Religion, Society and Personal Responsibility

This weekend on CNN there will be a special on British Muslims, a few with radical ideas, most afraid of their own and the potential consequences of the ones who want to spread violence. It occurs to me that we as a society are paying the price of self-indulgence and abandonment, not only with this issue but many others. At least in the U.S., and possibly in the U.K. too, we were living in a state of denial. Issues like poverty, street gang violence, drug use, lopsided laws that favor some while hurting others and more.

We drive every day to work and can see that guy at the corner asking for money with a sign that say “Homeless, please help”. One out of a hundred perhaps will stop and give him a buck. Most just ignore him; he’s become part of the scenery. We watch in the news how street gangs are causing damage to the community, sometimes their own people, killing, maiming, and selling drugs. We then switch channels until we find something that will be more uplifting and finish our dinner. We let our government at every level enact law after law curtailing personal liberties in an attempt to feel more secure. In other words, we have become a passive audience to any and all facts that tamper with our peace of mind. We find excuses not to do something and be more proactive because “we don’t have time” or “it‘s the government‘s task“.
The result of this bastardized approach to living in a society is what we see and experience and now we realize that it’s causing real damage.

Diving into religion to look for solutions is not the answer. Going once a week to a temple or church and pray for a better world may be a soul-satisfying experience, but let’s face it, we can’t expect miracles all the time. Letting politicians rule amok with sometimes-drastic measures and laws, may provide a sense of accomplishment in solving certain problem. On the other hand enforcing those measures alone won’t make the problem go away, it will just morph into something else in need of yet another law. What’s left is, in my view, personal responsibility. Something that has been ignored for far too long and can’t replace religion or politics.

That’s why, in the case of the Muslims in England, is refreshing to learn that there are “good” Muslims ready to tackle the roots of the problem within their own community. It’s not a matter of religion; it’s a matter of those who understand their own people providing a helping hand to correct the problem.

The same goes for other sectors in any community where violence is an everyday occurrence. We should empower ourselves in our own communities with the same fervor that those who are trying to destroy it, but in a positive way. We should get out of our self-made cocoon and do something to help alleviate the problems surrounding us, instead of just watching from afar. And I’m not talking about those who live in the immediate area; I’m talking about everybody who believes in real solutions.

I have a little framed carving of the three little monkeys in my house: “Don’t see, don’t hear, don’t talk”. This moves me to keep on writing, mostly for myself since I’m not quite sure how many read this, but also to never forget the real problem our society faces day after day: “It‘s not my problem. I don‘t know. There is nothing I can do, etc., etc.”

Instead of throwing a buck to the homeless at the corner, how about stopping and taking him to places where he can get meaningful help? Oh, no, not in my car!
Instead of complaining about street gangs, why don’t we create more neighborhood groups to denounce their illegal and sometimes murderous activities? Because we are afraid? Well, nothing will be different; we are afraid now! Instead of ignoring the mass of poor and displaced people struggling to survive, why not join them, ask questions and seek solutions to elevate their status. Are we too comfortable perhaps with our own status? This could be a very extensive list, so I’ll leave it for you to complete.

Get out and do something. Complaining is fine, but that in itself is just words and we need action! Even though we have some pieces of the puzzle in place, like a few honest politicians, cops and judges, we must remember we are a larger force, we are the People. People empowered by our Constitution to set the standards by which we want to live our life and, within the law, there are many thing we are not doing. Instead, we’re always waiting for someone else to do it for us.