LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ

 

 The French motto, Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, sets forth the things the French people said would be core values governing their interaction as a population and their relationships with their government.  It was developed early in the revolutionary events that formed modern day French society and was formally adopted during the "Third Republic".  Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, France continued evolving as a unique nation devoted to individual freedom.  Despite the horrendous oppression suffered under the Nazi occupation, the spirit expressed in the motto was never vanquished and when the French Constitution was   modified in 1958 the motto again served as the foundation.  It is that spirit that rose to the forefront last Friday when the country experienced a terrible, cowardly assault by childish, ignorant barbarians living under the delusion that their brutal mindless acts could influence the behavior of a civilized people.  Those misguided stooges of puppet-masters operating in the Middle East have been brainwashed to believe that a religious philosophy espousing murder and savagery could justify absolutely inhuman acts.  We will not attempt to debate theology here but there can be absolutely no question that actions such as those committed Friday evening are anathema to every fiber of nature and could not be sanctioned by any legitimate diety.

To my Muslim friends, the world has not forsaken you.  We are still children of the book, children of God, people who believe in purity, sanctity, love, sisterhood and brotherhood.  You must condemn the acts of those who would pervert the name and spirit of religion by claiming that their actions are justified by Allah.  They absolutely are not.  No God would condone them.  It is time for our world to come together in the same spirit expressed by the French motto if we are to survive as a species.

Our thoughts and prayers will be with our French sisters and brothers as we move ahead in our quest for peace in this world.  They will also be with our brothers and sisters around the world who have suffered - and are suffering - at the hands of these sub-human savages.  To our Christian brothers and sisters - we stand side-by-side with you and will never, ever forsake you or abandon our mission of love.  It is time for the world to take a stand against this cancer on the people of earth. 

The Healing Mandala

Sorry to have been gone so long, gang, there has been a lot going on.  As some of you know, our area of South Carolina suffered devastating flooding over the course of about two weeks and it will be years before a full recovery is final.  A number of our friends were badly affected by the flooding and we have been trying to offer assistance to our community where we could.  The way the people of South Carolina have handled this catastrophe has been truly remarkable and I am extremely proud of our state.   Unfortunately, across our state, our country and the world we have seen an increase in acts of senseless, brutal violence.  Some has been related to simple crime, some to poverty, some to persecution, some to political objectives and some to religious ideas.  Whatever the reason, in my opinion there is absolutely no justification for outright savagery and those who engage in such activity are unquestionably wrong no matter what explanations might be given.  Those of us who are saddened and outraged by the profoundly sub-human behavior we have seen have offered up our prayers for a saner, safer world.  I believe that prayers work and I do not think that they necessarily have to be of a certain content or theological orientation.  When humankind joins in solidarity in their hopes and desires, an undeniable force can be felt.  It was with that belief in mind that we recently visited a group of people attempting to bring about healing in a unique way. Buddhist Monks from the Loseling Institute, a monastic site housing 2,500 monks in Atlanta, Georgia, were in Columbia this week to pray for healing and to construct an incredible "Healing Mandala".    For those who are not familiar with mandalas, they are symbols that take varying forms and are used in awide range of philosophies and religions.  Historically, the term arose from Sanskrit, (the ancient language used in Hindu and later integrated into Buddhism) and is a symbol generally considered to represent the universe.  Use of mandalas for meditation, prayer, self-discipline and countless other practices have spread across the world and have been incorporated into virtually every religion  and into an extensive range of psychological evaluation techniques.  Like so many things, we tend to "over-complicate" in our modern societies and it is refreshing to see the approach taken by the simple but profoundly inspiring monks.  As Buddhism evolved and extended far beyond the borders of India, so, too, did the mandala.  In the mid-seventh century Buddhism came to Tibet following the conversion of the Emperor and over the next seven centuries enormous forces shaped the  development of Buddhist practices - including the development of the "sand mandala".  The center of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dreprung Monastery with it's Loseling department in Lhasa at one point housed as many as 15,000 monks.  Following the overthrow of the Tibetan government by China, the order moved to India and the Loseling Institute was formed in the United States.  I won't spend a lot of time here trying to explain all of the esoteric aspects of oriental philosophy - or how the mandala is used in meditation or "centering" but let me quickly add that the idea behind the creation of an incredibly beautiful but  exquisitely ephemeral work of art that serves as both an inspiration for positive thought and a reminder of the impermanent nature of all things is astonishingly powerful. This mandala was created at "Gallery 80808" in Columbia and was made possible by the wonderful artist Heidi Darr-Hope.  Heidi does amazing work with cancer survivors in South Carolina and throughout the country and is a truly inspiring artist.  The mandala we saw created before our eyes was a "Healing Mandala" - one of a number of designs used by the monks.  In creating one of these remarkable works   of art, the monks lay out the design using simple architectural drawing tools and white crayon pencils but the overall design is constructed from memory.  With fine grains of colored sand and other organic materials, an unbelievably beautiful work of art evolves over the course of several days.  At each step of the development process, prayers, chants and exhortations are used to firmly establish the sacred nature of this effort.  During the composition the monks constantly pray for those among whom they are working and there is a palpable sense of holiness in the area around them. At the completion of the mandala a beautiful, elaborate ceremony is held in which the forces of the universe are invoked to assist in bringing comfort to the world.  (It is of great interest to note that following the terrorist attacks on the world trade center in 2001, the Dali Lama ordered the creation of a "Healing Mandala" to bring about healing in a   world in the throes of sorrow and anguish.)  The ceremony begins with a  series of astonishing chants that seem altogether "other-worldly".  I took some videos of the ceremonies and hope to be able to refine them so I can add them here.  If I can, you will hear some of most incredible sounds that can be made by a human voice.  Although there were only two monks participating in these ceremonies, I could swear that I heard a "third" voice.  Very mysterious!  At the end of the chants the mandala is swept into a single pile and portions of the sand are distributed to those attending the ceremony.  We were fortunate to be able to get a small container-full for our son and for another friend.  The remaining sand is taken to a nearby body of water for a final ceremony.  On this occasion, we made the short trip to the Congaree River which is not far from the gallery and which has returned to it's more gentle levels after being nearly fifteen feet above flood stage only a few weeks ago.  After another series of prayers and chants, a bottle of milk is poured into the water - symbolizing the nurturing power of the earth and the universe.  Flowers are cast into the water to represent the transient beauty we experience in nature.  Finally, the remaining sand is slowly poured into the flowing water to represent the return to nature of our efforts.  The monks who brought this beautiful creation and their wonderful spirits to Columbia spoke no English but were quite comfortable among the exceptionally diverse group of people who came to see them work.  They were very considerate of everyone but, especially attentive to the young children.  They did not hesitate to make themselves available to the kids (and grown-ups) for "photo ops" and many took advantage of the opportunity. I was glad to be able to get a photo of Linda with one of the monks - although she will probably fuss at me for the candid shot.  This was an incredible experience for a number of reasons.  It was really heartwarming to see so many people interested in the work of these talented and humble people and for them to come together to appreciate and honor these gentle souls.  The artwork was truly amazing and if you ever have the opportunity to see a mandala being created I hope you will take advantage of it.  You will not be sorry.  Finally, their message was inspiring and reaffirming.  While the impermanence of life, art and nature was underscored we were reminded of the redemptive power by which we are surrounded.  I'll get the video added soon but I don't want to delay putting the post out.  See ya.

The Tears of God

Well folks, the East Coast of our country has seen unprecedented levels of rain in the last few days and it promises to continue for several more.  According to the weather prognosticators, we “dodged a bullet” when Hurricane Joaquin decided to stay away from the U.S. and head toward the Northern part of the Atlantic.  But, hey … I’m kinda thinking the meteorological phenomena might be related.  After some of the things that have happened in the United States and across the globe this week, I have come to believe that all this precipitation is actually tears being shed by God as he looks down on how His children have managed to screw things up.  And Joaquin …. I’m thinking that even hurricanes have good sense on occasion and good sense would dictate that any self-respecting hurricane would give this country a wide berth in recent days.  But, what does it all mean?  What kind of people are we?  Is there something fundamentally wrong here?  Well, as to the first two questions I can’t answer that for you.  But as to the last one, I believe I can speak to that based on what I have seen, experienced, read, thought and prayed about and what is absolutely evident in the writings – media and journalistic – about our culture.  The simple fact is that this is an almost inevitable outcome of the social directions we have followed in the last few decades.  Since the 1960s many people who were erroneously considered to be intellectuals and learned thinkers have promulgated the idea that our only allegiance should be to ourselves; that we should pursue our own aggrandizement regardless of the impact it might have on others.  We have ridiculed the idea of ethics – ethical behavior – and have steadfastly maintained that we should not criticize the behavior of others even if it was anti-social, misogynistic, self-centered or crude because it would be “politically incorrect”.  We allowed our educational systems to become so committed to the idea that “everyone should win” rather than emphasizing that hard work, intelligence, self-sufficiency and pride should be the prevailing values – that we have produced several generations of citizens who have no idea what the real world is all about.  We have created narcissistic, greedy, callous people who simply don’t have the capacity to understand the importance of civil behavior.  And, lest you think I’m simply blasting the United States, let me assure you that this epidemic is world-wide.  Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, the Pacific Islands … no one is exempt.  We just got it wrong, folks.  And one of the most pronounced trends over the last fifty years has been the degradation of religion and moral standards.  Now, if you happen to be one who is agnostic or “non-religious”, don’t get your feathers all ruffled and call me an anachronistic relic and give me some secularist philosophy.  You will be wrong in the most profound way.  Here is the truth.  If we are not able to exercise self-restraint; if we are not able to look beyond ourselves and to ascribe value to others – even when we are not alike in race, philosophy, gender, nationality or presence – we are on a path of absolute destruction as surely as if we were lighting the fuse to a nuclear bomb in our very midst.  We have to re-establish the sanctity of marriage and re-institute “family values” as our guiding light.  We have to reinstate the teaching of respect, self-reliance, industriousness, dignity and ethical behavior and we absolutely must teach parents-to-be that theirs is one of the most crucial roles in the human race.  Listen to me folks!!  We cannot sustain this nihilistic, hedonistic, arrogant course we are on.  Stop it now!!  If you don’t know how to start, write me back – I’ll help.  If you are floundering – I’d suggest you go to a church, synagogue, Buddhist, Shinto or Hindu temple .  I intentionally did not say mosque because I do not think the behavior promoted by Islam is consistent with a future of peace and harmony.  If I stepped on any toes, that’s too bad.  I’m just telling you what we have come to in this world and how truly sad I am about our failings.  We have the capacity to recover and to bring about a world in which we can live together successfully but only if we are willing to examine our own views, beliefs and principles and make the supreme effort to figure out what is truly “right”.  Hang in there – we’ll make it!!

Late Summer Musings

Well Gang, it's August and the "Dog Days of Summer" are with us.  Hmmmm....  y'know, we use that term fairly loosely ('Dog Days') and don't give it much thought but the concept goes back a very long way.   It is generally considered to mean the part of summer when the days are hottest and most languid but it has also been given specific time periods in the past - often thought of as the period July 23rd to August 23rd.  It is even referred to early versions of the "Book of Common Prayer" of the Anglican Church.  I suppose the reason we humans have tried to give this period of the summer a particular name is that it is a time when people have behaved in some rather unusual ways.  And, I guess I have to admit .... I started thinking about the phenomena associated with this period when I realized that I was getting into some rather grumpy moods myself.  So - what's going on?  Is it really the weather, the heat, the humidity?  Or could it be the circumstances we find ourselves facing in our world?  I don't know that we will come up with an ironclad conclusion but I have to think it is a combination of things.  Frankly, if one pays attention to the way people are behaving in our world today it is easy to begin thinking that we are suffering from some universal mental affliction.  Throughout the world we humans are treating each other in incredibly "in-human" ways.  Our cruelty, indifference, arrogance and greed seem to be driving wedges between us to an accelerating degree.  I would like to think that it is, indeed, a meteorological phenomenon rather than a decline in civility and human decency but I suppose we will have to see how we, as a world, respond to what we are seeing.  But, here's the deal ... nowhere is it written that we have to sit by and watch our civilization decline without speaking out or defying the trend.  And - that is exactly what I choose to do.  Yes, I will be vigilant and watch for danger but I will also choose to use the power of love to combat the forces of evil we confront.  That does not mean a naive, un-thinking approach to life but, rather, a studied and hopefully thoughtful approach to my interactions with others; an approach that still has confidence in my fellow man.  Believe me, folks, love will prevail.  We just need more people working on it so we can get ourselves back on track.  Interestingly, while I was taking a break from writing this post I happened to see an article written by Mr. Lake, head of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in which he decried the assaults on women and children that seem to be occurring more frequently around the world.  His thoughts were much like mine and he went on to lament the fact that some of the atrocities are committed in the name of various religions.  Let's just be straightforward here folks ... just about any organization you can imagine has the potential to be mis-used and perverted if people of ill-will are intent on evil deeds.  But - the messages of hope, kindness, love and truth are the fundamental principles of most legitimate faiths.  The key to making them work is people.  It is up to us to intellectually admit that we must exercise self-control and restraint in our daily lives if we are to survive as a civilization. The trend in recent years - actually decades - has been toward increased "secularism" and toward the idea that anything that smacks of "religion" is merely "hocus-pocus" or some sort of silly superstition.  The reality, however, is that without a moral compass, the course of our lives becomes hopelessly muddled and non-directional.  Our intellect is the feature of humanity that sets us apart from other creatures on this planet and we need to learn how to use it again.  The creativity of humankind is astonishing and if we use it for evil purposes we will, indeed, have "hell on earth."  But, just as surely, if we use it for good - to keep our interactions positive and productive - we have the potential to bring about the most incredibly good environment that could be imagined.  If you live in one of the areas of our planet that is ravaged by war, look around you.  That is what happens when we abandon our self-control and ethical behavior.  Then - if you live in an area of peace and prosperity - you can see the benefits of moral restraint and regard for others.  Why don't we work on that a bit?  See ya.

There Is Green .... and, then ... There Is GREEN

Laura's Tea Room - Ridgeway, SC

Well gang, the last few weeks have been quite a challenge for the folks in our beautiful Palmetto State.  So much has happened that has caused us to look closely at the things we hold dear and we are still working to reconcile the turbulent feelings those events have created.  But - while we will always have emotional and philosophical trials to endure, the nature of our existence on this planet also ensures that we will have other things - often wondrous or mysterious, delightful or intriguing - to cause us to ponder in amazement the miracles that surround us.  We got a chance to see some of those things a couple of days ago and we wanted to share one of them with you.  On Saturday the SCTravelersX3 took a break from those serious things and went out to join our neighbors in six of the surrounding counties for the second annual "Ag And Art" tours.  For those of you who have been traveling with us for a while, you will remember last year when we discovered this remarkable event.  Jointly sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce folks and the Arts Community in six of the adjoining counties, the event pairs creative artists and artisans with working farms in the rural areas and invites the public to come out and visit the sites.  There you can see agriculture at its finest in these counties and at the same time have a chance to experience the marvelous array of artistic talent that exists throughout what some might call "rural areas" of our state.  Last year, as you might recall, we saw animals of every kind, vegetables, fruits, pastries and juices of amazing varieties and some of the most spellbinding artwork you could find anywhere.  This year we were treated to the same kind of experience and we took the opportunity to visit Fairfield County (home of beautiful Ridgeway) and Chester County, just North of here.  We saw some really amazing things but for this post we thought we would concentrate on just one.  It is an agricultural setting quite different from the farms we have seen before and the story is so remarkable we thought it deserved some exclusive space.  It is a business located smack-dab in the middle of Ridgeway with the presumptuous name of "Royal Greens"!  As you will see, though, their expectations are just ambitious enough to warrant that name and possibly more.  We have never been shy in talking about wonderful Ridgeway, so you won't be surprised to hear us do it again.  We have talked about the fact that the population of our little town is kinda small - 328 in the 2000 census and 319 in the 2010 census.  While those number are fine with us, we think they missed the boat pretty bad in 2010.  The town is extraordinarily active and on any given week-end the shops and restaurants are full and we meet new friends almost every week.  One of the most popular places to gather is "Laura's Tea Room" at the corner of Main Street and Longtown Road.  Welllllll .... directly behind and across Church Street from the tea room is a huge 176,000 square foot building that lay vacant for over a decade.  It is now the home of Royal Greens Hydroponic Farm.  The idea for this remarkable business originated when young Scott Harriford, a senior at Heathwood Hall and an employee of the Rosewood Market realized that a great deal of waste was occurring when lettuce and other greens had to be shipped long distances.  Scott realized that by creating a local source of greens, businesses could have fresher produce at a lower cost.  With this fascinating concept, a lot of family support and a huge amount of work, the family all pitched in and, to use an 'overused' phrase - the rest is history. On March 19, 2015 ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held with local residents and politicians coming together to celebrate this remarkable event. Scott's dad, Chip Harriford who now heads up things at the farm while Scott is finishing his bachelor's degree at the University of South Carolina, proudly gives all of the credit for the business concept to his son.  But it is clear that dad's guidance has had a tremendous impact on the direction of the company.  The scientific aspects of the work continue to evolve and new ways to make the business "greener" are pursued vigorously.  The hydroponic  frames in which the greens are grown conserve space by being arranged vertically.  Fluorescent lights, traditionally used as "grow-lights" are being replaced with more economical, high-intensity LED light bars.  A visit to the farm will cause you to think you have entered another universe and it is amazing to think what this cavernous space will look like in just a few months. Not only was the hydroponic concept sensible to many businesses, they were willing to jump right in with support.  McEntire Produce and Senn Brothers Produce here in South Carolina and McDonalds restaurants in North Carolina and Georgia have standing orders with Royal Greens.  But the Harrifords aren't forgetting their neighbors; their products can be found at Laura's Tea Room in Ridgeway and The 'Spotted Salamander' and 'Bourbon' restaurants in Columbia.  Although production is limited by the number of hydroponic chambers currently available, work is continuing to expand non-stop.  By December the Harrifords hope to be producing 500,000 pounds of greens per week.  Their products will include several varieties of lettuce, kale, arugula, and basil and they already have other plants such as beans under cultivation.  In the future, a gift shop will also include a wide array of other vegetables from which visitors may choose.    And - they are also planning additional production facilities in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.  We are proud of the Harrifords and Royal Greens.  They will do well and we will support them.  But we are even prouder of the remarkable people who make up this tiny community and the support and encouragement they give all of the new business owners here.  We are very glad to be their neighbors - and their friends!  Come on out and join us for one of the frequent events we have here in beautiful metropolitan Ridgeway!! See ya.

Memorial Day 2015

Well gang, today is Memorial Day in our country.  It is a holiday that has had quite an interesting past and it offers several lessons for us if we only have the confidence, humility and integrity to pay attention.  It began as a day of remembrance as a result of the horrible conflict that took place in this country between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865; a conflict known as the Civil War and in the South as the War Between The States.  By whatever name you call it, the conflict was truly horrible, resulting in horrendous loss of life on both sides.  People who loved and grieved for those who gave their lives in the war vowed that their memories would not fade away and sought to establish a proper way of recognizing their sacrifice.  Some would argue who first expressed the idea of a "Memorial Day" and a good case could be made for Mrs. Mary Ann Williams of Columbus, Georgia (who wrote about the idea of a Confederate Celebration in March, 1866) or for General John Logan the acknowledged originator of the idea for a Union Celebration.  Whatever the case, national days of remembrance were established to honor those who gave their lives in service to their country in the war of 1861-1865.  Before long, another conflict we now know as "World War I" caused the country to realize that those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country in any war should be remembered.  So, the practice of remembering fallen veterans has grown as time went on.  Presently, many organizations that hold memorial services now include veterans who passed away during the preceding twelve months.  Interestingly, the tradition calls for the memorial services to take place at 3:00 p.m.  While it is unclear where the practice began, it is fairly common throughout the country.  Another interesting and rather poignant fact is that when General Logan announced his idea, he chose May 30th as the "Day of Decoration" because it was a day on which no major battle had taken place in the War Between the States.  Now, of course, it is celebrated on the first Monday in May (the reason for which is also interesting). But, all of that is merely a preface to what I wanted to tell you about.  Those of you who have hung out with us here know that my brother, David, died last October.  Not long before his death I had also lost one of my very favorite relatives on the whole planet, my aunt Col. Francis O. Vandiver, who retired from the U.S. Army Nurse Corps a number of years ago.  Well - I received an invitation from the American Legion chapter in Anderson, S.C. to attend their memorial service which would be held on the Sunday preceding Memorial Day.  The American Legion is our nation's oldest veteran's organization, chartered in 1919, and is devoted to support for our country and mutual support for their brother and sister veterans.  We attended the service which began - as noted - at 3:00 p.m. and included a wonderful program of inspiring comments and, finally, a reading of the list of veterans who had passed away over the last year.  As the names were called, relatives of the veterans were invited to place a red "Poppy" on a cross of remembrance.  The use of the Poppy follows the tradition of what we know as "Remembrance Day" (now closely associated with our Veteran's Day) which was established at the end of World War I.  The flower is referred to in the somber poem "Flanders Field" commemorating the fallen.)  As Francis and David's names were called, Linda and I were joined by one of David's closest friends in placing the flowers in their memory.  Astonishingly, in the small county of Anderson there were more than two hundred thirty six veterans remembered from this one year.  The service was both nostalgic and encouraging and I hope that as this significant day proceeds you will all take the time to recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom and peace. I found myself reflecting on the people with whom I served who are no longer with us and found myself both smiling and shedding a tear or two.  I know that I could never, ever describe how much I miss David and Francis.  They were two of the most interesting, loving and involved people you could ever meet and we miss them every day.  But, we know that they would be encouraging us to "get on with it" and do good stuff.  That's a pretty worthy assignment so, that's what we'll do.  See ya.

It's Springtime and I've Been Thinking....

Well gang, all the signs of Spring are peeking out from behind the last frosty curtains of winter and here in the Sunny South the flowers, the blooming shrubs and trees and the scores of songbirds are announcing the fact that it is time to get started on our annual renewal.  For those of us who are practitioners of the Christian faith it is a very special time of the year;  a time when we celebrate the anniversary of an event that took place nearly two thousand years ago.  It was an event we believe resulted in the opening of a pathway for peace for our entire world and an opportunity for relief from the burden of our errant ways.  It is a system of belief not shared by all of our fellow men and women but, for us, it is an exciting time.  So bear with me for a minute or two while I ponder those thoughts. 

Actually, it was the fact that there are so many negative things occurring these days that led me to think about this idea of "renewal".  Stop for just a minute and think about yourself and the folks with whom you spend your days.  I'm pretty sure that, regardless of where you live or what you do, you have those around you who are important in your lives.  They are people whom you want to live in peace in comfort and for whom you make a special effort to help them achieve those ends.  It might be family members, co-workers, team members, comrades in arms or whatever.  But, there they are.  You know that when you fulfill your role as a trusted and supportive friend, things are better for you and for those with whom you associate.  If you are honest with yourself you will be forced to admit that that mutually supportive environment brings a level of comfort to you that results in feelings of warmth and peace.  Well, here's the deal folks.  If we extend our support, our consideration to others around us we have the potential to create an environment that can expand and bring those same feelings of peace to enormous segments of our society.  No, it is not easy to change attitudes, philosophies, behaviors, ways of life.  But the simple fact is that the level of antipathy, hatred and distrust that exists in our world today threatens to engulf us.  To crush the chances for peace among the people of our planet.  But it does not have to be that way!  We can change our course.  Look at the signs of spring - of renewal - around us.  Think about how wonderful it would be if we could all step back and take a different approach to how we relate to each other.

In this country and in other parts of the world we have become obsessed with certain approaches to things that I think have gotten us off track.  We have created educational curricula that emphasize "what we should learn" rather than "how to learn."  We have tried to articulate "what we should think" rather than helping each other learn "how to think."  We have promoted religious doctrines that dogmatically state "how life should be lived" instead of teaching us "how to live a life of peace and harmony".  Now is the time for us to change those approaches.  We must reach deeply into our hearts and souls and cast aside those destructive, misanthropic attitudes that have led to so much misery and realize that it is within our grasp to build a world of peace and happiness.  We can do this folks! 

I do not care whether you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Agnostic, Athiest or none of the above.  There is a simple, undeniable, absolute truth you can count on without question - if you are only brave enough.  That is - if you treat others as you would like to be treated - our world will work.  Do not let dogma dictate to you how you should behave toward your brothers and sisters.  Realize that the ultimate truth lies within yourself and that if you will allow yourself to open your heart and mind to the idea that we can be compassionate and considerate to each other this planet can become a true paradise.  It rests in our hands.  I promise - those who tell you otherwise are not telling you the truth!!!!!!!  You are my brother or my sister.  I love and respect you and want you to live in peace.  Join me in this idea.  See ya.