| Edition No.6 - The spiriual revolutionary Christ | |
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No. 6 |
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Manipulated? - Conformists - Wiped out? Take your life into your hands! | |
| Manipulated? - Conformists - Wiped out? | |
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Take your
life into your hands!
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We
have long since gotten used to the idea that gene tech norms prevail in
the supermarkets with tomatoes, soy beans and all sorts of other kinds
of fruits and vegetables. One tomato as flawless as the other – there’s
nothing bad about that and they won’t decay – what else do we want?
But now that this little game wiith tomatoes should be practiced on people, we’re feeling a little uneasy. A scientist not too long ago announced that he wants to clone people. To clone means to take a live being and to multiply it via gene technology, that is, to produce a totally identical double. A childless couple can produce their offspring in the future via this method. The result is then – "just like dad" or "just like mom" – depending on the order placed. Is this a horror vision from Frankenstein’s house? Not at all! There were four couples already signed up on the waiting list. But what does this have to do with us? |
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| As the wind blows | |
| According
to Brockhaus, manipulation is the same as "controlling via influence."
But honestly! Aren’t we all pretty susceptible to influence? Aren’t we often imitators, that is, manipulated people who at some point of time become conformists? Either we take up every modish fashion in order to belong, or we are as extravagant as possible in order to belong to the "misfits." We emulate our friends because they look so great or we look for an idol from the movies or television industry. If our buddy yells "cold" we run like crazy to the left, if he yells "hot" we double to the right. Most probably we share the opinion of those who are "hot" everywhere and change this opinion when another one is "in." We play an instrument because our parents wanted us to, we drive with our friends to Boston even though we would rather have gone to New York. We go to school to learn a profession because our counselor or trusted friend recommended it and he knows us better than we do. We marry because our big sister already got hitched ages ago and is already beginning to have babies. We read newspapers regularly so we know what’s important and go to church so the preacher can tell us what to believe in. And so it goes until we die – simply blowing with the wind. If we were to take a survey, no one wants to live like this. But why then, do so many do it? Why? ... Because it’s easier to run with the crowd than to get to know ourselves, our weaknesses and strengths, to explore our talents and capabilities and from these develop goals for our life. And so, isn’t the large-scale manipulation – for example, cloning – nothing more than a reflection of our own homemade influences, imitations and aimlessness? It may very well be that many – right on the dot at New Year’s – formulate good resolutions and goals: less smoking, better savings, healthier living, less fighting. But the neighbor or school companion has hardly gotten going with being as crude and caustic as last year, and -good-bye resolution, we’re back into fighting. |
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| Conformity – or living? | |
| "Well, I don’t know about this goals thing," you say? But when we think about it, we do it all the time: If we go out for the evening, we have a goal. Maybe to the disco, or the movies. And if we’re in school, we set our sights on good grades or at work, on the next pay increase. It’s only when it has to do with the general direction and aim for our life that we hardly think about it. The danger in this is that we do not live but are lived, instead. We leave our life to chance, and when it doesn’t work out, then we blame the other guy or even God.. And so the question is, do we really want to go through life as imitators and manipulated people? Conformists like a clone - or maybe, better said, clown - as good as wiped out? | |
| Criteria for life | |
| If not, we can’t avoid not setting clear goals for our life, criteria for our life. But, which? Each person decides for himself. There are many possibilities. Here is one of them: "Become perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect," said Jesus of Nazareth in the Sermon on the Mount. Do you find that a bit high-flown? In any case, it’s revolutionary! It is namely saying that we are on earth in order to learn what it means to become a child of God. And how does a child of God act? A first practical step to this great goal can be to be there for others. | |
| Let’s get going! | |
| We
can begin, for example, with respecting someone instead of judging him just
because he is of a different opinion. We could begin to be dependable and
to keep our promises. We could learn to listen. We could try to think about
how it goes for others instead of just circling around ourselves and
pampering our ego. And we could offer someone help if he needs it. etc.,
etc.! In summary, this means: "Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you," or, said differently, "do not unto others as you would not have
them do unto you." A very practical hint which, by the way, you can
find in the Sermon on the Mount. You think it’s too much to set such a goal
and then actually put it into practice? Try it out! See if something
doesn’t change in your life, in your relationship with your parents, friends,
colleagues at work or in the school. Check if you are happier or unhappier,
more dynamic or lazier, happier or sadder! Sure, every person is free to set the goals he wants or to slide aimlessly through life. God does not manipulated. He leaves us our freedom. But He does want to help us to master our life. And when the Son of God, Christ, came to earth in Jesus of Nazareth in order to give us such ingenious help for our life as we find in the Sermon on the Mount or in the Ten Commandments, then we could at least try it out in our life instead of just denying it as unrealistic, too hard or even utopian - as the churches tend to say. |
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