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Postmodern humans or robotic automatons?

By Jose Zepeda - posted Friday, 9 November 2007


For me, as an individual, this begins with very basic questions. For example, how do I live my faith or beliefs? How do I integrate into my everyday life my political responsibilities as a citizen and my faith practices? These inform the way I think, act and conduct my life with others.

As a Catholic the more deeply I reflect on my duties and responsibilities, I cannot avoid asking myself the following questions:

What did I do to prevent the terrorist attacks of September 11 on innocent victims?  And, if I did not do anything, why didn’t I? Is it because I did not consider it was my problem. Was I thinking, “someone else will take care of it”? After all I am only me, an individual with no power. I can ask many more questions as to why I did not do anything at all.

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However, after the tragedy, I immediately went to pray for the victims, for their families, for those who were affected. I did condemn the attacks. I felt angry and threatened. There were many emotional reactions to them. However, I never questioned myself as to what I could have done to prevent such acts. So at present, I am asking myself "What am I doing to ensure the world will not continue to suffer from such acts?"

To respond, I have to go back to the basics of my political responsibilities and my practise of faith. I find myself feeling disempowered, irrelevant, and accused of opposing those who are risking their lives to protect me from the terrorists I oppose.

If I try to break these barriers of fear, to take risks with my own life in order to make it relevant and meaningful, then I will recover the sense of my life’s sacredness as well as increase my respect for the lives of others. I might even gain some solidarity with those who look for the meaning of human life. I might move from my position of comfort and automation, (a position created by globalised mind control), toward a position of regaining concrete power. Even if this means a little effort on my part, it would give my life a sense of purpose beyond the automated and disposable entity that many of us have become.

So my last question is: ”What will I do, to change my attitudes of non involvement, of avoiding trouble, of protecting my comfortable easy style of life?” Why risk myself for people I don’t even know, for people who hate me just because I am Christian or considered Western?

Well, I cannot hide my faith and place it under the carpet. It challenges me to see my entire life, since I have grown up wondering how best to follow the teachings of Jesus, and how to ensure, as a participant of my religion, that I reach out to other Catholics.

Do you feel similar concerns? Let’s start doing our small part to restore the sacredness of human life. Not to reinvent the world but to bring peace to it by changing our attitudes.

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At present there are forces trying to establish the domination of a monoculture, in order for us to be part of the "sameness", automatons in service of those few who think they are mini gods.

The postmodern world is confronted by a silent shifting from the celebration of the rich and diverse world that is God’s gift, to a relativism that considers people’s lives as disposable and for the convenience of a few. We hear dangerous messages arrogantly claiming God’s guidance in order to justify their enforced influence on others.

Many world religious leaders feel alone or isolated if they dare to speak out against powerful leaders. We are failing in our commitments daily, and religious leaders lose moral authority, as we their followers fail to empower them on our behalf.

Human existence is threatened by monoculture. Political, economical, cultural and religious, as well as other important aspects of human existence, are at present threatened by the monoculture being imposed on the majority on our planet.

Peace, harmony, love, respect, difference and diversity are integral aspects of human development. If these are suppressed, then we lose our sense of sacredness. We lose the richness of our world and this threatens our very existence.

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Article edited by Jacqueline Jago.
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About the Author

Jose Zepeta is International Coordinator of Always People, a not for profit organisation working across all faiths and cultures committed to "people helping people" and working towards justice and peace for all. Jose has travelled extensively in his role with Always People, working in the area of human rights, justice and peace negotiations and these reflections come out of his observations and experience.

Jose is also a Consultor of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

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All articles by Jose Zepeda

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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