Posted by marcos on March 02, 2005 at 23:01:58:
In Reply to: More than you wanted to know. posted by PS on March 02, 2005 at 22:12:54:
: : : Well, no one has tried to rouse any beasts in a long time, and in fact I've pretty much given it up myself, but all the nostalgic talk made me think...ah what the heck, so here goes...poke-poke:
: : : I think Nationalism is a bad idea that should be abandoned. It seems it hasn't done much in history but lead to contention and suffering by creating a thousand 'us and them' complexes. There are political models that work without it and have been tried. And there was recently a big feature in Time magazine about a culture of international businessmen who exist as world citizens with little regard for nationality. So I say there's little chance for real peace as long as nations exist. It is only xenophobia and selfishness that keeps us from embracing such an idea on a large scale.
: : : Any thoughts?
: : ~All I can say is I've thought that way for a long time that Nationalism and Patriotism are contributors to war. I do not feel that I should be all faithfull to any one country. actually, there's more I want to say bout this but I got to go for now.
: Well I am so depressed about the state of humanity I think I have lost hope. You know, if we could end all nationalist divisions, humans would just create new factions to facilitate and legitimate their hatred. It is more a product of the human condition than any political organization. Can anything really change the human condition? I know God works redemptively in individual lives and calls us to bring that hope to others. Still, right now that seems at best like a tiny island barely afloat in a vast sea of anxiety, misery, and bitterness.
: I am depressed...
: I have never been this depressed in my life. I do not know what is happening to me, but it is scary. Maybe it is all this sickness I am fighting now. Maybe it is all the minimalist, reductionist, atheistic scholasticism I am swimming in daily. Whatever it is, it seems like a dark cloud is engulfing me and I can't shake it.
: I miss our fellowships. I miss the songs to God. I am just hurting.
: I miss the fire. I want to be filled.
: I am praying fervently, feverishly, desperately. Pray with me please.
: I am still sick. I got prescriptions tonight. Maybe when I am better physically life will look more hopeful.
~I will pray for you. I agree. I think I wanted to say that in addition to nationalism and patriotism, religion seems to be another cause of strife. and the selfishness of man and its desire for profit over its brother/sister rights, man's hypocrisy, are all too real. At this point I feel like I have been lied to for so many years by what I came to believe as christianity.
I dont know enough about that International Businessmen group, but I do not trust a globalization of liberal capitalism either. Language is also another barrier among peoples. I feel more hopeful about things by some accords between Venezuela and Brasil and Argentina, for example, and hope for more equality and justice, for that's another issue, within nations themselves, inequality, injustice, ethnic differences, etc. I do still believe that God in us, but it seems that God must be one that transcends, transcends, transcends all religions, politics, and other divisions.