Just Throwing This Out There...
How important is community? How important is country? How important is family? How important is lineage? How important is religion? To what level should one honor and serve these things? I don’t know the answers, and I’m sure it differs depending on who you ask, but I’m willing to put them in order of importance…
1. Family
2. Community
3. Country
4. Religion
5. Lineage
Many might disagree with my priorities, but there’s a method to the madness. Family is the most important because it has the most direct, immediate, and has the most lasting impact on who a person is. Chances are if your family is screwed up, you’re going to be too.
Community is number two because it has the second most powerful effect on our daily lives. I am using community in a pretty broad sense to mean the town or county we live in, our friends and neighbors, local politicians, etc. These are people we tend to know personally (except maybe for the local politicians – although we should know them).
Country is third because, depending on what country you’re from, you could go your entire life without having anything to do with the federal government (outside of taxes), without stepping foot in a federal building, without voting, without watching the national news, and still be a happy, well adjusted person – maybe even more so than if you were involved – but it is still relatively important to participate. Large governments could run amok without strict supervision.
Religion I put as fourth because I acknowledge the impact it has on many people’s lives and I acknowledge that it is often a positive part of community but I think if one’s personal faith in himself and what (s)he believes to be God is strong, then a powerful organized religion can actually be detrimental (this blends into my next point).
Lineage I put as last because, outside of curiosity, what does it really matter? The suffering that various peoples have had over the centuries is no trivial matter, to be sure, but the fact (or assumption) that we may be descended from one of those peoples does not mean we necessarily share their suffering. African Americans (and all those descended from the African slave trade) had their heritage stolen from them and that is absolutely tragic. I understand any “African” wanting to embrace African culture and trying to get a piece of that heritage back, but it will never erase the slave trade. It will never bring back their lost culture. As far as I’m concerned it’s the same with Jews. The physical land now called Israel has changed so much and has been conquered and/or desecrated by so many peoples, how can it be “theirs” anymore? Why does it need to be? I’m not necessarily suggesting the dissolution of Israel, I’m just saying that it’s better to make the most of what we do have than to focus on what we think we’re owed from generations past.
My general point is this: if we all focused on family, community and country, in that order, and focused less on religion and lineage, we might be able to make some serious progress as “children of the Earth”. Think what would happen if the Israelis and Palestinians decided they didn’t care about the holy land any more; if they realized that God is all around and inside each one of them, so why worry about any particular geographical location. What if all the theocracies in the Middle East were replaced with secular democracies? That’s what most Westerners want anyway, isn’t it? How could that be done? They’d have to move religion from #1 on the list to #4. Obviously they’re not going to do that, but it’s food for thought for those of us who are “proud as hell to be Irish” or foist our “Christian morals” on others. We shouldn’t be ashamed to be Irish or Christian by any means, but we shouldn’t be “proud” to the extreme either. Lineage and religion are parts of where we came from, but they’re not really a part of who we are as individuals. At least that’s my take. It’s an over simplification but, like I said in the heading, I’m just throwing it out there.
posted by Smorgasbord @ 3:05 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
For me and my wife it goes:
1. Religion
2. Family
3. Country
4. Community
5. Lineage
I always refer to myself as American, not "Irish-American". Yes, I have an Irish heritage but I was born and raised in the U.S. by parents who were born and raised in the U.S., who were ... you get the idea. So the lineage thing is out as it goes beyond "American".
God is first because my faith is that God created me, you, my neighbors, even France. My faith is also that God revealed Himself to us and gave us instructions for living a happy and fulfilled life - sort of like an owner's manual for your soul. Can you achieve that without religion and faith and those instructions? Sure, its just more difficult.
Everything else, family included, flows from my faith in God. Just one person's perspective.
As for the Israelis and Palestinians, lets step back. The Jews were living in that area before it became Israel in modern times. That area was also under British control. It isn't like the Jews wrested the land from Arabs. There were so many Jews in that area that the U.N. proposal was to create a Jewish country with pretty much the same borders as Israel has today.
It was the Arabs who decided the Jews are so detestable that they needed invading and exterminating. The Israelis have simply defended themselves. It sucks for the Arabs that Israel kicked their butt, I suppose. I would have to disagree that it's the religious element on the part of Israel that causes trouble in the Middle East. History has shown pretty clearly that Islam has trouble living peacefully with any non-Islamic neighbor.
Good post, Smorg and thought provoking. I think it says something about one's life perspective when he outlines his priorities in such a way.
I will do the exercise, and somewhat try to explain the mind of Jack. Some of my thoughts are somewhat like Sean's.
1. Faith
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Community
5. Country
6. Lineage/Heritage
I come to these conclusions based on how I was raised. You had mentioned religion, but I am not a "religious" person per se. I have a deep-seated faith, but forms, denominational makeups, ritual, association and a lot of things that go along with religion are not a part of it. My faith is as endemic to my personality as anything, and dictates a good majority of what takes place down the chain. For example, my faith teaches me love and forgiveness. This affects everything below it. So, for example, when a family member has done me wrong, (which has happened on multiple occasions) the blanket of faith supercedes what I do about it and react to them. Because of this, regardless of what is done to me, I can react in love and forgiveness whether the family member or friend is receptive of it or not. By placing my faith at my center, it is what affects the outcome of every other category in my life--even superceding circumstance. I agree with what you say about religion, it has caused great harm to others. But true faith is the origination and application of the golden rule ("do unto others as you would have them do unto you", and "let each esteem-love-others greater than themselves") , and anything that deviates from that is "religion" not "faith". I would have to place "religion" at the bottom of the pile.
Family is next, but in a close heat with friends. I have friends that I am just as close to as family. It is interesting how this plays out. I have an ex-brother-in-law who my sister left. She did him wrong, but I don't judge her for that. However, she has been very judgmental of me for maintaining a relationship with him as a friend. Here again, my faith--"what I am"-- inserts itself into the equation as I refuse to ostracize him like much of my family has, simply because she does not like him anymore. I was accused of choosing "him" over family--an unfair accusation, but possibly in reality true.
Friends. I have many and dear. I have conservative friends, liberal friends, old, young, male, female. One of my closest is an "egg sucking" liberal (would make Shea look conservative!). We base our closeness and fellowship not on external influences and constructs, but rather internal. We don't base it on agreement, we base it on respect and love. Smorg, this is the reason that most people don't get along, and are prone to hurl insults and hurt others. We take ourselves so seriously. I respect my friend even though I RARELY agree with him. I would give my own life for his in a heartbeat.
Like you I would say community is important. I am part of several "communities" though, and maintenance of each is demanding. For example, where my church is there are many things that need to be done. We have many outreaches into that community to help those in need.
Country. I love my country, but realize what makes the country. It is not the government, it is not the beautiful landscape or towering monuments that we have built. It is not the military or our educational institutions. America is a country made up primarily of good hard working, self-sacrificing individuals like you, Mochi and Shea. It is the person working in the next cubicle, the neighbor across the street, the cop on the street corner, the soldier in Iraq. I have lived most of my life outside of the U.S. but wherever I have gone it has remained in my heart.
Overall, though, I think that what one is, is often where one is centered. I prefer to become the influence rather than be influenced (not always accomplished), so my priorities are set in that way. Categories 2-6 may let me down, but my faith --who I am-- never will if I remain true to it.
-Jack
I agree with you Jack. When I put my list together I could have said "Faith in" Family, "Faith in" Community, etc. Everyone has faith in something, and it's an extremely important part of life - who/what you choose to put your faith in. Also, I include friends in the family and/or community categories depending on the level of friendship I have with the person.
With regard to Sean's comments, my hypothetical scenario in which everyone stops caring about their religion was directed more at Middle Eastern Muslims than anyone, but I think it's universally applicable. I believe in Israel and the Jews' right to have a country. I acknowledge that they were trespassed against by Arabs, and the current state of things over there is more the fault of Arabs than Jews.
Obviously you are a religious man, Sean, and that's fine with me. So don't please don't take any disrespect while I extend my hypothetical for a minute... I live in Boston where the priest sex scandals were most rampant. I know many devout Catholics who, until recently, would always take the word of a priest over their own child - he was a conduit for God's Word, after all, so he knew what was best, always. That sort of blind faith in an institution is scary to me. Spirituality and one's personal vision of God aside, organized religion is frequently used as an excuse to do crazy things. If all the Palestinians looked within themselves to find Allah and realized that the physical placement of their mosques doesn't matter one bit, than there wouldn't be much to fight about. Israeli settlers in Gaza, for instance, could do the same. Why do they need to be on that particular piece of soil? Does it really matter? I think it would be much easier for peace to grow in that region and others if people stopped being dogmatic about life and just focused on living the spirit of "God's" word - whoever your god may be.
So I believe in faith because everyone has it and everyone needs it. I believe that faith in family, community, and country is necessary in that order. I believe one should employ an increasing amount of skepticism as they move down the list, being most skeptical of organized religion and pride in one's bloodline. I don't think that all organized religion is bad, but I think it is often misused - like a corrupt corporate giant or government. That's why I say that if people focused less on it and more on family and community, they would get along better. Israelis and Palestinians, like it or not, are part of the same community. The quicker they accept that reality in their hearts, the quicker they will be able to live with one another in peace.
Wise words, Smorg. The reason I made a distinction between faith and religion is because the two are not the same. Sean may have been speaking in the same way, also, but I don't know him so I can't say for sure.
Religion has done much evil, but also much good. But religion is often the construct of fallible man, and as such is rife with the problems of mankind. You had mentioned the Catholics, and traditionally the Catholic Priests had given themselves the same degree of divinity granted Jesus Christ or God himself. They had even conferred upon themselves the power to forgive sins, and no man on earth had that right save one. Religion has done much to destroy faith, and therefore has to be viewed with the same circumspection as any other earthly man-controlled institution.
For this reason I do not place my faith in man or the "church", but solely in God. God is love, God is perfect, therefore I need to strive toward these ideals.
Also, what one puts their faith in is important because it determines what they are and determines how they treat everything below. I would have difficulty placing my faith in a god like Allah for instance if his message was to convert all of the earth to Islam or kill the infidel.
Smorg, your instincts are correct when you view "instituions" with some skepticism. "Wise as serpents, harmless as doves" we are told to be, and this includes dealing with many who masquerade as the agents of good, but in all reality are the servents of evil. (I realize I'm sounding a little "religious":)
Also, I agree to (and the Bible does) about one's "heritage" 1Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: [so do]. I have no control over my birthplace or my family background--it was luck of the draw, so why take pride in my "culture" when it is meaningless to my current state? Rather than glory in diversity, we should seek common ground and unity.
Good post, Smorg...great discussion!
-Jack
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