Around me, the world seems to be exploding. Distrust is rampant. I never thought I would live in such a violent and divided world.
The needs of the rich vs. the needs of the poor. Human rights vs. policies that benefit the few. The Supreme Court a tool of the executive branch. Law enforcement creating crimes instead of solving them. If that doesn’t sound the alarm bells take a closer look.
Elected politicians surrounded by corruption. The President a co-conspirator to rig the Presidential election in his favor–he won. Politicians from both parties immersed in sexual scandals. Racism everywhere while the levers of justice sleep. The wealthy, already with tax shelters, got tax cuts while homelessness rises — the gap between rich and poor widening to the point of indecency. I’ll tell you trickle-down economics does not work.
America is one of the most significant countries with a thriving economy, yet people can’t afford housing and the cost of living. Have we evolved in our priorities?
As I went through my usual day traversing the internet, barely aware of real life, I stumbled on this article, Children’s pastor, decorated detective, commits suicide after child porn found on church computer | The Christian Post. The poster microblogged his concern that the system failed the pastor. In my mind, the pastor used the get out life card to cheat the system. Furthermore, would the commenter care if the pastor was black? CDS makes you think that way.
What was reported seemed minor considering what other sex offenders did. Absent details there were many unanswered questions as to why the pastor would have nude images of 10-year-olds on the church computer? How did law enforcement come to suspect him?
I made a satirical comment, really minor. I didn’t expect the remark to turn into a thread where I was surrounded by “speechwriters.” It was unbelievable! I felt in the midst of a nightmare with pale haired people pounding the Bible, admonishing and preaching how I should feel.
What bothered me about the preaching was the disproportionate concern and love for the pastor. Accurate or not, the victims seemed an afterthought, not even brought up until I mentioned them.
A short while ago, a voice whispered, “Jesus lived among the wretched. “
My thoughts returned to the online encounter– could they be onto something? So I went back and reread the thread. In an atmosphere of distrust, communication is critical. There was no way I was going to dismiss or forgive the pastor when black people are killed without mercy or remorse. They should have known not to ask that of me after I expressed my views.
In an era of mistrust, communication is essential. Certain groups have become threatening. It’s a time when communication and cultural respect could go the distance in building trust. People will not agree on everything but agree to disagree and move on.
Conflict avoidance is not an option. The faster people realize that point, the more abundant the opportunities for building trust, working together, and working through our problems without resorting to violence. Communication and cultural differences are part of the learning process for anyone willing to listen and learn.
Re: “I never thought I would live in such a violent and divided world.” It was always so. Long b4 you and I were born, this stinky business was in session. It’s just that people had not so many tools (e.g. Internet) to see all the shit that was going on. The pest in “our” times is that too many assholes are using new available great tools like the Internet to deceive and confuse the masses, and hinder the few that are willing to truly communicate with an open agenda.
Like I claimed in https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cheat-roald-michel/ cheating is in, and honesty is (still) out.
“Cheating is in and honesty is out.” Your article touches on the culture of our times. We are wrapped up in “getting ahead,” whatever way possible. There is no Christianity in capitalism.
Censorship also hinder those “willing to truly communicate with an open agenda.” The search engines with their agendas determine which lies get eyeballs. The established media no matter how many times they lie or twist the truth are still authoritative sources.
Hi Angela, reading that blog post enlightened me. Re-blogged on my Facebook handle 🙂
Hi Pete, thank you. How were you enlightened?
Dear Angela,
great post! Anyway, mankind is sitting in this shit since long, but what is worrysome is that the means to errdicate the evils seem to get weaker and weaker in face of the growing power of the powerful! But we´ll not give up!
Cordial regards
Andreas
Hi Andreas, same because it’s glorified shit, packaged to entice evil deeds as virtues.
As always I appreciate your comments, thank you. Best regards
Re: “There is no Christianity in capitalism.” Christianity? Lmfao. So called Christians have messed up the world for ages, twisting the words of their God according to their rotten agendas whenever it suited them. And they still do. Your pastors and televangelists and the masses worshiping them are an example of that. It’s like Mahatma Gandhi once said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
And so it went with other religions, democracy, socialism, communism, justice, and psychiatry (to name a few). The underlying idea is not so bad, can even be great, but mainstream execution of same mostly sucks big time.
Interesting how Christianity took over. It’s everywhere! Try to get rid of it and meet the wrath of God in the form of threats and violence.
Religions have managed to identify targets and communicate in a manner that people give up family and wealth just to belong. Why are people obsessed with religion? How does it get into their heads to control their actions?
That was a great post as I’ve found myself trusting people less and less. I’m starting to agree more that conflict avoidance isn’t going to work. It’s about psychologically defending one’s self to preserve themselves from lies.
Hi Curtis, Good to see you! I always appreciate your comments.
It’s hard to trust people or know their motives. Some people are expert manipulators who plan complicated schemes where we are not even pawns on the table. In other words we’re expendable.
Yup! Conflict avoidance maintains the status quo. It doesn’t work when change is necessary.
Hey, Angela! It’s great hearing from you, too.
That’s true. I used to be a very trusting person, but I guess cynicism got the better of me. No disagreements there.
Very much so.
Re: “How does it get into their heads to control their actions?” Well….um…….when it comes to the Abrahamic ones, it’s because of the damned apple, eh? But then again, those coming from The Other People (e.g. me) have nothing to with that fruit. So, religion never could infect me and my people 👫 👭 👬 😈
It has forever been this way. Many of us have been lolled to sleep. Many of us forgot or choose to ignore this horrific slaving, raping, abusive, murderous and inhuman history we and our ancestors grew-up under.
Many of us have the minds-set of this bestiality is visited upon people in the South USA, when truth be known, the USA is south if Canada.
It is not just the USA inhumanity is heaped upon us, it is every continent in this world.
I am sure they were victims of their country’s brand of #CoInTelPro just as we are in the USA.
We must reach out and join hand all around the world…#ItIsTime!!
J7
Totally agree! Thank you for your comment.
I see signs of hope. However we need to ease up on each other. Not be so quick to embrace the white bandwagon of propaganda aimed at separating and filling us with self-hate.
It is time and some are doing magnificent things!
Unfortunately, many educated and affluent Blacks in position of authority are more racist than whites. And that is no accident! At the other end, many uneducated Black people worship ignorance.
We have to ignore both extremes and lock arms. #ItsTime
Thanks for your comment.