I'm just going to repeat here my original comment to oleeb:

oleeb, that is so moving! So good and true.

It's the kind of thing that should be shouted from the rooftops. And quoted by Obama. It is eloquent, powerful. It reaches right to the heart!

............

If you don't get enough traffic with the current title, then change it to something like:

bend the "arc of the moral universe"

I may have hawked his post. But the words and sentiments are oleebs's for sure.

Well said. Years ago I read a book by Nobel prize winning biochemist, Christian de Duve, Vital Dust, wherein he makes a case for the inevitability of life in he universe. In my own limited grasp of this concept I imagine the universe 'wants' to know itself, and life, including but not limited to homo sapiens, is manifested as a function of that tendency toward self knowledge. Totally oversimplified and partially confused, I know. Nevertheless, your statement "In a real sense, we owe it to the universe that produced us and bestowed upon us these tremendous powers of understanding, reason, learning, self-awareness and more.", struck a chord with that inclination of mine, that we are in fact here to go further, to become as fully self aware as possible as manifestations of the underlying longing of all beings, and the universe itself for self knowledge. Sound crazy? ...Perhaps.
Rec'd.

I actually have that story framed on the wall by my desk.

Frizzletoad, more than one spiritual tradition believes that the fate of the world is in the hands of only ten good people.

So, even if the selfishness of many is winning out, it may take only the good of some to make a difference, if not to even turn things around. For that reason it behooves those of us who "hear the call" to do what we can - in every way we can, small as those efforts may seem at the time.

Who would have believed, one year ago, that Obama would win?

Let's believe: Yes. We. Can.

I second TheraP's sentiments.

Frankly, if all of us who would like to see a better world did not believe that a handful or even one person can make a critical difference, I think life would be unbearable in many ways. What hope then eh? If this belief and faith really, in humanity, had no basis in reality it would be one thing, but there are inumerable instances where we know that a handful of people or an individual, with tenacity and conviction not only beat the odds but helped advance human progress.

I just reread this for at least the fourth time. This time I read aloud to Mr. TheraP. It gets better every time! This is the kind of thing youngsters used to memorize and declaim for prizes back in the day. I would put it in a textbook for every child to read and discuss. I would put it on a monument. This is a comment for the ages.

I understand you are humbled. Perhaps more so after these comments of mine.

At the same time you are ennobling our efforts here. I truly believe it is possible to tune into the wisdom of a moment. To capture its meaning. To do that eloquently. Allowing that wisdom to flow through you. I think each of us has that capacity at times. We help bring out the best in each other. That synergy makes a difference.

What beautiful thing it is to reach for the highest or the deepest in our humanity. And share that with others.

I deeply honor that.

Good points.

Personally, I think the problem is not religion or religionists per se. Gandhi and King were both deeply religious and they continue to inspire the whole world. Neither of them were dogmatic in their beliefs and they didn't insist on dogma for others. Mao, on the other hand, was not religious yet in some ways became a dogma himself. He was (among many other things both good and bad) responsible for a great deal of horror, suffering and death.

There are as many good as bad in every category. The kind of problems you mention that are often associated with religion, in my view, are the product of dogma and dogmatic belief systems that are rigid, and do not allow for adjustments, adaptation or change as circumstances change and/or knowledge increases. They all seem to share a resistance to modernity as well. They do a lot of denying. I think it is because they are fearful. Their dogma provides them comfort and unity in a rapidly changing, confusing and complicated world.

My view is that whenever dogmatic belief takes hold whether in religion, politics, business, or any other realm you see problems associated with it. Often those problems stemming from dogmatic rigidity become massive. I can understand why people condemn so many of the religious people of the kind you describe. Their behavior is often maddeningly ignorant, overbearing, childish, boorish, authoritarian and utterly unnecessary. Throughout history, we know that all those that cling to religious beliefs that are clearly either scientifically disproven or that fly in the face of common sense and the world as we know it eventually wane and disappear.

I think there are plenty of people out there who have beliefs that are simply shared, universal ideals that do not require a dogmatic approach. Anyway one gets there is okay with me.

I'm with ya! I certainly don't mean that people should give up the good fight, even if the odds are against them. I know my life has certainly been changed more drastically by the words of one than by the beliefs of millions. On the environment, however, I just don't think there is enough urgency, and I don't think there will be until a major catastrophe happens (and I know there are already terrible things happening, but I mean something harder to ignore), and by then it may be too late.

But I would certainly LOVE to be proven wrong, and I'll still keep doing what I can to help.