8.0.2.5 Disagreements Driven by Psychology or Politics

Version 1.1 August 2014                                    (Previous Version)

In these pages we are attempting to construct a comprehensive guide to life’s major decisions.  These involve emotionally driven choices, which may cause discomfort and resistance.  Our analysis in these ‘global beliefs’ of the causes of “evil� can be used to discuss what could cause some people to resist, ignore, deny or oppose this reasonable global way:

Fear                        Some will not be allowed – by their family, society or government – to contemplate changing their religion.  This especially happens in some Islamic countries and within some Christian and Hindu communities.  Totalitarian governments – especially Nazis, Communists, and others (such as Cambodia under Pol Pot) – also don't allow freedom of thought, so the populace lives in fear, and the rulers live in fear of the populace.  Typical liberal democracies do not have these fears.

Desperation            Some are too poor to even consider anything like this: they can hope only for minor improvements in the status quo. 

                               Some more affluent people will understand it all but not make life affirming decisions because life still seems hopeless and there is no connection to others or love in their life, which leads to depression, suicide, delinquency, drug abuse and demotivation.

Stupidity                Some will just find this presentation too complex – because they are congenitally, or as a consequence of unfortunate events, mentally incapable – and will seek an apparently simpler faith, because it is all they can do.  This is one of the paths to more simplistic fundamentalism.

Ignorance               Some will dismiss all this, thinking it achieves nothing, or that it has no basis, or it doesn’t matter, remaining unaware of views other than their own.  Many fundamentalists, especially in Christianity and Islam, are ignorant of the justifications of their own faith, and ignorant of why others hold other faiths or no faith.  This lack of knowledge is hard to overcome – we all don't know what we don't know.  We can only do our best to learn as much as we are able.

Thoughtlessness     Some will dismiss all this (and perhaps all religious or value based discussions) without even considering it, because they are busy or distracted.  This may be due to modern materialism, a youthful focus on growing up, social superficiality or shallow status seeking behaviour.

Insanity                  Some will see “realities� that aren’t there – malevolent gods, devils, spirits, or demons – and some believe themselves to be the next prophet or saviour.  They interpret their reality differently from the rest of us.  This can be difficult: it is sometimes hard to tell who is the prophet and who is having delusions.  We can only do our best to work out ways to tell them apart.

Selfishness              Some will withdraw to seek enlightenment only, and some will seek worldly wealth and status, to overcome their suffering, eschewing a deep involvement in life and love.  This may be successful as a short term strategy, but most people ultimately find it unsatisfying. 

In our analysis of the sources of “evil� we suggest that the appropriate responses to

fear, desperation, stupidity, ignorance, thoughtlessness, insanity or selfishness

often are, respectively,

empowerment, equity, guidance, education, self control, medical aid and forgiveness.

We address each of these approaches in Parts 6 and 7 where we consider personal and political guidelines, for us as individuals to improve ourselves and to address our global critical issue.

Even if there is no reason to fear or be desperate, an intelligent, aware, concerned, sane, compassionate person could still disagree with some of these ‘global beliefs’. 

• We suggest in the previous section that these are due to confusion, a form of ‘ignorance’: not knowing, understanding or feeling about the core propositions in the way they are intended. 
• The solution is not to disparage or ridicule such people but to try to explain away their confusion as best we can, in terms they understand, in their own language, using concepts from their own traditions.  Of course we still do this from our own perspective, but we can only try.
• We need to show all people why we adopt these views, to reveal to them our evidence and reasoning.  Learning is a process of discovery (finding new things), salvation (being saved from fear, ignorance or desperation), enlightenment (seeing the truth), of understanding the revelations that are presented to us.
• The best way to show that our way is best is to simply live it.