Hello, David.
The only solution I’ve suggested is to educate. As to what to teach our lot is not for me alone, or any individual, to decide. It’s massively complex.
I don’t agree that we are dealing with unchangeable human traits here ( this seems to be the assumption in your argument). Ones “system of value” is an entirely “learned” part of human behaviour- primarily at a young age. Hence appropriate education.
I propose no finites in this approach. Just constant reference to universally accepted human values. There is no ‘can’ or ‘cannot’ work. It is simply a better foundation.
Food for thought (with full respect). An obvious problem is getting the various wonderful religious structures of this world to accept that they essentially worship the same God & should therefore work together for the benefit of all. Is this not what God would want?
Cheers..

Swilkie,
yes, I do agree that people are teachable and that the values you suggest would be beneficial. I was basing my post on the assumption that mankind is 'fallen' but being fallen does not mean unteachable.

The predisposition most of us have, (specially when push comes to shove) is ourselves and our own. But there are also the personality types who seem to believe they have some manifest destiny to 'rule' or lead in directions most suited to their view of life.
This inevitably ends up in them capitalizing on what may be small differences, inequities etc... perhaps even racial or religious differences, and they cunningly exploit these in a manner of which Mr Machievelli would be proud, to achieve the ultimate rush of power.

Among we westerners with our enlightenment/renaissance/Reformation heritage, the values you refer to would be pretty much universally acceptable. The Catholic/Protestant tension is pretty much zero from what I can see, apart from where it is exploited by the types mentioned in the above paragraph in Ireland.

Then there is the problem of Islam, which of course views the world in a 2 color landscape of 'Land of Islam' and "land of Struggle (to bring in Islamic rule)".

I have less than zero hope that there would ever be an acceptance of any set of values by by the likes of Iran etc, which does not have the (to them) divine stamp of approval.

But what could bring it all undone is happening almost as a side-event unnoticed by the prophetically sheltered :)
2 events in the past couple of days point to it.
Mahmoud Abbas, revving up the Palestinians about "Today Gaza, tomorrow Jerusalem" and today we had the 'Temple mount faithful' (Orthodox Israelis) planning to swarm over the Al Aksah Mosque. They would only do this because (believe it or not) of the existence of a little heifer "without blemish or spot"...

yes, I know, sounds surreal :) but those 2 events, may lead to our ultimate destination where the only politics which will matter, is our relationship with Christ.

Peter, interesting article, a lot of which I agree with, we may come from opposite sides of ‘politics’ however, I do agree with your notion that politics is dying a slow death…not quite dead yet though…we can still pump some life into the old girl yet!

To the respondents who always bring their god into the forum…Wake up fools…THERE IS NO GOD! Man has always believed in ‘his’ self-importance! We are simply animals; hence, we have always acted, and will continue to act, as such. I agree, our biggest problems, as a species, are our increasing population, environmental devastation, and religious zealots (including evangelists and ‘evil-doers’)!

Solution: There will not ever be one because we will never:

• Allow Africa (and any other place which cannot help itself) to implode (yes, I said it…many people think it, but are too ‘PC’ to say it); it is going to anyway!
• Educate…not some blind following or ‘taqlid’, but some real discovery learning and critical thinking which has not been permeated by religious, scientific and/or Cartesian certainty…forget about religion people, it’s just man’s way of hanging on to his self-importance (yes, I am a male; a classic Alpha-male actually!)
• Embrace Post-Modernism…understand it, learn from it…wallow in it.
• Nationalism! What is wrong with some overt jingoism? Forget about trying to save the world…let us look after ourselves first…first step…the environment, the next step, immigration…after that…hmmm, one can never be certain…

Please do not bother pulling your head out of the sand and writing a long-winded response to my comments, I will only laugh at you…stick your head right back where it is comfortable.

puzzlesthewill

This could be a solution, a simple one but not an easy one. It would take about 5 years to become effective, but once up and running, it would improve all our lives.

To start, we change our education system, placing children in school from 6 to 16. They would be taught the 3 RR R's, and how to live, including health, childbearing and responsibility and the practical requirements of life. This way when they reach 16 they will understand what life is and how it works and how they can get through it.

At 16 we put then all into 4 years of community service where they would work in health, the local community, law enforcement, public service, essential services, defence support and full advanced driver training. During the 4 years, they would have to do at least 10 different work experiences. Once they reach 20, they can then choose which avenue of work they would like and or go to higher education.

This would instantly drop youth unemployment, reduce youth crime, give us more people in hospitals and essential services and teach the young to understand what being responsible is.

This would also mean more work for older people as they would be required to supervise and teach.

The next step, people should have the right to believe what they want and worship the god the need, but not at the expense of others.

The best solution would be to ban the expression of religion or religious dress in public except on certain designated religious days.

We would end up with a youth that was informed, capable, useful and able to handle most situations in life. Result, no shortage of nurses, no shortage of essential service staff, and a growing knowledge base and security for our country.

The next step is the reform of politics so that it represents the will and wish of the people, it would be a very simple process, but hard to impliment

Peter McMahon, are you absolute in your anti-absolutism? If so, then don't you see the contradiction in this? Are you being hypocritical?

Can your absolutism tolerate any other form of absolutism? If so, does that mean that politics dies in this black-and-white world of absolutisms?

PUZZLE....

matey.. you make yourself just TOOOOooo much of a target not to have a little bit of a nibble at that world view of yours :)

Ok.. Step 1

"GOD IS DEAD" (Neitzche) 1870 ish

"THERE IS NO GOD" (Puzzleme 2005)

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING as right and wrong".. (obvious moral implication based on the above presuppositions) signed 'Blind Nellie'

STEP 2 -SOCIAL OUTCOME OF THE ABOVE.
"I feel like taking out some annoying person.. looks around.. aah..there is Puzzle.. bang"..
(some existentialist who believed the above 2 presuppositions)

Same existentialist is interviewed later ..

(Reporter) "So.. Mr X, why did you do that, don't you feel bad about it" ?
(Existentialist) "I did it simply because I felt like it, and NO, why should I feel bad about it ? I heard some bloke explain it all clearly, read some forum and he rambled on about no God, he is an alpha male etc.. so I took his words to heart.. now I'm the alpha male and he is dead"

STEP 3 :NEITZCHE IS DEAD, PUZZLE WILL BE DEAD (2006 signed GOD :)

ALCHEMIST

surprisingly, I think you have some good thoughts there, except for the brutal supression of free speech and worship which is such a fundamental human right, that it makes your 'utopian' vision seem just a little like National Socialism.
ALCH.. lemme know when you can find any foundation for your extreme disdain for the Christian faith in the life and teaching of Christ ok ? we can discuss further. Meanwhile, God luvs ya :)