A Humanist Call for an End to War

More and more I see was as theft by the rich of the poor. It is a theft of wealth, a theft of life and a theft of peace. I understand the need for defense, but I think all too often, defense is just an excuse used to dupe us into thinking we need to fight.

Back in May, President Obama spoke in Hiroshima Japan. His speech was excellent. It was a reminder that ordinary people, do not want more war!

If you have not read his speech, the full text is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/28/world/asia/text-of-president-obamas-speech-in-hiroshima-japan.html?_r=0

I am going to quote from it here:

“My own nation’s story began with simple words: All men are created equal and endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Realizing that ideal has never been easy, even within our own borders, even among our own citizens. But staying true to that story is worth the effort. It is an ideal to be strived for, an ideal that extends across continents and across oceans. The irreducible worth of every person, the insistence that every life is precious, the radical and necessary notion that we are part of a single human family — that is the story that we all must tell. 

That is why we come to Hiroshima. So that we might think of people we love. The first smile from our children in the morning. The gentle touch from a spouse over the kitchen table. The comforting embrace of a parent. We can think of those things and know that those same precious moments took place here, 71 years ago. 

Those who died, they are like us. Ordinary people understand this, I think. They do not want more war. They would rather that the wonders of science be focused on improving life and not eliminating it. When the choices made by nations, when the choices made by leaders, reflect this simple wisdom, then the lesson of Hiroshima is done.”

If Humanism means anything it must mean this: “The irreducible worth of every person, the insistence that every life is precious, the radical and necessary notion that we are part of a single human family — that is the story that we all must tell.”

Thou Shall Not Kill

Obama and his team watch the raid live

This week, Osama Bin Laden was killed in a raid ordered by US President Barack Obama. Lots of people were happy about it. Some were angered by it and a whole lot of people had mixed emotions about it.  I fell into the mixed emotions group.

The killing of Bin Laden represents what happens when our values come in conflict with one another. Humanists understand that all ethics and all moral value systems are situational. But that doesn't mean it's easy thinking through moral problems.  It's hard sometimes.

Here's the moral dilemma that the killing of Bin Laden brought up. Is it OK to kill one person in order to save the lives of thousands?  For Obama and his team, the answer is apparently yes because that's the decision that was made. Intellectually I agree, but killing is still killing and the thought of someone dying makes me sad. Even if that someone was Bin Laden. While I don't like feeling this way, I would rather feel sad about a death then ambivalent about it. People who aren't emotionally moved by death scare me.

Anyway, Bin Laden's death has also brought up those horrid emotions from Sept 11th and how I felt when I watched the towers collapse on television and saw people jumping to their deaths to avoid immolation. So even though a part of me is relieved that Bin Laden can't order peoples death's anymore. The other part of me is still mourning the tragedy of Sept 11, 2001 and wishing that the world didn't include such sorrow.

Our Shared Spirit of Humanity

Whatever you think of Obama’s politics. There is no doubt that his most powerful speeches are infused with pure Humanism. That is probably why they are so darned powerful and stirring to hear. His Easter message was no exception. In fact, aside from just a couple of mentions of public policy, it was as pure a statement of Humanism as you are likely to get anywhere. Here are the highlights.

“Remember the shared spirit of humanity that inhabits us all. … Let us hold fast to those aspirations we hold in common as brothers and sisters, as members of the same family - the family of man. … All of us value our health and the health of our loved ones. Our health is the rock upon which our lives are built, for better and for worse. … All of us value education. … Ultimately, education is about something more, something greater. It is about the ability that lies within each of us to rise above any barrier, no matter how high; to pursue any dream, no matter how big. … All of us are striving to make a way in this world; to build a purposeful and fulfilling life in the fleeting time we have here. A dignified life. A healthy life. A life, true to its potential. And a life that serves others. … These are aspirations that stretch back through the ages.”

He then goes on to tell a story about an Easter service held at Iwo Jimo 60 years ago. He quotes the chaplain from that service as consecrating the memory “of American dead. … Together they practiced virtue, patriotism, love of country, love of you and of me.” The chaplain said, “The heritage they have left us, the vision of a new world, [was] made possible by the common bond that united them…their only hope that this unity will endure.” Obama finishes with the following statement, “Let us remain ever mindful of the unity of purpose, the common bond, the love of you and of me, for which they sacrificed all they had; and for which so many others have sacrificed so much. And let us make its pursuit - and fulfillment - our highest aspiration,”

A Humanist couldn’t have put it better. View the entire speech here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/04/03/weekly-address-holiday-greetings