RACE-In 1950, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization issued
a statement saying that all human beings belong to the same species and that "race"
isn't a biological reality. Both the American Anthropological Association and the
American Association of Physical Anthropologists assert that the common concept of
race has no biological basis.
"Race" is a convenient way to divide up the human family, and for mostly nefarious purposes. What better way to set a group apart, to be classified as less than human,
and exploited for their labor? Or to raise another group up as the exemplar of the
ideal human, and therefore making their actions unassailable?
The term "race" may continue to be useful as we deal with how certain classes,
ethnicities, and geographical origins prejudice us to treat others a certain way, but
it is critical that we bear in mind that it is an invented construct that ultimately
fractures the human family in unnecessary and baseless ways.
RELIGION-The human psyche has an inborn lust for limitlessness. This manifests in all
sorts of ways, from bungee jumping to hostile corporate takeovers to years spent
in meditative practices. Most of us want to go beyond what we are now, in some way
or another.
We're also hard-wired to want answers and explainations and meaning. The world
around us is filled with mysteries, dilemmas, and paradox, and we want to make
sense of it all.
Religions more often than not begin with an innocent and well meaning attempt to confront these two powerful human urges. They start with a shining kernal of what makes us unique as human beings: the desire to transcend the ego based meat
puppet we're born into, and the need for answers to our most fundamental questions.
But because we're ego based meat puppets, this noble cause gets subverted by those
who see a way to advance their own agendas; namely, fortune, power, and security.
That common spark that unites the species gets twisted into a force of division and
animosity.
Bottom line-if you have a religious bent, do the work of seeking out the mystics in
your tradition who lead to the true unifying principles of a spiritual practice. A truly
religious life leads to a place where religion is irrelevant.