Prophets

Prophets, seers, have been present in societies as long as societies have kept record. Unfortunately, societies contaminated by majority religious cultism often assume that prophets must come from their religious cults. These societies assume that foresight must be wed to religious conformity. This is a basic flaw of cultism, or religion. Al Gore, Gore Vidal, Michael Moore, Howard Zinn...these are a few of our modern prophets. These people are committed to extending themselves to bring the message of their educated foresight to the public consciousness. Not only for praise or profit. As science sheds light on the Universe, men of learning and science will more and more become the prophets of humanity, all of humanity. It is part of my own practice to listen to them, to learn from them and to steer my own path in part by the light of their intelligence. I see this as another use of my intelligence to achieve personal evolution.

G-8

Last week, the puppets of the world's greediest people, the so-called "world leaders", met in Germany, where they fawned on each other with embraces and applause, while thousands of committed, brave and mindful protesters were kept miles away by the fascist troops of the global corporatocracy (the government constituted by the concerted influence of corporations on world governments). This summit was not reported in this light by any of the several radio, television and mainstream Internet outlets I frequent. I feel I need to add my view here in this obscure space, because the number of those who are awake to the evils of fascist and oligarchic domination of the population of the world seems to be shrinking. How has the age of information brought us to this place? How has the age of information allowed for this surrender of the masses to economic and psychological enslavement? Perhaps this is simply evidence that knowledge itself does not bring mindfulness unless incorporated into practice. The practice of living in the light of truth, honesty with oneself and others in all things, does not allow for submission to the powers who are now trampling on human rights, the environment and the core values of civic responsibility to the people of the world, not the elite. As can be seen clearly in those whose forebears have submitted to slavery, the road back from enslavement is much longer than the road to submission.

Atheism

There is a renewed interest in atheist thought after the domination and disastrous involvement of fundamentalist theism in world affairs over the past twenty years. Running to atheism from fanaticism may be seen as a polar reactionary step away from personal evolution. However, I would prefer to face a room full of angry atheists than a room full of religious fanatics of any stripe. I think my odds of leaving a room of atheists alive are much better. The key to atheism's eventual development into secular humanism is the individual person's acceptance that he/she has only this life to live for better or worse. This places the betterment of the human race on human, not divine, shoulders. My daily practice entails looking at each day as potentially my last chance to be the kind of human being I aspire to be in each moment as it comes.