Pope and death

We humans know inherently and in our genes that after death there is nothing. There is no after life. Our genes know it very well, and they enforce this reality on us, despite all our beautiful beliefs about life after death. Fear of death has made us build all these religions and fairly tales about a beautiful after life. But, deep down, we all know these are just what they are, fairy tales for children.

We cling at life, we resist dying by all means. Even popes try to live even one day longer if they can. They use the most advanced technologies to survive and live. If anybody among humans would believe in the fairy tale, it must be the religious leaders. But.... they fear it like anybody else. If they really believed in the fairy tale, if they believed they are going to paradise and to a better life after death, they would not try so hard to survive. With the first symptoms of a fatal disease, they would say: No, please don't ask doctors and hospitals to help me. I would prefer to die sooner because I am sure I will go to a better place! Have you ever seen one of them do that???

Aliens, Us, and Chimpanzees

If an alien race visits the earth, I don't think they will differentiate much between us and our keen chimpanzees. We are not that different! What they will report to their home planet is that among all the other animals on this planet, they have found one species that is a tool maker and has managed to build pretty advanced tools. This animal tends to be social and gathers in large groups, but apart from that is not much different from other members of its branch, the primates. It is conniving, predatory, vicious, selfish, greedy. It tends to spend most of its time fighting other members of its species over resources and is very brutal towards any living thing, including its own kind.

Internal Opposition, US and Rome

Christianity was the internal opposition against Imperial Rome's excesses and corruption. Not all Romans approved and supported the imperial order. There was always a great opposition inside Rome and by some Romans against the imperial order. Christianity was one form this opposition expressed itself. Gradually, when the Imperial power was waning, this internal opposition helped to collapse Rome. We see the same thing now in US. It is not that all Americans support the vehement capitalist-imperialist policies of their country. A great number of open minded and intellectual Americans oppose their government's policies. Blacks, university intellectuals, writers, artists, many Hollywood celebrities, and many other groups are among the opposition. They are not yet strong enough to challenge the powers to be, but sooner or later, the story of Christianity and Rome will be repeated in US.

Tibet, China and the protestors

There are lots of protests worldwide over the state of Tibet and Chinese oppression there now that they are taking the Olympic torch city to city. One thinks, would these people protest so much if Tibet was free but China was still a dictatorship oppressing its own people? I don't think so. One wonders! Are Chinese people not as important as Tibetans? Is a government allowed to oppress its own people as much as it wants, without facing any opposition abroad? Why nobody talks about the plight of the Chinese dissenters inside China? Aren't they human?

Sometimes at least, ask what I can do for my country and community!

Human societies are a lot like human body, or any other multi-cell living organism. It is true that cells benefit from living together, but it is not possible for cells to live together if they don't contribute as much as they benefit from this community. Each cell has learnt this simple fact, through billions of years of evolution, that in order to survive in a community of cells, you have to help them as much as you benefit from their help. You have to limit your selfishness and work for the common good of the community.

If every cell tries to get, and not to contribute, the body will not last for one moment. Cancerous cells are like selfish humans who don't contribute to their society and think that the society is there just for them to milk it and get rich quick. Cancer cells kill the body, and in the process, themselves.

Unfortunately many of us in our yet primitive societies have not learnt that we have to contribute to our community if we want to survive. Perhaps we can compare anti-tax neo-cons to cancerous cells. What they preach is that it is good to fleece the society and fill up your pockets in the market, but you don't have any duty towards it when it comes to paying taxes, which is paying back to the body you have been benefiting from.