Another Pathway is
Possible
No Human Being is an
Enemy of Another Human Being
We, All Life on the Planet, of the Human, Environment, Animal and Ecosystems, Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident, That All Life is Created Equal, and Endowed by its Creator with Certain Unalienable Rights, That Among These are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Progress In A Real Way: A Reconciliation of Deep Spirituality with Our Humanity with the American Idea and Ideals — Without War — The Other Choice for the Planet
"The Christmas Truce" - When Men Said No to War
THE LIGHT OF
CONSCIENCE
How Light Travels
Conscience and the Light of the World –
See How it All Connects through Science and the Universal Law and Principles in Religion:
Albert Einstein said:
"Science without Religion is lame, and Religion without Science
is blind"; this means we need both science and religion
to understand ourselves and Reality.
In this statement: "God is Light; in Him there is no Darkness at all" (1John1:5) we find the New Testament is pointing to the world of Quantum Physics, i.e. sub-atomic particles and [the speed of] light that is linked and shaped by the state of our own consciousness. That consciousness has an inherent relationship with God (Light-Love-Law) and it is by this consciousness we find our conscience.
The scientist, Dr Albert Hofman said: "Consciousness is Gods’ gift to mankind”: It is by consciousness we exist, but it is by CONSCIENCE we survive collectively and have worth individually. Conscience is a necessary ingredient to humankind either way–for our continued progress. The great American Revolutionary and Forefather George Washington called it the "little spark of celestial fire." Power-packed indeed.
So how does that "little spark of celestial fire"–conscience–translate itself in the world?
Metaphysically: Conscience is the Light in our soul; and literally closes the gap between Heaven and Earth
Spirituality: Conscience is
awareness of our Oneness and Interconnectedness with each other and all
things; It allows us to see what is meant by: "Love Thy Neighbor as
Thyself" and to be kind to all beings
Life Experience: Conscience is
the stuff of Bravery and Nobility
–
it has a backbone and an honor
Who You Are: With the fundamental basis of Reality being Light-Love-Law – conscience is the Real You –
No justification or rationalization required!
The Authentic Religion: Standing in the Light of your own conscience you command with God [Love-Light-Law].
It is said: "We should pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on us." This means that Peace is not Possible without Justice. If we want Peace, then we must work for Justice which is the heart of conscience.
Justice (which is the product of conscience) often means rebellion or disobedience to authoritarianism
Martin Luther King said in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail: "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law; St. Augustine said: "An unjust law is no law at all"; and the poet Henry David Thoreau said: If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law"; This all means we can't be human without conscience which is why we find people who stand with their conscience at all costs. The moral of the story: It is worth being human in a human world. If we want to fine tune it further, we can also say: "It is worth being human FOR a human world."
People Who Found and Spoke Their Conscience During the Act of War
Major-General Smedley Butler, USMC: "War is Just a Racket" (Early 20th Century)
US Air Force General Lee Butler: "It is time to reassert the primacy of individual conscience, the voice of reason, and the rightful interests of humanity" (Late 20th Century)
Fl Lt Malcolm Kendall-Smith: "Resistance Against Tyranny is not Futile" (Iraq)
Philip Martin, USMC: "I'm sick and tired of this patriotic, nationalistic and fascist crap" (Iraq)
Robert S. Mulford's Statement on Non-Violent Resistance to the War in Iraq
The Brave (Censored) GI
Movement that Said No to War:
"I was doing it right, but I wasn't doing
right"
The Question to the Mother's of Mankind: Julia
Howe, Author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic
To the Brave, The Noble and the Free: WE SALUTE YOUR HUMANITY
“To those who have called me a coward I say that they are wrong, and that without knowing it, they are also right. They are wrong when they think that I left the war for fear of being killed. I admit that fear was there, but there was also the fear of killing innocent people, the fear of putting myself in a position where to survive means to kill, there was the fear of losing my soul in the process of saving my body, the fear of losing myself to my daughter, to the people who love me, to the man I used to be, the man I wanted to be. I was afraid of waking up one morning to realize my humanity had abandoned me.”
—Sgt. Camilo Mejia
* * *
“War is the
greatest form of wrong. I believe that my moral obligation to humanity
is to not allow myself to be a part of this destruction. …
“Why do we want to train the young people in the world that the only way we can settle our differences is to kill one another? Why shouldn't we train them to become surgeons or homebuilders? Why shouldn't we train to become anything but killers? I think that the world would be better off if we were to do that instead. I have talked to veterans from every war from WWII on and their opinion is that the wars they fought were to be the last war ever fought. How many more are we going to fight before we realize that the act of war is for small minded people that are intent in only satisfying their own needs and not the needs of the people in general? I do not want to be killed because I am living in a place that has a ruler that wants to go to war with any one.
“The only way to bring peace to the world is to let the people of the world decide for themselves what they want to spend their efforts on. I feel that in this day and age governments start wars, and not people, and since the governments want the wars then why don't we let the government fight the war? All of the politicians that want to fight a war are free to trade places with me at any time. I will gladly go and learn war no more.
“There are activities that I have been involved in that have led me to these new and developed beliefs, and they are numerous but I can tell you some of them. When you walk in the woods and you see a deer stand and look at you, or you are on the river in the morning and the mist rises off the water while you hear the morning calls of the river birds, and the otters just lie there as you glide past in your boat and don't even move, you know that there is a better way. When you can find solitude in the woods that are so filled with peace and the wildlife that is all around you, you feel the better way all around. A person must acknowledge the fact the we are a part of the universe and the universe does not want to be out of sorts with itself, so why do we spend so much effort on trying to be out of sorts with others of the human race?”
| —Sgt Kevin Benderman |
“Breaking Ranks to Shun War” by David Zucchino
THE FIRST MILITARY OFFICER TO REFUSE IRAQ WAR
“I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart,.jpg)
while the President tells us to “stay the course.” … I refuse to be
party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to
deserve our aggression. I wanted to be there for my fellow troops. But
the best way was not to help drop artillery and cause more death and
destruction. It is to help oppose this war and end it so that all
soldiers can come home.” -U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ehren WatadaStatement of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada
June 7, 2006Family, Friends, Members of the Religious Community, Members of the Press, and my fellow Americans—thank you for coming today. My name is Ehren Watada. I am a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and I have served for 3 years.
It is my duty as a commissioned officer of the United States Army to speak out against grave injustices. My moral and legal obligation is to the Constitution and not those who would issue unlawful orders. I stand before you today because it is my job to serve and protect those soldiers, the American people, and innocent Iraqis with no voice.
It is my conclusion as an officer of the Armed Forces that the war in Iraq is not only morally wrong but a horrible breach of American law. Although I have tried to resign out of protest, I am forced to participate in a war that is manifestly illegal. As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must as an officer of honor and integrity refuse that order.
The war in Iraq violates our democratic system of checks and balances. It usurps international treaties and conventions that by virtue of the Constitution become American law. The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice, but a contradiction to the Army’s own Law of Land Warfare. My participation would make me party to war crimes.
Normally, those in the military have allowed others to speak for them and act on their behalf. That time has come to an end. I have appealed to my commanders to see the larger issues of our actions. But justice has not been forthcoming. My oath of office is to protect and defend America’s laws and its people. By refusing unlawful orders for an illegal war, I fulfill that oath today.
Thank you.
http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/
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