Ending materialism and beginning humanism

a reply to: onequestion

Sorry for posting so late, but I wanted to say that was beautiful post OneQuestion and great thread! I think many people would agree with you. (I certainly do!)

I suspect that in order to create a world based on love and compassion, people need to realize/remember how connected we are to one another. (And to everything else in existence)

And I agree that spirituality is a big part of it.

I don’t have any answers in regards to how we can foster more spirituality. Organized religion scares me. (Creeps me out in fact) But on the hand, I think a lot of people have a deep drive to find meaning in life…and if there weren’t so many distractions and stress, more people would seek it out.

Regarding karma, my thoughts will probably sound a little out there…but I will share them, because it would be a relief if someone can convince me otherwise, because these thoughts scare the crap out of me!

But I think Karma is 100% real, not in the sense that if I do something bad to someone, one day something bad will happen to me. (ie. I will get my comeuppance)

I think it’s more that, if I do something bad….I have quite literally done it to myself. It’s just a matter of perspective.

I think we all arise from and are connected to one grand (magnificent) consciousness. And that consciousness is experiencing everything simultaneously without being restricted by time/space.

Thoughts like that terrify/overwhelm me and make me want to grab everyone on the street and say “listen, just chill out and be kind --- stop hurting yourself!”

There may be improvements made in the running of this world when the old superstitions of the past are no longer considered before anything else, when the book is no longer judged by it's cover ( Fundamental Attribution Error).

When the machines we use to keep track and streamline distribution and production practices without considering race or sex or creed are allowed to do what they do best without our petty and ignorant beliefs and wants and selfishness feeding into the end result of the effort.

None of this matters until we allow something that cares nothing about anything decides how much of what to dedicate to whom out of simple utility and necessity.

The movies and books and such you see and read about evil computers and AI taking over the world and destroying mankind are a reaction by those who want things to stay as wrong as they have been forever, for fun and profit and status, are a reaction by those who want things to stay wrong forever....

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Songwriters

John Lennon

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