The Need For Education and Secular Ethics

Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty

The first time I became aware of protest as a necessary activity was in the 50s when people were marching in the streets in San Francisco clamoring for nuclear disarmament. I was appalled that something so obviously nihilistic as the continuing development of such a horrible weapon was being promoted -- why couldn't our government see the evil inherent in manufacturing bigger, more brutal bombs?

Then came the sad stories of the freedom riders, the battles for human dignity being fought to accomplish desegregation -- it's spelled out in the very Constitution of our country that we are all equal! Why must we fight to accomplish something we already know is right -- who could possibly persist in the persecution of our negro citizens long after the matter had been settled by a great civil war?

Almost simultaneous with the civil rights struggle we witnessed the prosecution of the Vietnam war, predicated on anti-communist dogma that should have died with McCarthyism and bolstered by lies perpetuated through the filter of the chain of command. The juggernaut of conscription was feeding our disenfranchised youth into the jaws of an immoral war, and the powers administering this jabberwock were blind to their folly, so we took to the streets.

What is this perverse streak in human nature that creates such selective blindness, that for policy or profit those who are entrusted with keeping control over great institutions intended for public good lose their moral compass and instead persevere with a reductio ad absurdum that distorts their vision to the point where they allow and encourage atrocities?

I for one grow tired of the endless auto-da-fe of discompassion, the narrow conceits of conservatism, the overcompensations of liberalism, the constant need to shine the light of reason on unreasonable policies and practices. Why do we not learn, why is there no surcease to the retrograde procession of malevolence?

The age of enlightenment's finest hour was the birth of the American nation and its great Constitution and Bill of Rights. These carefully crafted documents should not be allowed to atrophy and lose their vigor, yet it seems an influence of money and media unforeseen by the founders is conspiring to allow baser elements of the human condition to come to the fore. Scoundrels rise to the catbird seat and move the levers to suit their unseen masters while a striving innocent populace is brought to suffer collateral indignities.

My text and cries of shame to the perpetrators seem so ineffectual. Squeezed by economics, distracted by electronic circuses, huddled families have no time or expectation for protest. We can sign virtual petitions on the Internet, write letters to our representatives, some can afford contributing to non-profits with well meaning charters, but we suspect the dollars are eaten up by inflated overhead.

Yet I can't give up hope. It seems the battles being waged are eternal, but there is more than duality -- good and evil, light and dark, creation and destruction -- there is the impetus of the heartbeat. We know in our own souls what is right and wrong -- this gives rise to optimism. We witness the wrongful actions of those who sin, disregarding their own divine nature, causing hurt and pain. When others hurt themselves, we of good conscience intervene, to save the foolish from their folly. But too often when these perpetrators act to harm others we rush to vilify and oppose them -- when instead we should understand, forgive and educate.

I once witnessed a North American native, homeless and begging on the street of a college town being taunted and teased by a small group of partying students who were too drunk to know better. The only response they could elicit from their unfortunate target was the phrase, "I am enemy of no man." It proved to be an adequate defense, for the youths soon moved on. But it would have been so much better if some prevention had been enacted, less alcohol imbibed, no quest for amusement at the expense of the innocent.

Much human activity takes place in the ethical framework of a peer group. The administrator, the elected representative, the CEO, the agency steward are usually isolated by their office. They feel elevated and distant from those they serve, demonstrating a smirking superiority or perhaps a resigned shrug when they twist the rules to suit expediency and enforce a reality opposed to common sense and opposite the best interests of their constituency. This conundrum leads some of us to believe the only solution to the dilemma of perversity in human nature is a religious morality. But we can't force people to accept religion, or morality, they must come to it through their own understanding.

Let us not forget the impetus for religious freedom that drove so many pilgrims to escape the tyranny of state religions, seeking the shores of a new continent where they could worship as they please. One of the great lessons written into America's governance is the separation of Church and State. This must be kept constant and serve as a beacon for this troubled planet. It may seem counter to theosophy and dogma, but we must believe in the innate human capacity for morality and ethics. Religion may enhance and assure development of the finer qualities of the individual, but forced religion leads to separation and conflict. There are as many paths to God as there are souls of human beings, let each one find their own way.

And to find our way out of the thicket, to end the constant battle between good and evil, to stop the continuous usurpation of power by vested self interest, we need a moral and ethical revolution. This means internal change -- revolution in the most benign sense of the word. No violent overthrow of institutions twisted from their purpose by the vagaries of human nature, no bricks through the window, no bombs. Instead, we can use the loving tool of education. There are those who fear the misuse of education, when it becomes propaganda rather than a furtherance of truth, but the saving grace of humanity can be found if we listen and follow the lead of sincere and insightful teachers.

When an inspired person comes up with a good idea, we should let that idea stand on its own merits, and not dismiss the concept because it comes from someone misunderstood or discredited by one's peer group. I've been astonished to hear negative reactions when mentioning thoughts from people like Bishop Desmond Tutu, or Nelson Mandela -- usually because their philosophies are universal and may not be in keeping with someone's given church doctrine. Nevertheless, let's pay attention to the Dalai Lama when he espouses the teaching of Secular Ethics. The Dalai Lama's responsibility, that he is born into, is that of the Keeper of Compassion for the planet. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the possibly arcane system of searching the Tibetan population for the reincarnated Dalai Lama -- his role, his training, personality and insight are to be respected, even venerated.

A recent broadcast of the Religion and Ethics Weekly program on PBS featured the Dalai Lama recommending the teaching of Secular Ethics in an address at Emory College. Founded by Methodists in 1836, Emory is chartered to "educate the heart as well as the mind." This is definitely in consonance with the Dalai Lama's teachings. He spoke of cultivating genuine compassion as the correct approach to ethics. He espouses the addition of Secular Ethics into all schools, not just through religious teaching, although "all religions can guide." He recommends warmheartedness -- if we relate from the heart we will realize all humans have the same goals and aspirations, and awareness of the interdependence of all life leads to gratitude, endearment and affection -- empathy.

An excellent educational system can lead the way forward, providing skills and knowledge for the work force of tomorrow, and moral and ethical guidance can be taught at the same time. I'd prefer a renaissance in the public school system, including reintroduction of the idea that an education is the birthright of every citizen in an enlightened and compassionate country. If America is to survive and prosper, we need to fund our schools, not more prisons. And let's find a way to end the absurdity of sky-high tuition -- how cruel to saddle the new graduate with a big bundle of debt. If we do things right we could even pay people to go to school -- it would be in the country's best interest to provide universal education. If we were to spend but a fraction of the cost of our over-priced machines of warfare on educating our populace it would be a much better investment. Education, not incarceration! Go to school instead of war!

-- Don Baraka