Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Action: A Divine Directive

I recently read an article from a secular humanist and was struck by the essential difference between nonbelievers and believers. Nonbelievers come to human rights from a perspective of ego (in the traditional sense of the word - it benefits society and humanity long term, which benefits the self) and in the best case, empathy (understanding others' perspectives.

Believers, people of faith, have additional incentives to act morally. We have something that an atheist does not have, can never have. In fact, it is the point which separates the nonbeliever and believer - believers serve Divine will.

In each world religion, it uses different language, but there are serious overlaps and in fact, much common ground between the cultural interpretations of Divine will. These surround issues of charity and treating others as we would like to be treated (compassion and empathy). These are Divine mandates.

Keeping this in mind, it behooves the believer, if he or she is practicing, to act. It would be immoral not to.  We must live our faith through actions directed by Divine will.

In the present socio-political climate, I see two rallying points for people of faith. To live one's faith requires addressing one of the following:
  1. Economic inequality
  2. Climate change
Within each of these areas are additional foci. Let's first unpack economic inequality.

Economic Inequality


Economic inequality is much more than issues of class or fiscal responsibility. It encompasses the following issues (in no particular order):
  1. Racial inequality
  2. Gender inequality
  3. Healthcare
  4. Shelter
  5. Education
  6. Labor protections
  7. Taxes
This is a large list that requires much action for these issues to be addressed. A person of faith can work on any of these issues and be living their faith. However, if a person is not actively seeking to redress these issues, then I urge them to reconsider their faith and question their life choices.

Climate Change


Within the issue of climate change are a group of issues that require people of faith to act:
  1. Food consumption and production
  2. Energy consumption and production
  3. Corporate greed
  4. International trade
  5. Manufacturing practices
  6. Reproductive justice
  7. Sustainable living practices
 

Now that you know...

This may seem scary and overwhelming, because this list of issues essentially calls for complete social revolution. That level of change frightens many people. After all, it is comfortable to go through the drive-through at fast food restaurants. It is comfortable to let the water run when brushing teeth. Brown lawns are ugly. Being on the top of the social hierarchy is nice. Why rock the boat?

Yes, why rock the boat?
Because God calls.

We can sit here, comfortably ignoring the fact that a black woman was murdered by a police officer for saying what was on her mind. We can sit here, comfortably ignoring the fact that Shell Oil company is drilling for oil in the arctic when we know using oil may bring about the death of humanity.

We can sit comfortably, plug our ears, cover our eyes, and watch as the world burns. That is possible. However, as believers, that would amount to ignoring God. We cannot ignore God. The Divine will, the directive to act, is overwhelming.


What does this mean for my life?


There are a few things that you can do right now.
  1. Figure out which political candidate platforms address the most of above issues. Vote for them.
  2. Sign petitions calling for policy changes in these areas.
  3. Educate yourself on these issues.
  4. Educate your family, friends, and neighbors on these issues.
  5. Pick a few non-profit agencies that are doing things in your community to address these issues and volunteer.
  6. Pick a few other agencies addressing either the same issues or others on the above list, and donate.
  7. Eat local or make your own.
  8. Walk more.
  9. Use public transportation.
  10. Practice empathy.
This is a start, but it is by no means an exhaustive list. We must overhaul our lives, and that takes time, resources, and practice. Each step brings us closer to our goal of living our faith in the world.