Beliefs

page 2

Someone sent me a link which starts "Christians believe.... "

But what if I talk to two people who call themselves Christians but they don't believe the same thing?

It seems to me that unless you can say that all Christians believe in the same things, it doesn't make sense to call them all Christians.

What is an American?

If I was born in America but then moved when I was 5 and lived in France for 5 years, then I lived in China for 5 years and then in Kenya for 5 years, what do I call myself?

If I was born in America but I don't believe 50% of the things that are commonly held beliefs in America am I still an American? What if I don't believe 10% or 90%? Who is to say who an American or a Christian is?

Can someone be born in Canada and be more "American" than someone who was born in America?

I would feel better if we stopped labeling ourselves like this. If we stopped dividing ourselves.

As I see it we are all humans. It is pretty clear what a human is. Beyond that things get less clear very quickly. Many people will try to convince us that we are "French" or "British" or "Americans", but is that really helpful for the world? I say it isn't. Leaders of most countries seem to be what I would call members of special interest groups. In fact, I would feel better if they would say something like "I am a member of the American special interest group" if they are going to promote beliefs or impose laws which benefit the members of that group. But even saying the "American special interest group" would not be specific enough. If you have an American passport and you are interested in making money from the sale of weapons, then you are in a more specific special interest group. If you hold a French, British, Russian, Japanese, or Israeli passport and are also interested in making money from the sale of weapons, are you more defined by the passport you hold or by your interest in selling weapons?

If you call yourself a Christian or Muslim or Jew and are interested in peace, are you more defined by your interest in peace, or by the label of your respective religion?

I am on Bulgaria now, so what does it mean to be a Bulgarian? And who really benefits by saying "So and so person is a Bulgarian" or "I am a Bulgarian"? Humans all around the world have very similar needs, yet they have very different rights according to the part of the world they were born in and according to their age. I believe it is better for the survival of the species if we stop dividing humans into so many sub groups and focus instead on individual needs.

We survive as a species when we survive as individuals. To survive as individuals means we have to have our needs met. If my needs are not being me in one group or environment, I need to either change the group or environment or leave it. For me it has usually proven easier and more practical to leave an environment. But this is not an option for many humans under the age of 18. Thus their needs are not met and as a consequence they become damaged just as going without a certain vitamin or protein will cause damage but perhaps not death.