly, in evolving populations, religious adherence may decline, yet societal rules persist. Secular societies see Big Brother superseding God and the Devil as a controlling force. We create these realities to function as societies, but did God, the Devil, or Big Brother precede us, or did we evolve to give them physical form? Do you believe in Human first or that God, the Devil, or Big Brother came first? This debate spans generations. I believe we’ve learned and understood the importance of non-physical realities like God, the Devil, and Big Brother to alleviate mortal stresses. As we must relinquish everything, including life itself, hope and optimism are necessary not only for survival but to depart with collected happiness and contentment.
This question may unsettle those whose loyalty to their groups places God and the Devil at the apex of their triangle. For ordinary individuals like me, living a mortal life with common-sense physical realities is paramount. When viewing the human at the triangle’s base and God and the Devil at its apex, they embody our majestic realities, akin to Big Brother. Yet, it is we who breathe life into these constructs. Look around with an open mind; events unfold based on physical foundations.
WITHOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT, THINGS ARE UNINTELLIGIBLE AND BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS. HONESTLY ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND CAN RESULT IN EGOTISTICALLY ASSUMED LUNACY. AS HUMANS, WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE, OUR KNOWLEDGE REMAINS INCOMPLETE, APPLICABLE TO EVERY FIELD INCLUDING RELIGION, MEDICINE, AND SCIENCE.
In my early years of writing, I penned a blog on “Five Bucks,” now evolved into “Atom of Autonomy.” I too evolve with time, maintaining common-sense spirituality. You can read “Five Bucks” or “Atom of Autonomy” for a deeper understanding; they share similarities. Today, this brief version explains our “five bucks.”
Metaphorically speaking, each of us is born with our “five bucks,” a concept originating before birth, tied to our atom of autonomy or innate abilities bestowed by God. What exactly is this “five bucks”? If we had a device to measure it, we could gauge one’s intelligence, strength, and capacity to live, create, and achieve not just for oneself but also to aid others. Imagine spotting a log floating in a river; this sparks an idea to use it as a raft to cross the river. Instead of merely wishing to reach the opposite shore, act upon that thought and turn it into a tangible reality.
First, you must wish, then think, plan, and act on your plan. Remember the power of that initial wish; it forms the bedrock of our ability to create physical realities. Collect some branches, weave them into a raft, and row yourself across. However, I’m not speaking of present-day humanity but rather a time when resources were scarce and our capabilities were in their infancy. Despite these challenges, the ability to think, comprehend, and achieve existed. We brought skills that were undervalued by political entities seeking control. Authorities ensured individuals remained unaware of their true capabilities, hindering their self-respect and self-esteem, thus fostering political lies and deceit to manipulate people, especially making them feel inferior and irrelevant, a common tactic across kingdoms, authoritarian regimes, religions, communism, socialism, and even modern-day political parties in democracies.
Metaphorically, I assigned a value of “five bucks” to each individual, symbolizing the inherent worth every human possesses. Despite our individual “fivers,” we may perceive ourselves as weak. When a community collectively contributes its “fivers,” we can logically construct bridges and achieve other advancements, fulfilling the ordinary person’s aspirations. In a sense, everyone in the community can metaphorically cross the river whenever needed. This metaphorical journey embodies the collective effort and the beginnings of our politics of belonging.
Nevertheless, individually, we may appear physically weaker compared to large families, communities, nations, or religions. Achieving anything alone would be slow, arduous, and sometimes impossible. Both individuals and communities recognize this, forcing cooperation. However, communities use politics to sow insecurity among individuals, encouraging them to seek safety within the group. This political belonging spawns militancy to protect group interests. While group efforts expedite achievements on a larger scale, they also erode individual identity and personal justice. Despite these challenges, the intelligence and resources of communities originate from the individual’s “five bucks.”
Similar to how a single human cell lacks significance alone but, with others under suitable conditions, can form a fully functional human with trillions of cells, our potential, when combined, knows no bounds. Each of us possesses trillions of non-human cells within our bodies, yet we began as just two cells. While individually insignificant, collectively, our potential remains immeasurable, constantly evolving.
Unfortunately, humanity remains ensnared in the politics of group belonging. This illogical fixation, advocating that a functioning arm or leg is stronger and better than others independently, obstructs spiritual evolution. While we create nuclear and biological weapons, our spiritual advancement lags, posing a significant threat alongside our unbalanced evolution.
Just because something is invisible does not render it incapable of influencing us. Our justice system, police force, and metaphorical “big brother” underscore this truth. Although physically unseen, these entities, like God and the Devil, play crucial roles in individual and collective lives. Without human beings actively involved, none of these entities could manifest physically. When good things occur, we attribute them to God; conversely, we blame the Devil when misfortune strikes. Police actions are linked to the metaphorical “big brother,” yet without human involvement, these entities are impotent. Understanding this fundamental aspect of human life opens new perspectives, emphasizing individual responsibility in shaping both positive and negative physical actions. Consider yourself the CEO of your life.
REMEMBER, IF SPIRITUAL HARMONY BETWEEN GOD AND THE HUMAN INDIVIDUAL IS UNATTAINABLE, HOW CAN IT BE ACHIEVED SUCCESSFULLY BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, OR BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND A GROUP? SPIRITUAL EQUALITY FORMS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.
If politics is mixed with religion or the justice system, a spiritual individual would also lose the value of spirituality. This can have consequences for both. Society does not respect the individual who belongs, and the individual feels torn from within. Politics, unlike spirituality and justice, is not pure. Therefore, when everything is mixed together, our respect for religions and justice systems can change. Mixing politics often robs individuals of self-respect because we each bring our personal sense of justice, which can be drowned out by political affiliations. Going against this internal conflict can tear us apart because acting against our personal and spiritual sense of justice creates guilt, which we must deal with individually. Our individual atom of autonomy judges us internally, which can be a very uncomfortable place to be, especially for mortal beings like us. Just ask a war veteran going through this internal struggle.
A child tries to mimic parents, understanding personal limitations, just as a cell compares itself to a whole body or an individual compares itself to a group or humanity as a whole. Similar to a child, we often place everything that seems impossible for us individually on God’s shoulders. We expect that God will take care of everything, just as our parents did. When we are unable to manage a task ourselves, we pray to God and ask for help. Believing that help will come is great, but only after we have exhausted our “five bucks,” because our “fiver” is the initial help we receive from God. Most of the time, this is sufficient to handle the task at hand, unless our desires exceed our capabilities, like attempting to play God and biting off more than we can chew. Remember, you are the individual who built a raft to cross the river when nothing else was available. The idea of building a bridge and the community coming together is God speaking and physically expressing through human individuals. This means all advancements made by mankind are related to God as well. Not only have we been blessed with a functioning yet extremely complex body, but we are also supplied with free oxygen to function. Where are we heading with these advancements? Well, God and mankind are evolving, with potential that evolves itself, so we never truly know.
As a human individual, you have been politically brainwashed and marginalized by groups like nations and religions for thousands of years. Especially if you fully buy into this, you risk not recognizing the worth of the Godly “fiver” installed within you. This not only makes you worthless to yourself but also risks you becoming a victim of an inferiority complex. This not only gives all the power to the religious leaders but also bankrupts you of your “fiver.” Just look at the majestic buildings of religions and the hunger and poverty in the world if you want proof. If everyone looked at spirituality without the influence of politics, things would be different today. We believe in religious traditions, customs, rituals, and political rules of belonging but often ignore God and spirituality. Yet, we have the ability to convert every spiritual idea into physical action. Despite the head pounding, fasting, and kneeling, you won’t find God in those buildings because God lives in living, breathing, hungry, and helpless people, not in majestic man-made structures. If human beings were absent, those “God’s houses” could be sold for a dollar (read “God’s house for sale for a dollar”).
Ask yourself if you are the one who expects the community to provide bridges for you, or are you the one who can build a raft and row yourself to the other side of the river? Instead of waiting on the riverbank, take charge, become a CEO, and live life on your terms because you are responsible for your happiness and contentment. If you wait for or expect the community’s help, you don’t truly respect your “fiver” and have no grasp of its real worth and value. If you think it’s inadequate to achieve your desires, spiritually you’ve failed yourself before even trying. Society has brainwashed you to the point where you don’t even attempt to utilize your “fiver” to live life. The politics of belonging intentionally creates an attitude of inferiority complex and lack of self-worth, even self-esteem, in individuals because weaker individuals are easier to control. This grants power over you, but if they make you disrespect yourself and convince you that your “fiver” is worthless, it’s your loss, and you’re responsible for that loss. Gather yourself and use your “fiver” before seeking help, even from God.
Politics has always been hidden in the fabric of humanity, and it has been, is, and will always be you who must clear away all the influential fog of the era in which you are born. After all, you are blessed with free will, awareness of your mortality, and the potential to be the CEO of your life. With all the responsibilities for your individual happiness and contentment on your mortal shoulders, you have no choice but to grow stronger and assume the responsibilities of a CEO.
On the other hand, if you become caught up in personal strength and believe you have more than just your “five bucks,” it’s also extreme and leads to disrespect for our invisible realities. Whether you become a doctor, a successful businessman, or a superstar in any field, believing it’s all your doing can be quite confusing, especially if you find out the hard way—through sickness or accident—that you can’t control what’s going on inside or outside your body. If you can’t survive without oxygen and a complex body, you aren’t doing what you believe is your doing. Regardless of what you believe or don’t believe, we have been assisted all along to stay alive.
From a helpless baby to a grown adult, help has always been there to keep you alive. The sky hasn’t fallen, and oxygen is still here, yet you have no control over it. To me, this is simply external help, and internally, the body is so complex that we still don’t understand everything about it. If you’re alive, it’s not exclusively your will keeping you alive because we haven’t overcome mortality. In societies where spirituality is considered nonsense or religious jargon, this is often preached.
The functioning of the body is nothing short of a miracle. If you still believe you’re doing everything yourself, you’re simplifying life with limited brain power, making assumptions and forming opinions. Just ask a near-death patient about vulnerabilities, especially a successful patient with a brain disease. I’m not humanizing God, but I’m clarifying the clutter to make my case so we can accept individual responsibilities and stop harming each other over our incomplete knowledge of being human and God.
Your personal “fiver” or atom of autonomy is a direct connection between God and you, so there’s no intermediary. Everyone is blessed with free will, or I should say a “fiver” or atom of autonomy. It’s not tied to any particular religious belief, traditions, customs, rituals, or rules, but deeply connected to an individual’s personal spirituality.
It may go against the popular beliefs of the majority, but I personally don’t believe in a God who punishes and blames innocent human beings as sinners or demands sacrifices. Understanding human nature, it seems that such beliefs are tied to human emotions and incomplete knowledge. If God were responsible for everything, our personal sense of justice and free will would become meaningless. Although we might not always recognize this due to the politics of belonging to certain groups, these concepts are tangible aspects of our reality.
Despite our differences, humanity tends to come together during crises like infectious diseases such as the coronavirus or natural disasters related to global warming. Even refugees from wars are accepted into various societies. These are glimpses of God visible through human actions—if we choose to see them. We expect God to protect us, believing that God should handle everything. This expectation often removes our personal responsibility, leading to disappointment when things don’t go as hoped, and we might blame God for not intervening. For instance, the help we receive during the coronavirus pandemic, including vaccines, comes from the efforts of scientists. If we use our resources first and then seek divine assistance, it maintains the integrity of our spiritual and physical efforts. Otherwise, the picture of human efforts adding physicality to God collapses into confusion, leading to misguided practices like sacrifices intended to appease God.
Just as a parent protects a child to the best of their ability, it’s impossible to be present all the time. A child doesn’t develop self-confidence to become an independent adult CEO without learning to trust in their own abilities. When adults act immaturely, it’s often due to incomplete knowledge and a lack of understanding of their own irrational emotional states. Our religious leaders might inspire young people at a hormonal level, but if one doesn’t understand this, they can be manipulated as puppets by politically tainted religious knowledge.
Religions should ideally serve as spiritual systems and be free from political influence. Implementing religious rules as laws of the land would face challenges in modern courts. A universal rule of law should reflect the principles of spirituality and be impartial to political influences. Religions have claimed their teachings as God’s words, making them unchangeable. As humanity evolves, especially in an era of equal human rights, religious doctrines face dilemmas: adapt and be criticized or resist change and remain outdated. The Pope’s recent decision to accept gay marriage reflects an attempt to adapt to contemporary values, but it comes after centuries of spiritual missteps. If religions had followed a simple spiritual rule—treat others as you would like to be treated—they wouldn’t have entangled God with prejudicial laws. Spirituality, advocating for equal human rights, has always been present, but religions often prioritized their political agendas over genuine spiritual principles.
Our sense of justice is connected to our inner autonomy, which can be disrupted by conflicting loyalties and political influences. This internal conflict can lead to personal turmoil and loss of well-being. Spirituality and justice should remain pure from political contamination, serving as clear ethical guides for individuals.
I recently watched Mehdi Hasan’s show on YouTube, where Reverend Dr. William Barber quoted Frederick Douglass: “I love the Christianity of Jesus but I hate the religion of the slave master.” This quote highlights how politics has corrupted spirituality. Another poignant quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., cited by Dr. Barber, was: “The church was supposed to be a thermostat of the society, not a thermometer of the society.” Both quotes resonate with the idea that religion should guide society’s values, not merely reflect its political climate.
Religions and justice systems should be free from political manipulation because they represent spiritual and moral truths. Politics is necessary for running societies, but it should not corrupt the foundational principles of justice and spirituality. An individual’s understanding can be clouded by political influences from their groups, which can distort their perception of justice and spirituality. The current system, where a president selects Supreme Court judges, clearly shows political influence. If figures like Donald Trump attempt to politicize the justice system, it’s not solely their fault but indicative of a broader systemic issue.
Religious individuals who have supported Trump are rightfully criticized by the media, as religion and politics should not be mixed. I believe religions should focus solely on spirituality to avoid giving God a bad name. It’s not new for people to use religion for political purposes; this has been happening since the dawn of religious awareness. Personally, I believe there is nothing wrong with the original and spiritual teachings of Prophets, as they preached spiritual principles. However, the political twists and turns came after those Prophets were long gone.
When a king disliked something, they wouldn’t just disobey religion; they would change it or create their own version of the Bible. Islam has four sects, partly because the Quran’s words couldn’t be altered, but people influenced their interpretations politically. In reality, spiritual principles are undeniably universal. If spirituality were kept pure, there would be no need for different religions or sects, as our groups are created by our politics of belonging. This is how the politics of belonging infiltrated religions, making them prejudicial and discriminatory against each other, inspiring people to kill in the name of God. In today’s wars, both sides fire missiles or drop bombs while chanting God’s name passionately. This is why our religious conflicts can last for hundreds of years and beyond without any compassionate compromises.
We should all critically examine our behavior concerning the politics of belonging. Individually, we must recognize that we are personally responsible for our actions. Collectively, our behavior should be influenced by spiritual principles. If we can stay focused on our mortality and personal sense of justice, things could be different for us collectively, because the individual is the foundation of the group. Being spiritual is in our DNA, and it precedes our birth; being religious is taught to us by our belonging groups. Therefore, choosing spirituality would be natural and aligned with our atom of autonomy, while being religious is often political.
Logically, if you are sick and starving, all your politics of belonging-related religious ethics and morals are rendered meaningless. If you, other individuals, your nation, religion, and the law and order don’t care about your physical reality, it all relates to collective ignorance.
A stressed individual will strive to survive, and that survival takes us back to primitive times. Denying basic physical realities removes our spiritual realities and reduces us to simple physical creatures. Our civilization and evolution are highly dependent on a full stomach.
If societies lack a basic understanding of individual security, things can deteriorate rapidly. A system that is prejudicial and discriminatory, even against a group, will never be stable. This is especially true for the wealthy and prosperous. One cannot feel secure amidst hungry and desperate people. While you can vote for strong police security, if the fundamentals are unjust, true security cannot be felt. It’s not about the security itself but the feeling of being secure. If the majority of people do not feel secure about their next meal, fewer people will have to invest significantly in their own security to feel safe. Arming the police like the armed forces is not practically feasible. In today’s world, paying taxes is a better solution because, as human beings, we all have the ability to self-regulate, but again, this depends on having a full stomach.
Authoritarian or fear-based politics can work, but only for so long. History shows that most societies prefer democracy as a governing system. Democracy is the closest system we have to achieving equal human rights and societal peace. Unlike other animals, humans can give if they receive equal human rights. Our spiritual side allows us to self-regulate.
Today, things are changing rapidly due to the internet and cell phones. News is not solely delivered by news agencies but also by ordinary citizens. If people are starving and being brutalized or if police are using deadly force to control through fear, it is likely being filmed and shared instantly, making the world aware. Communities must address not only how to feed a starving population but also manage prejudicial and discriminatory policies in line with the era of equal human rights. Nations guilty of social crimes against their populations can now face sanctions.
You can implement a tax system to ensure everyone is fed, but this might be considered socialism. If you oppose it, consider the perspective of those starving before making judgments. You might be politically brainwashed by propaganda, so educate yourself before acting. Personally, I believe these tax-related policies are a matter of common sense and spiritual principles. Given that politics of belonging can be overwhelming for individuals and these spiritual rules are seen as socialism, confusion may arise. If the goal is to maintain power for certain political parties, it might be based on lies.
Where did socialism come from? It emerged as an alternative to kingdoms, authoritarianism, or religiously inspired governance systems. It represents a different way of governing that can benefit everyone in society. Unfortunately, like other systems, it can also be spiritually flawed due to its mass-over-individual philosophy. If people who oppose these valuable rules are not wealthy or in the top one percent, they miss the point of a just society. I am not a socialist, but I believe in equal justice for all, both between individuals and between individuals and the mass. These rules are spiritually based as long as spiritual justice is maintained. Problems arise when we go to extremes and lose the balance of spiritual justice. For example, mass-over-individual policies are extreme and unjust, as is a system of dog-eat-dog politics.
A successful community should be a peaceful one for all its residents. If things fail, the first loss is internal peace, followed by external peace. We can have a stronger police force with shoot-to-kill orders, but this is an expensive and oppressive approach. Modern societies are more peaceful due to education-related self-restraint and regulation, which depends on a full stomach.
News about police shooting to kill may reflect an outdated and oppressive style of maintaining order. In an era of equal human rights, such policing is considered oppressive, especially if it targets specific groups, which is clearly racist, prejudicial, and discriminatory.
If you discuss using lethal force to maintain order, consider our compassion for animals. We have used darts to deal with even the most dangerous beasts to check their health and protect them from extinction. But when it comes to fellow human beings, we don’t use darts. Why go straight for the kill for humans and not for real deadly beasts? This suggests that fear-based control is ineffective in human societies, especially in the long run. The message sent by using lethal force is similar to what terrorists aim to convey. While I’m not comparing the intentions behind enforcing laws, conflicts and fear are linked. Lasting peace requires changing fear and the oppressive political messages associated with it. The era of oppressive authorities is over; today belongs to equal human rights. The sooner we comply, the better. Even religions have lost their appeal due to openly preaching prejudice and discrimination. Our loyalties to our groups contribute to our spiritual flaws, whether it’s racism, prejudice, or discrimination, all stemming from the politics of belonging.
Today, conquering and controlling nations like in the past is no longer viable. Ask the British, Russians, and Americans about their experiences in this regard. Reputation and business suffer from oppressive, unjust authoritarian regimes. Occupying other nations is not a viable proposition, especially today. Afghanistan and Vietnam are examples where even the most powerful and technologically advanced nations have failed. With equal human rights flourishing globally, prejudiced and discriminatory politics of belonging are increasingly recognized as humanity’s greatest evil. This old-style oppression is condemned not only by the oppressed but also by the oppressors themselves. Thus, going against belonging populations can be challenging to justify.
Personally, I believe the answers to our issues with racism, prejudice, and discrimination lie within each individual’s personal sense of justice. If you honestly imagine yourself on the receiving end of your own racist, prejudicial, or discriminatory actions, you would likely support the changes necessary for a more just society. If an individual is not aware or evolved to that spiritual level, changes cannot happen on their own. Awareness of personal justice, along with other spiritual values, often gets buried under the politics of belonging to our groups. If you find yourself overwhelmed by political influences, it is even more important to embrace and nurture your spiritual side. Otherwise, you risk remaining a prejudiced and discriminatory person. Fighting for rights for your group, even if successful, is not enough if the underlying cause remains. First, why must you fight for your rights in the first place? Second, there is a potential that once you obtain rights for your group, you may become prejudiced against others. The solution is to eliminate the root cause of the problem by advocating for equal individual human rights. If honest reciprocation is the goal, spiritual justice will prevail.
Today’s world is evolving towards equal human rights, which benefits humanity as a whole. If we do not acknowledge these changes, we may face looming chaos and lose our sense of security. No governing authority wants to pick up arms against its own people, which is why finding a balance between feeding the population and maintaining individual freedom is crucial. Divisive political rhetoric can lead us to extremes. If we take from the rich and give to the poor, it undermines freedom and incentives to work hard and succeed. Similarly, if there are too many hungry stomachs to feed, peace and justice are unattainable because all positive and spiritual outcomes depend on satisfying basic human needs.
Regardless of wealth, infectious diseases like the coronavirus and extreme weather caused by global warming highlight our fragility and mortality. It is not only the responsibility of governing authorities to maintain peace and provide food; as individuals, we must also contribute and possibly make sacrifices. Viewing our taxes as a duty of reciprocation can help us survive. We are spiritual yet physical beings; we do not need guns but self-regulation to achieve peace. This self-regulation stems from nurtured spirituality, but even the most spiritually strong individuals can be broken down by hunger and related physical realities.