Earlier today I responded to a comment Liberal Journal Man made here at Wandering the Ether, and I am having a difficult time moving beyond it. I think it would be accurate to say that the sentiment behind my reply is now devouring the periphery of my thoughts. Part of me yearns to have this question answered, while the rest of me knows it probably never will, because that would require that we (all of us) acknowledge that these problems exist.
It really is the right thing to do. We spend so much of our time and energy (socially) focusing on religion, claiming that without it humanity would have no moral compunction to honor one another, but what I see is a society that hides behind the illusion of ethics while laying claim to the world's largest population of homeless, preventing it's citizens from being healthy. All the while making it extremely costly to seek a higher education.Education. Health care. Homelessness. In my mind these three issues represent our greatest social challenges as Americans. Or rather, these are the three great taboos that we seem collectively intent on avoiding. There is plenty of discussion, but where is the funding? Where is the reform? Of what value is all the talk, sans the walk? Would anyone mind explaining to me how we can scrounge up the money to pay corporate hit men to kill people, but we feign bankruptcy when it comes time to heal people?
Is that the goal here? To have as many people as possible homeless, sick, and uneducated?
Did you know that according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, as of 1999 roughly 1 in 4 homeless people in America were veterans?
Did you know that the price of college tuition again rose faster than the inflation rate this year, climbing 6.6 percent at four-year public schools and outstripping increases in financial aid?
Did you know that in 2003 the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of Americans without health insurance jumped sharply for the second year in a row, up 2.4 million to 43.6 million, 15.2% of the population?
The reason I mention religion in the original quote, is because so many of us seem intent on using that as a crutch. Most of the Americans who affiliate themselves with a religion believe that in doing so, they are automatically living their lives in accordance with a higher moral principle. Yet these problems still exist within our society, despite the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey revealing that 80% of the U.S. population claims to be Christian.
My Christianity may be a bit rusty these days, but even I am aware that modern American culture doesn't come close to mirroring the world Christ spoke of, and this brings me to the very precipice of the question which currently burdens my thinking. If 80% of America's children claim to be Christian (caring, compassionate, giving, loving, nurturing), WHY DO WE HAVE THESE PROBLEMS?
Image borrowed from Democratic Underground
10 comments:
I wish I could answer that question.
This country is all about profit. Even those who make very little, are living paycheck to paycheck in more conservative parts of the country are brainwashed into ignoring the fact of their shitty substandard education and minimum wage and worrying about national security and borders.
Their families will never get out from under, will always work at Walmart, but god damn it they have been convinced the borders will be safe from those damn Mexicans, and those damn Muslims won't try to kill them.
Veterans and the care they receive may be the one thing that is starting to open people's eyes.
Give them their PSP's and a good does of Xanax or some other new profitable pharmaceutical and they are all good. I do fear for us on this.
My Christianity may be a bit rusty these days, but even I am aware that modern American culture doesn't come close to mirroring the world Christ spoke of...
Got it in one, Dave. I wrote a post in recent days on mega-churches and how it was false religion. Really following the Word requires giving to the needy and being kind to one's fellow man or at the least being civil.
Excellent question, Dave, with respect to the issue of "giving" or not, in this case. My middle son and I were discussing how much in contributions some of the mega churches collect and where it goes beyond housing a congregation with a massive church. But that's how it's always been.
I've been sifting through the numerous requests for contributions we've received in the mail over the last few weeks and am scratching my head to decide what to give to and what to throw away -- a little to all? There are sooooooo many...
As far as medical insurance goes, I was fortunate to have excellent coverage for many years. Because I quit before retirement age, I've had to purchase insurance for an unbelievable amount just to keep us from going bankrupt if something should happen. We don't go to the doctor because the deductible is too high. And we're "fortunate."
Yes, I've thought about those with less and wondered endlessly about all that money that's being pumped into that war.
I think I wrote a comment like this before, if I did, disregard this.
It all comes down to Hitler.
Within each person resides the capacity for greatness and wickedness. If we have leaders which appeal to our most uncompassionate selves, in a moment of weakness, as in Nazi Germany, most of us will comply and send the "jews" to the concentration camps. It doesn't matter if you were a monk who reads religious texts all day everyday or a repeat ex-con.
America itself was founded on racism. Many whites KNEW this was wrong, but their leaders, and the status quo, said it was OK. They ignored their own conscience.
Christianity and other major organized religions talk a talk, but don't walk the walk. A priest will often chide you for not coming to church, but if you confess to killing a man, "it's ok my son, God forgives you." It's about detachment from ourselves, our conscience.
The Republican Party in the last 40-50 years, (and I'm not blaming all of our woes on a political party, but they have played a unique and often central role) has appealed to our selfishness. It has used veiled message in terms of race. It has done the same with poverty ("welfare queens").
It is also important because it's how we're raised, too. And a lot of that is our time spent in school. And our leaders control education.
I just remembered a class in sixth grade where we had a representative of an energy company, Con Edison, talk about the virtues of natural gas. Someone in power authorized this, and tried to sear into a whole bunch of young kids minds the "virtues" of using their product.
Ultimately, it comes down to us. But when we our thought processes our controlled by our environment so much, and we are told to look outsides of ourselves for solutions rather than within, most of us fail to look to our own consciences.
Coop,
I wonder if it has anything to do with how we are discouraged against speaking out, starting at a very young age, whether it's a legitimate concern, or petty gripe, it all gets lumped into "complaining." With the inevitable follow-up being: "You really have no idea how good you have it, do you? There are children in other countries that go hungry every day!"
Thing is, I understand that line of thinking, because it is true, and we need to be able to see the world relative to how it really is. But at the same time, don't we also need to differentiate between "boo hoo I can't have a second piece of cake and that stinks," vs "there sure are a lot of people without access to health care, and that stinks?"
You're absolutely right. All sides against the middle. Mexicans, Muslims, Wal-mart employees... we must all loathe and fear one another, because without that we might organize. Hmm, toys and drugs will subdue the masses, and we can get rich supplying them. Nice. Real nice.
James,
We could even add to that a personal desire to to be a compassionate, loving neighbor for goodness sake.
Reminds me of the horse that is lead to water, but then refuses to drink.