The Life & Death Potential of Philosophies

I am amazed at how ideas can bring about bloodshed and death.  Today, here in the United States, a handful of people are reacting to ideas and philosophies of which they are not fully conscious.  Most American people - Black American (like me), White American (like one of my best friends), Hispanic American (like a young man I mentor), Asian

American (like several of my co-workers and friends in my church), are functionally moderate in their political and philosophical positions.  Many are not aware of the underlying values that drive them.

Regardless, most Americans - although unaware of their own inner guiding principles - do NOT want death, violence, or destruction.  They also WANT... desperately want to believe that they themselves believe that all people are equal.  Read that again.  They desperately want to believe that they themselves believe that all people are equal.  A simple way of stating this is to say, "I am not a racist!"  This is especially a problem for White Americans because of the history of this country.

Those on the RIGHT are pushing hard to acknowledge progress in the area of racial relations in the United States. They focus on progress that emphasizes that slavery and legal Jim Crow laws no longer exists. Gone are the days the first white settlers had black or indigenous people as slaves (around AD 1619). We have abolished laws that forbid interracial marriages and force segregation (note the years AD 1964 to end segregation and AD 1967 to end laws against interracial marriage).  But I ask - why emphasize something that can't be legislated - the change in the hearts of men?  Such philosophies and ideas that allowed for such laws were realized during our lifetimes (Adults who saw such laws are now in their 70's as of this writing.)  I am no sociologist, but what does it take to change a society and move them away from such long lasting philosophical ideas that was the underpinnings for murder, violence, hatred, bigotry, prejudice, and the like?  Such things cannot be simply erased easily, thus there are many today who reject the extreme RIGHT and rightfully recognize systemic inequities.

Which leads me to those on the LEFT.  These people accept a broad, utopian philosophical foundation that ignores certain realities such as human sexuality (we are - by definition, binary) and certain economic realities (certain people will always be super wealthy).  The rhetoric of the LEFT accuses those on the RIGHT of almost being inhuman - they are not "Woke" and maybe not unconsciously ignorant, but purposely and inherently racist! But I ask - why emphasize something that is logically impossible?  Statistically (and I am not yet a researcher who appropriately understands statistics and how to use them...), it is not likely that most White people inherently hate black people!  The riots and marches of the last 6 months seem to show the plausibility of what I have written.  Such accusations cannot be simply accepted as uncontested facts uncritically applied to President Trump and millions of other White Americans.

What then shall we do?  How do we speak truth to power that really is TRUTH and not just my truth or your truth?  There are indeed ABSOLUTES within the broad context of human life and civilization on this planet.  A context that spans about 9,000 years of known human history, verified by archeologist and anthropologist on the RIGHT and the LEFT!  What then is the foundation for such a philosophical claim?  I am a Christian, and thus, I have a comprehensive Christian worldview.  This view ignores the RIGHT and the LEFT and seeks to promote real biblical TRUTH.  My philosophical claim is this:  An authentic Christian worldview is NOT trying to make America into a great nation by promoting conservative values NOR by fighting for social equality and what is known as social justice.

The TRUTH of the gospel of Jesus Christ existed before the United States and will exist after we are all dead, IF, one of the major elements of such a worldview remains unrealized -that is the hope in the resurrection and the return of Christ.  An authentic, orthodox, Christian Worldview will instill compassion and equality, love and justice - tempered with mercy.  This worldview when internalized, will  place such ideas in the hearts of her adherents.  When a person is converted to Christ, these ideas must take over - not the nationalism or the tribalism that permeates our current culture as Americans.   Sure, go out and vote.  Write to your congressman and congresswoman.  Take a job as a civil servant and even run and be elected. However, if an authentic Christian worldview is the underpinning philosophy of your heart, then politically you will probably appear moderate on most things, possibly extreme on a few, and yet, always loving, honest, and courageous.  Of course, this ideal picture assumes a level of spiritual and emotional maturity that also springs from a Christian worldview..

But let me get back to the common, moderate, American citizen and finalize my entry.  Most people, as I stated earlier, do not want the extreme.  The bloodshed and rioting is not desired but neither do they want the socio-economic inequities that exists and are very real! Sure, there has been progress over the last 155 years since the civil war, but there are very real and very unequal issues in this society that statistically are divided across ethnic, social, and economic lines.  For the LEFT or the RIGHT to deny such is to deny reality.

How then can the masses live, promoting a moderate stance that avoids extremes? I don't know!

Just today I saw two people argue over something as trivial as giving and getting directions - and these were two black folk!  Yet, they simply wanted to live in peace, going on with their simple, everyday lives! 

How do we promote peace and avoid extremes in America? I really don't know.  However, I do know that if one person turns to God and begins to grow and develops an authentic Christian worldview as their underlying philosophical foundation it will help. Even if they are not aware of philosophy, this changed person can lead a life that will help, serve, and love other people regardless of who that other person is or what that other person believes.  Jesus loved the sinner, even as he did not promote or encourage sinful ideas or behavior.  Wow!  We need more people like that!