[Sri Ramakrishna] Unfolding events.....

[Guest guest]

Jay-

 

I think what the terrorists hate most is the freedom

that democratic societies display and are willing to

defend. We have freedom of religion, freedom of

speech, freedom to be prosperous, freedom to disagree.

Women have rights here in the West. Does this exist in

the Afghanistan? If you don't follow their religion

or, God forbid, oppose them or their way of life, you

are shot or thrown in jail.

 

Let's not forget that these fanatics are NOT Muslims.

Islam does not advocate killing innocent people- or

suicide for that matter. Islam is just being used as a

smoke screen to hide the twisted resentments and

hatred of a few sick people.

 

There is nothing remotely " spiritual " about this

current conflict. Devils can quote scriptures. How

does killing innocent people solve anything? Many of

the injustices that are blamed on the U.S. and Western

democracies are actually rooted in these

dysfunctional, fascist regimes advocating " jihad. "

 

There is a Chinese proverb:

" The beginning of wisdom is calling things by their

right names. "

 

RD

 

--- Vivekananda Centre <vivekananda

wrote:

>

> Dear List

>

> I am taking the liberty of sending the copy of an

> email I sent to

> my interfaith colleagues in London relating to

> recent developments.

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Copy of the

> email~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> I do not to the popular view that the

> world is facing

> some 'evils doers' whose elimination will resolve

> the temporary

> interruption to our status quo. I think that there

> are serious underlying

> issues that will not go away that easily. They are

> simply making

> themselves known to us in no uncertain terms.

> According to me the root

> cause of these developments cannot be resolved

> politically, socially,

> economically, or diplomatically. In the long term

> the resolution lies in

> spirituality.

>

> We notice that there is growing concern that the

> resolution to

> the present problems cannot be in military action

> but needs

> to be tackled on a broader front.

>

> The problem is that very few know what this may

> involve.

> Throw more money at the some run down Muslim

> countries?

> Stop interfering in the Middle East?

> Stop using up the oil resources?

> Nobody really knows where the resolution lies.

>

> Most 'think-tanks' in the West - in Government or

> even within Organised religions do not really have

> any 'faith' in spirituality as holding the answer.

> In fact the backlash to these unfolding events will

> be:-

> " Religions are to blame for fanatism " hence they

> should be

> phased out from our society. Earlier the better.

>

> My proposition is exactly the opposite: Because

> religions are being phased out that we are getting

> fanatism.

> This may sound preposterous - let me expand on this.

>

> (1) The devout follower of any religion is at odds

> with the strongly

> secular world he lives in. He is not in sympathy

> with it but has

> little choice in the matter. The situation carries

> on until a threshold is

> reached when an unconscious reaction ( let me stress

> the word

> " unconscious " ) from the fringe of this society would

> lash out at

> secularity and all that goes with it (power

> politics, corruption,

> double standards, economic injustice etc.).

> Understandably

> such a reaction will be directed at a nation that

> thrives on or is

> seen to thrive on secularity.

> The reason why I stressed the word 'unconscious' is

> because these

> in-humane 'throwing up' we have seen recently comes

> from the

> fringe of society. If you like the weakest link (-

> the almost deranged)

> who exhibit this unconscious revulsion at the status

> quo in a dramatic

> manner. What has shocked the world has been the

> brutality

> exhibited. So in-humane. Someone commented that the

> line

> between the animal and human kingdoms got

> blurred.....

> .....That is really not true...animals do not

> exhibit

> such mindless viciousness! So why such a severe

> action?

> It is precisely because we ignore our " more than

> human " side that such

> frenzied activities occur. I am in no way condoning

> the acts of these

> violent people - I am simply saying that they are

> the symptom

> rather than the cause of a severe malaise of

> mankind. They are

> the weakest link in the human society hence they

> cracked.

>

> The worrying thing is that unless these underlying

> issues are

> addressed - " more of the same " will continue to be

> played out

> on our screens. This is a horrifying thought.

> The greatest worry is the immediate solution to the

> present crisis will

> not be sought in spirituality but in 'other

> spheres'. If that happens then

> mankind will pay dearly for not learning its lessons

> quickly enough.

>

> I am not suggesting we all become Muslims or Hindus

> or 'Interfaithites'. I am simply pointing out the

> underlying and

> very potent element mankind possesses - the element

> generally

> called 'spirituality' - the element that evokes and

> unleashes such

> powerful forces that we ignore them at our peril.

> These forces need to be harnessed rather than

> allowed to

> run riot in our society.

>

> I am not offering a solution - I am merely pointing

> out the direction

> in which the solution may lie.

>

> regards

> jay

>

> Please read this email - 'correct it as you like'

> and then send

> it to the think-tanks or other bodies you feel may

> like to see it.

>

>

>

>

>