April 12, 2002

Whether you are a religious person, or you feel there isn't a God, if you are capable of rational thought you no doubt have paused, and considered that the world would seem to be involving into a hellish environment.  Is the greed for power, and the unrelenting desire to fulfill the arrogance of individual egos, developing the genesis for the beginning of the end of civilized life as we know it?

Years ago, a small, possessed, funny looking little man began to spew out hatred, under the guise that one group of people were suppressing and controlling another. This man became so powerful he began to control his peoples’ access to outside communications and ultimately indoctrinated many of them, causing them to close their eyes to his insane brutality. In the beginning of this man’s evil rein of power, many countries, claiming to be isolationists, also closed their eyes to his barbarous and shameless road to his New World. Not unlike today, Adolf Hitler was able to do that because he provided his people with some of the necessities for life.

Hitler’s vehicle was hatred, and powered by his massive insecurities he felt as a human being. His destination was world dominance, with him being a new God. He, and he alone, would know what was best for his disciples. This kind of thinking, accompanied with a remarkable talent for speaking, took him right up to the brink of his vision, of his New World becoming a reality.

In many ways, the world has become much smaller today, with satellite communications there is no place on this planet that can not be reached through the airways. However, even with this amazing technology the world’s people seemingly have not changed that much. Most people’s concern is there own well being; if you and your family have the necessities of life the reality of the pictures you see on television is still far away in your mind. As long as the remote control works, the beer is cold, and you can tune into ESPN, and/or the Home and Garden channels, the inhumanity that man shows his fellow man is only a fleeting image. Tiger is playing good golf and Mike Tyson is fighting again, so it is easy to convince yourself that the world is not on the brink of extinction.

Most of us are born with a conscience. We know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. We have learned that it is good to take care of your family, although at times you might have to accept some bad, or wrong doing, to provide what you want for them. Many lose their moral compass because of their insatiable appetite to win acceptance on a social level with their peers. Some want that acceptance so much they will crawl through sand and drink water from a mirage if they believe it will satisfy their thirst for social accomplishment. They convince themselves the end justifies the means. However, I suggest to you if you believe in good, which you interpret as securing your placement in life, then you must admit the existence of bad, or evil.

In my opinion, terrorism is evil. It is not just a means to an end. And, the true terrorism in our life is not lead by Osama bin Laden, or Yasser Arafat, it is our inner moral compass that we begin to ignore, to get what we want. The weapon of control is greed for success, and not recognizing how it can destroy you.

Since the beginning of time millions of people have died for organized religious beliefs, with their leaders telling them to kill, or be killed, in the name of their God. Because their God is good, and again, the means justifies the end. Meanwhile those leaders, throughout mankind, have perverted, distorted, and clouded the truth of life with their personal agenda which is to ultimately control, play God if you will.

Perhaps the time to sacrifice your life is not for one religion over another, or for one leader to conquer another, but simply for right to defeat wrong. Good to defeat evil. Just step back and use your gift from birth, your conscience.

Is it right to blow up innocent men, women, and children without warning? Is it right because you wear a white collar, and refer to yourself as a man of God, you can molest children put in your care? Is it right that one country, who might be militarily more powerful than another, threaten them with invasion. But, most importantly, is it right that as an individual person who knows the difference between right and wrong, turn their back, to satisfy their own want for social acceptance.

Regardless if you are religious, or not, there is a war underway in our life between good and evil. If we do not realize it, and take the steps to fight it, the end will be our life, as we know it, and the means will be by the sacrificing of our own conscience. Sometimes one must stand up and face their fears, not just change the channel.