That said, humanity still has a lot of growing to do. We are like little children, pursuing whatever makes us happy, yet throwing tantrums when we cannot get our way. We will do what we are told if told forcefully enough, otherwise we do what fulfills our desires … and MAYBE feel bad about it if someone else gets hurt in the process, especially if we are called out on it. And we pretty much believe whatever we are told. That is much easier than figuring things out for ourselves.

When a child first opens their senses to the world, there is no fear, no hatred, no categorizing … only simple wonder and curiosity. Sure they may react by crying, but that is ironically more from the change in circumstances. They have been taken out of a relatively comfortable and peaceful environment and suddenly thrust into overwhelming … CHANGE. Of course this causes a reaction. Fear, judgement, separation … that is all taught to the child. And how we react to these negative influences on our growth is the true testament to our character as human beings. Do we respond instinctively, as the child does when change is suddenly thrust upon them, or do we actually CHOOSE our own reaction?

Or do we let someone else decide for us?

The sad truth is, all too many of us either react instinctively, or let someone else do the choosing for us. We need to reclaim our own minds, and learn to take responsibility for our OWN growth as human beings.We need to stop letting those who would divide the world to promote their own personal agendas dictate our morality, when the simple truth of the matter is we all entered the world the same way. Everything after that is really just ideas being thrust on us by the rest of the world. It is up to US how we let those ideas shape us.

It comes down to this. Either life is precious and worth protecting or it is not. The value of a life has nothing to do with the circumstances that the life lives under. It has nothing to do with where it is lived. It has nothing to do with the physical differences, or any of the other superficial differences that separatists use to place more value on one life than another for their own gain. We either value life or we don’t.

I am not here to tell anyone how they should think. That is up to each of us. But please don’t tell me that you value life if you can so easily dismiss one life as having less value than another simply because of arbitrary boundaries designed by man. Or because they fall into a category that is somehow unacceptable. to us, as dictated by others who tell us what is acceptable and what is not. There is only one reason that poverty and hunger exists in this world. It is because those in power do not truly value life. There is only one reason that refugees exist. Because those in power do not truly value life. Stop blaming the victims for the actions of those who victimize them. And don’t tell me how strong you are when your strength lies behind locked doors and weapons. Not helping another because of the possibility of risk to yourself is nothing other than placing the value of your life as higher than theirs. And who exactly are YOU to make such a judgement?

The actions of OUR governments are the cause of homelessness and the refugee crisis. Whether the person in need is a starving child, a discarded veteran, or a family fleeing for their own safety is immaterial. The ultimate cause is the same people. So don’t deny one group of lives in need because you think another group deserves the help more. Help them ALL. And remove the causes from power.

We either value life or we do not. It is time we make our OWN choices.

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The post What is the value of a human life? #1000Speak first appeared on thrumyeyes.

What defines the value of a life?

Is it the number of limbs one has? The place one is born? The potential financial value one could represent? Maybe it is the belief system one subscribes to? Or is it simply the name one bears?

I guess we each have to decide the answer to this question for ourselves.

Here is MY answer. Whether you believe that life is the creation of some omniscient sky daddy, or a simple accident of chemical reactions, it is a truly amazing thing. Life is the difference between a large barren rock floating through the “ether” and a globe of infinite wonder and change. It is the flavor in the stew that is the universe. Without life the wonder that is existence would go unnoticed; the ultimate masterpiece totally unappreciated. Life is what makes EVERYTHING worthwhile.

So where does that put the end of life?

Ultimately when that end is part of the pattern it is no bad thing. Part of what makes life so unique and notable is the fact that it is ever-changing and evolving, as the old makes way for the new. It is also all the more precious for its shortness relative to the rest of existence. Life comes and life goes, and the wonders continue.

However mankind, in its ultimate arrogance, has given itself the responsibility to decide when life is to be given and when life is to be taken. What exactly gives humans the right to make such profound decisions? Some claim a special connection to the infinite, as if the are somehow superior than every other miracle of being out there. Others just do it out of mismatched pride or ego, or maybe it is simple greed. But life is totally beyond our understanding, let alone our rights. How can we determine where life can exist if we don’t even fully understand what it is?

Humanity has little chance of coexisting with itself let alone the rest of life until we recognize this very simple fact. We can’t pick and choose which deaths are acceptable and which are not. The basic reality is no death is acceptable if it is not part of the pattern. If one kills another for no reason other than personal gain or over reaction to something we choose as immoral… then that killing is wrong. There are no two ways about it.

It does not matter if it is Israel, or Hamas. It does not matter if it is Syria or Iraq. It does not matter if it is Christian or Jewish or Muslim. It does not matter if it is Black or White. It does not even matter if it is child or adult. Taking another life simply for political or financial game is nothing other than WRONG. WE need to stop selectively moralizing when it is ok and when it is not. We need to stop playing the US and THEM game; allowing our own prejudices to say that man should die but this one should not. Politics in NO justification. Greed is NO justification. And most importantly, and most hypocritically, religion is NO justification.

Just stop the killing. Every hand on a trigger is attached to a living deciding being. If everyone decided NOT to pull the trigger, we would actually have a chance. It is up to each of us.

STOP THE KILLING!!

The post STOP THE KILLING!!! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

In my journeys of late, I have been fortunate enough to explore the wonders of rural America. I have been invited into homes. I have enjoyed great food and wonderful music. I have witnessed loving families, joy and laughter. I have hobnobbed with those whose life experiences are more exotic than fiction, primarily because they were not my own. I have also witnessed pettiness, greed, anger, aggression and bigotry. I have seen the extremes and everything in between.

Simply put, I have experienced people being people.

Just because someone’s upbringing and life path has been different from mine does not mean that I am in any way superior to them. Just because they may make choices that I would not make; decisions I consider flawed; even judgements that I find objectionable … does not make me a better person. Nor does it make them somehow morally corrupt.

EVERY preconception; EVERY stereotype is based on real perceptions. Face it, humanity thrives on negative press. We seem to find it easier to accept that wich pushes THEM into the negative light then to accept the fact that maybe THEY are just like you and me … in other words we all have our flaws and our beauties.

“I hate closed-minded people!”

“Those poor, uneducated people are so backwards in their beliefs. Dumb as rocks. The are all just ignorant haters!”

“We should kill all the terrorists.  They are all evil psychopaths!”

This question is for the open-minded. It is for the highly educated; the ones who KNOW that all people are worthy in their own right. If you think such thoughts as listed above … how are you ANY less bigoted then those you are judging? Just because someone has been fed information that may be incorrect; just because someone may have been raised with some unhealthy and even wrong-headed ideas (at least by our OWN thinking), does not make them any less of a good person than we think we are. “They” love their families as “we” do. “They” do what they need to get by in a crazy, mixed up world … just like “we” do.

Do you fully agree with EVERYTHING those close to you think and do?

And how far would YOU go if you thought they were threatened in any way?

It sure is easy to condemn another’s mistakes from the comfort of our own armchair isn’t it? Educational and moral superiority is bigotry too. At least those who do what we call atrocious acts are actually trying their best to IMPROVE the world around them, even if “we” don’t like their ” improvements”.

Can you say the same?

The post What do YOU want from The Wizard? first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Part of the difficulty of obtaining peace in this world is misinformation, often intentional by those who have agendas. We have a tendency to equate those who commit evil with larger groups, simply because we do not truly understand or have the correct information. A good friend of mine has shared this in an attempt to clarify a common incorrect belief about Islam in the modern world. Among other lessons to be learned here, an important one is not to generalize. Individuals behave on their own right, and are not necessarily representatives of a larger group that they claim to be from!

Islam is the source of peace and love not terror

The concept of “Islam terror” is on the top of the international agenda nowadays. Everywhere you go, you read or hear of it; on TV, on radio, in newspaper between intellectuals…it seems that those people who created that concept, want to spread it, and we often hear the word “terrorism” and the word “Islam” in an interchangeably way in the western media; They want to make everybody believe that Islam is terror and evil itself. However, why this hatred against this peaceful religion? Is it because some of its Adherents committed some bad crimes, which made the world guess that all Muslims are all bad? If so, why don’t we ever hear of “Christian terror” or “Jews terror”? Does it mean that all Christians and Jews are good people? Of course not!! They are all humans, it doesn’t matter what religion they adhere to; there must be good people and bad people everywhere we go.

The origin of the concept of “Islam terror” emerged after the terrorist attacks, targeted New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, which caused the death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. The perpetrators were Muslims, and among the victims were Muslims also. Thus, if the reason behind the attack is hatred against non-Muslims, why they murdered Muslims too?! There is a point that should be stressed in the outcast; killing in the name of religion is definitely unacceptable. However, this point has never been respected; if we take a brief look in the history, we will find out that a lot of wars were in the name of religion. For instance, The Crusades which constituted a dark episode of Christianity history, which is actually, a religion of peace and love; however; the Crusaders led their “holly war” in the name of “God’s will” they killed millions of non-Christians, so do we have the right to call this “Christian terror”??!! If we did so, then we are just generalizing and giving stereotypes, because we put all the Christians in the same basket while there are good peaceful followings. That is the same oppression the Muslims are suffering from today; bad stereotypes. They pay the price that some misguided adherers should pay.

It is noteworthy to say that Islam is the religion of peace, love, and mercy. Terror, on the other hand, is the opposite of this religion message. Moreover, killing people is a sin which bring great torment in hell. For more details, lets have a look on the Qur’an verses which is the guide of Muslims in life, and the Hadith which is all the sayings and directives of the prophet Mohamed pace be upon him.

Allah said in the holly Qur’an:

You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace [Islam]. Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara: 168)”

This verse is an obvious call to peace and tolerance. Also Allah said in another verse which incite on avoiding murdering:

So We decreed for the tribe of Israel that if someone kills another person—unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth—it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind. Our Messengers came to them with Clear Signs but even after that many of them committed outrages in the earth. (Surat al-Ma’ida: 32)”

And the prophet Mohamed peace be upon him said in a hadith:

A Muslim is the one who avoids harming people with his tongue and hands.”

Now, everything is clear and very obvious; the essence of Islam is peace, tolerance, and coexistence. Therefore, Islam can by no means concur with terror, and it is completely innocent of what was attributed to it. Besides, the crimes committed by any Muslim represent only the person not the religion he adhere to, and that’s the case for all religions. But the problem is that people in the western world cannot easily accept this fact, because their media worked hard to deform the Islam’s image; by presenting a Muslim as a guy with a long beard, wearing a Galabia, and surrounded his body with bombs. Unfortunately, a lot of people believe that, without doing any simple effort to find out the truth; they gave the priority to their emotions, so the hatred found its way to their hearts. I wrote this article just as a call to the western world people especially in the United Sates to get rid of the idea of “Islam terror”. They should know that the perpetrators of the terrorist attack don’t represent the Islam; they just misunderstood their religion as the Crusaders did once; that if they weren’t really exploited by some merciless portions. I’m not asking them to believe everything I said but it’s an initiative to study this great religion, learn about its noble values, and discover the hidden truth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post The truth about Islam first appeared on thrumyeyes.