Sheep Syndrome

What is it about man that we refuse to use our God - given ability to reason? Oftentimes I find myself analyzing people whether religious or not, political or otherwise, and it pains me to see how "sheepish" we can be.

Oftentimes, I'm critical of religion and politics, I don't mean to harp on them so much(or maybe I do) but sometimes you just have to step out the box and just see how crazy we can be.

Ever asked a "religious" person why do they believe? Its almost like pulling teeth on occasion. Most people tend to believe whatever their parents believed and their parents before them. Never once questioning if there might be potential something flawed in their "beliefs". The real question is not only why do they believe, but are they truly believers?

Think about it, if your raised under a certain religious affiliation, how much of your belief is your discernment and how much is your family's? The sad truth about us humans is that we tend to do what is most convenient and/or comfortable, therefore most likely we believe whatever we are taught or raised as, because doing contrary would be a little too uncomfortable.

Case in point, religious "holidays" in America. We become adults, realize how foolish our childhood beliefs and fairytales are and in most cases even realize that oftentimes they are contrary to our religious beliefs, but instead of breaking the cycle with our children, what do we do? We put up a tree, talk about tooth fairies, and bunnies laying eggs, mainly because everybody else is doing it, and we don't want our children to "miss out".

What are we really doing to ourselves spiritually and physically when we decide to go against our core to appease others?

Then there's politics. Personally, I love politics and hope to be a Senator or maybe President someday, but I can't get with this whole political party thing. Maybe in theory, but have you ever noticed that some people are so loyal to a party that they will vote in that party's favor no matter what?

That's the most dangerous behavior that is being played out daily in our so-called democracy. We have a bunch of sheep in office who don't have the backbone to do what's right and better for our country.

I think its about time that we look at the man/woman in the mirror and consider our status. Are we sheep or shepherds? There's nothing necessarily wrong with being a sheep, but don't be a blind sheep. The difference is that a sheep with sight will follow the right shepherd to the greener grasses, whereas the blind sheep just follows any ole shepherd. Now what if that shepherd just happens to be as blind as you are?

Then as Jesus(PBUH) said "if the blind lead the blind, both fall in the ditch". That ditch can represent hell in all its many forms whether physical or spiritual.

We have to learn to break the mold and do something contrary. Believe it or not, oftentimes contrary is the right way. We have to have the courage to stand up and do what's right no matter what.

For you religious folk, that's what made Abraham(PBUH) and all the Prophets(PBUT) for that matter so important... They heard the word of God and obeyed Him. It didn't matter if they had to leave their parents, wealth, or status behind, it didn't matter if they faced certain death, they did what had to be done.

The same goes for the political folk, where would we be if the founding fathers didn't make that choice to break from England? Or if Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, MLK, etc. Didn't decide enough was enough.

Many of us talk a good game, but how many of us are truly willing to deny themselves, comfort, stability, status, wealth, etc. Die daily, and pick up his or her cross?

Ignorance is Bliss?

My grandfather taught me to be mindful not to speak about things I have no knowledge concerning, and to this day I have always tried to take this advice and use it. I just wish many of us were as fortunate to have had this wisdom in our lives.

I have noticed, whether it be debates on religion, politics, or different lifestyles, most tend to formulate their personal opinion purely off of conjecture. Its a sad state of affairs when your only reliable source to any "absolute" truth is not from first hand experience.

If we put more effort into being knowledgeable and less effort into being critical we could truly move mountains.

Sure knowledge is power, but until you learn how to use that knowledge and understand how and when to properly apply it, that power becomes misguided and dangerous.

As we are learning in real time with the current Presidential Administration, misguided and unchecked power can be life threatening.

Misguided spiritual knowledge can destroy not only ones own soul, but also those of others with whom they come in contact with. That is why in most religious systems or spiritual schools of thought, much time and responsibility is placed on the individual, because until we can truly master ourselves, we don't have any place to try and to master others.

We have to become a knowledgeable people. Our survival depends on it. As the Prophet Hosea(PBUH) "my people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge". Look at our world. Black, White, Republican, Democrat, Gay, Straight, Muslim, Christian, or Jew our world is falling apart, primarily because we have no knowledge.

Remember Solomon(PBUH) wrote, "the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge". The five percent nation or the Nation of Gods and Earths would break down the word "knowledge" as Know the Ledge. If we are not careful and know that ledge we will certainly fall off of it and like humpty dumpty, none of the kings horses or men would be able to put us back together.

Know the ledge so that we may not be caught in the trap of ignorance. Know the ledge so that we wont be exploited. Know the ledge so that we wont be destroyed.

Peace and Blessings be upon you

Hypocrisy and the Role of Religion

Oftentimes, I ponder about the role of religion and my deep disdain of hypocrisy. According to the dictionary hypocrisy:

1. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.

2. An act or instance of such falseness.

I've noticed in my short sojourn on this planet that the biggest hypocrites tend to be in religion. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a "religious" person per se, but the problem with us religious folk is that we tend look out the window and look at others, but forget to occasionally look in the mirror and look at ourselves.

For instance, over the past "holiday" the "Christian" right decided to go to war with companies and people who said "Happy Holidays" vice "Merry Christmas". As a Muslim, I found that quite funny for several reasons:

A: By now we should all know that Jesus(PBUH) was not born in December, and that his birth is celebrated then, as an act of the early church in their attempt to wipe out paganism by putting "Christian" holidays over the old pagan ones. The irony is that many of the pagan traditions remain to this day. Christmas tree anyone?

B: Christianity is supposed to be about those who follow Jesus(PBUH) in speech and deed. Why is it that most who practice this "holiday" care more about themselves than others?

C: It really troubled me at how "Christians" really rallied around this "war" but, won't rally against the wars Jesus(PBUH) would have cared about, like the war on poverty, illness, and wars against the fellow men.

I mean lets be real for a minute people, Jesus(PBUH) never taught us that we should celebrate his birth, which is probably in the fall, so why exactly are we doing it?

Then there's the Muslims.

We are supposed to be the example for ALL of mankind in manners, modesty, deeds, and worship. Yet, look what's happening in the Muslim countries! Look at North Africa, the Sudan, Indonesia, Iraq, Palenstine, Pakistan, etc. We are so busy talking about how righteous we are, yet we allow our fellow Muslims to suffer, treat our women like crap(and worse), and the so-called kings are living like pharaoh, while the masses suffer. I could go on and on, but all one has to do is turn on the news to see what I mean.

Then there are the Jews....well I will leave that alone, because its not Politically correct for a Muslim to comment on them. However, I will say this, since when did righteous supposed to take a back seat to financial gain and greed?

I point out these few examples and I could go on and on to say this, how can we as a believing people ever expect to get non-believers to follow us when we are just as bad if not worse than them?

One of the truest leadership principles I learned in the Marine Corps was that we are to Lead by EXAMPLE.

We have to rid ourselves of our iniquities and Submit to the One God of Abraham(PBUH) whom we claim to serve.