government, war, fascism, democracy and The Absolute.

[Guest guest]

It is easy to condemn any form of government, any political movement,

by comparing it with the Absolute.

 

But that is not the choice that we face.

We face choices between different forms of government that all have relative values.

 

Some claim, rather ostentatiously, to embody the will of the Divine,

and others imply, without the ostentation, that the divine is a superstition

that only fools and the uneducated could entertain, even for a moment.

 

I think it is our obligation to evaluate each political movement according to its

overall conduct.

 

In Nazi Germany, genocide was at the heart of the government's policy and conduct.

In modern day Germany there might be one or two anti-Semites in the parliament

or executive, but anti-Semitism is certainly not at the heart of the policy or conduct

of the government.

 

Does that mean that genocide belongs wholly to the past?

That has to be decided by careful consideration of the facts,

not by succumbing to hype, sloganeering and the beating of partisan drums.

 

Furthermore, I think we have an obligation to behave with maturity and moderation.

No good comes of branding a movement with a convenient label when that label is not

really representative of the movement as a whole.

 

Hyperbole is fun for children and adolescents, but adults should carefully weigh all the evidence

and not allow the easy and unreflective adoption of catchy slogans and labels

to take the place of mature reflection.

 

Furthermore, I agree with Harsha that this particular website has been set up to deal

particularly with the consideration and discussion of spiritual matters;

it is no place for partisan politics.

 

Regards

 

Warwick