How ‘BIG’ is that ‘LITTLE?’ Can we grow?
“You have made him ‘LITTLE’ less than God; you have crowned him with glory and beauty” Psalm 8-5; This is how the bible says about how God created man.
Abrahamic religions ( Jews, Christians, and Muslims) say that man was created by God, per the Bible word given above, “a little” less than God himself. The third-largest religion Hinduism teaches that man is part of and same as God. Man is the most complicated and advanced species on earth through the process of evolution as per science. We are very, very close to God, just a little below!
How “BIG” is this “LITTLE”? How close are the man and God? How ‘tall’ could he become? Is the human brain so right that it can grow so close to God? An Indian poet jocked that man has already grown so much, and he has even made God. His poem means “God made man on 6th day from dirt and man created God on the 7th day from stone”.
A study of Einstein’s brain has raised an ongoing debate about what percentage of his brain he used. He was the most intelligent man who lived in the twentieth century. Some say he used only 10% of his brain, and an average person uses only 1-2% of his/her brain. Many scientists dispute this. But one sure thing is the human brain is the most intriguing, least understood thing in the world. Many of Einstein’s scientific theories are truly difficult to understand for even well-educated scientists and engineers. Einstein’s knowledge and discoveries have made significant, big changes in the world.
But is the “man,” created by God or evolved per Darwin’s theory, all about the brain and its mysterious working? Is man just a super, super machine that burns carbohydrates and converts it to energy to perform work?
If “man,” with just five senses to interact with the world, is the highest being, how about the umpteen number of animals, birds, plants, insects, and creatures, who have some senses far superior to human senses?
Our pet dog and snakes have a far superior power to smell!
Our power to see is far inferior to that of the eagle flying in the sky! We can see only a minute fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum. One science study says that we are ‘seeing’ only ten trillionths of what is out there.
Our power to hear is limited to sounds between 20 to 20, 000 frequency. The list of limitations of our senses is so high!. The point is that many creatures we ignore, fear, or consider nasty are ‘blessed with’ much superior sensory powers than ours.
Enough reason to feel humiliated! Though God created us just a ‘little’ below God Himself, how big is that “little”! Millions and billions of species on earth, even trees and plants, are some way or other superior to us! If we are ‘created’ as the result of an ever-progressing evolution process, we have lost so many capabilities on our way. Are we the most advanced species? Are we close to God? Really?
Theists, atheists, and scientists who have not lost their skepticism need to think again. We need to stop anchoring ourselves in a firm position, condemning deferring views, and regain our freedom to think. There is a big opening for cooperation, collaboration, and joint research if we break the barrier blocking free thought.
What is “thought?”. From which of the five senses, is ‘thought’ coming out? Thought affects our mood, our feelings, interactions, communication, and even our health. ‘Thought’ provokes imagination. It can instantly take us to heaven, hell, beyond the ‘borders’ of infinity, to the past, the future and the present. We can cruise through, ‘timelessness,’ ‘spacelessness’; and beyond universes. It doesn’t even take a minute fraction of a nanosecond to jump from hell to heaven, from earth to moon, from one star to another. Thinking and imagining things, can cause physical changes like shedding tears, or a state of joy and bliss or get stressed.
Maybe our capability to think and imagine is the quality that makes us different from other species. Perhaps this is the thing that can take us so close to, but just a “little” less than God.
Advancement in science and technology and new findings of spirituality and theology is changing the society at rocket speed. Science is capable of empowering senses and even create new ‘senses’. Scientists are now successfully testing instruments that could be used as sensors to help those born handicapped. A camera could be connected to the optic nerve making it possible for a blind person “See”!. Sensors attached to the vest could help a person born deaf to “hear.” Sounds not audible to ordinary ears can be measured with ultrasonics; X-rays Gamma Rays of various frequencies and wavelengths’ unknown’ to the five senses can be accurately measured and analyzed. It is now possible to photograph changes in the brain and study our feelings!
Discovery of DNA, just less than70 years ago, is making revolutionary changes in the whole scientific world, especially medical science. Digital technology has opened the world that was not even seen in man’s wildest dreams a few decades ago. Scientists may soon be able to “walk Into” and “travel” inside an atom and do research in a sphere called AlloSphere! All these are possible because we dream and imagine, as we do not surrender our freedom to think; because we explore. We can ask why and why not without fear; because we let our imagination fly without borders in our ‘thought vehicle’ in search of Truth.
Despite all these beautiful capabilities, we do not know where-from our thoughts and imagination are flowing out. We cannot pinpoint thought’s nestling place in any nook or corner of our body or ‘mind’. Despite our proven, ever promising, capability to explore earth, space, moon, stars, and universe, we are far behind exploring thoughts and imagination of our own body, mind, and soul! Our progress in understanding our conscience is very little compared to our understanding of the world through science and technology. Why?
Theologians, economists, politicians, communists, capitalists, socialists, through ages, have been coming out with solutions for problems of the human race and guiding people. Barring a small percentage, they work to serve their selfish interests and ego. They may be genuinely dedicated and want to help to establish a prosperous and peaceful human society. However, no one has been successful so far.
Human suffering is on the increase. People have been fighting and killing each other in the name of religion, race superiority, communism, capitalism, socialism, birth-based caste system, etc. One group fight and kill or win over another for some time. The defeated group continues the fight to take revenge and inflict pain on the ‘winner.’ The hate cycle of pain-anger- retaliation-pain keeps resulting in never-ending suffering. Palestinians Vs. Jews, Muslims Vs. Hindus, and tribe Vs. Tribe of Africa are examples. It is as if the man is looking for some reason to hate; to fight; to kill!. We can see that people responsible for this condition are those at the end of free-thinking. They are “I am the only one right you are wrong; ‘mine is better; yours is crap’ ‘I am OK you are not OK” people who have misled themselves and their followers.
Fortunately, scientists, engineers, and technologists who are engaged in research do not fight against and kill each other. However, religious fundamentalists, economists, political leaders, and rulers misuse advancements in science for mutual fights and destruction ( Explosives, nuclear power, power, etc.). Some theologians sanction and bless hatred and wars. Some economists called for violence and organized the overthrow of regimes and annihilation of ‘opponents.’ Some advocate an economic system based on unhealthy competition and selfishness. Kings encouraged hatred and violence and fought, suppressed, and killed the weaker ‘. Noble teachings of love, sacrifice, and brotherhood that occasionally arose through ages through great teachers have been hijacked and corrupted with evil qualities centered on self- centeredness by their followers. Today, the world’s social and political environment is full of suspicion, hatred, and fear of terrorism.
The scientific community refuses to see any influence of the ‘Devine’ in human life. Religious communities oppose reason and insist on (Blind) faith. Both are harmful to a peaceful society. Any argument that reasoning is anathema will not suit the fundamental nature of the human mind. Those who argue for blind faith rejecting reason do not realize that they, too, are using reasoning to put forward that argument for blind faith. Human genes can not exist without thinking and reasoning. If those for faith fear that logic is a threat to the ‘divine,’ let them learn about the frog’s story that jumped to catch the star, mistaking it to be a lightning bug. After dropping many times, it will realize that it is not a bug. God and the concept of divinity are far above the reach of rationalists. Six Billion of the seven billion people on earth belongs to one or other organized religion. Almost every person living on earth has one or different concepts about some divine power. Many philosophers, rulers, and mighty governments who wanted to enforce atheism and establish a ‘Godless’ society have failed.
There is a need to look for common ground for science and religion to collaborate and work together with an open mind. Albert Einstein said, “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Pope John PaulII acknowledged the interdependence of science and religion and said: “Science can purify religion from error, religion can purify science from false absolutes.”
What is the significance of all these for Peace On Earth?
Why is humanity still rolling in the mud of hatred, conflicts, fights, and mutual killing spree?
Why have we made our “LITTLE” distance from God so BIG and fallen far below from Truth? Why our politics, theologies, political and economic systems appear to be beyond repair? Why we create hell instead of building the ‘Kingdom of God’ on earth?
Opening up our mind and regaining our freedom to think and imagine is the solution. We could fly high and reach that branch of human growth tree that is just below God. Throw out fixations in mind against others, their views, faiths, and practices. Religions should stop imposing morality by injecting fear of punishment after death. Teach what a happy and joyful life it will be right here on earth, by being kind to fellow human beings and loving them. Join hands with other religions and faiths to explore Truth and Peace. Find commonalities for collaboration and joint work, not reasons for conflict. The amazing progress of science and technology is happening because scientists and technologists do not fight but collaborate. This approach is urgently needed in the areas of religion, politics, and particularly economic “science.”
Take the skeptical young generation into confidence and assure them that the seed of Good is in their hearts, and all that they have to do is to allow it to bloom like a lotus coming out of muddy and dirty water. Faiths enforced based on reward and punishment after death will not impact the free-thinking, the new generation. They know a lot more about the universe than before. A small percentage could be misled, but this could cause incalculable harm to Peace. The craze to convert the entire world to anyone’s religion, especially by force, will do more harm than good. Such teachings lead to terrorism, as we see in the case of ISIS. Who are at fault? The young terrorists who kill innocent people hoping to get a reward of pleasure filled eternal “heaven,” or the theologian who misled them to this blind faith?
There is a need for people of all professions and faiths to collaborate for Peace on earth. There is the urgency to work together as human suffering has grown to an alarming, ‘can anytime explode’ stage. There is the urgency to bring together what every one of us has to provide spiritual and material food and nourishment. Like the boy who happily gave his five loaves of bread and two fish when Jesus asked “What you have,” we need to give, share and work together. The multitude was fed from what that little boy gave.
Mao Tse Dung said, “Let hundreds of flowers bloom.” That was not to be rejected just because it came from a communist. If a capitalist teaches that the economy can flourish only through competition, it is a fact. To compete is in the human gene, but to cooperate also is in the same gene. Fertilization of human egg happened only after a big race and competition by hundreds of thousands of sperms. Just as the urge to compete is inbuilt into human biology, longing for collaboration is also fundamental and part of human DNA.
Scientific research is proving beyond doubt that human beings’ fundamental genetic nature is inseparably mixed with kindness, loving compassion, and empathy. This late realization by science was discovered long ago by great teachers like Buddha, Jesus, and many philosophers.
If you rub a magnet on a piece of soft iron, the iron molecules are arranged in order, and that also becomes a magnet. Similarly, collaborative, positive strokes by religions and science can motivate a society and awaken its members’ underlying kindness, loving compassion, and empathy. That will lead to the Peace and the kingdom of God.
Any system that advocates unlimited competition will fail and expose the world to extreme consequences and damage peace. Corporate managements and nations who engage in cut-throat competition bring suffering and eventual destruction. The emphasis of every venture should be on service and fulfillment of society’s needs achieved through mutual collaboration and healthy competition.
There is absolutely no reason for one billion people on earth to starve when world food production is enough to feed ten Billion, and the population is only seven billion. The problem is the lack of an excellent economic system to manage the world’s resources centered on the love of fellow human beings. Politics of hate, selfishness, and unhealthy competition forces us to live in the ditches of human suffering.
It is very promising that the scientific world has started realizing that collaborative spirit and loving nature are fundamental in human biology. The Discovery of the correct empathy gene is not far away. A new branch of study, ‘ultra sociology’, has come up.
Religions and theologists presented goodness to the world in covered and coated form demanding unquestioned blind faith. Every camp created its version of God and fought against each other. Then the religious community and the scientific community engaged in mutual ridiculing. Instead of sharing thoughts, findings common paths, and marching jointly, they chose to fight. Instead of teaching about Joy, happiness, and Peace achievable through love and cooperation, they attempted to instill fear. Religions talked about reward and punishment after death as the basis for moral behavior. Scientists created a fence made of five senses around themselves and the human race, failing to “see” the limits of these senses and explore beyond.
The most crucial point at issue is to understand virtues like love, empathy, loving-kindness, cooperative spirit, etc. at the core of human biology. It is God’s gift at creation for those who believe in God; it is in the biology of humans as being proved by scientific studies. All people, from all religions, theists, atheists, and agnostics, need to realize this as our fundamental nature longing for justice and Peace. That realization will wipe out our differences and help us accept Peace as a Mission and goal in life. We can then, climb the steps of a long ladder between the hatred filled life and love-filled ‘kingdom of God.’ We can rise to the highest level just a little below God. At the end of the climb, we will realize that the ladder is within our SELF. We will enjoy the kingdom of God on earth ( and beyond for those who believe and hope)