The recent fires in British Columbia remind me of the surge in racism we’ve been experiencing. Initially, the instances were scattered and small, but they have now merged into a large, uncontrollable blaze. Politics is a dirty game; people seek power regardless of the cost. To please the groups that help them gain office, they often sell their souls, becoming spiritually bankrupt.
Forest fires are a part of life, much like corrupt politics and racism—undesired but always present. Whether you stand with or against racism, the only way to change it is through logical thinking.
Here’s how I view racism and prejudice: Security-related differences emerge when you don’t see yourself as a human belonging to all of humanity. If you identify as an extension of an ideology, a gang, a race, a nation, or a religion, you may politically hide your racism and prejudice, but when pressured, they will surface, whether you like it or not.
There will always be people with differing opinions. The only way to overcome these passionate divisions is with compassion. Compassion comes easily when you view humanity as a whole and see God in others as you do in yourself. Dr. Wayne Dyer, a well-known guru, once said, “If you squeeze an apple, only apple juice will come out. You can’t get orange juice from an apple or apple juice from an orange.”
When you are under pressure, what’s inside you will come out. If you are passionate about your group, you have the potential to become a racist, ignorant, or even a suicide bomber. You will be prejudiced against others, regardless of your color, race, gender, nationality, or religion. But if you carry a compassionate sense of justice and see yourself as part of humanity as a whole, you will overcome confusion related to belonging and call a spade a spade when needed.
Not everyone will agree with me due to religious beliefs. My main purpose is not to cast doubt on anyone’s spiritual belief system but to highlight that political religion is dangerous. It’s not acceptable to kill in the name of religion or God because it goes against spirituality. Spiritually, you don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you. As evolving beings, we can’t be locked into any fixed knowledge. Prejudice and racism are not inherent; as babies, we don’t discriminate. This proves that our knowledge is learned.
Let’s break it down to fundamentals. Here are the top ten yeses and noes:
- If you are cut, you bleed the same blood that can save all kinds of human beings through transfusion, regardless of the donor’s race, gender, or orientation.
- Can you save a human life with another creature’s blood? (No)
- Do you get hungry and eat similar foods like everyone else? (Yes)
- Do you poop and pee, and does it stink like everyone else’s? (Yes)
- Do you get sick, old, and die like everyone else? (Yes)
- If a white person and a black person have sex, will the woman get pregnant and have a perfectly functioning baby? (Yes)
- Are you scientifically made of carbon? (Yes)
- Do you need oxygen to live like everyone else? (Yes)
- Do you use your free will every day like everyone else? (Yes)
- Do you believe we have a space station up there and it is the year 2017? (Yes)
Now for the noes:
- Do you think you are immortal? (No)
- Do you control the oxygen you breathe to live? (No)
- Do you control what goes on in space? (No)
- Do you have total control over what goes on inside your body? (No)
- Do you think your group, nation, religion, race, gender, or family can help you avoid death? (No)
- If you are learning something new every day, do you really think your knowledge is complete? (No)
- Do you think being Muslim, Christian, or Jewish is enough to take you to heaven? (No)
- Do you know everything about God, heaven, and hell, with any evidence other than taught belief systems? (No)
- Do you believe you are superior to others because of your skin color? (No)
- Do you think religious people have more compassion than others? (No)
Imagine a black bear comes to your door and tells you to get out of its house. You might call 911 and have the bear killed, but realistically, you bought land in the bear’s territory. Who sold it to you? Another human or the government of your group. The bear was there first, but does that give it the right to own the land? To some, it might. We are all renters, not owners, of the land.
I once saw a gravestone over 200 years old, meaning the deceased still “owns” that land. This doesn’t make sense when living people are homeless. We should use logical thinking to solve emotional issues. Ownership is tied to governing authorities to keep peace and protect the weak, but how far should this go?
The globe has no natural borders, yet we have over 200 countries with seven billion humans and countless other creatures. We still fight over ownership. Is it right for an aggressor to conquer a country and own everything? If your answer is yes, you’re living in the past. Slavery is a crime today.
Back to the bear: you bought land in its territory and had it killed for your security. What if you saw it from the bear’s perspective? This is a problem humanity has faced throughout history. We claim land, but do we really own it? Our governing systems have never been foolproof, carrying black marks of human rights violations. We are still evolving, and differences will always exist.
Recently, a teachers’ association requested removing Canada’s first prime minister’s name from all schools. This isn’t a problem unless viewed as a human rights issue. Canada’s history should be treated as past to avoid repeating mistakes. We need to respect our ancestors while learning from their mistakes.
If conservatives are elected, they might glorify the past instead of reconciling. Today, it’s about human rights and equality, and group politics must take a back seat. Revenge is not the answer; evolution is, so we don’t violate anyone’s rights. Our governing politics should transcend any group affiliation.
Equal human rights and democracy are our best systems, but they have shortcomings. We often elect opposite groups, hindering progress. I believe in a council or constitution to guard evolution, preventing backtracking regardless of who is in power.
Religions have preached compassion for thousands of years, but they haven’t eradicated our animal instincts. Religious extremists kill without discrimination. Compassion is absent in politically charged religious speeches. Human rights should be governed by governments and international authorities, preventing killings over belief systems.
Religious extremism stems from strong, uncontrollable group affiliations. Individuals must control their urges or face consequences. After 2000 years, if the system hasn’t succeeded, individuals must recognize their responsibility. Why can’t they see the responsibility in group politics?
A human cell lacks eyes or a brain but instinctively knows to stick to the body for survival. This is how we understand God—through a sense of connection. No one truly knows if God looks like a human. We feel the connection in our ways but must realize our dependence on oxygen. Mixing politics with spirituality is like oil and water—they don’t mix. Compassion should guide religions, and governing systems should adapt to changing times. Compassionate governance is desirable, but religion must focus on humanity’s evolution.
Religions have different belief levels, and passionate individuals must comply with contemporary society. You can’t deny your children a blood transfusion or have multiple wives and children without legal consequences. We must adapt politically, technologically, and scientifically while respecting human rights.
Islam brought equality to India but still faces internal prejudice. Shia and Sunni Muslims have fought for centuries, highlighting the need for equal human rights in spirituality. “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you” should be the guiding principle.
Weapons used against animals are now used against humans, fueled by religious fire. Despite advanced weaponry, we threaten each other with mass destruction. We must evolve spiritually, abandoning ignorance that glorifies the past. Security from animals requires intelligence, but security from humans requires compassion. Compassion should rule, not the politics of belonging.
In summary, mixing politics with spirituality is futile. Compassion should guide us in all aspects of life, ensuring we evolve beyond our prejudices and divisions.