General

When one imposes their belief system onto others, they unwittingly delve into the realm of politics. Forcing religious doctrines upon others strips spirituality of its essence, transforming it into a tool for control rather than enlightenment. True spirituality revolves around the well-being of humanity, encompassing actions that serve individuals and communities alike.

Living a life dedicated to the welfare of others is the epitome of spirituality, for it directly aligns with divine principles. If we perceive ourselves as cells of a greater divine entity, then genuine service to God manifests through serving humanity. Nurturing the next generation, raising them to contribute positively to society, embodies the true essence of spiritual living.

The concept of God’s existence has long been a subject of debate and interpretation. True spirituality lies in understanding the divine, not in blindly adhering to religious dogma. Those who espouse religious rules without comprehending the underlying spiritual truths merely engage in political posturing, driven by a sense of belonging rather than genuine understanding.

As individuals born into various religious traditions, our understanding of God is often shaped by our cultural and societal affiliations. Challenging these beliefs is often taboo, perpetuating cycles of violence and conflict in the name of religion. However, attributing human atrocities to divine will is a fallacy that absolves individuals of their responsibility for their actions.

Religious institutions wield significant political influence, often intertwining spiritual teachings with governance. However, such amalgamations taint the purity of spirituality, reducing it to a tool for societal control rather than a path to enlightenment. True spirituality transcends narrow group affiliations, embracing humanity as a whole.

Prejudice is antithetical to spirituality; genuine spiritual growth requires shedding biases and embracing universal compassion. Religions that propagate a sense of superiority over others foster divisions rather than unity, perpetuating cycles of prejudice and conflict.

Our understanding of spirituality must evolve alongside our changing world. Inflexible adherence to outdated religious tenets stifles progress and perpetuates division. Embracing new ideas with an open mind is essential for societal growth and individual enlightenment. Only by transcending the politics of belonging can we truly embody the essence of spirituality and foster a more harmonious world.

Watched a bushman dug out a bulb of vegetation in a very dry land. Scraped and squeezed some of the fluid out brilliantly to survive in the completely hostile environment. Marvelous wisdom of survival, yet the generations away from the modern technologies.

Human beings have survived the ice age, and can survive the modern-day global warming as well, but we have to get our act together. The droughts and extreme weather in the world should be enough to warn us, to band together and take care of the dead dogs of our problems.

Our survival instinct can and should force us to plan as a humanity or as a united nation because our survival depends upon that wisdom. The fundamental flaw in the knowledge of sense of belonging to a group is, that it works against the spirituality and humanity as a unit. It inspires nationalism and religion, which are political entities. Today the problems we face don’t have the solutions for a group of people because these problems have no boundaries, thus the solution is to evolve from this flawed knowledge and emerge as one humanity.

If the pipelines are being built for the oil, there should be pipelines for the water as well. From the excessive water areas to the drought ridden areas, if the humanity works together it would become a spiritual thing to do.

Business has its place but you have to look at it logically. The ghost towns of our past can teach a thing or two about the history and a common sense.

Cities or communities are not made of buildings, roads, railway lines or bridges. They are all build by the people for the people and used by the people, one individual at a time. Wherever there are resources people would live, otherwise everything loses its value because the value is to the individual. If the individual does not want to live in the area because their are no resources or comfort, the bigger problems will rise. If you see our communities, most of them are situated around the water sources.

Oil has its place but human beings survived millions of years without it, but it is a fact that we can’t survive without the water.

Even the pope is joining the scientists of today, previously that was unheard of. If pope can change his tune, Muslims should learn to make some amendments in the religious knowledge as well, because these days people are living higher up in the north. I think, higher up in north the prayers time and fasting times need and should be amended by the scholars. It just does not make sense and its not fair to the individual to follow something what can’t be followed. We have twenty four hour day light which dictates the times of prayers and fasting, if the religion runners can’t fix the problem, they have credibility problem. The disputes about the moon sighting is an other problem which can be solved easily. This day and age we should be able to take help from the scientists about the moon, instead of bickering about the moon sightings.

Our history shows that religious people never looked eye to eye with the scientists because scientist community don’t really believe in God. Past history shows that religious leaders have sided with the rich and powerful to maintain power and control over the ordinary folks. Power and control has always been the reason of politics and religions have been always part of the politics. Today’s Shia Sunny clashes are related with the purely political war, more than a thousand years ago, yet one of the first lesson of the Islam and the meaning of the Islam is peace. Where are the scholars of the both sides, why can’t they cross the lines of the sense of belonging to their groups and join the humanity. The jewellery of the religions have been compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice and love. What happen to the main lessons of the religion. It is a shame that both sides have the same slogan, “God is great” well God is great but the politics have been greater than the spirituality and God. The only wind under the sales of the conflict has been the weak individual who can’t become a CEO and stand against the belonging group’s wrong doing. You have to be honest and cheer for the better play, not for the team of your belonging group regardless of the bad play. A CEO can see through the emotional attachment and do the justice.

Even if you look at the religious vote internationally today, it usually goes to conservatives in Canada and to republicans in the United Stats.
I have always wondered why the most spiritually inspired ideas come from the democrats, yet they have been called as Godless people. Health care or taxing system to run the government funded help for the needy. Republicans and conservatives have all the religious people whom don’t want to help the poor, it is mind boggling for me.

I believe when you are sick you are the most vulnerable and need help. If a community is able to take care of its sick individuals in the difficult times, it is a healthy community, regardless of the politics. If any one suffers needlessly and could not be helped by the people around, it is not a spiritually healthy community because the essence of the community is the individual. When the individual suffers, eventually community suffers as well.

The brain drain is one of the most undeniable proof of today’s world. Educated people leave their communities because they want to be valued by the community. If most of the educated people end up in modern civilized countries, the people left behind would still believe, that the earthquake can happen by someone taking a naked pictures on the mountain.
Our ancestors had a belief that God is mad at us, if there was a storm or earthquake so
throwing virgins over the cliffs was a traditional sacrifice to please God. We have come long way from that. I think we are doing pretty good because now we are able to predict the path of the storms or tsunamis to save lives instead of throwing one over the cliff.

I was torn about the title for this article, it could have been the walls of the humanity but I went with the bushman with the cell phone.
The walls of humanity.

Say you are walking by, and see a guy banging his head against the wall, I am not talking the wailing wall, I mean literally you see him bleeding, you wonder oh the poor guy, there must be a really bad situation. You go to the next block and find ten or twenty of them banging their heads against the wall, now you are really worried about them. Then you find millions of them doing the same thing, now you start to wonder about your own sanity.
Our racial, gender, national or religious security is related with our perceptual walls.

We can build the majestic buildings or walls for prayers or banging our heads until we bleed. But God is no where close to these places, God is in the people, that is why the spiritual arms of the religions insist to help the humanity. A building is a building with out the people, or a wall is a wall of the boundaries.
If you look at your self and I mean really look at yourself, spiritually there are no boundaries, fences or caps to keep you down. A bush man with the technology has no limits, from genetics to space to spirituality nothing stops the bushman other than the his own perceptions.
Racial killings, as a matter of fact any kind of killings is robbing the God, humanity and the bushman’s potential, thus the political education of the belonging groups is limiting.

It is the time to get out of the notion of being right, because an evolving knowledge can never be right until it hits its potential and we are no where close to it.

The difference between God and the mankind has been created by the mankind itself. The walls of perceptions have been around since the infancy of the civilization. As a humanity we should be mature enough by now to see those walls.
Any kind of wall is unnatural for the human beings, whether its a wall of perception or security. The understanding of the mankind is rising, the wall of China or Berlin have become the part of our history.
We have been breaking walls in all areas of our life, our awareness of the human rights points towards the humanity as one organism or an entity. The important things we should try to secure are our planet and the oxygen, and they can’t be saved by building any kind of walls. Every fiver would count, so we need to spend where it counts. We can kill each other over the control of a ghost town or ghost planet. The interesting thing is that we are all mortal regardless. Just by looking in the past our grave yard of the individual life and the life of empires shows that how fragile we are.

Spiritually speaking there are no walls between mankind and God, but our religious and political knowledge tears us apart. We are taught that we are functioning on our own yet the reality is that we can’t function without the oxygen. On the other hand, weather the leaf moves on its own or not if the human beings are not there to appreciate it is meaningless. Spiritual part of the religious education is, for us to become a good person. When you are told that you are meaningless and worthless sinner that is completely a political statement.
You are a bushman with the fiver, and that fiver has had helped you to create the cell phone, helped you to save lives from the storms and tsunamis, break the genetic code, reach and land on the racing stars, while our ancestors worshiped even sacrificed human lives for nothing. Today we have the human rights over and above all the beliefs, no one can follow the human sacrifice or make someone victim of the traditional sati.
No one should stand on the fence because of our politics of sense of belonging to one particular group, remember it will be you who will judge your life with your conscience and character.
The bush man is extremely wise because he can survive in a very hostile environment but if you give him the cell phone with all the perks he can be a force to reckon with.

Today we are the bushmen with cell phones but our knowledge has gone to the sense of belonging to our groups and we are dying to kill our kind even with the weapons of mass destruction. If our fivers are always used up for our groups, how are we going to fight the global issues when we all have to chip in to pull together to survive? Would we have our fiver available when we really need it?

I recently watched a documentary on monkeys, observing two alpha males duke it out in a big fight. One emerged victorious while the other retreated. After nursing their wounds, life returned to normal. The winner gained the status of the top dog, while the loser hung around alone for a while before accepting the supremacy of the victor. He assumed a submissive role, even grooming the winner at times. Such understanding is crucial for survival in the wild, but it comes with a price.

As human beings, we face similar situations. Whether alpha or beta, we’ve created an unseen but real big brother who dictates how we should live within the law of the land. Like monkeys, we live in groups with their own governing systems, sometimes vastly different. With animal instinct, we try to dominate each other, leading to conflicts. Our wars can last decades or centuries, and now we possess weapons of mass destruction. It’s not a rosy picture because emotionally charged behaviors persist, not only individually.

For our local internal conflicts or social peace, we rely on the justice system, law enforcement, and jails. The presence of the big brother prevents us from killing each other, but everyday problems remain unsolved. If we all develop personal ethics and morality tied to individual spirituality, we could regulate ourselves personally. This individual awareness of spirituality is the best way to reduce crimes. Since we can’t have a police officer for every individual, such education is necessary in all societies. It can help us understand that other human groups are human too, making us one entity, humanity. That’s if you believe that God lives through us, and we’re all expressions of God.

All social ills, wars, and prejudice-related crimes stem from our free will. We can choose to become aware of individuality or follow trends, friends, society, race, gender, nation, or religion.

At times, as human beings, we’d rather suffer, become depressed, or even commit suicide if we can’t win in the rat race of life. The reason behind this behavior is that individually, our sense of belonging overwhelms us, preventing us from balancing it with a sense of freedom or using our common sense. Yes, that old sense of belonging. This intellectual phenomenon undermines our nature and compels us to live in isolation, even in a concrete jungle.

It’s all about flexibility, adaptation, wisdom, and understanding mortality. Why does a so-called lower form of life outwit human beings, especially when it comes to being a social creature like monkeys? Where else do we suffer because of our intellect? It’s a matter of how we live.

We have to live a life that zigzags through intellect and nature equally. Living in extremes is an individual loss.

Imagine having knowledge that doesn’t accept boundaries in a conservative community. You’d be a minority at risk of being shunned for your views, even if they’re correct. Prejudice often keeps populations at a lower level of knowledge. You could be penalized for having a higher level of knowledge. History shows that brilliant people were sometimes killed because their knowledge wasn’t understood by the general population. Most religions and isms faced challenges in the beginning but made it harder for newer knowledge.

It’s all about the politics of power. When in power, opposition is suppressed, especially when the general population becomes educated and threatens a power shift. Today, chaos in the world is related to the shift in education via the internet. I know I’m an idealist, but I think no one should be on the wrong side of evolution. It’s ingrained in human beings because of God. Religions unsuccessfully set boundaries to contain us like seeds in a jar.

Human nature plays a role too. We naturally resist change. Our ego, which stems from a sense of belonging, blinds us to the importance of new knowledge or evolution. Pride and honor also play a role, especially when new changes prove old theories wrong.

If proven wrong, it means our ancestors were wrong too. Especially in religions, we fight amendments needed to function in a changing world. So we resist change and would rather take extreme steps to fight it. Our wars and hatred-related behaviors stem from this fundamentalism present in all human societies. If they indicate prejudice and oppose human rights, they’re all wrong, whether conservative groups, nations, religions, isms, or democratic systems.

We have to outgrow these boundaries and causes of extremes. We have to separate religions and personal feelings or losses like revenge and disputes over lands. If you can successfully do that, you’ll find most conflicts are expanded by the politics of involving more people. That’s why we’re all victims of politicians, so it’s essential to self-educate before chipping in with your knowledge. This collective knowledge has been around for millions of years but never really understood by people because it’s for humanity, not just your immediate groups.

The problem with following a group is that if you take strength and security from a gang or community, you have to give back and follow the rules. Those rules could conflict with personal ethics or individuality.

Individuals lose strength when politicians give fancy speeches to gain group strength. That’s why it’s crucial for individuals to be educated to make personal decisions or bring the right leaders to lead. This makes individuals stronger, but another problem arises. If taken to extremes, individual strength can have negative effects, like rust on the social fabric. In a community, you have to band together. Too many opinions can cause the community to fall apart, as seen worldwide from religious sects to dividing nations. I’ve seen several mosques in one neighborhood, and when I moved to Canada, I saw the same with churches. This isn’t unique; communities are divided like Ireland, Palestine, and Kashmir, with unresolved conflicts.

This is a dilemma for the so-called perfect solution to human problems. Even our modern democracy isn’t immune; politicians physically fight inside legislatures. So what to do and how to deal with it is the question?

Whether to strengthen the individual or the state? Either extreme isn’t acceptable for humanity because you can’t live being torn apart from the inside, especially if you love freedom. You can’t live alone, and if you can’t, you have to pay the price to mold yourself with the rules.

Freedom is natural for human beings, but so is the desire to live in a community. Thus, we all need individual flexibility, just like those alpha monkeys. We all need balance, not only to survive but to be useful to the belonging community and serve humanity in general.

Regardless of gender, as human beings, we all have to live this life as mortals. If you look at the modern-day life of single people, there’s a lot of pain due to social trends and a sense of belonging. For instance, you live around eighty years on average. The first twelve to fifteen are usually under your parents’ shelter. Say at eighteen, you get a boyfriend or girlfriend, have a good relationship for a year or two, followed by a breakup. You go through a dry period of three to five years, depending on the hurt and personality because some people never recover from the hurt.

If you keep going at that rate, you could spend a lot of time in pain and suffering just because you’re not looking at your life as a CEO. Is it a good deal for you personally as a mortal? You have to assess your personal life because you’re in charge.

Always remember it’s your personal business, and happiness is the cash. If you keep losing that cash, you need to make some major changes in your thinking. Other people have a say, but not to the extent that you spend all your cash and live a bankrupt life.

If you keep seeking approval from others, including your friends or societal trends, you may accumulate some regrets. So the sooner you take charge, the better. Become a CEO and understand what’s at stake. If you keep dumping every boyfriend or girlfriend, it means you’re always looking for the perfect one to come, and chances are you’ll live your life in deprivation.

Logically, you’re living your life on the horizon, which may not become a reality, and your time would be up. Is it good to gamble with your happiness? It’s a million-dollar happiness question. You have to ask yourself why. The founder of women’s liberation got married late in her sixties; maybe she finally realized that personal life is just as important as the causes you take on.

If you were born ten thousand years ago, would you have the same mentality? Or can you look at what’s coming ten thousand years later? Would you do the same thing with your life? Society has its trends; they come and go, but you lose very precious time that won’t come back. So place society in a department, but not as a whole business. You have to become the CEO of your life. If you’re unhappy, look at the causes of that unhappiness. Don’t let trends, friends, or even your sense of belonging rob or ruin your life. It’s your time, and you have a lot more say than you think.

How much do we really believe in God? According to religious doctrine, not even a leaf can stir without it being God’s will. If God possesses such omnipotent power, why then is an innocent child, devoid of control or choice in their birth, condemned and ostracized across religious societies?

They are branded as bastards, deemed unacceptable in mainstream society. Civilization introduced marriage and its associated regulations, often established by religions. These regulations form the bedrock of our social norms and practices. So potent are these traditions that we find ourselves unable to challenge or amend them. Yet, they can be profoundly unjust, even towards the blameless.

Religions are meant to be spiritual guides, advocating for the vulnerable and confronting injustice. They impart truths, albeit truths so bitter they leave a lasting aftertaste for generations. Bastards are marginalized for life, even across generations, for crimes they never committed. Hinduism, in particular, has been brutal towards widows, with practices like sati dictating that a widow immolates herself upon her husband’s funeral pyre.

For whatever reason, be it religious or political, perpetrating injustice upon the innocent should be classified as a spiritual offense.

While we champion human rights today, such crimes persist in the world’s villages. From prejudice to racism to holy wars, they remain blemishes on humanity’s conscience.

If nothing can transpire without God’s will, why then do we punish individuals, especially with penalties as severe as death or flogging? And why do our wrongs shift with our evolving understanding?

Slavery, prejudice, and racism were once societal norms but are now deemed unacceptable in enlightened societies. The closer one adheres to religion, the more stringent the adherence, prompting the question: is it due to a lack of comprehension or a deliberate disregard for the core tenets of compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love preached by religions? Perhaps some lack the capacity to truly, genuinely believe in God, or perhaps it’s a simple desire for control over the masses. What drives the labeling and condemnation of the most vulnerable and innocent in society as bastards?

If God is the orchestrator of all, where does the individual, or even human society, stand? Anyone who punishes the innocent commits a spiritual transgression, especially when it involves a child. Humans have been born in the same manner since time immemorial. In truth, considering history, we could all be labeled descendants of bastards, as religions emerged only a few millennia ago while humanity has existed for millions, if not billions, of years.

Our evolution in understanding is an ongoing process, necessitating the shedding of traditional dogma or, as I prefer to call it, spiritual crimes.

No innocent should suffer due to our traditions and customs. Legal systems should be distinct from belief systems, founded upon principles of equal human rights. Individual rights should be universally respected, transcending religion, ideology, and governance, particularly when it comes to punishing the blameless.

Canadian history illustrates how indigenous peoples were mistreated by both religious and political systems. While governments have apologized, there’s a call for the Pope to do the same. The understanding here is that religious extremism compels individuals or groups to transgress moral boundaries with fervent conviction. It’s the indoctrination within our groups that leads us to believe we’re always right, our actions sanctioned by the rules of our affiliations. If individuals acted as CEOs of their own lives, they’d question such actions in the name of humanity. Otherwise, these failures will persist.

Human rights commissions should possess the authority to ensure such transgressions never recur. Traumatic experiences, especially in childhood, leave enduring scars. Healing begins with a commitment to never repeat such actions.

The United Nations must intervene in conflicts as they arise; sweeping them under the rug only exacerbates mental health issues. Atrocities against the innocent are pervasive, fueled by politics and a sense of belonging. Victims and perpetrators exist within every nation, committing unspeakable acts in the name of land or God.

As humanity, we must acknowledge our past, recognizing that at times, we’ve behaved worse than animals. Nations evolve, and I hope we can transcend our allegiance to specific groups and embrace our shared humanity. Such atrocities should either remain in the past or serve as stepping stones to our evolution, eliminating the need for apologies for spiritual crimes.

All professions contribute to humanity’s well-being, forming a cohesive web of interdependence. Each individual, regardless of their role, plays a part in advancing humanity, akin to being God’s workhorses. By recognizing the divine in others, we expand our spiritual vision.

There exists a dissonance between religious traditions and customs. While well-intentioned, they often foster a sense of superiority, perpetuating prejudice. This disconnection is most evident in religious societies, where even actions contrary to religious doctrine are undertaken covertly. Fear breeds further spiritual crimes, laying the blame at the feet of religious authorities. If it’s not rooted in belief systems, it stems from a desire for control, divorced from spirituality.

If control resides in politics, it shouldn’t be conflated with God or spirituality. Conversely, if it’s inherent to belief systems, it should be viewed as God’s will, demanding unwavering faith. If we don’t fully understand, we shouldn’t zealously mete out harsh punishments. What if we discover we’ve wronged the innocent? Labeling them as bastards, blaming widows for their husbands’ deaths, or imposing the death penalty might prove egregious.

While criminals should face consequences, for intentionally ending a life, even as a society, must acknowledge the risk of error. Even a slight chance of innocence should suffice to abolish capital punishment. Punishing the innocent constitutes a spiritual crime.

In the still of the night, question your belief in God. If uncertain, delve deeper. Are you speaking from true conviction or merely echoing your group’s rhetoric? Dare to challenge. If religion shapes our morality, then it must conform to human rights. The Pope’s recent shift underscores this shift; religions must align with human rights, not vice versa.

As CEOs of our lives, we should define our ethics and morality, standing firm on our principles. Human rights, transcending borders and ideologies, constitute a new spiritual ethos. Define your personal spirituality, independent of religious politics.

We must acknowledge our past atrocities, striving to transcend tribalism and embrace our shared humanity. Let these acts serve as lessons, guiding our evolution towards a future where spiritual crimes are relics of the past.

Once, there was a community that settled around a well they had dug for water. One unfortunate day, a dog fell into the well and perished. As the water began to emit a foul odor, concern spread among the inhabitants. They convened, and one individual descended into the well to investigate. Upon discovering the deceased canine, he shouted from below, alerting the others to the grim discovery. All eyes turned to the mayor, seeking guidance. His directive was clear: remove fifty barrels of water, then utilize it, but ensure the removal of the dead dog beforehand.

Today, our world persists in functioning without addressing the metaphorical dead dogs in our midst. Whether in medicine or social systems, we seek quick-fix solutions akin to applying band-aids to wounds. A headache prompts an aspirin, regardless of its cause. Our issues persist and morph into existential challenges, spanning health, societal, and international spheres. We’ve adopted a mentality of sweeping problems under the rug, yet they fester unresolved. As humanity, we must labor to rid our personal and communal wells of these metaphorical dead dogs.

As a self-employed individual, I contend that the solution to poverty doesn’t solely lie in charity. While charity aids, a global poverty tax could ensure sustained assistance, preventing aid from drying up. Individual insecurities may hinder consistent charitable giving, potentially resulting in sporadic donations and, tragically, instances of hunger-related fatalities, tarnishing humanity’s reputation.

Religions advocate for aiding the impoverished, yet often attach conditions or ulterior motives to their assistance. Any human social structure inherently possesses political dimensions. Once individuals band together, politics inevitably arise, infiltrating religious groups as well. While religions may claim apolitical stances due to their inherent nature, politics often seep in.

Despite my belief in spiritual living, I acknowledge that spirituality alone cannot sustain us. Political systems are necessary for governance, albeit with the caveat that they must incorporate spirituality to foster peace. However, our current political mechanisms, devoid of compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love, fail to adequately address societal needs.

We possess international bodies like the United Nations and commissions like the Geneva Convention aimed at safeguarding human rights. However, violations persist globally due to political inertia, particularly among democracies where party loyalty often supersedes individual ethics. Democracy, while an improvement over historical autocracies, remains imperfect, rooted in the powerful human phenomenon of group belonging.

Religions claim to be conduits to divinity, promising salvation while condemning non-adherents. A paradox emerges when individuals, reliant on Western medicine for survival, deride Western knowledge. Personal ethical frameworks should counterbalance group affiliations, granting individuals the agency to acknowledge contributions regardless of origin. Our free will implies a responsibility to manage divine affairs.

Humanity’s genetic diversity underscores our shared humanity, transcending race, nationality, or religion. Recognition of this unity can foster inner and external peace, encouraging individuals to relinquish exclusive group affiliations for broader human kinship. Climate change threatens displacement on a massive scale, challenging us to rise above parochial identities and adopt a global perspective.

As the world undergoes rapid transformations, from technological advancements to social revolutions, our collective evolution beckons. Failure to adapt risks fulfilling apocalyptic prophecies of our own making. Resource squandering through inter-group conflict hampers progress toward addressing impending crises, where every contribution matters.

Imagine if humanity pooled resources to address pressing issues rather than squandering them in conflicts. Together, we can combat climate change, eradicate poverty and hunger, and cease senseless violence fueled by national and religious divides. It requires transcending narrow group loyalties for the collective good.

In embracing our shared humanity, we can build bridges to a better future, one where every individual’s contribution counts.

From ancient scriptures to modern cinema with its captivating special effects, humanity’s fascination has endured. We invest considerable resources in immersing ourselves in fiction, particularly when it’s rendered with realism. Whether it’s Dracula, werewolves, genie lamps, or contemporary superheroes like Superman, Spiderman, and Batman, our curiosity propels us forward, driving evolution in all facets of life. However, when confronted with matters beyond our immediate comprehension—such as God or the metaphysical—many of us resign ourselves to the status quo without probing deeper.

Despite our millennia of civilization, we remain unable to unravel the enigmas of God, the allure of paradise, and the dread of damnation. Children often reject their parents’ attempts to instill fear of God, recognizing the flaw in a philosophy rooted in fear-based control. Our societies teem with spiritual transgressions, portraying us as inherently violent creatures, a reality reinforced by our history of social crimes and wars. Nevertheless, we must afford ourselves compassion, acknowledging that we are still evolving.

Throughout history, holy texts have imparted teachings of compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love, yet religious institutions manipulate the politics of belonging to instigate holy wars and perpetrate spiritual crimes. Personally, I perceive myself as a single cell within the greater body of humanity, yearning to comprehend the mystery of God. Yet, lacking the requisite faculties, I acknowledge that conjecture shrouds every aspect of divinity until we realize our full potential.

The connection between God and humanity is palpable on a spiritual level, transcending physical senses. While we can watch a movie and marvel at its special effects, discerning the creator behind the scenes, spirituality hinges on perception and its impact on the individual. To seek God, one need not venture far—merely look inward. Similarly, to identify evil, examine one’s actions; the horns or halo are irrelevant—deeds define one as godly or devilish. Those who play the politics of divine and diabolic absolve themselves of accountability for their actions.

Do I disbelieve in God? On the contrary, I firmly believe in my connection to the divine, yet I assume responsibility as the third entity, utilizing my resources without engaging in divine politics. Presently, humanity’s strongest trend lies in the pursuit of equal human rights, driving global transformation. This tumult will persist until we transcend the confines of group identities and unite under the banner of humanity.

Fundamentally, the golden rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you—underpins spirituality. Consequently, the notion of equal human rights transcends cultural, national, and religious boundaries, reflecting a universal understanding of spiritual justice. Direct spiritual connections render intermediaries obsolete; individuals possess the agency to commune with God or the Devil as they choose.

If we are indeed God’s seeds or cells, why do our actions align with evil? Our understanding evolves over time, evidenced by the shifting definitions of good and evil throughout history. Practices like human sacrifice or racial discrimination were once accepted but are now condemned as spiritual transgressions. As we embrace the concept of equal rights, we move closer to spiritual enlightenment, despite the resistance from politicized religious institutions.

Religious dogma often fosters prejudice, promoting the belief that adherents are superior to others bound for damnation—a notion antithetical to compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love. True spirituality advocates for equal rights, as exemplified by Islam’s spiritual essence, though political manipulation often distorts this principle, violating human rights.

I advocate for religions to adhere strictly to spirituality and eschew political entanglements. Spirituality unites humanity, urging us to perceive the divine in every individual, irrespective of our differences.

In the core of humanity lies the beginning of a wild animal, which is a part of our makeup. Today, when a baby cries, the mother or father rushes to comfort them, whether it’s to change a diaper, feed them, or simply hold them. As human beings, we quickly grasp the concept of demand, even as infants, and continuously express our needs. When these demands are met, everything is fine; however, if they are not, problems persist. If the caregiver lacks understanding, they may inadvertently nurture the overpowering animalistic side of the child. If a caregiver looks at the time and thinks, “I have already changed, fed, and held the baby, there is no need to attend to them now,” and lets the baby cry, the first step towards becoming fully human has been taken. Learning self-restraint is best acquired early on, and this balance should be understood by parents. It is not only beneficial for themselves but also for the baby as they grow. Throughout our lives, we grapple with our desires. If the foundation is not set properly, we may encounter struggles, whether in managing our weight, nurturing relationships, or abiding by the law. By nature, we possess two competing sides and the gift of free will to create balance.

Without the understanding and practical application of knowledge, words remain mere words. Wisdom emerges when words are applied in real-life situations. Many people recite passages from the Quran or the Bible, believing that doing so will solve their problems during their lifetime and ensure their place in heaven after death. Belief systems have a placebo effect on human beings, although they do not work for everyone. Those for whom they work often struggle to understand why others do not share their beliefs. Strongly religious individuals often attempt to impose their beliefs on others rather than seeking mutual understanding. This extreme approach detracts from the basic tenets of social life.

The teachings of holy books primarily emphasize individual morality and living for the sake of others and God, advocating for sacrificing this life for the next. This philosophy promotes societal well-being but comes with consequences. Individuals forced to live sacrificially may experience inner turmoil, hindering their ability to form meaningful relationships with others. The core spiritual messages of holy books are often overshadowed by political agendas, leading to conflicts fueled by emotional differences. Strict parenting, intended to instill fear of God and emphasize the afterlife, often fails, revealing a disconnect between religious teachings and human nature.

Religions and social systems have long attempted to suppress our animalistic instincts without success. Despite advancements in civilization, we continue to struggle with this innate aspect of ourselves. It is time to acknowledge the legitimacy of our animal side and negotiate with it rather than trying to eradicate it.

I have received numerous calls from individuals wanting to teach me the Quran. One caller even labeled me a kafir, or infidel, simply because I questioned the teachings of fasting and prayers. I pointed out that living in the far north means daylight can last for twenty-four hours in the summer, posing challenges for observing the fasting month. There must be room for adjustments in all forms of human knowledge, including religious teachings and legal frameworks. The Pope’s evolving views on homosexuality demonstrate the need for religions, as spiritual systems, to align with human rights principles. Discrimination and the physical strain of fasting for twenty-four hours a day are ethically unjustifiable.