A United State of Israel Solution

Much of what I write is about faith and religion.  The area of politics is not my field.  My field is primarily theology.  But a Protestant theology with a clear Lutheran teaching of the two kingdoms, heavenly and earthly, spiritual and temporal, has been instilled in me.  But the modern state of Israel is a direct connecting point to the Bible by virtue of its name “Israel,” and the common ancestry of Israel’s descendents, the Jews, with the children of Israel in biblical days.  Moreover, because Israel is dear to me, having touched my life and heart while studying and living in this country, I do not hesitant to cross into the temporal arena, more commonly called “political,” in voicing my view and stating and explaining my position for a United State (or States) of Israel.

The United States of America has been a very solid supporter of the modern state of Israel since its creation in 1948.  But it only the last few years, the US has been officially advocating for the “Two-State” solution of a separate Israel and Palestine through the US Dept. of State and the Whitehouse as the solution to the Arab-Israeli political dilemma.   What was the solution pushed for before the “Two-State” solution in the last few years? 

The “One-State” Solution of a United State (or States) of Israel

Now most problems have more than one possible solution.  Curious, have you ever heard a “One-State” solution discussed or reported in the media?  I never have.  But using in part the United States as I model, I proposed the “One-State” solution of a United Israel.  In 2009, I posted this cause on Facebook, “a United State of Israel-Palestine.”  And  I emailed my thoughts and rationale to the then new US President Barack Obama and the US Secretary of the State Hillary Clinton, the latter who has clearly been pushing for the Two-State solution.

At this very beginning of my proposal, I realize that a United State of Israel is very idealist, and I know that most Israeli Jews and most Arab Palestinians (nor most Americans who will follow their leaders who are pushing for the Two-State solution as if it’s the only solution) would not give it any serious attention.  In their realities, there is such a mighty wedge and division between the Israeli Jews and the Arab Palestinians, that living in separate (but very adjacent nations) is the only way to live in next-best thing to “peace”.  I proposed the “United State of Israel” anyway, because it NEEDS to be positioned.  It is the necessary yin of the yang to balance out the whole.

The highlights of the rationale for my position as posted as a Facebook Cause (which search for last month did not find) is this:

The Two-State solution is a more cowardly solution and one that will not achieve peace, but will only continue to foster prejudice, stereotypes, and hatred between the two groups separated by the Wall of Separation.

Whereas, the United State(s) or One State solution is a more noble and courageous solution which will take much more effort and sweat in our generation, but will reap sweet fruit of peace for the many in the future.

Moreover, the dividing line and the geography of this small country is absolutely not conducive to two separate nations.  And the one state of the “Two-State” solution, namely Arab Palestine, is itself divided.  Gaza strip is entirely separated from the other Arab Palestinian territories of the West Bank.  The current “Wall of Separation” being built is basically along the Green Line which was drawn by the British during the British Mandate after World War II, a foreign occupying nation who were new to this area of the Middle East.

When it comes to temporal affairs, state issues, political realty, we should always keep in mind that the world’s state political leaders focus on resolving the POLITICAL aspect of the problem. But the problem is more deep and complex than just the political as I know that many statesmen including Tony Blair, former prime minister of Britain, knows, and others who have a concern for real peace.  It is also a social, cultural, linguistic, religious, and spiritual problem.  The US, Israel, and Palestinian state leaders efforts are basically only putting a political band aide on the situation.  When state leaders speak of peace and work toward peace, peace should perhaps often be understood superficially in the political sense, for this is the state’s role.  But spiritually, the ultimate problem, according to a biblical view, is the condition of the human heart.  Religion, not the state, provides deeper answers to this problem.  But states can cooperate with or work against basic human dignity, educating on tolerance, inner peace between human beings.

Religious statesmen certainly struggle with the tension between the spiritual and temporal and between earthly powers and peoples.  Former US President Jimmy Carter is a good example.  In his book, Peace, Not Aparteid, he writes of his Christian faith he took with him on his first visit to Israel where he met with then Prime Minister Goldie Mir.  Mr. Carter was taken back by how secular the state of Israel was, with little or no care for its biblical roots.  But my blog post here is not about the biblical verses modern Israel nor the secular foundation of modern Israel which I will save for a future book on global peace I plan to write.

Ideals and Practicality, not Ideals verses Practicality

Ideals are good.  They do help to inspire human beings and give us a vision of a better future.  Working toward ideals does not mean we cannot be practical or mean that we should ignore reality.  The fact is, Israel has been building the Wall of Separation for at least five years now, and that most of the political powers today are working for the “Two-State” solution.  And seeing this new Wall for my first time in person at my last trip to Israel almost a year ago (Oct-Nov. 2009)was disheartening.  But that does not mean we should give up our ideals.

Ideals such as human dignity, free people, tolerant education, and inner people between peoples are all noble, good, honorable, and worthy.  My view is that physical walls that divide two peoples creates deeper stereotypes, prejudice, and suspicion.  When you add to this the fact that Arab Palestinian education teaches them to hate Jews, the whole picture turns into another bomb.  This is why I not only believe but know that the Two-State solution will fail certainly at the human level.  It cannot achieve a real peace.  In fact, separating them just prolongs the hatred and keeps them from facing the spiritual problem of hatred toward each other (this I speak generalized, knowing that not all Arab Palestinians hate Jews and not all Jews hate Arab Palestinians).  The ideal of true peace can only be realized if the two peoples are allowed to reach out to each other, befriend each other, and be co-workers side-by-by  colleagues, merchants, leaders etc, and some even live side by side in neighborhoods.  But this prospect diminishes by the week and day. 

Not All in State Governments are Advocating for the Two-State Solution

On Thursday this past week, October 7, I had the pleasure of listening to Deputy Israeli Consul General Paul Hirshon speak in Tallahassee, Florida.  He was giving some brief remarks at Christians United for Israel gathering.  At the end of his brief address, he spoke of “one state” of Israel, and ended on what seemed to me to be an incomplete thought, leaving me to wonder, to wonder in a positive sense.  I wanted to ask him afterwards to elaborate on his comment and view, but did not get a chance.

Making the Ideal of a United State of Israel more Real

First, let me highlight the ideal vision of a United Israel.  Both Jews and also many Arab Palestinians co-exist in the same state peacefully.  Some work together, and some even live in the same neighborhoods.  And Jewish boys and girls and Arab Palestinian boys and girls attend many of the same schools.  They grow up as friends, not enemies.  It is a cross-cultural and tolerant society.

Now let us come back down to earth.  Is a United State (or States) of Israel even possible?  I say it is.  And there is a seed of success going on every day in Israel.  I just learned of this also on my last trip last fall.  Since 1990, I have had a friend who was Arab Palestinian by race, but him and his family had Israeli citizenship.  My friend came to the US at the age of 18.  For awhile, I was wondering how his family got Israel citizenship, knowing my friends age, he was growing up in the late 1950’s and 1960’s.  His family is from Haifa, and we and the rest on the Holy Land Nour Tour visited his family in Haifa.  And in the Arab section of Haifa, where we visited a senior citizens club, we met first hand Arab Palestinians from Haifa who have lived peacefully with Israel through their lives.  And this is particularly what I asked and learned:  when they have a baby, the Arab Palestinian automatically has Israel citizenship.

 This is in Haifa, Israel’s second largest city.  Now apply this principle to every other town and city where Arab Palestinians do or could live in Israel.  If Israel were to grant full citizenship to the Arabs, give them security and protect them, and allow them to live and work in Israel freely in exchange for their living as productive and peace-seeking citizens, and taught tolerance, a deeper peace could be achieved.  But this would require Israeli political leaders to want this and strive for it, and then committed to it not only in our generation but to the following ones to come.  For this transformation in society would take more than one generation, perhaps 100 years.  But it would be a very worthy goal to strive for.

But the current reality is that Arabs in Israel are second or third class citizens.   

From my beginning on this topic of a “United State of Israel-Palestine” in 2009 as I posted on Facebook Cause and shared with friends, I also fore-spoke that one day this “Wall” (the Wall of Separation) will come down.  It will come down like the Berlin Wall, perhaps even in a more mighty fashion.  And that day will be a time of rejoicing and dancing in the streets.  Perhaps this is prophetic, especially on the day it happens, whenever that day comes in the future.  And interestingly, this is posted (prophetically?) on the date of 10/10/10, symbolic of the millennium (10 X 10 X 10 equal 1000, and “millennium” means literally a thousand).

Rev. Paul A. Wheelhouse

Tallahassee, Florida

15 Articles of Human Dignity on Faith

This is a re-post:

The Fifteen Articles of Human Dignity on Faith

written by Rev. Paul Allen Wheelhouse

June 29, 2009

Article 1:

The Golden Rule:  “love other human beings as you would want them to love you,”

directly applies to and governs our mutual respect of each other, an integral part

of our human dignity.

Article 2:

By faith, we believe that there is a God-given dignity within each human being, expressed in different traditions in different ways such as the “image of God.”

Article 3:

The God-created humanity, including the giving us a mind, soul, and spirit, and God-given dignity are determiners for our special worth and value which cannot be measured by money or any amount of material wealth.

Article 4:

 Human beings in their physical nature and state are imperfect, prone to being marred and injured.   But recognizing our God-given dignity helps to unlock our full potential as  children of God.

Article 5:

 Human beings are spiritual and religious creatures.  Therefore, to fully treat other people with the dignity they deserve requires us to respect whatever spiritual or religious persuasion they are, based on the Golden Rule.

Article 6:

Not only are human beings spiritual and religious creatures, they hold their faith very dear to themselves, in their heart.  Therefore, because of the emotional dearness and on the basis of the Golden Rule, to talk to other people about their faith means that we should be delicate, treating them as a special person of God, and hold them in high esteem, even if you disagree with their view.

Article 7:

Each human being has the right to the pursuit of God and spiritual truth.

 

Article 8:

Every person has the right to the pursuit of their human dignity within the laws of the state and international laws and governments.

Article 9:

When it comes to recognizing the dignity of every human being, it is important to distinguish between the subjective internal faith and the objective outward faith.  The subjective faith is the internal faith within an individual, wherever it resides (heart, soul, mind, spirit).  The subjective internal faith is also the individual’s capacity to believe in spiritual things; or put in another way, it may be asserted that God created or creates within our nature internally the ability to believe.  In distinction, the outward identified faith is the religious Faith or spiritual system that the person identifies with and may practice in and hold membership in.  This latter we also call the objective faith, meaning that the system’s beliefs are most likely written down that other people can read or study its teachings too.  The objective faith is most commonly what we are referring to when we are speaking of so and so’s faith, which may be represented as Faith to distinguish it from a person’s internal faith.  To further distinguish, the human soul with the internal capacity for faith is fed, taught, and nourished spiritual or religious content coming from the objective outward Faith.  The human soul naturally grabs onto that which it is taught. While there is a direct correlation, we should maintain the distinction between the subjective internal faith from the objective outward Faith because one is enshrouded with a precious human soul and the other is voiced by a community of faithful, and perhaps articulated by official doctrines and teachings of a religious tradition.

Article 10:

The subjective internal faith is an inclination possessed in the earliest years and

            naturally latches onto whatever it is feed or nurtured as a chick receives its mother’s

food although the person’s free will or the Spirit of God can redirect the path of a human soul.

Article 11:

The respect for one’s faith, one’s internal subjective faith and one’s Faith, the outward identified Faith (e.g. their religion) is an essential part of respecting an individual’s human dignity.  Having mutual respect of another person’s subjective faith and Faith, whether it is known to you or not, or if you disagree with their faith/religion is essential to respecting that person’s human dignity.  

Article 12:       

The subjective internal faith within a person’s being is precious.  The Golden Rule of loving others as we want to be loved leads us not to deliberately damage or hurt any person’s faith by our words or actions including those whose faith or affiliation we disagree with.

Article 13:

Therefore, by virtue of our common humanity, the nature of the subjective internal faith is the same in all human beings, until it takes on content and is molded into worldviews, religious stories, doctrines, traditions, religious systems, etc. 

Article 14:

Human beings, as persons, are a whole package of their internal subjective and objective dimensions of their faith and are to be related so as persons, in their God-given dignity.  Therefore, we need to be very sensitive in engaging in religious conversations with other people perceived of or known to hold to beliefs or traditions we disagree with, especially if we want to persuade them to a new understanding, and either knowingly or unknowingly discredit their own faith or an important aspect of their faith or confrontationally engage them with an argumentative spirit can very well cause hurt to the other person and thereby mean we fail to live by the Golden Rule.

Article 15:

We are not driven to fear from sharing our beliefs.  Rather, the Golden Rule empowers us to lovingly and respectfully engage in other people about God, religion, faith, Faith, and spirituality, using them as opportunities to love them as God-created and dignified human beings knowing how special their faith or Faith may be to them.

The Confession of Osama bin Laden (Fictional)

The following is a religious fictional writing I wrote and published on one of my websites March 18, 2010. Its meant to be serious, not funny.

(background: Jesus said that we should pray for our enemies. Sometime in 2008, I sent an email to family, friends, that we should pray for Osama Bin Laden that he be converted, & repent of his actions. Is this too much to pray for? I highly suspected that hardly no Americans, not even sincere Christians, were praying for such a thing. I decided to take that bold step. Now, I wrote and submit this piece of creative writing that is wishful and hopeful thinking, but it is not an impossibility.)

Allah Akbar! (God is great), and blessed be His name forever for opening my eyes to His beauty, and for bringing me to my knees in such humility and brokenness for all my wrongs, sins, for bringing death to so many innocent lives.

Through a period of a number of days, the Spirit of the Great God has shown me my wickedness and wrongdoing, while for the most part spent in caves. God’s Spirit pressed upon me. There was nowhere I could go to get away from the heaviness of the Spirit. It was not fear, but something I had never felt before and yet I knew it was God. My countenance had changed. My comrades looked at me differently, but I did not know what to say, for I at first did not know what was happening to me. But over the period of several days, God’s Great Spirit had shown me the cries of many saints going up to the awesome Throne of God, many mercilessly and murderously killed, and I was responsible for many of these lives. The weight of their blood shed landed on me. And such was the weight that I was crushed, so heavy that I could not breath. In my desperation, I pleaded with God, save me!! Although I heard no voice, in my spirit I knew that God’s justice was true, right, and fair. I was receiving the beginning of the deserved penalty for which could only be death many times over.

And just when I thought I was going to collapse, die, and go to the judgment of hell, I felt a gradual lifting of the weight. And in the darkness, I began to see a light whose source was beyond this world. It seemed as if God was allowing me to live longer on this earth. I stumbled out of the cave into a world that seemed to have changed. No, the world had not changed at all: it was the same hills, but it was I who had changed. God had changed my heart and mind and given me a whole new outlook.

I felt new. I also felt so remorseful of the evil perpetrated on so many. I had so many questions. I believed that God was the same, but no longer did I see other people in the world, including Jews and Christians as enemies. I thought to myself, “But it says in the holy Quran…. God, you do not lie! These theological questions I did not have resolved, yet.

But what I knew is this: I felt remorseful for the lives I was responsible of snuffing out wrongfully. I felt that God has given me a new life. And I felt a love in my heart I never remember having before, a greater capacity to love others. I vowed not to kill again, unless to protect myself. I returned to the spiritual understanding of Jihad as a struggle that which is common for all people, life in the flesh with temptations and weaknesses, and wrestling with the Devil.

I thought of America. Yes, many of its people are decadent, their culture and society is eroding morally. They need good examples of morality and leaders who uphold God’s righteousness before them lovingly. Killing them will not only does not solve the problem, it makes acerbates the problem.

And I also felt a survivor’s guilt. Since I was guilty of many lives, I really did deserve to die-that’s God’s justice and man’s justice. But for some perhaps holy purpose, the Most Compassionate and Merciful God has allowed me to live at this time. I began to wonder about what purpose He had for me.

I wanted to read the Jewish/Christian Bible to compare it to the Quran. I did not want to ask one of my comrades to go find a Bible. But I did obtain one copy from a local village (the details which I’ll keep a secret), and I have been reading it every night the past couple weeks.

Now, my eyes have been opened to the Holy One, blessed be His name forever. The light of revelation, I see has come to Gentiles and Jews, and I am so humbled, and feel so blessed. Oh, the foibles and sinful ways of man who corrupt God’s holy intent. I am now enlightened to see that God has never intended to create war or animosity, even the seed of discord between Jews, Arabs, and other peoples of the world. God is one. In Him, there is no division. He has created a diversity of peoples on the earth. But God has never incited one people to fight against another people. This is peoples’ way, war that is in their hearts, blood shedding as if human life is treated so cheaply. This is not the way the treat other humans made in the image of God.

A new day has come. God has put us on earth to build each other up, not to tear down, to work to good, not bad, and to live the Way of God in accordance with His truth, righteousness, and justice, letting God be the Judge, and letting God’s love convert our hearts and live lovingly with our fellow human beings. I do not know all the good things that God has in store in the upcoming days for His peoples. I submit to the justice of God.

To be continued

2010 A Year of Intentional Love

This post is also posted on my related blog markforgood.wordpress.com

I am not aware of any year every being declared as a Year of Intentional Love.  Love is the greatest thing in life and so important, and therefore, I submit it through my blogs today, therefore publishing it, in the hopes that it will catch on by others far and near.  My prayer is that it will be the first of many years of Intentional Love.

What do we mean by intentional love?  The first word, “intentional,” plainly means that: conscious thought with effort and planned.  Now what kind of love are we talking about?  We are not talking about the supposed love of sexual engagement which does not require love at all, alhough it is an expression of real love for two adults who love each other.  But I submit that our base nature with its physical cravings is not the source of love. 

Instead, we are talking about a love the arises in the heart, mind, and soul of persons towards other people and God that is not selfish or self-centered, but innately good, kind, caring.  It is relational, but you might say its on a spiritual level, at least not physical.  This love grows into a pure love which may blosssom into unconditional love in some relationships. 

A part of this kind of love is the reciprical principle that we have love for others even as we want to be loved.  This is based in part on the Golden Rule which most people are familiar with (and indeed all should be taught it) and in part on a passage in the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch which reads “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18 which Jesus the Christ re-teaches it by quoting it (Mark 12:31).

I submit that this love all humans need.  This mutual love and respect is profoundly powerful in creating healthy societies.  In contrast, our base nature is plain selfish.  A beautiful thing about this love is that you cannot empty your supply by giving it away.  Instead, love magnifies.  And the amazing thing, we don’t have to lessen our love of self, unless we are conceited or overly egotistical.  This love likes to have a support base from which to launch to others.  Let’s use the analogy of a driving board.  Without the board, a driver will not be able to jump that high or out away from the edge.  But with the springing board, he/she can jump higher and further out.  So also, you don’t have to lessen the love of self, but indeed, the love of self, supports your loving others like a springing board to launch out.  This seems to contradict the concept of this love being selfless, but it doesn’t.  Try to experience it yourselves.  These words are simply trying to communicate what we humans are capable of and do experience.

This recipricating and purer and higher love sows goodness in humanity.  It has been inspired by religious writers becoming sacred texts and religious ideals, but the ancient Chinese secular philosopher Confucius would agree it is very healthy for human societies.  Confucius’ teachings of jen and li are his counterparts.  This love lifts humans to a higher living, appealing to a higher nature as God has intended for us.  This means a love that thinks about and cares about others. People without any recognized religion have this too.  Built in human nature is the loving care a mother has for its child.  But true religion inspires, encourages, and lifts humans to an even more loving life.

Therefore, let us be intentional this year in loving ourselves, loving our family and friends, and loving our neighbors, and respecting all who are in authority: parents, teachers, principals, police, city, county, state, and federal officials and representatives, lawmakers, presidents.  Let us diligently nurture our children in love to help empower them to be loving people as they grow into adults.  Let us set an example to our children by our own behavior.  This is a great and privileged responsibility.

4 Inspirational New Year’s Resolutions

This blog is also posted in my markforgood.wordpress.com blog site.

I first published these resolutions below in my blog January 3, 2009, http://truebluenewyearsresolution09.blogspot.com/.

I resolve this year, intentionally:
To increase my capacity to be loving, to give love and to receive love (love in most broad and pure sense: love of human beings and love for God).

To strengthen my belief and attitude in the innate dignity and deserved respect for every human being.

Resolve to speak only positive words to others.
Maintain an attitude of hope for the future even if circumstances around look bleak.

I recognize that I cannot do this solely on my own strength.  I rely on power and help from the Higher Power, the Divine Source, or as some prefer, God.  I will also be intentional in being with others for mutual support.  And as led, I will be bold to take love to dark places where love is much needed.
May you be blessed spiritually and temporally in 2010!

Fifteen Articles of Human Dignity on Faith

The following articles are re-posted from its first posting and original publishing June 29, 2009, re-submitted for all.   May God bless all, and may this work truly be a contribution to humanity, both the religious and the non-religious.

Article 1:

The Golden Rule:  “love other human beings as you would want them to love you,”

directly applies to and governs our mutual respect of each other, an integral part of our human dignity.

 Article 2:

By faith, we believe that there is a God-given dignity within each human being, expressed in different traditions in different ways such as the “image of God.”

 Article 3:

The God-created humanity, including the giving us a mind, soul, and spirit, and God-given dignity are determiners for our special worth and value which cannot be measured by money or any amount of material wealth.

Article 4:

 Human beings in their physical nature and state are imperfect, prone to being marred and injured.   But recognizing our God-given dignity helps to unlock our full potential as  children of God.

Article 5:

 Human beings are spiritual and religious creatures.  Therefore, to fully treat other people with the dignity they deserve requires to respect whatever spiritual or religious persuasion they are, based on the Golden Rule.

 Article 6:

Not only are human beings spiritual and religious creatures, they hold their faith very dear to themselves, in their heart.  Therefore, because of the emotional dearness and on the basis of the Golden Rule, to talk to other person about their faith means that we should be delicate, treating them as a special person of God, and hold them in high esteem, even if we disagree with their view.

 Article 7:

Each human being has the right to the pursuit of God and spiritual truth.

Article 8:

Every person has the right to the pursuit of their human dignity within the laws of the state and international laws and governments.

 Article 9:

When it comes to recognizing the dignity of every human being, it is important to distinguish between the subjective internal faith and the objective outward faith.  The subjective faith is the internal faith within an individual, wherever it resides (heart, soul, mind, spirit).  The subjective internal faith is also the individual’s capacity to believe in spiritual things; or put in another way, it may be asserted that God created or creates within our nature internally the ability to believe.  In distinction, the outward identified faith is the religious Faith or spiritual system that the person identifies with and may practice in and hold membership in.  This latter we also call the objective faith, meaning that the system’s beliefs are most likely written down that other people can read or study its teachings too.  The objective faith is most commonly what we are referring to when we are speaking of so and so’s faith, which may be represented as Faith to distinguish it from a person’s internal faith.  To further distinguish, the human soul with the internal capacity for faith is fed, taught, and nourished spiritual or religious content coming from the objective outward Faith.  The human soul naturally grabs onto that which it is taught. While there is a direct correlation, we should maintain the distinction between the subjective internal faith from the objective outward Faith because one is enshrouded with a precious human soul and the other is voiced by a community of faithful, and perhaps articulated by official doctrines and teachings of a religious tradition.

 Article 10:

The subjective internal faith is an inclination possessed in the earliest years and  naturally latches onto whatever it is feed or nurtured as a chick receives its mother’s food although the person’s free will or the Spirit of God can redirect the path of a human soul.

 Article 11:

The respect for one’s faith, one’s internal subjective faith and one’s Faith, the outward identified Faith (e.g. their religion) is an essential part of respecting an individual’s human dignity.  Having mutual respect of another person’s subjective faith and Faith, whether it is known to you or not, or if you disagree with their faith/religion is essential to respecting that person’s human dignity. 

 Article 12:       

The subjective internal faith within a person’s being is precious.  The Golden Rule of loving others as we want to be loved leads us not to deliberately damage or hurt any person’s faith by our words or actions including those whose faith or affiliation we disagree with.

 Article 13:

Therefore, by virtue of our common humanity, the nature of the subjective internal faith is the same in all human beings, until it takes on content and is molded into worldviews, religious stories, doctrines, traditions, religious systems, etc. 

 Article 14:

Human beings, as persons, are a whole package of their internal subjective and objective dimensions of their faith and are to be related so as persons, in their God-given dignity.  Therefore, we need to be very sensitive in engaging in religious conversations with other people perceived of or known to hold to beliefs or traditions we disagree with, especially if we want to persuade them to a new understanding, and either knowingly or unknowingly discredit their own faith or an important aspect of their faith or confrontationally engage them with an argumentative spirit can very well cause hurt to the other person and thereby mean we fail to live by the Golden Rule.

 Article 15:

We are not driven to fear from sharing our beliefs.  Rather, the Golden Rule empowers us to lovingly and respectfully engage in other people about God, religion, faith, Faith, and spirituality, using them as opportunities to love them as God-created and dignified human beings knowing how special their faith or Faith may be to them.

The Fifteen Articles of Human Dignity On Faith

The following fifteen articles of Human Dignity on Faith were written by Rev. Paul Allen Wheelhouse this same day, June 29, 2009.  I joyfully submit them to the blog.   The Fifteen articles are a chapter Rev. Wheelhouse is currently writing on Human Dignity through the eyes of Faith.

Article 1:

The Golden Rule:  “love other human beings as you would want them to love you,”

directly applies to and governs our mutual respect of each other, an integral part

of our human dignity

Article 2:

By faith, we believe that there is a God-given dignity within each human being, expressed in different traditions in different ways such as the “image of God”

 Article 3:

The God-created humanity, including the giving us a mind, soul, and spirit, and God-given dignity are determiners for our special worth and value which cannot be measured by money or any amount of material wealth.

 Article 4:

 Human beings in their physical nature and state are imperfect, prone to being marred and injured.   But recognizing our God-given dignity helps to unlock our full potential as  children of God.

 Article 5:

 Human beings are spiritual and religious creatures.  Therefore, to fully treat other people with the dignity they deserve requires to respect whatever spiritual or religious persuasion they are, based on the Golden Rule.

 Article 6:

Not only are human beings spiritual and religious creatures, they hold their faith very dear to themselves, in their heart.  Therefore, because of the emotional dearness and on the basis of the Golden Rule, to talk to other person about their faith means that we should be delicate, treating them as a special person of God, and hold them in high esteem, even if you disagree with their view.

 Article 7:

Each human being has the right to the pursuit of God and spiritual truth.

 Article 8:

Every person has the right to the pursuit of their human dignity within the laws of the state and international laws and governments.

 Article 9:

When it comes to recognizing the dignity of every human being, it is important to distinguish between the subjective internal faith and the objective outward faith.  The subjective faith is the internal faith within an individual, wherever it resides (heart, soul, mind, spirit).  The subjective internal faith is also the individual’s capacity to believe in spiritual things; or put in another way, it may be asserted that God created or creates within our nature internally the ability to believe.  In distinction, the outward identified faith is the religious Faith or spiritual system that the person identifies with and may practice in and hold membership in.  This latter we also call the objective faith, meaning that the system’s beliefs are most likely written down that other people can read or study its teachings too.  The objective faith is most commonly what we are referring to when we are speaking of so and so’s faith, which may be represented as Faith to distinguish it from a person’s internal faith.  To further distinguish, the human soul with the internal capacity for faith is fed, taught, and nourished spiritual or religious content coming from the objective outward Faith.  The human soul naturally grabs onto that which it is taught. While there is a direct correlation, we should maintain the distinction between the subjective internal faith from the objective outward Faith because one is enshrouded with a precious human soul and the other is voiced by a community of faithful, and perhaps articulated by official doctrines and teachings of a religious tradition.

 Article 10:

The subjective internal faith is an inclination possessed in the earliest years and

            naturally latches onto whatever it is feed or nurtured as a chick receives its mother’s

food although the person’s free will or the Spirit of God can redirect the path of a human soul.

 Article 11:

The respect for one’s faith, one’s internal subjective faith and one’s Faith, the outward identified Faith (e.g. their religion) is an essential part of respecting an individual’s human dignity.  Having mutual respect of another person’s subjective faith and Faith, whether it is known to you or not, or if you disagree with their faith/religion is essential to respecting that person’s human dignity. 

 Article 12:      

The subjective internal faith within a person’s being is precious.  The Golden Rule of loving others as we want to be loved leads us not to deliberately damage or hurt any person’s faith by our words or actions including those whose faith or affiliation we disagree with.

 Article 13:

Therefore, by virtue of our common humanity, the nature of the subjective internal faith is the same in all human beings, until it takes on content and is molded into worldviews, religious stories, doctrines, traditions, religious systems, etc. 

 Article 14:

Human beings, as persons, are a whole package of their internal subjective and objective dimensions of their faith and are to be related so as persons, in their God-given dignity.  Therefore, we need to be very sensitive in engaging in religious conversations with other people perceived of or known to hold to beliefs or traditions we disagree with, especially if we want to persuade them to a new understanding, and either knowingly or unknowingly discredit their own faith or an important aspect of their faith or confrontationally engage them with an argumentative spirit can very well cause hurt to the other person and thereby mean we fail to live by the Golden Rule.

  Article 15:

We are not driven to fear in sharing our beliefs.  Rather, the Golden Rule empowers us to lovingly and respectfully engage in other people about God, religion, faith, Faith, and spirituality, using them as opportunities to love them as God-created and dignified human beings knowing how special their faith or Faith may be to them.

Encouraging a World of Mutual Respect and Religious Tolerance, essential to Human Dignity

Welcome to the Dignityworld7 blog.  This blog is dedicated to the reflection, education, and inspiration of peoples on how important the aspect of mutual faith and spirituality is to human dignity.  Please read on and share the blog with others.

             

            On an ordinary day in 2007 while I was reflecting, I realized how important

mutual faith is to human dignity.  I continued reflecting on this in 2008.  And this new insight I had was riding on the coat tails of a relatively new life goal to personally help make the world a better place and inspire others too as well.  I write about that in my recent blog at http://markforgood.wordpress.com.  I was inspired by Edward Bok’s well known quote, “Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.”  I feel called to not only continue to live this way myself but also to inspire other people through writing and sharing online through blogging and through a couple dedicated websites.

 

            So what is Dignityworld7 about?  It is about inspiring and educating on the important aspect of faith, mutual faith, in human dignity.  I begin by stating some theses, and I promise that the other blog posts to come will not be this “heady” or academic in appearance.

 

Thesis #1

            Faith, primarily one’s internal subjective faith and secondarily their outward identified faith (e.g. their religion) is an essential part of human dignity.  Having mutual respect of another person’s subjective faith (whether it is known to us or not) even if you disagree with their faith/religion is essential to maintaining that person’s human dignity. 

 

There is both a clear connection and a distinction of the subjective internal faith and the outward identified faith.  The subjective internal faith is an individual’s capacity to believe and grasp religious or spiritual concepts and ideas.  The outward identified faith is the religious or spiritual system that the person identifies with and may practice in and hold membership in.  This latter we also call the objective faith, meaning that the system’s beliefs are most likely written down that other people can read its teachings too.

 

Thesis #2: 

The subjective internal faith is a precious thing.  Do not damage or hurt any person’s

faith by your words or actions.

 

Thesis #3: 

The Golden Rule:  love other human beings as you would want them to love you,”

directly applies to and governs our mutual respect of each other

 

Thesis #4: 

The subjective internal faith is a human capacity possessed in the earliest years    and

            naturally latches onto whatever it is feed or nurtured as a chick receives its mother’s

            food.

 

Thesis #5: 

Therefore, by virtue of our common humanity, the subjective internal faith is   virtually the

            same in all human beings, until it takes on content and is molded into worldviews,

            doctrines, religious systems, traditions, etc.  Therefore, we should be more respectful

            since if we hurt others who hold to a different faith than ours with intent of personal

            hurt, we are in a way hurting ourselves as well as not living by the Golden Rule.

 

            The foundational premise #1 for all this is first the Golden Rule: that we love others as we want others to love this.  To tailor this in the theme of dignity: we should uphold others dignity through mutual respect of faith even as we would want them to uphold our dignity throughrespect us for our faith. 

 

The foundational premise #2 for all this is that human beings are innately spiritual, and faith arises out of this metaphysical fact of the nature of human beings within our psyches (or souls if you prefer).  Some anthropologists, historians, religion scholars may explain that what we call “spirituality” was virtually the same as the early human inclinations to superstitions and other spiritual beliefs.  Even if it is true that primitive man’s inclination to superstitions and spiritual inclinations eventually developed into religious systems, it is undeniable that human thought, capability, myth-creation, theology, philosophy, and inspiration has so much developed over the last five thousand years.  What has grown up as distinct, complex, and unified religious systems (beliefs and rituals) and has come of age after a couple thousand years of development (e.g. Hinduism, Judaism, or Christianity) can no longer be reduced to just “superstitious systems.”  Intelligent humans continue to be baffled and stand in awe at the wonder, mysteries, and beauty of the world and universe we live in. 

 

            Let us go together to grow in our understanding and be inspired to have mutual respect for all peoples faith.  Like many people, you may be comfortable and do not want to change.  But if you are lacking some mutual respect for people who hold to a different faith or spirituality than you do, may I suggest challenging yourself to grow in this area, since most of us would agree that the Golden Rule applies and that the Global Village in which we live is spiritually, religiously, and culturally rich with growing cross-cultural societies and cosmopolitan cities?  If you have read this far, I know that you are interested and I suspect you recognize your need to improve in this area as I do recognize the same in myself.

 

            Please look to my next blog on a Vision for the Future.  The next blog after that, like the next movement in a drama and the thickening of the plot will be a dilemma, the enemy of mutual respect of faith: intolerance.

And please check out my new website, www.globalprayingservants.com.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!