I think the 1986 movie The Mission is worth watching on that topic. For me, the Jesuit's refusal to participate in violence was the most memorable part. It's an interesting movie. I'd like to see it again. It's sort of hard to find though. I read one comment saying, "you will hate Western civilization after watching this movie." Not sure about that but it's powerful.
The movie Brother Sun Sister Moon is not too bad. I thought it was great when I was younger...but it didn't hit me the same when I bought a copy a few years ago.
I can't answer for the idea that true believers end up sometimes hating to the point of violence. Sounds right though. Anytime we generalize people into a group rather than seeing them as individuals we probably run that risk.
All I can think is that people need to be educated. If someone hates Americans it's because they don't understand what an American is. America is a nation of immigrants (unless you happen to be a Native American), so basically America is you, regardless of your nationality. With all the faults you have and all the good things about you too.
Back to the point though I believe that if you consider people as individuals, rather than part of a group, it's a lot easier to see how those people can be brothers and sisters.
Not to say there aren't genuinely evil people, or groups of people, in the world. I like to think they are the exception, or aberration rather than the rule. 99.9% of the people you meet are good. Not that they are nice but I don't think truly evil/bad people are rampant in our society. I do think there are confused or brainwashed or ignorant people that don't understand the common nature of humanity. And some truly sick people who by fate of nature or nuture are cruel or evil.
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Thinking about the danger of True Believers brings me back to the San Francisco Longshoreman Philosopher Eric Hoffer. He is great to read. There's a picture of him here at The Eric Hoffer Resource
He writes little nuggets of wisdom. He didn't have any formal education to speak of but was a tremendous thinker. For example these are some quotes from Eric Hoffer on hatred. Those quotes came from the Freedom Nest - Eric Hoffer Page
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I cut the following out of a newsletter from the
Unitarian Universalist Church of North Hatley
There is a story told about Mahatma Gandhi: A woman came to the great teacher and implored him, "Tell my child to stop eating sugar." Gandhi replied "Come back next week." The next week the woman came back with the child and Gandhi told the child to stop eating candy. The woman asked, "Why couldn’t you have just told him that last week?" Gandhi replied, "Last week I was eating sugar."
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This idea of not being a hypocrite comes through when Luke says,
"And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself"
Luke 4:23
On Staff With The Great Physician
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I had an old Philosophy teacher named Reidar Thomte once. He used to use the phrase "pie in the sky when you die" a lot. The idea to me is that you have to find heaven or as close to it as you can on earth. Then have faith about what comes after that.
On the theme of living in the moment...
I really like from Harry Chapin are the lyrics to the song Greyhound. I used to love to ride the Greyhound when I was younger. Bought an Ameripass one time and just rode the bus around the country for the heck of it. Rode the Greyhound way up North into Canada. I liked to smoke and hang out on the bus and in bus depots. Something about them really appealed to me. Man I'm getting old. I can't imagine thinking riding a bus around would be fun. Maybe I should give it a shot.
We had a visitor from France a couple of summers ago who loved the Greyhound and America too. He was a young kid who had come over for a couple of summers and traveled around the country visiting and meeting new people via Greyhound.
The lyrics From Harry Chapin's Song "Greyhound" -
It's midnight at the depot
And I drag my bags in line.
Travellin' light, I got to go
But the bus won't be on time.
Everybody's looking half alive.
Later on the bus arrives.
They punch my ticket
I find a seat
And we move out past the lights.
Come on Driver, where's the heat?
It's cold out in the night.
I keep telling to myself that I don't care.
Come tomorrow, I'll be there.
Take the Greyhound.
It's a dog of a way to get around.
Take the Greyhound.
It's a dog gone easy way to get you down.
Tired of watching this night go by
So I look across the aisle.
The window's frosted, I can't sleep
But the girl returns my smile.
She reminds me of someone I knew back home.
So I doze. So it goes.
I'm wrinkled on my stool at the rest stop.
The waitress being cozy with the highway cop.
My coffee's tasting tired.
My eyes roll over dead.
Got to go outside and get the gas out of my head.
Oh, to be in bed.
You got me driving.
I'm on your Greyhound bus and you're driving.
But there's nothing new about Greyhounds.
Nothing new about feeling down.
Nothing new about putting off
Or putting myself on.
Looking to tomorrow is the way the loser hides
I should have realized by now that all my life's a ride.
It's time to find some happy times and make myself some friends
I know there ain't no rainbows waiting when this journey ends.
Stepping off this dirty bus first time I understood
It's got to be the going not the getting there that's good
That's a thought for keeping if I could.
It's got to be the going not the getting there that's good.
Thanks Harry Chapin. I got to see him play in a small auditorium one time. He was great.
I think the popular singer Norah Jone's song "Come Away With Me" catches a bit of that bus mystery.
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Hope you get a good nights sleep whether you are on the bus or not...
Goodnight Moon
