A bad person has no gender, race, color, nationality, or religion because our mortality-related insecurities are universal. These insecurities have the potential to rob us individually and collectively. We often get drawn into senseless violence and even commit spiritual crimes against innocent beings due to the politics of our sense of belonging to groups. Our individual and collective goodness takes a backseat when we are emotionally stirred by the divisive and passionate rhetoric of our political or religious leaders.
From national constitutions to religious texts, they have historically promoted the politics of belonging to a specific group rather than to humanity as a whole. This is why our individual actions can be both condemned and praised by opposing groups. So, who do you belong to: your group or humanity as a whole? Do you have enough personal sense of justice to criticize the wrong actions of your group? Can you cheer for a good play even if it’s against the team you support? Can you apologize for the wrongs committed by your group in the past? If you have been influenced by the politics of your sense of belonging, I doubt you can.
The reality today is that we have achieved significant civilization and evolution, providing evidence that people have the potential to rise and change outdated political customs and traditions. This is more pronounced in melting pot societies, yet the majority still struggles with equal human rights.
When individuals are overwhelmed by the powerful politics of belonging, they may neglect their responsibility for their actions. Right and wrong are dictated, and personal judgment is discouraged by authorities. If you view yourself as an extension of a group or ideology, examine your life and personal makeup. Everything from nature to intellect points toward a living, breathing, independent entity. Disregarding your personal value contributes to being a dependent creature.
Failing to reciprocate to God or disrespecting your abilities stems from the politics of belonging. Groups don’t want individuals to oppose authoritarian actions. For me, justice must override the politics of belonging. If we can evolve individually, we might solve the riddles of our conflicts. Injustices arise from personal and collective insecurities bred by the politics we’ve followed for millennia.
Today, with nuclear and biological weapons, old methods can lead to the predicted end of humanity from within. I believe this lack of individual sense of justice is a primary cause of both social ills and wars. An insecure individual or group will use all their power to secure everything while losing their sense of justice, ethics, and morality.
The irony is that our illusory security cannot be achieved, regardless of our efforts. Just look at the rates of individual and dynastic mortality. From the Egyptian to the Roman to the British Empires, they all had their time, but humanity continues to change. This may seem off-topic, but it relates to personal insecurities. There was news from England about teenage girls having children to stay on social assistance. I’m not being conservative or liberal, just realistic—there should be purpose and preparedness for having children. If you sacrifice everything, including sleep, to have a child, you need to be ready for it. If your goal is personal security, how can you meet the demands of a baby?
People use others and are used in all societies. Some may marry to legitimize their relationships, while others do not, but the fundamental cause of this behavior remains the same. Personal insecurities persist regardless of choices.
To overcome these insecurities, you need to identify their cause. Personally, I believe it starts with disruptions in personal spiritual beliefs. First, it relates to the knowledge of mortality and the strong desire to avoid its realities. Second, confusing religious teachings that claim it’s a sin to physically reproduce God can contribute to this.
Imagine if there were no people—would God matter? Calling someone a bastard is not only a violation of human rights but also discrimination and injustice. None of us control our birth, so this condemnation from Godly people is a spiritual crime, especially against innocent beings who had no say in their birth. Among various forms of discrimination and prejudice, this one troubles me the most. It is an injustice against innocent beings in the name of God, even though we believe a leaf cannot move without God’s will.
Logically, this suggests that religious individuals might consider themselves superior simply because they were born within a religion or group that approves of their birth. If an injustice is done in God’s name to an innocent being, it is against all laws, ethics, and morality. Your individual sense of justice is crucial for standing against such injustices; otherwise, the politics of belonging can blind you to divine truths.
You follow your religion as a group and ignore the very belief system you uphold, believing that God controls even the movements of leaves. If you accept this, how can you not believe that a human being is born with God’s will?
Crime rates in religious societies are clear signs of insecurity and strict punishments. Public shaming by groups is more about control than religious spirituality. If you use free will to make decisions, you are already choosing good or bad. Hiding behind the Devil to justify bad actions is not an excuse; it is a denial of personal responsibility. If you avoid responsibility due to religious beliefs, you are being political rather than spiritual.
If good comes from God and bad from the Devil, where do you stand as an individual? Good and bad exist through you alone. You play a role in both, but the choices are yours and yours alone.
The days of hiding behind God and the Devil are over. Today, if you commit a crime, you face legal consequences. Consider this from a broader perspective: if you disappear, your good and bad actions cease to exist. I’m not discussing the spiritual realm but the physical world where logic should prevail, preventing violence over religious differences.
You can hold any belief you wish, but you cannot justify killing each other over it. I’m not claiming that God and the Devil would cease to exist without people, but that the spiritual world is a separate reality, with each person having their version of truth.
Someone shared a native version of this concept that I found compelling, to the point that I would quote it in full.
Quote:
“In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other, ‘Do you believe in life after delivery?’ The other replied, ‘Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.’ ‘Nonsense,’ said the first. ‘There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?’
The second said, ‘I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.’
The first replied, ‘That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous. The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is short. Life after delivery is logically excluded.’
The second insisted, ‘Well, I think there is something, and maybe it’s different from what it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.’
The first replied, ‘Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery, there is nothing but darkness, silence, and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.’
‘Well, I don’t know,’ said the second, ‘but certainly, we will meet Mother, and she will take care of us.’
The first replied, ‘Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists, then where is she now?’
The second said, ‘She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her, this world would not and could not exist.’
‘Well, I don’t see her,’ said the first, ‘so it is only logical that she doesn’t exist.’
To which the second replied, ‘Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can perceive her presence, and you can hear her loving voice, calling down from above.'”
End Quote
Every culture and era of people has something to offer, but the politics of our sense of belonging often prevent us from appreciating the beauty or logic they present to enrich our lives. We all have evolved through a spiritual journey, regardless of where we come from.
We are often trapped by narrow-minded judgments, such as calling someone a “bastard” if they do not follow our rules or way of living. This small-minded thinking keeps us from realizing our potential as majestic individuals. It’s no wonder we must break through religious boundaries to advance in technology, science, medicine, and even spirituality. All these advances benefit humanity, even those who may reject them as “Godless.” Ironically, many religious people use modern technology but complain about those who break religious boundaries to provide aid. For example, they might drive trucks instead of using carts pulled by bulls to access daily medicine that helps them stay alive or live longer. This progress is often unappreciated due to political reasons. Personally, if I benefit from someone’s contribution, I believe credit should be given where it is due, regardless of politics.
If you are an animal with no comprehension of life beyond eating and reproducing, you cannot be blamed for not seeing the future or the possibility of your extinction. How do we, as human beings, measure up? Are we potentially God-like? As individuals, we cannot simply hide behind religious doctrines, accepting them as God’s Will without taking responsibility for our actions. I am not advocating for a lack of religion or spirituality, but rather for personal accountability. We have survived natural disasters and even the Ice Age. We used to live an average of thirty-eight years; today, we live twice as long, and in the near future, we may live even longer. If you believe it is only God’s will, just look at the realities of global warming. God has entrusted us with free will and a sense of justice; we should not undermine it!
Mortality is still uncertain, and the protection of oxygen remains unknown, but I observe that an exercising senior citizen enjoys a better quality of life. The reasons behind this indicate that we do have a say in our lives. By nature, we are evolving beings. Not only can we improve our personal lives, but we can also adapt to adverse situations. An exercising senior citizen who takes personal responsibility plays a major role in a high-quality mortal life.
Do I believe in God? Yes, I believe in God. God gave me the abilities to do divine work myself. I choose to belong to humanity as a whole rather than just a specific group of people. I choose not to be discriminatory or prejudiced against others. I believe that I have been blessed with free will and a sense of justice, allowing me to see through the political agendas hidden behind the traditions and customs of my group. If global warming-related problems arise and I do nothing, accepting it as God’s will, I am not fulfilling what God expects of me. If everyone utilized the potential God has given us, things would be different. Peace would be possible, and humanity would advance further. We use our resources to develop industries that destroy each other instead of advancing humanity. Remember, the purpose of our individual lives is to reciprocate directly to God, and this is achieved by helping all people as part of humanity.
Whether you believe in God or not is not the question; rather, are you reciprocating? Are you fulfilling your duties as a human being on this earth? As advanced nations, we should understand what is at stake and prepare by aiding those in hostile environments because everyone’s survival depends on the spiritual growth of humanity. We must recognize that a drought in far lands affects us all. Since the Earth is round, no one can escape climate changes unless we find another planet. Instead of building walls and oil pipelines, we need to focus on building water systems by pooling our resources because we cannot survive without water. These changes can only happen if we start to think of ourselves as part of one humanity rather than confined to specific groups.
There are political problems, but they should not become spiritual problems. Narrow-mindedness has always existed; look at today’s realities and decide for yourself. Do you think a wall will protect you in the event of a nuclear war or global warming-related damage? The Great Wall of China, despite its grandeur, did not save China. If you truly believe otherwise, your head is buried in the sand. Politics, scientific advancements, and religious differences are hindrances to humanity. What humanity needs is a spiritual awakening to address modern-day problems.
If you cling to outdated practices like Brexit or elect leaders like Donald Trump, you are revolving in old circles. Old ways of doing things have created modern problems, or these modern problems have emerged from the unknown. We must evolve to the next level of civilization to address new paradigms. Since our modern problems know no boundaries, humanity must remove its political boundaries as well. We have been making progress from space stations to the internet to advancements in various fields. These are steps toward evolution. Only spiritual evolution can help individuals move beyond the sense of belonging to specific boundaries, whether political, racial, or religious. Transitioning to a new paradigm of civilization is challenging for humanity, which remains divided and held back by the politics of belonging to specific groups.
The faces of the British and American populations are no longer exclusively white. Instead of preaching racism, prejudice, and discrimination, we need to educate individuals about reciprocation and responsibility.
As we advance technologically, we face job losses and the further concentration of wealth among the top 1% of the population. Historically, kings would create massive building projects to keep people employed. People need to work to eat and eat to work. If governments fail to address upcoming changes, they may face social unrest, lawlessness, or disrespect for social rules.
Common sense dictates that hungry people will not obey the rules of law and order, so governing authorities must take responsibility for feeding the population. I may sound like a socialist, but I view this as a spirituality-related social rule. Not long ago, Denmark was reported as the happiest country in the world due to free education and comprehensive healthcare. Some view this as socialist.
I personally believe in freedom, but freedom with a spiritual dimension. If we grant total freedom to insecure humans, a dog-eat-dog philosophy flourishes, leading to hoarding and wealth transfer to the top 1% of the population, with potential tax evasion as highlighted by the Panama Papers. Technological advances may worsen these issues. Without spiritual progress, we are heading into unknown territory. Do we need socialism to prevent social chaos, or should we arm ourselves to kill or be killed over food and security?
As mentioned earlier, a hungry stomach overrides all law and order. Religious morality and ethics are irrelevant if an individual is suffering from hunger. Even in the jungle, creatures violate each other’s territories when hungry. Survival can overshadow any belief in God.
Global warming will create refugees, and technological advances may lead to job losses, both contributing to hunger. If humanity is not spiritually prepared, even the so-called 1% will face security issues. These changes are inevitable, and we must start thinking of ourselves as part of humanity rather than specific groups because our future problems cannot be fenced in.