I have noticed a seismic shift happening in many areas of our shared world cultures which I feel is going in the wrong direction. It seems people from all walks of life are no longer taking personal ownership of the problems that arise from their lifestyle choices.

What is personal responsibility?

Personal responsibility is the acknowledgment that if you try something, no matter the intentions or chances behind said act succeeding, that you will take ownership of the consequences. For instance, if I decide to spend all my lunch money on a trinket, I have nobody to blame but myself for being hungry for the rest of the day.

Personal Responsibility: Lifestyle

Let’s be frank, if you choose on a daily basis, over several decades, to stuff your face, avoid exercise like the plague followed by working a job that you hate, who is to blame? Later in life, you find-out that you are obese, depressed and penniless because you wasted away your health and financial opportunities on self-serving instant-gratification decisions. Who is to blame for your shell of a life? Well, YOU ARE! Looking to place blame on society, “friends”, anybody or anything else is simply an illusion that you have created for yourself in order to cope with your carelessness and impunity towards yourself. You abused yourself, it’s your job to undo the damage and nobody else. Of course, at your cost in both time and money, not societies!

Personal Responsibility: Lifestyle (real-life manifestations)

Here are a few examples that come to mind

• politicians who “don’t recall” important events in their career, if they where that clueless in their position, they should give their salary back with interest as it shows how little value they brought for our tax dollars (we got scammed)
• doctors who refuse to say “I’m sorry” for mistakenly treating patients who didn’t suffer from the condition they treated them for or worse, actions that where responsible for their death (legal issues be damned, we are all human and DO make mistakes)
• school kids who don’t pick-up after themselves because a janitor will do it for them
• obese people (by choice, not due to a diagnosed medical condition) who seem to think it’s their RIGHT to pay for only one seat on an airplane when, due to personal decisions, their frame requires two or worse, seem to think it’s “insurances responsibility” to pay for all the pills and surgery that are a direct cause of their lack of self-care
• teenagers who blame their boyfriend / girlfriend when she gets pregnant
• people who got themselves into a sub-prime mortgage in order to buy a house they otherwise couldn’t afford and now blame the lender, government and everybody else for the resultant foreclosure
• Hillary Clinton asking her supporters and Obama to help her pay back debts that SHE chose to ring-up in her bid for the presidential race
• CEOs who get multi-million dollar salaries while the companies they manage lose market value and face insolvency
• people who choose to gamble at casinos, suffer huge losses then blame the casinos for their losses
• people who buy huge SUVs and complain about the high-price of gas as they commute ALONE to and from work when viable public transportation is offered
• individuals who decide it’s a great idea to invest money they cannot afford to loose into the stock market and when a company has some trouble, blame them for not being able to pay their bills
• smokers who complain about the high price (financially) of their habit, considering they are spending money to destroy their health, seem to think it’s societies responsibility to take care of them when they become sick. The argument seems to be “I am paying taxes now to fund my future health problems”
• (I could go on - but I hope you get the point)

Why do so many people avoid personal responsibility?

I believe as cultures increasingly put their self-esteem into the products instead of themselves (consumer society), the very act of being responsible for things slowly dissolves away. If todays “must haves” become tomorrows “who cares”, what kind of a lesson is this for yourself? Taking Hillary Clinton for example, she choose to borrow money to her campaign but now expects OTHERS to pay her back and the debts owed to other companies who helped her during her bid. If media reports are true, this very expectation is completely UNACCEPTABLE in a civil society!

Where do we go from here?

Well, I believe we need some fundamental shifts in how children are brought-up in this world and adults are educated. Schools shouldn’t have janitors. Why not have the kids clean-up after themselves and clean the school for a few minutes before the end of the day? People who decide to get themselves into debt or buy more then they can afford shouldn’t be allowed to file for bankruptcy (unless the reason was due to medical emergencies not brought-on by lifestyle choices). I believe each and every executive in every company should have their salary pegged to the value of the company they are managing, if their company makes a profit, so do they, if not, they go without! I believe people who suffer from bad lifestyle choices shouldn’t be able to look at society to “help-them-out” unless it was brought-on by factors out of their control. For instance, drug addicts who are given methadone treatment should instead be sent away for two years of tough military training.

Am I being a little Extreme?

Actually, I believe that not only is our word our bond but more importantly, a culture of “self” should be treated as such. Sure, people screw-up but you know what, that is what builds character… having lifelines only helps weaken the resolve to fix what went wrong and the lessons they hold. Is it extreme to refuse a double-lung transplant to a long-time smoker? Absolutely NOT! Is it wrong to execute a known drug dealer? Absolutely NOT! Is it distasteful to demand that our politicians, professionals and CEOs be help to higher standards? NO WAY!

The Bottom Line

If we want to live in a society of “self-interest” than we need to abide to these rules even when things go bad.

No, I am not a (severe) germaphobe nor have I lost my mind… but I realized yesterday that EVERYTHING we and all other living organisms do on this planet is thanks to bacteria. We had it all wrong, we don’t rule the Earth, bacteria do!

A little history

The very first organisms to inhabit this planet with any type of internal mechanism for survival are the bacteria, there is still a lot of debate as to whether they originate from our planet or hitched a ride on a comet billions of years ago. The one thing that is an indisputable fact is that every living organisms on this planet can trace it’s origins from the humble bacteria, from the trees that populate our forests to the shrimp you add to your salad… EVEN US! Yes, our distant ancestors are these little, microscopic and mindless bacteria! I am unsure if we have evolved to be any smarter but that is something to be discussed at a later date.

What are bacteria?

Bacteria are single celled organisms which are not only the oldest and most diverse kingdom of life on this planet (possibly the universe) but they are the cornerstone of just about everything on this planet. To put it bluntly, if there where no bacteria on this planet, there would be NO life. Not only that, but if we removed everything except bacteria from this planet, including rock and soil… you could clearly see the shape of the landscape from their presence alone!

Why are bacteria so powerful?

Bacteria are like woman for most men, you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. Bacteria are responsible for some horrendous conditions but they are also the cause for some wonderous medical cures as well. Unlike viruses which are just floating strands of DNA with no rhyme or reason, bacteria have a purpose, they want to live! Actually, bacteria have an even stronger will to succeed then anything else on this planet, they can be found LIVING inside rock, up to 3 miles underground, in extremes of temperature and can even go into a type of hibernation lasting thousands of years until conditions improve. We humans have NOTHING on these guys, they are probably the first life to colonize other planets (galaxies), they are almost eternal in their structure and leave their mark everywhere. Who changed this planet from one killing life to supporting it? Well, bacteria! Sure, they haven’t written books nor are they very good conversationalists but they blow us in the dust in just about every other aspect.

What can we do to help bacteria?

Here is the funny thing about bacteria, they don’t want nor need our help in order to thrive. They are in their own little world with an arsenal of weapons that would make even the top generals in the United States wet their pants with glee. Bacteria are the first organisms to develop chemical and explosive weapons, if anything, we need to respect them before they blow us away! Bacteria can live off eating just about every natural substance in the universe, from iron to the rays of the sun. Bacteria can multiply even faster then even the horniest rabbits and put workaholics to shame. To put it bluntly, we need bacteria for our survival, they do not need us.

Perspective is key

So, what have you learned so far? Not are we incredibly fragile beings, to put it very lightly, but we are at the absolute mercy. If they ever “decide” (ei: evolve) to turn on us, we have no chance in hell of providing any type of plausible defense. Think about this the next time you say anything bad about these little guys who rule the universe!

The Bottom Line

Bacteria don’t love or hate us, they are indifferent to other forms of life.

Let me state emphatically, ignorance doesn’t equate to stupidity nor mental defects but rather a systematic choice to, purposefully, choose irrelevance in the place of true knowledge.

Ignorance comes in many shapes and sizes

I am sure you know people who, if their life depended on it, couldn’t find a country like Iraq or even Canada on a map. There are others who still believe the planet is flat and that the sun rotates around it. Still others who, for some crazy reason, believe fervently in the supernatural which, by its very definition, cannot come from natural processes (thus cannot exist). Yes, I bump into these types of people every once in a while, although I enjoy a good debate when ever I can get it, there is no way of debating anything based on facts when a mind is full of ignorance. It’s like trying to break down a solid brick wall using nothing more then a hammer made out of paper mache… it’s a futile effort.

Ignorance isn’t hard to find

Anybody who has lived long enough soon realizes that there seem to be more ignorant people out there then otherwise, you can see them “reporting” the news through various media, you can talk to them while at your local shop buying supplies and even while driving down the road. I am sure I am not alone in wondering where the heck did all these people who wouldn’t know a dime from a quarter keep coming from? Is there some alien spaceship dumping people at will on our planet in the hopes of creating a super human race as tame as a herd of farm animals?

Why are people ignorant?

I can easily state that the reason why there are so many ignorant people all around us is because they have become mentally lazy. It’s far easier to sit in-front of a television for a few hours a day then to actively work towards making ones life better or of others around us. As well, it’s easier to follow tabloid journalism and read-up on the latest fads created by marketers then to truly become a student of history and human nature. Why are people ignorant? Because there is NO COST for them to continue being so. Put another way, societies around the world are less interested in developing intellectuals then they are consumers. The era of great debates still exists but its popularity has faded in the minds of the masses who absolutely must know why celebrity “who cares” got red shoes instead of black ones. This statement is no truer then today, regardless of the type of government you choose to live under.

How to solve the problem of ignorance

The problem of ignorance comes from several circles but the most important way to solve this mental epidemic is to place a higher value on creativity, education and passion. A population that has found their reason for being is of far higher strategic and economic value then one based on herd mentality. Education is also key, from the sciences to the maths, I am not saying kids should be studying Shakespeare but what I am saying is that the mental faculties of critical thinking MUST be the foundation upon which knowledge is given. Lastly, creativity, an incredibly rational and passionate person is useless to all of us if they cannot have the creative abilities that allows them to see outside of normal thought patterns. A physicist who finds the solution to a Unified Theory is useless if he cannot explain it to a six year old, much less the general public.

The Bottom Line

Ignorance is a choice, stupidity isn’t.

Like many others, I get my daily news from online sources and I continue to be fascinated by how much rubbish and non-news gets on sites such as ABC News, CNN and other reputable sites.

ABC News: Marine Puppy-Throwing Video

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4384322

Simple story, a marine throws a puppy off a cliff… I fail to see how this is news much less anything of any importance. Why? Well, it’s one puppy and one marine, nobody dies other then the puppy and in the grand scheme of things, who cares?

ABC News: Bombings in Afghanistan Kill 5

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4382948

Two NATO soldiers and three civilians are killed when a suicide bomber decides to become a martyr for his perceived reicheous cause. Is this news? I consider it to absolutely be news, why? Well, this covers the bigger story of the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan which, by all accounts, they are actually winning on. They where initially overthrown as a results of protecting Osama Bin-Laden, but instead of fixing the problems that allowed them to emerge in the first place, the United States decided to go on a while goose hunt.

It’s all about the comments

Now, which of the above two stories do you think got the most comments? The story about a dog being thrown to its death or five people dying… you guessed right, the dog story! So far, as of this writing, the puppy throwing video has gathered just shy of 1100 comments, the Afghan bombing, zilch, zero, nothing! What does this tell you? Well, there is more value in this society for a puppy then five human lives. No condolences for the soldiers who lost their lives in making our world better but wow… there is no lack of them for a puppy!

Patterns repeating themselves

Alright, this is but one case but I have seen it repeated over and over again where non-news gathers more “reaction” then actual news. Don’t believe me? Take Britney Spears, a has-been who is of no significance in the financial, geo-political or to my daily survival who gets more over-saturated coverage across all forms of media then the Sudanese Genocide that has been going on for years now. People are fascinated by celebrity which in the grand scheme of things means nothing yet couldn’t care less about the systematic wiping out of ethnic clans in Africa, Asia and South America.

What does this all mean?

Well, I see this as a sad reflection on society as a whole. Do you remember what happened to the Roman Empire? Well, the emperor started having problems so he began to make sacrifices of humans in various ways to keep the people appeased and forgetting their everyday problems. The Inca did the same thing in Mexico and countless civilizations before that proceeding their downfall. What I am saying is that forgetting about the value of human life is yet another brick in the road towards annihilation of our species. You see this with Global Warming (however it’s caused), people complain about asthma yet drive around in huge SUVs and smoke, people complain about the lack of affordable health care yet decide to live a life of excess (obesity)… the majority of the people out there just don’t care about other humans anymore then they care about themselves.

The Bottom Line

When people care more about nonsense then actual news, there is something wrong with our society.

What I find interesting with most religions is how they seem to really dislike one another under their facade of acceptance while they compete for our “poor” souls. Each religion out there has the tenant that they are the only TRUE religion so anybody professing anything different is seen as a competitor in this life or the next. What I find equally of interest is that they try to discount each-others beliefs while re-enforcing their own. Scientology is no different in that they are attacked regularly by Catholics and Muslims as being an evil cult which to me sounds no different then a kettle calling a pot black. I fail to see ANY difference between Scientology and other world faiths out there.

Disclaimer

My postings about religion are simply my exploration of this concept within humanity, I am not judging nor bashing of others rights to believe in whatever they wish to believe. I welcome anybody wishing to discuss this with me on my blog, I am open minded enough to explore anything but have no desire to be directed how I should live my life (ei: don’t expect me to convert to your way of thinking). I am sure this is full of inaccuracies, feel free to point them out. My goal in life is to understand others mechanisms regarding what makes them function.

Comparison (however flawed) with other religions

Scientology, unlike other faiths is rather new on the scene, there are actual video and audio recordings from the founder, L. Ron Hubbard himself. They preach acceptance, conditioning and conversion just like, ironically, the other world religions. Where they differ most greatly is that you don’t pray to an all-knowing creator (God) but actually take courses in how to improve yourself beyond ethical reproachment. Instead of intense worship, you focus on intense study. There is no heaven or hell, there aren’t millions of death under their belt in their religions name and there most notably, have a rather more interesting story as to human existence then any other religion complete with aliens and galactic wars. Cult? Nope, it’s just re-incarnation 2.0!

Scientology - The Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard (1967) - Part 1

• Scientology means “study of knowingness”, it’s a faith or religion that calls itself a science
• Scientologists study for hours daily, listening to tapes and are tested regularly to make sure all materials are clearly understood and followed to the letter
• Scientologist use an e-meter, which is essentially a lie detector to audit people at confessionals for any type of emotion
• Scientology has a record keeping system that would make even the ancient Romans envious, everything written down and kept for further analysis
• Scientology is about profit, just like most other religions, at least they are honest about their intentions
• to become a “clear”, you must be able to answer 60 questions in L. Ron Hubbard’s own handwriting without showing an ounce of emotion on an e-meter
• ”suppressives” or people who dis Scientology are, in Lr. Ron Hubbard’s own words “Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of Scientologists. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”.
• R2-45 is the mechanism by which people actively bashing Scientology are persecuted and investigated in order to ruin them
• L. Ron Hubbard comes through as a rather intelligent and charismatic leader
• I like how L. Ron Hubbard clarifies that he has no problem with people who are critical of him but of those who actively try to suppress the rights of others to practice what they want deserve what they get

Scientology - The Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard (1967) - Part 2

• L. Ron Hubbard states that he had only two wives in his life but the record states that he had three, what I find interesting about this is… who cares? I fail to see how many wives, children or other details about a person have anything to do with leadership
• L. Ron Hubbard spends a lot of time researching past civilizations, he believes he has lived before during many lives, memories exist within everybody from prior lives
• people sign up in servitude to L. Ron Hubbard for a billion years as part of their training
• -L. Ron Hubbard says that Scientology is a science, not a faith nor belief
• L. Ron Hubbard’s quote stating “the one man in the world who never believes he’s a mad is a madman” couldn’t be any truer

BBC Panorama - Scientology & Me (Part 1 of 3)

• Scientology is gaining acceptance around the world and is trying to become classified as a religion through various movements
• use of a disconnect is used to break all links with individuals, including family members who try to get in the way of the religious growth of Scientologists
• the concentration of this documentary is on making Scientology look like an evil cult, I completely see how Jon Sweeney has slanted his reports already
• Scientology is the study of life and knowledge
• e-meter was designed by L. Ron Hubbard himself

BBC Panorama - Scientology & Me (Part 2 of 3)

• using the word “cult” is heavily frowned upon, they state they are a religion which I don’t understand because their Founder, L. Ron Hubbard stated emphatically that they are not a religion but a science
• Scientology sends in their volunteers after major disasters to help using “touch assists” which is a healing method using hands and touch sort of like a massage but much lighter
• Scientology runs an anti-drug program called “Narconon” using exercise and vitamin supplementation to help people kick their habits
• courses don’t equate worship in British law, hence why it’s acceptance as a religion is stalled
• it becomes quickly evident that Jon Sweeney isn’t very popular with the Scientology

BBC Panorama - Scientology & Me (Part 3 of 3)

• many stars speak highly of the religion
• I find Scientologist rather confrontational regarding Jon Sweeney’s interview, they seem to follow him everywhere, trying to break him down mentally but I also understand where they are coming from, how you would feel if you where Catholic or Muslim and constantly referred to as being part of a cult?
• psychiatry is a pseudo-science according to Scientologists, a view that I actually have come to fully agree with though they take things a little further then I would have
• they completely succeeded in driving Jon Sweeney nuts, if all for a few moments, they achieved their goal in my opinion as a result, discrediting his journalistic indifference
• Scientology takes it’s religion extremely seriously, just like other world faiths

Brainwashing 101

If something works, it’s adopted by others and religion is no different then other types of marketing. They all seem to follow the same principles as those used in brainwashing 101 courses. These are the same techniques used by marketers who tell us you must buy a diamond for marriage, buy new cloths every season and that debts are no big deal in the pursuit of happiness (capitalism). I consider any type of activity whose sole purpose is to change the thinking of another person to be considered brainwashing.

Repetition!

First, begin with repetitive repetition on a continual basis to re-enforce a certain method of thinking. When I saw the video of this, I instantly thought of Madrasas or Sunday Schools the dot this planet.

Servitude

If you are Christian, you must give your soul to God “for eternity”, I believe it’s the same for other faiths but in Scientology, they only keep your soul under servitude for a billion years. I think this is progress… a billion years doesn’t seem so long when compared to eternity!

Sacrifice

Surrounding yourself by like minded individuals and “blocking out” those who don’t share your beliefs and the donation of energy whether in time, money or deeds to the religious organization. Evangelists have tiding where you give a portion of your income to the church, Catholics have the basket they put through the pews and other religions a mix of the two. If you want to be “part of us”, you must prove it in actions as well or words. At least Scientology is straight forward and very clear regarding these expectations with ladders related to donations.

Overly-friendliness: Community of the like minded

I grew up Roman Catholic and I see the same thing among other faiths, this overly-friendliness towards the like minded and possible conversionable. I visited a “born again” Evangelist complex a few years ago and that is when it really struck me… it isn’t just “hi”, it’s the big handshakes, hugs and even kisses. Why does this exist? Well, simply to re-enforce that you have entered a safe place, you have friends. Some people like hugging complete strangers, as for me, handshakes are about as far as I will take things.

Confessionals

Scientologists use e-meters, Catholics the confessional and I am sure there is an equivalent in other religion but what is it’s true purpose? No matter how the religious autocracy wish to characterize it, these are a brilliant method of control in two fundamental ways. First, they help break down the mental barriers which may, at a later period of time, create doubt in the mind and secondly, it keeps people in line. If you told your priest that you did xyz they say, “your sins are now forgiven” what has actually happened? NOTHING but a bonding event at the subconscious level! You told somebody else your deepest secrets which gives you some relief but also helps to keep you in line at a subconscious level.

Humans = EVIL

Humans are all evil, worthless and lost without GOD or some other entity, Scientologists don’t revert to these words, instead, they focus on purity of the mind. Religion is basically the pursuit of perfection, something that cannot EVER be achieved no matter how much training or lives a person spends on this endeavor. Religions all describe humans as being fundamentally flawed and only religious dogma is the way to go to achieve a higher level of being in this life or the next. I find this incredibly interesting as there are far more Catholics, Muslims and other religious persons in prisons and committing crimes out there then Athiests yet, regardless of religion, Athiests are seen as the absolute lowest of the low. It seems that people who believe in themselves, for themselves are so off kilter in not seeing supreme guidance that we are vilified just under the surface of acceptance.

Profit

Scientology is an expensive religion, you have to pay for courses to constantly improve yourself, the books, tapes etc all add up to a pretty penny. Before you bash this, consider that the Pope lives in his own city of incredible splendor just like Evangelists live in their multi-million dollar homes. What’s the difference? None. Religion is truly the most profitable enterprise out there, many governments even allow tax deductions for “donations” to religious organizations.

Death to critics!

This bears repeating, in L. Ron Hubbard’s own words “Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of Scientologists. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”. Sounds harsh? I don’t think so, considering Catholics wish you to spend eternity in hell under the most inhumane conditions while fundamentalists believe you deserve a beheading for speaking badly about their beliefs. Considering this, Scientology is rather generous to it’s critics as it doesn’t involve death! Christians has their crusades and I am sure Muslims had their equivalents in history, so far, not a hint of this from Scientology. Again, I believe this is progress as far as religions go.

Gays are ok!

Unlike Catholics and many other major religions, Scientology doesn’t seem to discriminate against sexual orientation. If you are gay, you are welcomed with open arms. Again, this is welcome progress in the world of religion.

Charisma of the Leader

After watching quite a bit of video, no matter what you believe about Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard is a rather charismatic leader, I am sure this was as true about Jesus in his time as with other prophets from other religions. He comes across as rather sincere, he obviously believes his way of thinking is the “purest” and wants to expand this organization to touch the hearts of minds of others around the world. Ironically, this is the same mission and method used by other religions around the world.

Is Scientology a Cult or a Religion

If others wish you ill harm on others, then I would consider this a cult but if they simply wish to be left alone to work on themselves while bettering the lives of those around them, who is to judge or make this distinction? As for me, I don’t see them as a cult anymore then other religions out there. They have their beliefs, I have mine… as long as they don’t infringe on my rights, I couldn’t care less about what their followers are doing behind closed doors. What I do find fascinating about the evolution of Scientology is that it gives you a glimpse of how religions form and grow in both influence and power in our world over time. They are the new kid on the block, learning along the way what should and shouldn’t be adopted.

Is Scientology for me?

Although I find their stories far more interesting then those of other prophetic books, I still cannot fathom giving up my inner power, no matter how slight, to another organization, no matter how it’s characterized by preachers and sinners alike. I do agree with some of their teachings and even some of their views but not enough to feel any deep passion to join them. Their equivalent to the Koran or Bible called Dianetics is on my “to-read” list though but unlike these two other books, I can’t find a free copy of this one.

The Bottom Line

Religion is no different then cough medicine, it makes the symptoms of thinking about our collectively mortality go away without solving the underlying problem that we all die eventually.

Buzvia: Church of Scientology Official Web Site, Wikipedia