Martin Luther King Jr. on Consistency in Justice

I thought it would be appropriate to post this Facebook response I was inspired to write in response to the idea of happiness and freedom. It began with a quote from Corette Scott King:

"I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people... But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of broth...er- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people." -- Coretta Scott King

Well, I would say that Coretta King's quote speaks more to the moral correctness and consistency with Justice than it does about happiness. There will always be dissatisfaction in some part of the population with any decision (Heraclitus theory of flux and opposites).....that said, we should focus on what is morally and objectively consistent. But as far as I am concerned, the religious dissatisfaction of those who discriminate based on sexual orientation, is less important than the civil (and human) equalities that are at stake here. Our civil laws are not based on religious ideologies, but practical protections of the civil freedoms of all our citizens.

As the good Dr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'....IMHO, we have to be consistent in our Constitutional values as a Nation for true happiness to exist for all of us.

Equality vs. Freedom?

It is clear that since the election of the new President, that lines have been drawn in the sand, both politically and culturally....maybe even spiritually. Of course however, as history demonstrates, wars are never black and white, good guys vs. bad guys....there is always a third factor.

It seems to me that both sides of the political spectrum seem to revolve around one question:

Equality or Freedom?

The current health care debate is a good example of this ideological dichotomy. The "liberals", who happen to be in power at the moment, are (were) pushing for social equality in this health care debate by trying to get all Americans covered by some form of medical insurance, while "conservatives" oppose these ideas apparently out of a fear of a "government takeover of medicine". They are worried that they will lose their freedom to choose their medical coverage and that the quality of health care will decrease (for them as well as others). (I realize that a health care reform bill has been passed recently, but I will not comment on that here.)

Now, I do understand that this issue is very complicated in nature, with all the financial and business considerations, but I am a citizen who is willing to pay extra taxes in order to help improve the social welfare of others, because I believe that will pay dividends which would benefit many people, including myself in the long run and on many levels. Personally, I don't see how improving social welfare will impinge on Freedom as the conservatives claim, but perhaps I am ignorant or naive. It is my understanding that the role of government IS to improve and protect the social welfare of its people. Maybe I'm wrong....?

Having said that, I think that the independent spirt inherent in conservatism is certainly good. We should all strive to be independent people as this is healthy. However, for a political group whose ideologies are often rooted in a religion that espouses love for your fellow man, it seems very odd to me that they would not want social equality. (Of course, this changes when it comes to the issue of the application of Justice, that is when they seem to be okay with her being blind.)

So, what is the answer to this complex question of Equality vs. Freedom?

It's quite clear to me when I read the words of our founding fathers what the answer is.

From the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson:
(Note: Independence is another word for Freedom)

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

What does this tell us?

Simple: Man cannot be Free without Equality.....it is not a choice between one or the other.

Apathy and Politics

Plato once wrote that, "The penalty good men pay for indifferene towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

It seems to me that for too long, citizens of my generation (Gen X) have been very indifferent towards politics. The system was so large and convoluted that we didn't think our voice mattered, so we ignored it thinking that we cannot influence the system. When we decided to actually vote in past elections, many of us felt as if our voice was completely ignored due to some dubious issues in the voting system. Many of us gave up.....that is until recently.

The election of the new President has certainly triggered a firestorm of public opinion and passion on all sides of the political spectrum. For a Democracy, this passion is a good thing no matter what side you are on. This passion has also ignited a sentiment among the citizenry to monitor and pay more attention to the political establishment. Now, with the presence of the Internet, a new kind of free press exists....one that allows the average citizen to instantly have their voices heard in public forums. While this has its drawbacks of course, such as giving people the instant ability to publish scrupulous and unsubstantiated claims, it makes people in the government think twice about their actions and words....they know that the people are watching and can call them out on their actions. In a very real sense, it keeps them honest.

Plato was right, it is important for the people to pay attention and not get comfortable. There are things happening everyday in our government that go unnoticed that directly affect us. Some good and some bad. The point is that political apathy is not an acceptable quality in a citizen of the most poweful country in the world. All actions or inaction create an outcome of some kind. These outcomes not only affect us, but those around us well....including people of other nations. So the question now is, what outcome do you want for yourself, for your family, and your nation?

Pay attention and speak up when necessary. Otherwise, it is not our Democracy that fails us as so many of us might feel, it is WE who fail our Democracy.

Freedom and Ancient Greek Theology

To the ancient Greeks, the concept of Freedom (ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ) was an assumed state of being. It was an inherent aspect of the universe (KOSMOS) and human life (BIOS). For some of the more mystical Hellenic traditions, it is even conceptualized as being a kind of "natural law" or a part of the cosmic order and logic of the universe (LOGOS), not unlike the laws we find in physics. For Hellenics, natural law applies to all things, at all times and while it has the potential to be violated, such a situation is not without its consequences. The Hellenic view of Freedom also goes much farther in scope than the philosophical dilemma of "free will" that many religions seem to struggle with. To Hellenics, there is no debate about the existence of our freedom. The only struggle we deal with is about how to protect this natural law against what the ancients called 'tyrants', those people who want to deny other people their natural freedoms.

Today, religious extremists use their religion to promote intolerance and insist on violating the freedom of others. This can only happen with a worldview that insists that the KOSMOS is inferior to some higher spiritual imperative or dimension. To Hellenics, this idea is completely irrational. In one version of our creation myth, both Creation (THESIS) and Nature (PHYSIS), two of the primeval forces/deities (PROTOGENOI) who are present at the beginning of the KOSMOS are themselves expressions of the highest spiritual imperative. This tells us that everything in the Universe, is inherently sacred, including all of humanity which came later. Logical consistency demands, then, that there are no exceptions to this idea. This requirement for consistency is what binds the Law of Freedom (ELEUFTHERIA) to the notion of Equality (ISONOMIA).

Hellenics also view the idea of diversity (POLYMORPHIA) as a form of natural law that extends from our theology and applies to all areas of the KOSMOS. This concept is reflected in the scientific reality of biodiversity. It is not an opinion or a belief, even though some may choose to view it in that manner, it is still an observable fact of nature, an aspect of LOGOS. Therefore, Hellenic religion requires that Diversity be respected.

At a time where fundamentalism seems to be on the rise and religious theology is used to support the hatred and intolerance of others, it is empowering to know that the concepts of Freedom, Equality, and Tolerance have both theological and philosophical support from an ancient and profound source. For Hellenics, these very ideals are not just words for us, they are direct expressions of the Gods themselves. These are the very things that allow us to improve both ourselves and our societies. They must be expressed, promoted, and vigorously protected when necessary.

The Listening Project and Socrates

I just finished watching a film called, "The Listening Project". Here is the description taken from the LinkTV website http://www.linktv.org/programs/the-listening-project:

"The Listening Project follows four unique Americans through fourteen countries – from a Shanghai hip-hop club to a war-ravaged Kabul neighborhood to a village at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro – in each place asking, "what do you think of America?" In beautifully-photographed locales, we encounter fascinating and diverse characters who reveal not only the impact of the U.S. on their lives, but also their perspectives on crumbling empires, human fellowship, and what it means to be a citizen in a globalized world."

Commentary

I've always known that people from other parts of the world have very strong opinions about American foreign policy and globalization. But, I've also known that despite the negative opinions about our country, people seem to understand that American citizens are separate from those policies, which are made by our government. In fact, I experienced this perspective during my travels to Greece. The Greek people I met there made it clear that they did not dislike us as people, they disliked our government policies (this was during the Bush administration). It turned out that I agreed with them. So, the film's message (which was the message from other people in the world) was not a revelation for me. However, seeing and hearing what different people had to say about the U.S. was very moving.

Socrates once said, "I am not an Athenian or Greek, I am a citizen of the world." Now, I do not necessarily believe in unrealistic ideas like world unity, world peace, "One Love", etc.... because I believe Strife is an inherent part of the KOSMOS. However, I cannot deny the real interconnection that exists among all of humanity as well as our shared responsibility for the health of our planet. These are things we need to deal with if we expect to progress, if not survive.

Socrates declared himself a citizen of the world. Why? Was that some sort of arrogant statement he was trying to make prior to his state sponsored execution? I don't believe it is. I think Socrates was wise enough to understand, while facing death (or perhaps because of that fact), that human beings are all part of something larger and share a responsibility to each other. This is not some ideological fancy, it is a reality with real consequences. Unfortunately, those consequences are never seen by most Americans because of political maneuvering on the part of our politicians and the sanitizing of our mainstream media. We need to be willing to bite the hand that feeds us and find our own food, so to speak. We now have the ability to search out alternative methods of connectivity and sources of information that allow us to be independent and find out for ourselves what is going on. This film is one of those sources in my opinion.

There are no easy answers and finding the right or best solutions is often very difficult. But, as someone wise once told me in Greece, progress never comes without struggle.

The Virus of Fundamentalism

Have you ever heard of "Atheist fundamentalism"? I did, just this morning on my local public radio station, KCRW. For the actual show, check out the following website:

http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp061201the_new_atheists

The label "atheist fundamentalist" was used by an atheist on the show who comes from the "old school", which believes in religious tolerance and mutual respect, to describe a new movement among atheists which aggressively attacks religion, evangelizes their message, and displays intolerance. So now, there is a schism that exists in the atheist movement between the older movement and this new movement......ironic isn't it?

What really makes this story so illuminating is that it demonstrates two things:

1. Fundamentalism is no longer relegated to the realm of the "ignorant religious population".

2. Atheism is turning into a religion of its own and now has its own leadership and sects.

It saddens me to hear that fundamentalism has now infected both the religious and the scientifically minded alike. The debate is no longer about science vs. religion but fundamentalism vs. moderation. Fundamentalism tramples on the virtues of Respect, Tolerance, and Freedom no matter what label it comes in.

Hellenization vs. Conversion: Which is it?

When discussing religion, people often talk about conversion. "I converted to (insert name of religion here)." This term, at least in the Western world, has most often been associated with the Christian tradition as well as others. But does this term apply to Hellenic religion? I would argue that the answer is no. Here's why:

Let's begin by looking at the term conversion itself. A quick online search on the website Freedictionary.com yields this definition:

Conversion:

1.a. The act of converting. b. The state of being converted.

2. A change in which one adopts a new religion, faith, or belief.

The term implies a simple change of belief or faith. But is this what really happens when someone discovers Hellenic religion? Do they simply convert to a new set of beliefs or is there something more that happens?

On the surface, this change does occur. People see that the individual has simply gone from religion A to religion B. This person might talk about different deities and myths than they once did, if they did that at all. I would argue however, that what actually happens, based on my experience, is a process akin to receiving a secular education rather than simply receiving a purely religious one. Hellenic religion requires, by its nature, inquiries into science, philosophy, linguistics, history, and politics, aside from theology and mythology. Again, this process is more akin to a secular University education than it is to religion.

So, if its not simply 'conversion', then what term should be used to accurately describe what happens?

I suggest using the term Hellenization. This is actually a term that was used in ancient times to describe the same process I explained above. To become "Hellenized" meant that you would come to understand, not just believe, the universe from a Greek perspective. The ancient Greek worldview was predicated on understanding the natural world as well as honoring the more mysterious aspects of the universe aka the Gods. It meant that the individual was granted, by natural right, freedom of thought, speech, movement, and opinion. Asking tough questions and applying Reason to obtain answers was an inherent quality of the tradition. In essence, the individual did not simply change their beliefs, the individual was educated about the universe.

As modern Hellenists, we are not called to do missionary work of any kind. In fact, going out to people and preaching to them about our methods, beliefs, or views without their consent would be a gross violation of our own values which are based on personal freedom and choice. Our tradition is not interested, shouldn't be anyway, in the number of people we "save" or bring to our Gods. I believe that our Gods prefer free thinking men and women who come to Them on their own accord by way of Reason and Experience, rather than just on Faith alone.

Slavery is not welcome here.