Oct 14, 2012

Faith - No more



Last week I decided that the time was right for me to depart from the Lutheran church. The decision had come to me already many years ago but it took this long to be permanently executed. In this text I will tell you the reasons behind this relieving personal decision.

I consider myself to be an open-minded and considering person. It has rarely been difficult for me to accept the coexistence of religions, and I have encouraged people to get to know those with different religious backgrounds. Don’t take me wrong, I still believe that we should be tolerant to each other and try to live together harmoniously and peacefully. And I continue believing that religions are not all bad. 

The first and foremost reason behind my departure was the lack of faith, which should be obvious to those who know me even little. Faith is something I value as an interpersonal and a private, self-realizing meditative quality. God might or might not exist – and that´s about all there is to say actually. I believe that people are entitled to religious freedom while having also an obligation not to demand religious autocracy; in other words all religious beliefs should be coequal. Well, as we all well know, this is not the case in today’s world.

Religions are now and in the past used as excuses to justify inhumane actions of violence, repression and tyranny. No religion is free from such a sick behavior which has caused millions of people to lose their lives in the course of human history. The Christians have forced people to wipe out their previous worldviews and replace them with truths taken from the Bible. For example in times of Columbus the Indian babies were killed after they had been baptized; this way they could enjoy the eternal life in heaven. In medieval Europe witches and heretics were hunt down by the holy inquisition, and ALWAYS the evidence against them was fabricated out of thin air. This meant that every living person was in danger to be named an opponent of God, and therefore be tested in order to find out whether this claim was to be true or not. Usually tests were successful and victims were found guilty – or dead.  

Islam is no better, actually it can even be worse – depends on how deep into details we go. Things that we hear Muslims do to others and to themselves go many times beyond our comprehension and imagination. Or can you really claim to be understanding if some fanatic Muslims let young girls die in a burning house because they deserved to die due to broken ancient dress code. It does not matter how seriously people take themselves as Muslims if they continue to believe that everything there is in Quran must have come from Allah. Islam has to undergo a radical inner regeneration like all religions must. Otherwise these religions will eventually vanish trying to attain global dominion. We all have to accept that religions enable all forms of extremist activity. This fear has to be taken seriously by everyone, not just those who fear for their artificial American lifestyles. Religions breed negative side effects. Even those religions with millions of supporters cannot be covered with shields of inviolability. They need to be open for a serious debate.

The second reason to my getaway is actually reason - or the lack of it. It is funny how people section their lives into categories which are diversely managed. People trust in science and reason when they see fit, and use judgment selectively. If I would say that Jesus prepared my breakfast for today, I would be evaluated as a crazy person. Why? Due to lack of evidence. I would have to show some kind of proof to prove my point right. The same goes with claims that I make of reality. I cannot say that there is a rabbit hole in my garden leading to some magical world if it doesn’t exist. We cannot operate on false beliefs or otherwise all claims would be beyond critical evaluation. If I would state that the world is flat, nobody would believe me, but if the statement should point out that the world has been created by God, no matter what shape or size it is, I would gather more than enough supporters to make it official. When people enter the sacred area of religion they forget their reason and leave it hanging till time comes to use it once again.   

Many elements (not all) in religions and especially texts considered holy are nothing but myths. And while there are those who consider these myths to be even partially true, we as a one and only humankind will face never ending problems. Myths have proved out to be irrational, disgusting and most importantly dangerous. Sometimes it feels like some people have gotten stuck in ancient history. I always say to my students how we need to understand people in their historical context. The Presocratic-philosophers for example had no knowledge of the world whatsoever, scientifically speaking. All they had was their reason and empirical affirmation of that time. Keeping this mind we are able to understand why these intellects thought that the world could be formed from substances like water or numbers. They had no evidence to believe otherwise!  

I believe that Jesus lived and was a historical person with flesh and blood. I also believe that he gave an example of how we should treat each other as human beings; love and be loved. All extra added to this image of mine needs greater justifications which would have to resemble facts more than wishes. That’s why I cannot say that Jesus was more than a Jewish chap looking for a way to give people hope in times of despair. We need more people like Jesus to show compassion and empathy, but death is something we need to accept as a natural part of life. Death is evident and concerns us all, we and all our loved-ones have to die eventually. But that is the end of my journey – and yours. Between birth and death we all should treat others with respect and friendliness. If religions cannot adapt to this requirement, in my opinion they should be discarded as useless.     
    
As long there are myths with non-existing divine origin and religious followers who refuse to use their reason and deny the utility of scientific method, wars and disharmony will remain a present state. Religions concealing false truths also obstruct us from building ethics that could have a real fundamental bearing for the future.       

Nipa
  

Oct 9, 2012

Paradise for some, oblivion for many



For a long time I have desired to go to Sri Lanka. The reason has been the serenity and peacefulness of this small and culturally rich island. Now, I’m not so certain of my plans anymore.

People tend to go on vacations to distant countries where they can fulfill their need for escapism; daily life needs a healthy break. Picturesque beaches and little umbrella drinks are what we grave for, and we are willing to pay relatively large sums for our luxury. At the same time we enjoy our vacation in fancy hotels with respectable room service the locals usually enjoy a far more moderate life style.

In 2004 occurred a deathly tsunami in the Indian Ocean causing 227,898 deaths, the worst tsunami in history. This horrible incident was a major personal and communal catastrophe especially for those living on seaside and coastal line of countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Many lost their livelihood and habitation as well as families. But the tsunami was not their only tragedy. In Sri Lanka poor fishermen were in some parts unable to return to their home areas because the lands were seized by government officials. They said that new buildings were meant to build on the tsunami cleansed beaches. Tsunami was used as an excuse to get rid of the rubbish caste.  Afterwards resorts were built for rich people to savor. Sri Lanka is becoming a paradise for people with wealth. These privatized lands have once been a home of the native people - but not anymore. We can still do a “once in a lifetime” trip and surf in dreamlike conditions but the truth behind this bliss is an ugly one.

The situation is similar for example in Maldives. It faced the same fate as other tsunami devastated countries, and 106 people died. Infrastructure suffered greatly but luckily there were companies ready to invest innocuous money so that people would get their life in order. Those living near the sea suffered drastically and were moved elsewhere to live. Usually this kind of relocating of deprived is executed by force; the locals don’t want to move. The most important thing is to get rid of those who would oppose the chances to gain profits. Companies want to bring about new customers – and enhance tourism. Money coming in does not mean a rise for those living in need.   

It is funny that many westerners bemoan how Thailand has become a new age Gomorra where prostitution flourishes and children are to leave their homes at a very early age to earn money for their families.  Nobody would do this line of work if they would have a chance to do something else – poverty leaves no other options. Investors have generated discontent by hijacking the lands from their previous owners – the people. The people have to adjust to these new rules and work for these companies as well as benefit from tourism in any way they can. This creates forms of ethically dubious activity. We should understand that while we act as tourists with no sense of reality we will keep on upholding these disturbing conditions.

When I was in Phnom Penh, the capital of Campodia, I realized how people had taken actions against businesses with strong agenda to build new houses on the banks of the river Tonlé Sap. “We are not for sale” were written on the walls of huts belonging to those living on the premises. I heard that the Chinese were investing respectable sums of money to restore the glory of this once thriving French built jewel. At that time I realized how loose business ethics can be. The good of the people means only little – if none. I bet that soon after these massive buildings have been built businessmen will flow in and hold important conferences where they decide what to take next. And tourists feel also safer thanks to the reminders (symbols) of our civilized world.   

Next time you go to a five star holiday ask yourself; who does it benefit besides my own need to feel relaxed and privileged.
   

Oct 1, 2012

Of the Importance of Philosophy




Philosophical thinking is something I do in my spare time as well as while working with the young. I would like to share my philosophical insights more often with others but frequently feel people lacking the inspiration or motivation to think issues concerning us all, in depth at least.  It is not a rising trend either. We are more interested in practical matters than metaphysical contemplations, which is understandable to some degree. Who would want to question their whole existence or criticize the bases of our human understanding?  It would drive us mad to doubt all beliefs about reality or to cut ourselves off from the society we live in just because we happen to underrate its significance. But why do we feel such repulsion against philosophy in the first place? Maybe it has something to do with the assumption that people no longer need philosophy to build up their dream lives. In my opinion the self-aware and world conscious individual has turned into a myth. Today’s individual is a being without a true existence. It has lost itself and become an irresolute and disorientated nomad, a lonely soul, who searches peace and fulfillment finding only war and nothingness. Our communal values have been sold to the highest bidder and replaced by the ultimate freedom of choice. We can almost decide everything there is to decide – by ourselves. This includes moral issues as well as choices made in everyday life. We are slipping into nihilism just as Nietzsche predicted 100 years ago.

I feel that we have done everything but looked back. Philosophy is much about history, and history has produced ideas and theories how we should live and converse on the reality. History also explains how we have come to this present situation. In antique people used to think that public good serves also the good of the individual. Every member of the society played their role and did what was expected of them. Politics was a mean to improve the community’s rigour and increase its lifespan.  In Aristotle’s thinking individual´s main purpose in life was to seek happiness by being virtuous and wise. Afterwards many have seen in Aristotle a speaker for our time. Without having a telos, a purpose for one´s existence, life becomes vague, immoral and pointless.    

In the renaissance period man rediscovered himself and reason was raised as a ruling principle to conduct life and to find an absolute certainty in how things were. I consider a French Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) to be one of the most intellectual thinker in the history of philosophy. He believed certainty to be an illusion; instead he chose to be a skeptic. Montaigne saw only a little point in people´s constant desire to be right in everything they say. Because of this obsession Europe was in a state of turmoil that Montaigne despised. People want to believe that certainty is something veridical; our own impression is always the right one. Maybe this is also suits as a depiction of today’s views. People are not willing to admit that they are dim and in many cases just simply wrong; the world just isn’t how we want it to be.

In 1700s marched in the mighty Enlightment. Sapere aude (use your wit; dare to be wise) worked as a command to a man to release him from a self-incurred tutelage. Liberalism was also a prodigy born out of that time. Science and criticism were ways to replace constraining religious beliefs surrounding human condition. Political philosophy also started to create theories concerning themes like liberty, law, rights and property. Reason was a tool of power as well as emancipation from false truths.

1800s was a triumph of positivist reason – until it led to a crisis agitated by few strong philosophical figures, mainly German born Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. They hailed emotions and attacked verbally against reason claiming it to be feeble. Existentialism showed individual how to look inside one´s self and find a meaning (or absurdity) from within. It has given also a lot to me; expeditions to one´s own head are more than encouraged in order to truly know who this subject behind everything is. We have to courageously believe in our own judgment but at the same time accept our high probability to be stupid. At the same time at least for me is easy to understand that life is something delicate and it ends eventually. Life is an open concept and there are no compulsions. Sometimes the extremism behind true existentialism gives me a hard time because it can make things feel indifferent.

1900s brought us wars and demise but it also introduced us a whole new subject. This unique person is an individual in every sense of the word. There are no no-limits or ethical boundaries whatsoever. Many philosophers in 1900s think that crisis of mankind is an inevitable result caused by change in our thinking and behavior. It has also lots to do with the “progress” which many see as a normal evolution of man. Once a man on the radio said that progress is natural. It naturally is easy to go behind evolution argument. I personally feel that mankind is not necessarily meant to find all the answers or break all the barriers found in nature. Maybe we have already crossed our natural constitute. We cherish our glossy and petty lives and value our achievements by using perverted and usually materialistic indicators. And our self-centered life is everything there is, according to many; so we should make the best out of it. This has led to a western world where moral ideals have died and civilizations have turned into fiction, as Leo Strauss (1899-1973) points out. Our lives are more about ourselves than others; every man for himself!

I like to believe that philosophy has lot´s to do with our pursuit of happiness. But is our telos or goal for life twisted? We like to think ourselves as someone who makes a difference but the recent difference made has been for the worse. And because people have become less critical and more easily manipulated they feel that truth can reveal itself just by looking and not by thinking. Marx insisted that philosophy should always aim to change the world, not just to depict it. That is why philosophy will be important cause is never just about speculating; it is all about acting and living up to your values (supported by philosophical consciousness). In my life I try to maintain a philosophical twist - and it means that philosophy genuinely moves me.