I am beginning to wonder.
The horrors of last week’s Taliban killings of school children in Pakistan are an example of nothing less than barbaric evil.
Any religion or ideology that condones the killings of innocents is not part of a civilized world. We have not really evolved as a species.
We are still committing crimes against humanity.
“God is great” they shouted, as they gunned down 121 school children and teachers, in a display of unbelievable carnage.
If this doesn't raise the level of anger towards religious radicalism, nothing will.
As Christmas approaches and many project the sentiment of “Peace and good will towards men”, it is hard to muster enthusiasm for celebration, when something like this occurs.
It happens all year long, but at this time, it seems to have more impact on our human spirit.
Even a group of Christians in Peshawar have cancelled their usual celebrations to honor the grieving of their Muslim brothers.
Until we address our basic fundamental spirituality, not our religion, not Christianity, not the Muslim faith, not Judaism;
we shall not evolve.
We have not really evolved beyond our mammalian tendencies.
Man has demonstrated this over and over throughout history.
We are certainly diversified in our beliefs and practices now and there are degrees of acceptance between us.
But there is a faction amongst us, in each of these divisions of faith and ideology, who behave in the most archetypical, primitive way.
It is not just in the Middle East.
The Nazi holocaust
The Chinese revolution in the 50’s
The Vietnam massacre in Mylai by American soldiers
Jim Jones in Guiana in the late 70’s
David Karesh in Waco 1992
The massacre of children in Norway in 2011,
911 and Al-Qaida
ISIS beheadings
Boko Harem kidnappings of young girls, and blood thirsty killings
The list goes on, but today, the smaller the coffin, the heavier the burden is to carry.
We can wish for peace.
We can rise into our higher consciousness.
We can pray, meditate, and mediate.
We can preach, and we can procrastinate.
But until we address this fundamental issue, we cannot evolve as a species.
We cannot say we are a civilized world.