World View and Other Thoughts


Vic Bitar’s Reflections on our World Situation

Lessons: If Learned Well…
Will Make a Great Difference for a Better Future

Introduction

These observations, reflections, and thoughts are shared with family and friends at this juncture in the hope that they may –hopefully help- many to re-assess, re-think, and possibly re-dedicate themselves to a more consistent, meaningful, and principled life that will lead to rebuilding our American society into a model that will be attractive enough to be desired and copied by people all over our world in the coming decades.

As we approach the end of the first decade of the third millennium A.D./C.A., a decade that was filled with human atrocities against fellow humans in the same country, region, continent, and world; it is time to learn from past mistakes, because we have been repeating such actions and behavior, especially during the past century/100 years now.  Therefore, please bear with me as I share from a heart that is filled with care and love for my fellow humans (all of the about 6.5 billions currently living on planet Earth); believing that we can and must learn from past mistakes in order to have a better, more enjoyable, and meaningful life here on this earth -and beyond, for those who choose to believe in such existence.

The Setting - Situation

For the sake of reasonable applicability, let’s just consider the past three decades:

• Our world has made incredible advances in agriculture and food supplies, raised the standard of living for billions of people all over the planet, and enhanced communications with all people all over the world to a point heretofore absolutely un-imaginable.
• Life expectancy has increased and medical care has become also more wide-spread than many people have even hoped for previously.
• More millions have been able to observe and learn –either directly or through the media- about different places and people all over the planet.
• Yet, more people have also been enslaved by anarchists and manipulative ‘so called leaders’ in almost every region on earth.
• Then, the current terrible world economic mess and universal confusion.

If the above is somewhat accurate, one would be led to ask the very obvious questions:

 

Where lies the problem?      Is there a realistic solution?       What will it take?

The following will attempt to provide some answers, but the real answer lies with each person; because the fundamental answer is that we –in the majority- have failed to learn much from history and prior experiences; thus we were destined to repeat the errors of the past, possibly in a different form.

What past you ask?  A very good question, and the genuine answer is that we really need to go back to the beginning and the most fundamental; because unless we get back to address the weakness in the foundation there is no hope for rebuilding a truly solid structure.

Foundational and Fundamental Fact
There’s no human –or the collection of human beings- that have the ability to truly and fully comprehend human existence on this Planet Earth; and every human being that ever lives on this earth will struggle to develop a satisfactory understanding (for one’s self) of what is this life all about.  We all bought the lie, and continue to live the lie “man-kind can be like The Creator on our own terms”.

Two Alternatives
Either there is an intelligent design –thus Designer-, or it all happened by accident, coincidence, or whatever.
Based on the realities of life, above all –every normal human being has the freedom to choose-, and every decision has consequences on the one making it as well as on others.

If the person is convinced that he/she are here by accident; then there’s no sound logic in expecting sound reasoning in making those decisions.  Each will decide according to what each understands to be in one’s own self interest (usually short-sighted), and as best as each can discern; which will likely lead to a complicated mess –just like the one we find our world in repeatedly and to varying degrees, as is the case these days.

On the other hand, if the person is convinced that he/she are here because of a not-so- readily- discernible but very positive and worthy reason; then personal decisions will take many other elements into serious consideration, and will include the impact on others (whoever those may be, and both negative and positive) prior to making that decision.

Therefore, it is most likely that the decisions made by the second group –the one that is convinced of the worthy reason for existence- will most likely lead to the best possible positive impact on the lives of others, regardless of physical proximity; even though it all starts within the family unit, the smallest denominator in any human society.

Based on the above simplified analysis, the problem lies with the size of the first group that chooses to spread ignorance and lack of care amongst humanity (in whichever way, and regardless of the motives or lack thereof) ; thus causing human life to become more complicated, confusing, and thus a struggle that has little positive meaning and purpose.

Unfortunately, this has been happening in almost every human society, and it probably started in the education and religion components than any other area of human existence.  Thus, it behooves the educators and the religious leaders to take notice and seriously consider their terrible failures; and –if I may say so- rise above shrugging this off and give serious consideration to what and how they can rethink their God-given responsibility to educate and train the coming generation. 

However, we must start with every parent, and older person (within the immediate family); because learning starts there, and the foundations are laid there first.  Each of us must look at ourselves, re-evaluate what we have been doing; then be honest and strong enough to admit our errors and try to accept positive change, and be the proper example to be imitated and learned from.

In a nutshell: Just as a house does not get built without a builder, a human being needs to connect with The Perfect Creator and Sustainer of all the creation humanity can now perceive; because the care and love we all have a glimpse of early in our lives on this earth come from that source.  The meaning of life comes only from that understanding of human life and its purpose –to care for all creation as best as each of us possibly can; because that’s the real model we have been given throughout the ages.

In summation, the fundamental difference is between a very deficient self-enclosed grasp for life and its meaning, and one that is enlightened and positively encompassing the other/others that every decision each of us makes will inevitably impact in one way or another; regardless of the degree.