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    For the Sake of Righteousness

   Last week was spent in the sunny (and hot) Bahamas. 

   Among other activities such as swimming with sting rays and      snorkeling, my granddaughter and I climbed the steps of the      Sun Temple in Costa Maya.  In ancient times the top platform    was used to perform acts of human sacrifice in hope of                  influencing the gods to  provide an abundant harvest.  It was

   an honor to be chosen for this sacrifice and parents offered

   up their daughters willingly. Those who complied were the          self- righteous ones.

Their actions are not very different from those of radical Islamists today. Suicide bombers also have religious convictions that they are willing to die for.  Their certainty about the way things should be is imbedded in their psyche and their faith is so solid as to not be easily shaken.  In many Middle Eastern countries the families of suicide bombers are given a monetary reward for their loss and parents are esteemed for having produced such a religious child.

Christianity is no stranger to this phenomenon either.  Crusaders marched, maimed and killed for their faith and were respected if they died in the fight.  Those who today stalk abortion clinics and are ready to eliminate anyone not sharing their certainty also consider themselves to be among the righteous.  They are willing to spend a life in prison or even on death row in order to stand up for their beliefs.

Political movements too are rife with followers who substitute a love for humanity for a utopian ideal.  They trust their intuition implicitly and have little understanding of the words of Anatole France who said that, “even a little dog is the center of his own universe.” 

As an anthropology student I learned that cultures throughout time have developed their own beliefs, political systems and religious teachings. Many are faith based and people attach themselves to it with iron bonds.  Trained at an early age by parents and leaders their society's mores are imbedded in their heads.  Who is to say which one is right?

When my father had a conviction and wanted us to adhere to his teachings he blasted, “its my way or the highway.”  We kids conformed if we didn’t want to get in trouble.  We remained silent.

Fear to speak out and express uncertainty or a desire to do things differently is frowned upon in most cultures because people are more comfortable with the status quo. Most prefer to live in a dependable world.  Just think of how difficult it is for seniors to adapt to heavy metal music, purple hair and tattoos.

Just as was Socrates, I am wary of the unexplored life. I find it difficult to understand why people are so quick to come to conclusions based on feelings and faith and why scientific exploration is not embraced more rigorously.  As the earth changes over time so does our knowledge. New information needs to be incorporated in a minute by minute ritual.  It took an awfully long time for Europeans to accept that the world is round and men like Galileo suffered because of narrow thinking.

When it comes to righteousness I would rather err on the side of humanity and maintain the belief that people are doing their best to understand and live within the boundaries of their lives.  An enemy today, as we see with Germany and Japan, may be a friend tomorrow.  In my belief system there is no room for torture or killing. 

The challenge for the righteous person is to be understanding and caring.  This is sometimes more difficult than killing.  I advise those of you who have not already done so to watch Michael Moore’s latest movie, Where to Invade Next. He presents a number of solutions developed around the world for improving a sense of self-worth  and allowing for a more harmonious existence.