I never really thought about that before, that is, I never thought there was a need to pose the question: Why should human beings change their behavior? Actually the question was proposed a different way -- If human beings changed their behavior, would that solve the problems of the world? A devote Christian, male, in his mid 40-ties, passing literature a few days before Christmas, asked the question after ringing my doorbell and handing me a small phamplet with pictures on it's cover. Of course, I assumed his ultimate intention was to get a donation, and that handing me the pamphlet, while "telling" me to read it carefully, was the first pitch in his repertoire. He didn't realized what he was getting involved in, and I wasn't going to let him go without discovering that in a lecture on common sense. He assumed I was a Christian because the date of my last donation had been written in Greek above my door with chalk by the kids who collected it. Before he could say another word, I asked him what the pamphlet was about. He tugged at the straps on the bag of pamphlets he was carrying on his left shoulder. I leaned against the door, then he began to "run down his lines." The ensuing conversation summed up to the following:

"Scientists and people in medical professions are constantly trying to find ways to solve sickness and decease. They are doing everything they can to save lives and make living better for everyone, and nothing is really changing."

"No. They're not", I interrupted his flow.

"Why do you say that?"

He remained calm, smiling all the time. Every now and then he'd pull on the straps of his brown bag, that continually, unnoticeably, kept sliding down his shoulder.

"People die every day of sicknesses and diseases that are curable and neither scientists nor people in medical professions are doing EVERYTHING they can to prevent that", I said in a monotone, very low and sincere voice, which I maintained throughout the rest of the conversation.

"That's true", he said ernestly. He had stopped smiling...briefly. "But, even if they did, do you really believe that they would change anything, significant, really?" He was smiling again, this ever so trustworthy and ever so open smile.

"Yes I do. People are the cause of the misery in the world."

"That's true. A lot of the misery we are exposed to is caused by humans. But, there are some things that we have to suffer that are not caused by humans."
He didn't give me the opportunity to ask him to explain. He pulled up the straps of his bag again.
"Yes", still smiling, "they could offset some of the misery we see today, but certainly not all of it. They could only do that with the help of God. People need God to help them overcome their misery and to solve the problems of this world."

He had again become stern, briefly. Then he smiled that same open, trustworthy smile.

"I don't believe that", I countered. "God is ever present and nothing has changed. People are still themselves the causes of almost all of the misery we suffer. If science and medicine would concern itself with the pain and suffering people experience before they attempt to discover and define the universe, we would have much less suffering in this world. Many senseless deaths would cease. The truth is that their efforts are misguided and are performed out of the wrong motivations. They should spend their efforts insuring that all people profit from their knowledge and abilities, and not just those who can afford to pay their fees. You see, we have managed to create societies in which people can use mechanisms to look away, shield themselves from the real world and its problems. Instead of seeing the world as it is and the suffering that persist, they see themselves and their own needs first."

"Yes", he said with a very wide smile this time. "People are too materialistic", folding his hands together, while making a downward wave-like motion with them. "They have become too concerned with material things, and not the things of the spirit. But, even if they weren't, they still would not be able to solve all the human problems ."

Now he wasn't smiling. He was at the end of his rope, and there, was only a noose with which he could hang himself. I, on the other hand, was just getting warmed up. I stood up straight. He pulled the bag up on his shoulder again, as I pushed the pamphlet on top of the stack in his bag.

"Thank you", I said disappointedly.

"Oh, you don't want to read the pamphlet?"

"No. Thank you again."

"Have a nice day and enjoy the rest of the Christmas holidays."

As I closed the door, I realized why I was disappointed. Like so many times, I had subconsciously wished he could have given me an explanation for the madness of this world. Without realizing, I was hoping he could offer some insight into the world's present state that I had overlooked. Yes, I too at one point in my life thought, as many people do, that the Church was a remedy, a godly remedy, for all the problems of the world and that it lies within the Christian reach.

So, why should human beings change their behavior? And, if human beings change their behavior, would that solve the problems of the world? Why shouldn't it? It's as I've already stated: "People are responsible for the misery of this world!" Becoming one blessed with "godly love and understanding" does not feed the hungry nor heal the sickor help the poor. You still have to DO something for people, actively and continuously. It is true that there is a need to know more about the universe we live in. It is ever so important for our survival on this planet to be able to accurately measure the movements of objects near and far from us in the universe. But, the human being himself must remain the first priority. The elimination of human suffering must be accomplished before any other activities can be justified!

The more the world globalizes, the more the above becomes apparent. As I have often said, we live in our containment and refuse to recognize any responsibility for the fate of people living in other countries. For example, many countries spend billions on scientific research publicly and privately. Many people would still be alive a week after you read this, if those billions were spent providing them with needed essentials. Is this modern society's way of managing birth control? No! This is the failure of every capable human being to realize their responsibility to life and recognize responsibility for the lives of all people.

Let's not be petty. We all know that power structures exist that control the flow of money and goods. We all know that people in some countries of the world could have better chances of survival, if the developed countries would only provide them with their surplus free of charge! We all know that most western governments support the interests of economic powers throughout the world, just as we know these powers are mainly interested in profit with minimal investment. So, the bottom line for them is that there is no money in helping the poor and diseased. And that is the sum of there political "rightness".

Political power structures are more concerned about controlling governments. Their primary national involvement and activity is controlling political and military power structures. They indirectly affect the flow of commodities and cash in the countries in which they exist, but often they can extend their influence to any country of concern. These two entities, commodities and cash, are like the two hands of fate, one washing the other. Economic-money is consumer-money, political-money is tax-money, which is drawn directly and indirectly from consumer-money. Both of these have the same source -- the members of society. To sum it up, if I don't consume, there is no cash-flow, and where there is no cash-flow there is no tax. We all, every individual, control the flow of money through simple consumption. We all have to be just as concerned about money as the politician and the manager. We have allowed our societies to develop the premise that money is the most essential element toward happiness. It has become the remedy for all ailments, the drink for all thirsts, the food for every appetite. We have trained and conditioned ourselves value our experiences based on the amount of currency we use to have them. We have become accustomed to assessing our successes in life by our worth or salary . In fact, we have made it impossible to save the lives of the many people suffering in countries thoughout the world without money. In direct result, money is now the answer to many of the problems of the world. So, if the people in the appropriate positions changed their behavior and stopped spending money on arms, space projects, science projects, etc., we could save the lives of millions. Afterwards, we could, together, resume the search for the answers to the other questions that plague us. Our inability to do this is the real tragedy, the real failure of mankind.

From the religious point of view, again, many believe that God is concerned that we learn to love and let the godly principles guide our lives. And, although almost all religions are based on some form of "higher being", many of the religious fail to understand that faith or belief alone cannot alter the fate of those who are presently dying of starvation or curable disease. We have to do this ourselves, with Gods love, if that's your requirement. Let us refrain from allowing beliefs to be the deciding factor in our participation. We need everyone's help, even that of the atheist. That is, everyone has the responsibility.

During the Christmas holidays, people at all social levels participate in activities to help the poor and the needy. As a matter of fact, it is commonly known that people who are at the lowest social levels participate in such activities all year round. Still, they only scratch the surface of the real problems we face. It would be much simpler for the heads of western governments to consult and create a plan to end global suffering and set aside a few trillion dollars for that purpose. The true crisis is not in outer space, but right here on our mothership. This is the only mothership we have and every living creature on it has a right to live and die in dignity every day of the year, not just at Christmas.

Kushánd Fantí
(Date: 26.12.2000)

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