In a perfect world, where people truly care for each other, there is a need for only
minimal government, leaving room for everyone to create anything they desire with as
little interference as possible. But, as long as the ego is running the show, a greater
government body is needed to protect people from those who care more for their own
interests than the needs of anyone else. Such people have been separated through
indoctrination from their internal connection with God and their Oneness with everyone
else. Their lives revolve around ego gratification, with little thoughts of others.
The community which has neither poverty nor riches
will always have the noblest principles.
- Plato -
On many occasions I have witnessed the dark side of people awakened when it
comes to feeding their ego gratifi cation through greed and money. I have attended
funerals where “good” religious people—who claimed their goodness through their
Sunday church attendance and reading of the Bible—were arguing over who would get
what material goods from the deceased even before the casket was in the ground, instead
of living as role models with their lights shining from within. The drama would
continue when later discussions about material objects ended in physical fi ghts and
ongoing family feuds. I have also personally witnessed elders and everyday hardworking
people being victimized and tricked out of their hard-earned savings by people with
slick appearances or so-called reputable institutions—all out of greed—forcing the
good people into a life of helplessness. This lack of compassion and disrespect for our
fellow human beings is the work of the dark forces, which are the evil forces at work.
Too many people have forgotten that their obligation is to serve a higher purpose
than themselves by caring for one another. The falling away from this important spiritual law can be seen ramatically in all parts of society among all types of people.
But instead of viewing this as a failure, it’s important to recognize that this effect has
resulted from society’s belief that feeding the ego is satisfying. Even though most people
realize that ego gratifi cation is not the correct way to live, we all get caught up in the
competitive urges to prove we can succeed based on society’s standards.
Along with everything else we have received from God, we have also been blessed
with free will. The choices we make—even those that are in opposition to what we
know is the correct way to live—create our realities from which we can learn and grow
as individuals, as groups, as a nation, and as a world. And it’s ironic that our opportunities
for growth can sometimes be greatest when we are led astray by ego gratifi cation.
This is one of the best ways for us to learn, grow, and evolve so that eventually we can
create heaven on earth. A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve,
not the desire to beat others.
- Ayn Rand -
There is a strong lesson to be learned from the present economic conditions and
meltdown that are affecting everyone. Instead of being fearful by what we face during
this diffi cult time, we should thank God and be grateful for the opportunity to be
reminded of what is the truth. Because once we realize the truth of what is happening,
prolonging a bad situation—either personally, as a group or a nation—does nobody
any good, as it only stops us from growing. When something has gone wrong it is
important to recognize the source of the problem, which is usually the belief system
that led us astray. Trying to right a wrong by intervening based on the same belief system
will only cause the situation to continue. Instead of throwing more money into
ineffective parts of the economy, we must recognize that those parts that are not working
need to adapt or cease to exist. The economy needs to be dealt with the same way
as our individual lives in regard to spirituality. To correct a situation, it’s of great importance
to change what caused the collapse, otherwise it will be like treating a junkie by
giving him or her more drugs, instead of having him or her detox.
The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction,
is the first and only object of good government.
- Thomas Jefferson -
God gave us the tools to make wiser choices. But many people were tempted by the
ideas of those who discovered that ego-based competition and a system of stealing from
others was a means to financial gain, and we bought into their faulty system. Many
people forgot that there are no shortcuts to success, that hard work and dedication are
required to achieve anything of value in life. Too many people chose to run our economy
to its knees by feeding their egos, which is a result of society’s indoctrination—
victimizing people by convincing them to make wrong financial decisions while not
informing them of the consequences. Agreeing to go along with such a scheme is wasting
the precious chance at life we have been given. Worse yet, instead of creating lives
that are aligned with God in Oneness, we are wasting our existence.
Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government
when it deserves it.
- Mark Twain -
The good news is that during down times we have many more opportunities to
learn. What we do next to change—and this means how we choose to think and what
kind of reality we choose to create for ourselves—will determine whether our lives from
this moment forward will be lived as part of God’s kingdom. If so, the ego needs to be
dis-empowered and replaced with love for something greater than ourselves. Then we
will be contributing to creating heaven on earth. |
