EVILS OF DOGMATIC RELIGIONS
Reflections
after Fifty Years of Servitude
Religion
was/is a superstitious search by humanity for its origin, existence, meaning
and relevance before the scientific era. The search was led by acclaimed sages
among the elders of a community who defined its theories and practices. It is later
ratified and recommended for legislation and implementation by state apparatus
by convincing stratagem or coercion by politico-religious leaders. Thereafter, it is fine tuned and administered
by ordained priests and priestesses who hand it down along ancestral lineages
from one generation of lukewarm adherents, fanatics and mystics to another.
Gradually, strong personalities emerge claiming divine appointment and so pull
strong followers who idolise them as role models with supernatural powers. This
obsession confirms them as beacons of adulation and finally leads to full scale
idolatry.
Religion, which is superstition sanctioned by the
state, is actually an addiction to man-made doctrines and dogmas invented,
patented and copyrighted by a few demagogues.
·
It enslaves the mind more than psychoactive
drugs,
·
Benumbs human creativity and resourcefulness thereby
·
Restricting the development of the human
potential and capital.
It is the main cause of poverty of the mind and
underdevelopment of third world countries as its side-effects are indolence,
redundancy, laziness and dependence of finished products and services. In the
final analysis, it is the predisposing factor to lack of initiative, debilitating
ignorance, fetish belief-systems, abject poverty and perennial ill-health.
Perhaps its only advantage is that it makes the polity
docile and amenable to the whims and caprices of their oppressive leaders.
Often, it hoodwinks its adherents into believing that ‘The God’ or ‘the gods’
they worship speak to them through the voices of their egocentric clerics who
therefore can conveniently exploit them to satisfy their demonic desires of
sensual pleasure and inordinate ambitions of amassing wealth. Their wanton
indulgence in gluttony, wine and women is seen in every action and definitely
this is the foolproof evidence of their demonic genealogy.
Rev. Prof. J.
J. Kenez,
The Vessel of the Holy Spirit of
God, the Creator of the Universe
International Animator of
Integrational Spiritan Movement (ISM)
Composed from 11th March 1990 to Monday 30/08/2010 @ 02:08:28 HRS
GMT.
I
once met three philosophers arguing about the nature of God. The Christian
theologian among them insisted on the Trinitarian doctrine, the Oriental
Christian emphasised that the Holy Spirit proceeded only from the Father
whereas the Roman Christian argued that the Holy Spirit proceeded from both the
Father and the Son!
I laughed at them. They got angry. In unison, they demanded to know
why I was laughing them to scorn. I said, “Why not bother yourselves
about the things in the world that you can comprehend? Leave God alone!”
One of them interjected, “Why do you say that, are you wiser than the Holy
Church fathers and the great theologians that handed down these doctrines?”
“Thank you very much for being truthful. You just called them
‘doctrines’ and that’s exactly what they are! You can’t arrive at any
meaningful conclusion in your argument since all we can ever know or say about
him is, “God exists!” And what that really means is this: “God is the Almighty
Being that created everything that exists in the universe. Anything else
anybody says or we say is puerile, futile and simply mundane guesswork!” I concluded.
In I.S.M. we do not theorise about what we have no existential
answers that can satisfy human reasoning! We limit ourselves to provable and
rational concepts, no mysteries, no dogmas and no doctrines. You are very
welcome to disproving anything we posit, provided you can defend your position
convincingly, and carry along seventy-five per cent of humankind. We are okay!
I S M IS ON A
RESCUE MISSION
To liberate those who desire independence from the shackles of
dogmatism and indoctrination, ISM only requires those who are willing and
rational enough to think for themselves to apply simple logic and arrive at certain
basic universal truths devoid of intellectual enslavements.
- Read the
KENEZIAN CREED and see for yourself whether the truths catalogued there
apply to all beings on planet earth.
- Study DR
KENEZ LETTER TO TEACHERS OF HIS CHILDREN and evaluate the universality of
the ethics enshrined in the stanzas.
- Finally,
analyse the principles of equality of all races of mankind contained in
HARMONISATION OF YOUTH SOCIALISATION;
If these do not open your eyes to the futility of ethnocentrisms
embedded in most dogmatic religions, then you are lost to individual thought
and clear rationalisations. You are either a fanatic or a misguided mystic!
ISM is founded on the discovery of all the natural and eternal laws
in creation and full obedience to all of them. In brief, Kenezians worship the
Absolute Truth wherever it is found; on, below or above the earth! TELL, LIVE,
PROPAGATE AND DIE FOR THE TRUTH! These and only this principle guide the true
sons & daughters of God!
THE
KENEZIAN CREED
Nuggets
of Wisdom by Dr Kenez Danmbaezue for the Unification of all Belief Systems.
1. I am of
age; therefore, I affirm that I exist! I am “ME”, you are “YOU” and we are
“US”. I affirm that I am a Created Being living in the present, hoping to come
to an end as other creatures I have observed, do come to a definitive end.
2. I
therefore know that all finite creatures obey some natural laws that govern
existence. I affirm that these laws are also eternal and like every other law,
must have a Giver. I deduce therefore that there are commensurate sanctions for
any deliberate violation of these laws.
3. When I
observe the heavens and landscapes, hills and valleys, rivers and oceans,
sunrise and sunset, equinoxes and eclipses, I am certain that this Eternal
Lawgiver is Great and Powerful in all respects and possesses Superhuman
Intelligence, Power and Control over all of us?
4. When I
inspect living and non-living beings, their beauty and variety, their numbers
and their sizes, especially their modes of survival in varying environments and
particularly their ability to reproduce their kinds, I confess that this
Eternal Lawgiver must be Beautiful, Loving and All-Creative.
5. I
respect “IT” in all “ITS” creations while admiring in particular those that
move about. For I do realise that I share the traits they have; we all have the
same basic structures, we survive by performing similar functions, have similar
feelings and produce comparable results. I cannot but bow in reverence and
worship this Almighty Being, the Eternal Lawgiver, who sustains everything on
this planet.
6. This
Almighty Being set all things in motion. “IT” directs their courses and life
spans, keeps them in space and time, now and always. Moreover, because there
are no accidents in nature when “IT’S” laws are strictly adhered to, I attest
to the fact that “IT” is the greatest GOOD; the All-knowing, All-caring and
Ever Present Being.
7. To “IT”
be all my respect, obedience and loyalty, as I extend my hands of love and
brotherhood to all human beings, co-heirs and offspring of this Almighty
Creator and Father of all. Therefore, my creed concisely is this:
(a) THE UNIVERSE IS MY COUNTRY AND INHERITANCE,
(b) ALL MANKIND, MY BLOOD RELATIVES AND EQUALS,
(c) SEEKING THE TRUTH, LIVING THE TRUTH, PROPAGATING
THE TRUTH AND DOING GOOD AT ALL TIMES – IS MY
RELIGION.
My 50th Birthday Gift to Mankind.
Composed by DR J. K. DANMBAEZUE between 1970-1998
& Ratified by the Holy Spirit of the Almighty
Creator in1999
This is the concise
version. There is a more comprehensive /longer version
DR. KENEZ DANMBAEZUE’S
PLEAS
TO EVERY TEACHER OF HIS
CHILDREN
*****(Each paragraph/plea
can be used as the theme of Morning Assembly Talks)*****
Dear Teacher,
Preamble:
Your job is an onerous one, commendable by both God and man,
My child will look up to you as a role
model, a mirror to view the world;
You will have to father him for 5 hours a
day, 5 days a week and 35 weeks per year,
That’s long enough to make or mar his future, his classmates and that of
this country.
1. Teach him to look around and admire
the beauty in nature, himself inclusive,
Let him know that for every child he sees, there are
two parents – a father and a mother;
So for the birds he sees, trees, animals, hills,
rivers, sun, daylight, night and moonlight,
There is but One Almighty Father, who created and
takes care of us all on a daily basis.
2. Teach him to trust and obey The
Almighty Creator with worship in humility,
And to love every other being, as we all are sons
and daughters of the same Creator;
Let him realise that when it rains, it’s for every
one: plants, animals and man,
The Creator’s kindness and benevolence does not
choose those to hate or love.
3. Teach him that for every lie he
tells, he will tell ten more lies to cover it up,
And for ten lies, he needs one hundred more lies –
that is foolishness;
So let him learn that truth is golden, more precious
than wealth and riches,
Knowledge, wisdom and fame are the rewards earned by
truthful people.
4. In school, let him love and respect
his classmates and fight to protect the weaker ones,
Allow him to taste bitter and sweet things; and to
combine laughter and suffering;
That way you will have prepared him to deal with
wicked and honest human beings,
Thereby teaching him to differentiate good from evil
and to do good all his life.
5. Teach him that lying, cheating and
stealing produce criminals and rogues,
Teach him that a kobo earned is better than a
hundred won by lottery;
It’s better to go hungry for days than enjoy a meal
prepared with stolen money,
Or eat crumbs of bread among finest friends than a
loaf among dishonest men.
6. Teach him that a passage studied,
understood and memorised,
Is far better than one simply crammed and repeated
like a parrot;
The former leads to ingenuity, resourcefulness and
creativity,
The latter to imitative behaviour, and lack of
self-confidence;
Teach him that it’s more honourable to fail an
examination,
Than to copy, cheat or use “expo” methods to pass
any examination.
7. Finally teach him that it is better
to be neither too poor nor too rich,
Than to become wealthy by stealing, deceit and
cutting corners;
The former leads to contentment, peace of mind and
long life,
The latter to arrogance, greed, restlessness and
sudden death;
Explain to him what “Honesty is the best policy”
really means,
And the practical implications of the saying: “More
haste, less speed”.
Postscript:
You’ll have to believe and
practise these yourself,
Before you can teach them to my son and his mates;
But be assured that if you succeed in this
assignment,
You will be a hero and the father of heroes and
heroines;
And that’s what our dear country needs most.
May God guide your endeavours!
Dr.
J. K. Danmbaezue, D. Sc., FACRS,
*My
53rd Birthday Gift to all Educationists,
Inspired
by Abraham Lincoln’s letter, Gestation Period: 1997-2001
A
CROSS-CULTURAL HARMONISATION OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
*THE
PANACEA FOR RACISM*
By
Dr. J. K.
Danmbaezue, D. Psych., FACRS,
Consultant
Clinical Psychologist / Existential Family Therapist.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR, Kenez Health Klinik, &
ANIMATOR, Happy Family Network International
Block: C, House: 82, Federal Housing Estate,
Trans-Ekulu, Enugu.
P. O. Box 1995. Phone 0803-9097614
or 0805-1764999, ENUGU, NIGERIA
Being the
Paper presented at
THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON RACISM
Held at Durban, South Africa
From 23rd August – 2nd September 2001.
Abstract
This guest paper emphasizes the origins and development of prejudice,
discrimination, ethnocentrism, stereotypy and religious bigotry as the seeds that
germinate into racism or political radicalism, dominant and minority ethnic
groups that culminate in stressful relations, violence and wars.
A cross-cultural
harmonization of child-rearing practices is the author’s therapeutic
prescription if youths must be re-oriented towards the universal brotherhood of
mankind. We have the same basic anatomy
and physiology; we share the same air, water, food and rest periods. Blood groupings, emotions, motivations, and
libido allow for similar sex attractions, pregnancies and births. So, where do these ethnic superiority and
inferiority complexes come from?
The “Kenezian
Creed” and “The Letter to Educationists all over the world”, epitomise the
ideals that this Existential Therapeutic Programme enunciates. The panacea for racism is a systematic
re-education, religious liberalism and socio-political equality, which should
form the foundations of cross-cultural harmonisation of youth counselling and
personality development initiatives.
Concise C.V.
Dr. J. K.
Danmbaezue is a fifty-three year old privately employed
psychotherapist/psychometrician with an outfit named KENEZ HEALTH KLINIK, where
he counsels young adults about to wed, administering psychological tests and
utilizing them objectively to re-direct incompatible couples. He also has an NGO-christened HAPPY FAMILY
NETWORK INTERNATIONAL, which aims at the globalization of those principles
neatly encapsulated in ‘The Kenezian Creed’ and ‘Dr. Kenez Letter to All
Educationists’. He is happily married
and has three kids. He holds a Doctor of
Science degree in Psychometrics, and the prestigious Fellowship of the African College
of Research Scientists. He is married with three children and is an
Existentialist to the core!
INTRODUCTION:
Philosophy demands the delimitation of concepts, terms or
nomenclatures for clarity of discussions, analyses, conclusions and
recommendations. The following are
relevant in our case:
Prejudice is “a
system of negative conceptions, feelings and action-orientations regarding the
members of a particular group”; whereas “Discrimination”
refers to “overt action in which members of a group are accorded unfavourable
treatment on the basis of their religious, ethnic or racial membership” Zanden,
(1972).
Ethnocentrism is “an
exaggerated tendency to think the characteristics of one’s own group or race
superior to those of other groups or races” whereas “stereotypy” means “a pathological symptom of mental or
nervous disorder showing itself in continuous repetition of seemingly senseless
words and syllables, or of certain posture’s and actions”. Drever
(1972).
Religious bigotry refers to
“an obsessive belief and practice system whereby a person or group of people
has strong and unreasonable opinion and will not listen to or accept any
contrary views or religious opinions of anyone who disagrees”. Hornby
(1976).
Racism or Racialism
refers to “any set of beliefs that organic genetically transmitted differences
(whether real or imagined) between human groups are intrinsically associated
with the presence or absence of certain socially relevant abilities or
characteristics, hence that such differences are a legitimate basis of
invidious distinctions between groups socially defined as races” Berghe
(1967).
Ethnic Group is a
parallel term for race “which is often socially defined on the basis of
cultural characteristics superimposed on perceived physical traits defined by
the group and/or is defined by other groups as different.... by virtue of
innate... inherited on genetically induced behavioural patterns”. A. H. Coleman-cited in – Krauss (1976) and
this naturally leads us to Dominant and Minority groups – which are the remote
and immediate causes of violence, terrorism and wars.
A Dominant Group is “one
within a national state whose distinctive culture and/or physiognomy is
established as superior in the society and which treats
differentially/unequally other groups in the society with other cultures or
physiognomy “Marden and Meyer (1968), and correspondingly;
A Minority Group is a
“culturally or physically distinctive and self–conscious social aggregate, with
hereditary membership and a high degree of endogamy, which is subject to
political, economic or social discrimination by a dominant segment of an
environing political society” Williams (1964).
Analytically
therefore, the recurrent decimal in all these definitions is that racists are
misguided, self-opinionated and neurotic people who need ego trips or massage
to suppress their feelings of inadequacy, otherwise termed INFERIORITY COMPLEX.
Ethnology and Ethnography do
not support apartheid, religious bigotry or racism. For want of space and time, there are two
traditions in ethnic relations and socio-anthropological studies, which this
existential author subscribes to (i) the
psychosocial orientation, which is phenomenological, and (ii) the socio-cultural orientation, which is
existential. Both form the contrasting
research perspectives that most scholars patronize. However they should complement each other.
Individuals are born “tabula raza”
- a clean slate! It is parents and relevant others that write on and crowd this
slate with parochial traditions! No
child hates another child! Hatred is a
learned behaviour! So many films and
dramas portray this. Individual
prejudice comes mainly from the internalization of the prejudicial norms of
one’s society. A case in point is the
historical origin of Hitler’s hatred for the Jews. A mistaken identity and maltreatment in his
primary school days when he freely associated with Jewish children -–was the
remote cause of anti-Semitism which he internationalized, followed by ‘German
blood superiority’ he championed which eventually led to the two world wars he
engineered!
The adult populations
manufactured Black-white relations in U.S.A., Indians, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans segregationist
policies, not teenagers nor adolescents! South Africa’s multiracial society and apartheid system have been
studied as the ultimate in structured inequality while Hawaii and Brazil as multiracial societies with a low degree of
racism. Why can’t we replicate the
latter form of ethnic relations in all countries of the world? The choice is ours!
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT:
It is
interesting to note what anthropologists, psychiatrists, sociologists and
psychologists have concluded after varying researches into various aspects of
child-rearing practices all over the world. Collumb and Valatin (1970), French
psychiatrists, concluded thus:
“The social changes attendant on modernization cause far reaching
disturbances in traditional family organization and bring about alterations in
the relationship of the child to the family group. Love and authority are no longer provided for
the child by the communal group of the whole family but (only) by the
biological parents.... Are the parents able to take on these loving and
disciplinary roles alone? Cut off from
their extended family group on all sides, can they overcome their own problems
and fears and make themselves ready to fulfill their new functions? How does the child experience these
changes? Is it already possible to set
out their pathological consequences? It
is difficult to say; however, one may state that the number of maladjusted
children, the number of adolescents with problems is growing considerably,
especially in towns. The present
generation will be followed by another which will have the same incidence of
schizophrenia as in West” p. 127
This international Conference
in South
Africa in 2001 should address those fundamental questions. What this author offers is only a
palliative/prophylactic recommendation.
Before that however – we need to recall what Erikson (1972) and Kohlberg
(1969) posited as the critical stages of moral development in teenagers and
adolescents. These will help us
formulate the cross-cultural harmonization this paper proposes. In his “EIGHT AGES OF MAN,” Chap. 7 pp.
239-266; Erikson established eight sensitive developmental patterns that
parents, teachers and relevant others must take advantage of, if children must
grow up into mature, respectful and responsible citizens of the world. Correspondingly, in his “DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL
CHARACTER AND MORAL IDEOLOGY” – a cognitive developmental approach – Lawrence
Kohlberg of Harvard University posted six moral stages that teenagers pass
through – namely: pre-moral,
instrumental-hedonistic, role taking, law-and-order, autonomous-principle, and
finally the universal-ethical-principle.
Time and space may not allow a detailed
discussion of these stages. However, let
it be known also that: Bandura & Walters, (1963) have their SOCIAL LEARNING
AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH, while Goshin, (1969) has relevant
topics in their HANDBOOK OF SOCIALIZATION THEORY AND RESEARCH; while Hoffman
Martin has his “Moral Development Theory” cited in Paul. H. Mussen (Ed.) CARMICHAEL’S MANUAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (3rd Ed.)
All point to this one fact: That what we give or fail
to give growing children, teenagers or adolescents form the base of all racial
discriminations, hatred, fear and apartheid tendencies. There are no known genetic traits, or
inherited behavioural patterns that warrant racial discrimination. The adult population manufactured, patented
and marketed RACISM. Therefore, it
remains their duty and urgent responsibility to dismantle and obliterate the
consequences of their mischievous and xenophobic creations; apartheid,
religious bigotry, anti-Semitism, Zionism and all other forms of racial
inequalities that they breed!
The creator
of the Universe did not input any racial inequalities in his created universe
and beings. Nor did Charles Darwin’s
theory of evolution, even mention any scientific basis for racism. Politicians, warmongers, and demonic rulers
who traded in human beings and monetary values invented racism based on their
inferiority complexes, xenophobic reactions and vainglorious exploits. For how long must we all suffer for their
mischief? The onerous duty of liberated
minds, as exemplified by the participants at this United Nation’s Conference
will come into sharper focus as we deliberate on the therapeutic measures
proposed by this paper.
CROSS-CULTURAL HARMONISATION
In the light of the foregone scientific references, this
psychotherapist has developed two basic inter-ethnic and inter-racial
compositions – spanning a period of thirty years and has labelled them “THE
KENEZIAN CREED” and “THE LETTER TO TEACHERS OF HIS CHILDREN”. The pair is crucial re-orientation ploys to
revolutionize the religious and educational climates of the world and subsequently
ameliorate or slow down the incidence of/or the increase in racial tensions,
religious fanaticism and ethnic cleansing.
“CROSS-CULTURAL” here is used as an adjective meaning
“involving, or containing ideas or elements from two or more different
cultures, while “HARMONIZE” to make something harmonious e.g. colours that
harmonize well (i.e. together produce a pleasing effect) or the cottages
harmonize well with the landscape. In
music “harmonization” means to play or sing notes that accompany the main tune
and produce harmony with the lead singer”. Hornby (1995) pp 279 & 544
From the
above the therapeutic regimen for racialism and other ethnic stressful
relationships lies in the Homo sapiens
sapiens accepting that each culture must harmonize with the lead race; that
is, the HUMAN RACE. If musicians can
harmonize with the lead singer why are whites, blacks and yellows unable to
harmonize? Its is due to ignorance,
petty jealousy, morbid fear of strangers and unbridled self-pride. An attempt must be made to de-emphasize
religion which is the greatest harbinger of fanatical zeal to discriminate
against and dominate others. MISINFORMATION or DISINFORMATION – also known as
propaganda that completes the racial tones dictated by maniacal leaders,
politicians and governments must be halted and reversed systematically.
The Kenezian Creed sifts the L.C.M and H.C.F. of the human
race. Then it dresses them in
philosophic, ethical and scientific language which harmonises with the main
language of nature – “WE ARE HUMAN
BEINGS, WITH SAME CREATOR, SAME BLOOD AND PLASMA, SIMILAR ANATOMY AND
PHYSIOLOGY and WE INTER-MARRY AND
PRODUCE SAME SPECIES. Of what value
are our World Cups, Olympics and Arts Festivals, if at the end of the day we
still discriminate and derogate others based simply on the colour of their
skin, eyes and/or the texture of their hairs?
Does emotion and motivation vary among the races of mankind? No, is the only right answer! Any man or woman can learn the language of
the ethnic groups they are born into and mingle with; hence, English, French,
Swahili, German and some other languages have gained international appeal and
usage. In the like manner, let’s amplify
those areas of cognition, memory and recall that unify the races rather than
propagate those minor differences that separate and antagonise us.”
“In education, any child irrespective of skin colour, genetic endowment
and child rearing practice can become a genius in nuclear physics, computer
science, acrobatics and music. There has never been, nor will there ever be a
scientific proof of the superiority of one race to another. These xenophobic rationalizations are ego defence
mechanisms that emanate from depraved and demented minds and must not be
allowed to drag us to another world war.
A word is enough for the wise.”
The systematic incorporation of the tenets of the following compositions
into primary school/educational curricula will eradicate racism worldwide:
THE
KENEZIAN CREED
Nuggets of Wisdom
for the Unification of all Belief Systems.
1. I am of age; therefore, I
affirm that I exist! I am “ME”, you are
“YOU” and we are “US”. I affirm that I am a Created Being living in the
present, hoping to come to an end as other creatures I have observed, do come
to a definitive end.
2. I therefore know that all
finite creatures obey some natural laws that govern existence. I affirm that these laws are also eternal and
like every other law, must have a Giver.
I deduce therefore that there are commensurate sanctions for any
deliberate violation of these laws.
3. When I observe the
heavens and landscapes, hills and valleys, rivers and oceans, sunrise and
sunset, equinoxes and eclipses, I am certain that this Eternal Law-giver is
Great and Powerful in all respects and possesses Superhuman Intelligence, Power
and Control over all of us?
4. When I inspect living and
non-living beings, their beauty and variety, their numbers and their sizes,
especially their modes of survival in varying environments, and particularly
their ability to reproduce their kinds, I confess that this Eternal Law-giver
must be Beautiful, Loving and All-Creative.
5. I respect “IT” in all
“ITS” creations while admiring in particular those that move about. For I do realise that I share the traits they
have; we all have the same basic structures, we survive by performing similar
functions, have similar feelings and produce comparable results. I cannot but
bow in reverence and worship this Almighty Being, the Eternal Law-Giver who
sustains everything on this planet.
6. This Almighty Being set
all things in motion. “IT” directs their courses and life spans, keeps them in
space and time, now and always. And
because there are no accidents in nature when “IT’S” laws are strictly adhered
to, I attest to the fact that “IT” is the greatest GOOD; All-knowing,
All-caring and Ever Present Being.
7. To “IT” be all my
respect, obedience and loyalty, as I extend my hands of love and brotherhood to
all Human Beings, co-heirs and offspring of this Almighty Creator and Father of
all. Therefore, my creed concisely is this:
(a) THE UNIVERSE IS MY COUNTRY AND INHERITANCE, (b) ALL MANKIND, MY
BLOOD RELATIVES AND EQUALS, (c) SEEKING THE TRUTH, LIVING THE TRUTH AND DOING
GOOD AT LL TIMES – MY RELIGION.
My 50th Birthday gift to Mankind.
Composed, Revised and Ratified between 1970-1998
DR KENEZ DANMBAEZUE’S PLEAS
TO EVERY TEACHER OF HIS CHILDREN
*(Each
paragraph/plea can be used as the theme of Morning Assembly Talks)
Dear
Teacher,
Your job is
an onerous one, commendable by both God and man,
My child
will look up to you as a role model, a mirror to view the world;
You will
have to father him for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week and 35 weeks per year,
That’s long
enough to make or mar his future, his classmates and that of this country.
1.Teach him
to look around and admire the beauty in nature, himself inclusive,
Let him
know that for every child he sees, there are two parents – a father and a
mother;
So for the
birds he sees, trees, animals, hills, rivers, sun, daylight, night and
moonlight,
There is
but One Almighty Father, who created and takes care of us all on a daily basis.
2.Teach him
to trust and obey The Almighty Creator with worship in humility,
And to love
every other being, as we all are sons and daughters of the same Creator;
Let him
realise that when it rains, it’s for every one: plants, animals and man,
The
Creator’s kindness and benevolence does not choose those to hate or love.
3.Teach him
that for every lie he tells, he will tell ten more lies to cover it up,
And for ten
lies, he needs one hundred more lies – that is foolishness;
So let him
learn that truth is golden, more precious than wealth and riches,
Knowledge,
wisdom and fame are the rewards earned by truthful people.
4.In
school, let him love and respect his classmates and fight to protect the weaker
ones,
Allow him
to taste bitter and sweet things; and to combine laughter and suffering;
That way
you will have prepared him to deal with wicked and honest human beings,
Thereby
teaching him to differentiate good from evil and to do good all his life.
5.Teach him
that lying, cheating and stealing produce criminals and rogues,
Teach him
that a kobo earned is better than a hundred won by lottery;
It’s better
to go hungry than enjoy a meal prepared with stolen money,
Or eat
crumbs of bread among finest friends than a whole loaf among dishonest men.
6.Teach him
that a passage studied, understood and memorised,
Is far
better than one simply crammed and repeated like a parrot;
The former
leads to ingenuity, resourcefulness and creativity,
The latter
to imitative behaviour, and lack of self-confidence;
Teach him
that it’s more honourable to fail an examination,
Than to
copy, cheat or use “expo” methods to pass any examination.
7.Finally
teach him that it is better to be neither too poor nor too rich,
Than to
become wealthy by stealing, deceit and cutting corners;
The former
leads to contentment, peace of mind and long life,
The latter
to arrogance, greed, restlessness and sudden death;
Explain to
him what “Honesty is the best policy” really means,
And the
practical implications of the saying: “More haste, less speed”.
Postscript:
You’ll have to believe and practise these yourself,
Before
you can teach them to my son and his mates;
But be
assured that if you succeed in this assignment,
You will
be a hero and the father of heroes and heroines;
And
that’s what our dear country needs most.
May God
guide your endeavours!
*My
53rd Birthday Gift to all Educationists,
Inspired
by Abraham Lincoln’s letter, Gestation Period: 1997-2001*
RESUME,
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The etiological origin
of racism is ethnocentric megalomania best exemplified by Adolph Hitler’s
xenophobic ideas. “Xenophobia” as
defined by Drever (1972) is “a morbid fear of strangers”, and Hornby (1995)
concerns by defining it as “an intense dislike or fear of strangers or people
from other countries”.... “excessive patriotism can lead to xenophobia” – he
concluded p. 1385.
“Racism or racialism”
van den Berghe (1967) affirms, “are beliefs (not facts) that organic
genetically transmitted differences (real or imagined) exist between social
groups” which he concluded were false.
There has never been any existential or scientific proof that a
Caucasian is superior to Negroid or Mongoloid specie of the human race. Racism is puerile and futile!
Professor M. Nesturkh, a
Russian anthropologist has a 133-page hardbound book, with over 100 black and
white and coloured pictures - entitled THE RACES OF MANKIND. In the preface, Professor N. N. Cheboksarov,
a Doctor of History, and a Miklukho-Maklai Prize Winner, opens up thus:
“The problem of the races of mankind is one of the most important in
anthropology, the science that studies the natural history of man with all the
variations due to age, sex, and geographical factors. The races of mankind are, in actual fact,
geographical (or territorial) variations, historically conditioned, of a single
physical type-MAN.
“The
writings of the founders of Marxism-Leninism contain many valuable statements
on such problems as the connection between the origin of races and the natural
geographical conditions of life of primitive man; the distant ancestors of the
present–day peoples, the gradual obliteration of racial differences in the
course of historical development, the racial mixtures that make up modern
nations and the absolute invalidity of racism.
“A
correct conception of the races of mankind is of particularly great political
and scientific importance today, in the period of the collapse of the colonial
system and the unparalleled development of the struggle for national liberation
by the dependent and colonial peoples.
The ideologists of imperialism, in their effort to provide a basis for
class, national and colonial oppression, have advanced the false “theory” of
the physical and mental inequality of races, or the existence of “higher” and
“lower” races, of races that are capable and those that are incapable of
independent, social, economic and cultural development.
“Racism
is closely bound up with reactionary nationalism and chauvinism. The Programme of the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union, adopted by the Twenty-Second Party Congress, lays special stress
on the fact that nationalistic prejudice and the survivals of former national
discord constitute the sphere in which resistance to social progress may be the
longest, fiercest, most stubborn and
most implacable. The misanthropic
inventions of the racists stand in direct contradiction to the data provided by
anthropology”. Pp 5 & 6
All scientists agree with the learned Russian Professor and Prizewinner! Moreover, Professor M. Nesturukh, himself
concludes his introduction to the book thus:
“The author realises the difficulties attaching to the task he has
undertaken and will be satisfied if his readers obtain from his book a general
idea of the concept of races and their origin and a conviction of the
unscientific nature of racism”. P. 10.
It is the conclusions of
this paper that only intellectual pygmies and anthropological misfits can, and
do propagate racism in ethnic or religious relations. But for the fact that this is a scientific
paper, passages in the Torah, Bible, Koran and the Bhagavad-Gita would have
been used to substantiate the stupidity of racialism and the demonic possession
of all racists. They are all
adenescents!
Suffice it to recommend
the following:
i.
That all racists be subjected to a psychiatric
evaluation. It is possible that they
have congenital deficiencies that warrant their schizophrenia fantasies.
ii.
That participants at this conference devise means and
modalities for appealing to religious leaders of all shades, colours and faith
to repudiate discriminatory sermons, doctrines or catechesis in their religious
worship.
iii.
That all film makers and drama writers expunge
sentences or scenes depicting superiority or inferiority in all their
products. On the other hand they must
encourage scriptwriters to douse the embers of hatred, violence and ethnic
jealousies in their productions e.g. GUESS, WHO’S COMING TO DINNER.
iv.
That musicians review their lyrics and emulate the
consortium of international stars that gave us the famous song: WE ARE THE
WORLD. In like manner, let all
intelligent people all over the world stand up to be counted among music lovers
who appreciate that orchestras and choirs need soprano, alto, tenor and bass to
harmonise the lead instrument or singer.
So also should white, black and yellow races blend or harmonize the
leading HUMAN RACE.
v.
All newly established families must make conscious
efforts to give their offspring a better deal or lease of life rather than feed
them the same nepotic ideas or prejudices their own parents condemned to feed
on during their growing years
vi.
Re-education in all nursery, kindergarten and primary
schools, must eliminate segregation based on skin colour, class or creed. Each stanza or paragraph of the Kenezian
Letter to all Liberated Educationist can be used to conduct morning assemblies.
vii.
National constitutions should incorporate sections
that make it a crime to discriminate against any citizen, guest or stranger in
one’s native land. Moreover, national prizes may be awarded to those adjudged
to have demonstrated the tenets of the Kenezian Creed practically in their
daily living.
Permit me to add a brief version
of an international prayer I composed for ten years here to support my view that
there could be A UNIVERSAL MODE OF WORSHIPPING THIS ALMIGHTY CREATOR OF US ALL.
KENEZIAN I. S. M.
UNIVERSAL PRAYER
My eternal creator
and lord of the universe, I know that you exist,
I observe that you
made all beings interdependent, we need each other,
Therefore, increase
my loyalty and dependence on your benevolence.
I love you as the
Father of all that exists; I want to love other beings,
As well as I love
myself; permit me to truly achieve this increasingly!
I worship you as my
first beginning; I wish to do this as long as I live.
I acknowledge your
constant sustenance and care for me and all that is.
Guide me by your
divine wisdom; correct me with your eternal justice,
Comfort me with
your mercy and protect me with your limitless power,
So that I may obey
all the laws, you put in creation for our own good!
I have a princely
heritage in that I function at three levels of operations,
In that tripartite
functionality of thought, word and action, I am like you.
Grant me a large
heart and mind to understand the universal knowledge
That all humankind
are blood relatives and co-heirs of this your ability,
Therefore, we all
are brothers and sisters, children of the same Father!
Double-faced Christians now abound everywhere; they worship Satan at
night and come to church on Sundays! This lifestyle has eroded the credentials
of our forebears! There is now, an urgent need to redeem our children from
these nefarious practices! We must revert to the legacies of our renowned
grandfathers, improve on it and bequeath the next generation a better religious legacy than we had!
Dr Jideofo Kenechukwu Danmbaezue, 11th March 1999
REFERENCES
Bandura A. & Walters, R. H. (1963)
Social
Learning and Personality Development, New York. Holt, Rinehart
and Winston
Coleman A. K. (1976)
Race and Ethnic Relations. p. 451. Cited in
Krauss S. (ed.) Encyclopedic Handbook of Medical Psychology, Butterworths. London Boston.
Collomb H & Valantin S (1970)
Ethopsychiatrie et evolution
de la schizophrenia” in Famille Africaine “de” L’enfant dans la Famille”,
ed. by E.J. Anthony and C. Koupermik, Paris; Masson et Cie.
Danmbaezue J. K. (1998)
The Kenezian Creed – Interethnic
Ethical Principles for the Universal Brotherhood of Mankind. Hafani Publications, Kihol Products Ltd.
Ihiala, Anambra State of Nigeria.
Danmbaezue, J. K. (2001)
Letter to Teachers of Children
World-wide”. International Education Project, Kenez Health Klinik C 82, Federal
Housing Estate, Enugu.
Drever James (1972)
A Dictionary of Psychology – Penguin
Reference Books-Revised by Harvey Wallersten – Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd. Great Britain.
Erikson E. H. (1972)
Childhood and Society – a Pelican Book,
Penguin Books Ltd, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England.
Goslin., D.A. Ed. (1969)
Hand
Book of Socialisation Theory and Research, Chicago, Rand Mc Nally and
Co.
Holffman, Martin (1970)
Moral Development in Paul H.
Mussen (Ed.) Carmichael’s Manual of Child Psychology, 3rd. Ed. Vol.
II, New York, Wiley 1970.
Hornby A. S. (1995)
Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary, 5th Ed. by Jonathan Crowder Oxford University Press. Walton Street, Oxford 0X2 6DP.
Kohlberg L. (1964)
Development of Moral Character
and Moral Ideology in M.L. Hoffman and L. W. Hoffman (eds.) Review of
Child Development Research, New York; Russel Sage Foundation.
Marden C. F. And Meyer G. (1967)
Minorities
in American Society. 3rd Ed. New York and London. John Wiley.
Nesturkh M. (undated)
The Races of Mankind: Foreign Languages
Publishing House, Moscow; Translated from the Russian by George
Hanna. Designed by Vladimir A.N.
van den Borghe, P. L. (1967)
Race
and Racism pp 9,11, New York and London. John Wiley.
Zanden Vander J. W. (1972)
American
Minority Relations. 3rd Ed. P. 21, 26, New York, Ronald Press.
THE PRINCIPLES OF
KENEZIANISM
a.k.a. INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN MOVEMENT
General Introduction
The theory and practice of Kenezianism started in 1970, at the end
of the civil war when its originator Major Kenechukwu Nzeogwu Mbaezue; BA/ 6532, of the Degema Strike Force,
12th Commando Brigade, Biafra, returned from the war front! He felt shattered
by the final outcome of the fratricidal debacle of three years.
“Why did we lose the war of survival? Should Nigeria the aggressor defeat us
the victims of their cruel and premeditated pogroms? Of what use were the
prayers to a god that never answered us? Or did our leaders commit unpardonable
war crimes or indulge in sacrilegious absurdities? Is the Muslim religion more authentic and reliable
than Christianity? If yes, then let
us join them and go on pilgrimages to Mecca!”
Finding answers to these existential questions drove the young war
veteran crazy. He could not comprehend how an unjust war ended in favour of the
aggressors. For him it meant that we wasted all our time and youthfulness in
the war fronts praying to the God of Christians! He truly deserved veritable
explanations! He withdrew from all
religious engagement for a period of ten consecutive years, from 1970 to 1980.
That gave him enough time to reflect on some existential questions about all he
had learnt from the Christian missionaries that moulded his early life in the
junior and senior seminaries.
There arose the need for him to re-evaluate his belief system,
moderate his scrupulous orientation to social life and thereafter, formulate a realistic
code of conduct that could guarantee his survival in the conflicting world of
the Nigerian society he found himself trapped in! He lived as a war captive for
the next 30 years! Within this period, he fully practised the introverted
meditative lifestyle of Viktor Frankl or that detached life of a research
scientist reminiscent of the great Austrian monk geneticist, MacGregor Mendel.
He earned a total of four university degrees that spanned a period
of 15 years, with breaks here and there to assist his eight younger brothers
and sisters, siblings of the same humble family of a school teacher/catechist!
To achieve this, he again joined the armed forces of the nation he lived as an
exile, the fallout of which was that he neatly sandwiched a military diploma, pjsc, from the Nigerian Air Force in between the four degrees!
A bachelor’s degree in Philosophy,
sponsored by the Catholic missionaries in1970, then another bachelor’s degree
in Psychology, self-sponsored and partly aided by a Federal Government Loans
Bursary award in 1975. This loan was later paid in full after his NYSC, which
he served at the Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan,
and Lambo’s Aro-Village System, Abeokuta from 1975- 1976! This was followed by the
three-year stint as an Air Force Medical Officer, NAF 759.
Upon winning the Anambra State Ph.D.
Scholarship Award in 1977 he resigned in 1979 and later earned a Masters in
Clinical Psychology, from the School of Medicine, University of Benin, in 1982. He rounded his training with a
Doctor of Science degree in Research Psychometrics, earned by innovative
researches in personality evaluation, organisational psychology and family
counselling in 1993! This doctorate degree qualified him to join the
prestigious African
College of Research Scientists, Addis Ababa
Campus, of which he is now, a Fellow! A rare feat of academic achievement for
anyone to obtain through self-reliance, ingenuity and resourcefulness!
For the next phase of his research/academic
life he combined family roles and clinical duties, churning out psychological
tests for guidance/career counselling, personality evaluation and
marriage/family counselling. In the interim he got married and to date has two
boys and a girl, who became the well-deserved consolation for his long years of
ambivalence!
Today he is a retired Flight Lieutenant in
private clinical practice as a HUMANISTIC-EXISTENTIAL
PSYCHOTHERAPIST. He still does extensive research in Family Counselling, Existential Family Therapy and Community Medicine.
His published psychological tests and books exceed fifteen, as at the last
count. He is a respected authority in Psychometrics, a Member of the National
Association of Clinical Psychologists and the Founder/Animator of three
world-wide NGOs;
i. KENEZ HEALTH KLINIK, an
Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Organisation for Family Health,
ii. HAPPY FAMILY NETWORK an Inter-ethnic CBO for grooming healthy
& successful families,
iii. INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN
MOVEMENT, a Spiritual Fellowship for Modern Scientists!
The greatest contribution he has made so
far seems to be in the area of family counselling and existential therapy where
he has developed, constructed, validated and standardised more than thirteen
psychological tests for school career guidance, pre-marital counselling and
crises intervention in families that need help! In addition, he has written
nine books covering such areas of knowledge as: social ethics, theosophy,
cosmology, social and community medicine. The manuscripts of these
inspirational works are, in the real sense of the phrase, begging for funds
to print them. Can anyone publish these books so that others may benefit
from the information stashed away in them?
His religious involvement in early life
became an asset as this book in moral ethics has turned out to be the best
outcome of his contemplative lifestyle. Below are some of the verses he wrote
that kept him mentally alive and hopeful that his children would have a better
future! You may benefit from reading and practising some of them in your daily
living! There are existential truths rather than theological jargons! Establishment
of Universal Truths and control
of one’s tongue and selfless service summarises ISM.
If anyone does not control
his sensual desires and tongue, his religion is worthless and he deceives
himself. What Creator God and Father considers to be pure and genuine religion
is this: being pure in thoughts, word and deeds, taking care of suffering orphans
and widows while keeping oneself from being corrupted by the world.
CHAPTER 1:
AN OVERVIEW
i.
Oh! Mortal man, why do you pride yourself with such titles as “ Homo
sapiens”, “His or Her Excellency”, “His Lordship or His Grace”, His Royal
Highness” and finally the “Lord of the Material Universe”, when you can never
hear better than a common bat, nor see better than the eagle?
ii.
What achievement has any man made that is not built on
what has already been provided by Nature? Just name one. Is it not enough to
humble us down to our knees in respect to whatever put us here on planet earth?
iii.
What is it that took care of our forefathers and
ensured that they survived to rear us the best they could? Who protected us in
our mothers’ wombs and those deadly infant diseases that some of our peers so
that we survived to flaunt our high resounding titles.
iv.
Now let us all bow our heads. Be silent for a while
and listen to Nature communicate wisdom in its simplest forms. When you hear
the cock that crows at night, starting from about 3.00am till it is 6.00 a.m. marking out the hours while you sleep,
what is it saying? -- It is thanking its Creator for another day. And secondly,
it is obeying Him by doing its duty twenty-four hours a day marking out the
hours of each day for all other animals and you, man, the lord of the material
universe as you choose to call yourself!
v.
It does it regularly and has been doing so before you,
oh little creature copied him to make your wristwatches in an attempt to
supplant him, but you have failed. The cock is more precise than the best
chronometer you ever invented or will soon manufacture! For one thing, it does
not need a battery to operate nor does it need servicing!
vi.
So man, learn to imitate the birds that wake each
morning chirping their morning prayers of thanks, while pleading to the Lord
for their daily bread.
vii.
What of trees
that daily release oxygen for your use? Have you ever gone to the gas station
to purchase human fuel, either air or water? How much air and water do you use
each hour of your life? Who provides and purifies them?
viii.
Did you thank the Creator of this universe for these
two items only? When will you do so? Do it now! Stop at this page, kneel down
and reverence whatever put you here on planet Earth
ix.
From today when the birds start their own morning
hymns, oh you little man, join them. That is why He feeds them on a daily
basis, but you have to struggle and suffer or steal to have food on an
irregular basis besides our human greed that makes it difficult for his fellow
men to even have a little!
x.
Whatever or whoever created us all must have put some
laws to govern whatever breathes his air and drinks his water, for there are
accidents and suffocation when these elementary functions are performed
inappropriately.
xi.
We must eat to live, drink to survive, sleep to rest
and procreate to save out species from extinction. Each of these functions we
perform from generation to generation, educated or not, civilised or not pious
or crooked! It wonderful isn’t it.
xii.
Order and grace, beauty and serenity adorn His creations wherever you
find them in their natural habitats unperturbed by the most destructive animal;
man! So let us relent!
xiii.
The voice of wisdom speaks in all His creations but
only the wise can hear them! Can you interpret the language of honeybees or
bring fellow men to march in formation like the soldier ants without coercion
and spending some funds on training programmes, which the ants never do even at
birth!
xiv.
These and similar precision occurrences like sunrise
and sunset should make more pious and respectful but what do we find? Arrogance
and buffoonery intoxicates most of us.
xv.
The wisdom of the Creator shines forth everyday like
the sunlight, but we prefer to walk around like blind men vaunting our
ignorance of His natural laws that govern our very existence.
xvi.
So how do you assist a blind that does not see
properly but claims that he is okay and is not in need of your help, as he will
never accept that he does not know everything!
xvii.
That is the problem with our human race. Other animals
are ready to learn from their parents and obey them diligently, only man claims
to know when he does not! When shall ever learn as other baby animals learn?
xviii.
The time is now, not tomorrow, not next month, not next year but this
very moment. How does one do exactly that, you may ask?
xix.
Don’t ask me, Kenez, rather ask King Solomon, the Wise! Go and read and
memorise 1st Kings, Chapter 3, verses 6-15. Or for an elaborate
treatise, find the complete bible edition and read chapter 9 verses 1- 18 of
the WISDOM OF SOLOMON.
Always use the Good News Bible Edition for
all references!
CHAPTER 2:
PRACTICAL LESSONS FROM NATURE
i.
Open your eyes and look at newborn babies. Study them for a whole week.
Who taught them to cry? Why do they cry? Watch them during breastfeeding. Who
taught them to suck properly? Did you, or did their mothers teach them? Answer
me, Oh man!
ii.
Look at babies everywhere, you
were once like that, so learn to be humble and thank your father and mother if
they are still alive! You were a helpless animal that a cat or a dog could have
eaten raw, were it not for their paternal and maternal care!
iii.
There from, O arrogant creature
learn the virtue of gratitude, it does not hurt you nor will it cost you
anything more than to always say a loud “Thank You” all the rest of your short
span of existence on this planet
iv.
Carry a baby and note that it
looks you straight in the eyes and either smiles or begins to cry. If the
latter, be sure you are a bad person or you looked aggressive. Babies are the
best judges of character! So, learn to drop your worries and frowns when you
approach others in life.
v.
Everyone else you meet has personal problems but they do not advertise
them all the time, so why that scowl on your face? Smile at difficulties and so
learn forbearance, tolerance and equanimity! There are virtues that you will
need all the time!
vi.
Babies have weight as you must have noticed, and this increases as they
feed well and grow. What makes them grow? How do they learn to sit, crawl,
stand, and then walk? Answer me, oh Homo sapiens! Lord of the material
universe!
vii.
Why does an object fall to the ground? Even when you throw objects far
into the air, they return to the earth on which you stand. You may simply
answer that it is because of the force of gravity, as you must have learnt by
rote memory far back in elementary school.
viii.
But that answer was not so easy for the first men and women on earth!
Prehistoric men once worshiped that magnetic phenomenon. So learn to
investigate nature, discover new facts and share your knowledge with others. It
is a fundamental lesson of life!
ix.
The ground you stand on carries your weight, no matter how large and
heavy you think you are! All those heavyweight wrestlers you watch on
television all walk on the same ground. Those heavy trucks that compete with
trains in carrying loads are also resting on the same ground! It carries all of
us besides all the tall buildings man has constructed everywhere in the world.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the earth for once refused to carry
our weight?
x.
We bury dead men and animals in the ground to avoid their stench and the
epidemics they could cause! Yet has it at any time rejected to accept more
corpses? Why? Answer me, the
self-styled “Man, the summit of creation”
xi.
It is no use answering titles one cannot defend, nor lumber around under
the euphoria of crammed information gathered from books and school curricula.
Put on your thinking cap and attempt an answer.
xii.
The wisdom of the Almighty Creator fashioned all those macrocosms and
microcosms and assigned them eternal duties which they religiously obey at all
times, come rain, come sunshine! So have you found out yours? If not, when will
you begin? Start now. It is yet early morning on creation day for you! Make an
honest inquiry. Imitate them. Therefore in life don’t expect a “thank you” for
doing your duties!
xiii.
Those macrocosms that serve your purposes; the sun, the moon, water, air
and the ground never demanded any from you! They all co-operate to grow the
crops from which we prepare the meals at our dinner tables daily! Or are you
the one who produces the grains, tubers, roots and fruits that wild animals,
birds and humans consume?
xiv.
I have not forgotten that the breast milk is by far better than any
infant formula that any scientist can ever produce! The same goes for the
natural and clean water collected during a heavy rainfall. Its purer, as it
contains all the minerals the animal body needs, both wild and domesticated,
including man himself!
xv.
When last did you eat an egg laid by a non-poultry-raised hen, for
example a guinea fowl? Or to make it simpler, taste a sample of wild eggs and
that of poultry eggs, and you will be amazed that despite all the veterinary
care and husbandry of agricultural farmers, the wild eggs taste not only better
but also contain more concentrates of the nutrients that build the body! Ask any
qualified scientist in that field!
xvi.
Who ensures all these? Can any created being human or non-humans perform
these feats? If your answer is positive
please tell us where you got your materials!
If negative, then bow down and worship Nature or whoever produces them
for our enjoyment!
xvii.
The focus is still on babyhood. You have many more lessons to learn from
infants! Do you remember who carried you about when you were small? Ask your
parents. Find him or her and please give a big hug or a large gift in appreciation!
xviii.
Your weight alone must have deformed the natural structure of your
babysitter's figure. The spinal column, the backbones or the waist of such a
one must have altered its structure, no matter how infinitesimal! Ask
physiotherapists. You caused that; and therefore you owe an apology or a “thank
you”! Which do you prefer?
xix.
All go to show the interdependence of created beings. House helps;
stewards, cooks, maids and servants must be valued and appreciated! We need
each other to grow, mature and enjoy life to the fullest. The name of the game
of life is; “you rub my backside and I
rub yours!”
xx.
The innocence of nudity is the most important lesson the baby teaches.
Why do we need clothes if not to cover our guilt and the embarrassment that it
enunciates? Try to regain your innocence if you can, however note that shame or
societal disdain is what we deserve as the just punishment for disobeying any
natural laws!
CHAPTER 3:
SOME
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES
i.
Did you know that you were once a linguist? Yes, you were once an
international orator and everyone listened and reacted to your famous speeches!
You must have lost that talent or suppressed it. But you can reclaim it if you
really want to be an international sage!! Read on, if you do!
ii.
Visit the home of a couple that has a newborn and quietly observe
everyone in the house for an hour when the baby is wide-awake. Relax. Just
watch mummy, daddy, children and others in the house! This is a very important
practical. Don’t miss it. Do this before
reading any further, please!
iii.
What did you see in the home you visited? Who was dishing out orders to
everyone else? Who was the parade commander? Who was obeyed and must be obeyed?
And finally what did you learn about children and their ability to order
everyone around them. Do they get immediate obedience or compliance? ----Yes,
they always do!
iv.
You were once an
autocratic baby like the one you observed! You gave commands and everyone came
running to obey you. At times you even caused a quarrel between daddy and mummy
when there was a delay in compliance to your demands!
v.
Am I making any
useful remarks? Of course, I am! The world of the infant is full of “give me, carry me, feed me, change my wet
pants, cant you see I am hot? - do something about it, cant you feel the cold?-
common, cover me with a blanket,.. etc”
vi.
Some of that
language still remains in everyone’s subconscious mind and we occasionally
demand immediate gratification. If you do so, it shows that you are still a
baby when you are among adults. So stop it now! Selfishness or egocentricity is
childish behaviour! Drop any vestiges of it remaining with you today!
vii.
But that is not
all. Did you also assimilate the love showered on the infant by all around,
including yourself? Atimes, while you were there, you felt like scolding the
mum for delaying the prompt breastfeeding of the baby. Did you?
viii.
That is called
“empathy”. You felt for the helpless infant and wanted to assist in the little
way you could. You were right then, but do you do so nowadays helping or
assisting others in this selfish country and world that we live in? Sympathy is
an international language!
ix.
Did you notice
that even daddy was ready to fight for the baby? He was ready to abandon the
love he has for the wife just to please the infant. Why? I need an answer from
you, the proud Homo sapiens!
x.
It is called
international justice! The weak are always to be defended or protected before
the strong. It is a natural code written in our minds but we sooner than later
stifle it, replacing it with cultural stereotypes and ethnic prejudices.
Re-learn it today!!
xi.
My dear, I am not
giving you any new codes of conduct. No! These have always been there! I am
only unearthing them for mankind to become conscious of the international
language that everyone once spoke and understood.
xii.
Crying is an
international language that translates thus:
I am in difficulty… I need your assistance to get out of this sad situation,
please help me… will someone listen to me? Did you get my message? How many people
have you rescued in the past week?
xiii.
However note that
sometimes teardrops could indicate extreme pleasure, unexpected joy or negative
emotional upset! But you always tell the difference by assessing the cues in
the immediate environment of the one concerned!
xiv.
Smiling is an
international language, and converts to laughter when doubled or multiplied in
geometric proportions! Both translate into;“
I am pleased at the moment,.. thank you for the pleasant stimulus,.. it is
hilarious here, why don’t you join us and laugh! Am I making any sense to
you? Do not say yes when you really mean no.
xv.
Frowning is an
international language, which when serious becomes a scowl, threat or hatred
and a prelude to mischief. In all your life avoid it. It does you no good. Ask
Cain, the brother of Abel in the Christian Bible! He is a professor in that
subject. He graduated in it and became the first murderer in the history of
mankind, as we are told!
xvi.
Music is an
international language! And when dramatised turns into various types of
dancing! Good ones cut across ethnic, religious and national boundaries. All
domesticated and wild animals, especially snakes listen to and enjoy good
music. Ask any zookeeper! Even criminals enjoy their own kind of music.
xvii.
Romance is an
international language! Falling in love cuts across all human demarcations. It
has even resulted in peace accords, unions and festivals as well as murders,
wars and enmity!
xviii.
There are many
other international languages! Learn to cultivate the good ones and minimise
the use of any bad language like scolding, shouting, gossiping, backbiting,
slandering and finally maligning others!
xix.
Two other
international languages are; urinating and defecating! As an infant we all did
it wherever and whenever pressed, but we were also trained to postpone or delay
them till we get to the appropriate places for doing so. Have you been doing
these rightly?
xx.
Finally, this is
definitely the one that runs haywire for immature people! Libido or sexual
energy, its profitable use or misuse!! Promiscuity is bad in concept and
unhealthy / futile in execution; anywhere, any day, anytime. Control your
passions! The ability to do so separates mature rational human beings from all
infantile, hedonistic and regressed ones! Which are you? Adieu!
CHAPTER 4:
LECTURES FROM A TODDLER
i.
Have you ever
heard of Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Erik Erickson or Lawrence Kohlberghas?
These are well known research scientists that spent years, studying children in
minute detail. So you need to get into a library or consult a current
encyclopaedia to appreciate the wisdom contained in this chapter!
ii.
We may take
off with the toddler. Do you remember some of the things you did at that age? I
can only summarise some of them here; you
sucked your thumb so much that you had to be punished to stop that 'naughty'
habit. Again as you dropped that one, you began to babble monosyllabic words
and very much later you were able to pronounce your first meaning words, which
were; mama, dada, ada, aha aba, then -mummy, daddy, etc followed gradually!
iii.
But the greatest
achievement was what Jean Piaget called; the acquisition of pre-operational
concepts of mass, volume, height, and depth. But let's take thumb sucking
first, which the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud elaborated on in great
detail. It contains so much on personality formation! It is normal for children
to suck, for they even started it right there in the womb long before they were
delivered!
iv.
Thumb sucking
relieves an infant’s tension and stimulates the sensitive membranes of the
mouth pleasantly. In this respect the thumb is to the infant what the cigarette
is to the adult. When children are tired, sleepy, hungry, sick, or are
teething, their finger sucking increases.
v.
Scolding a child
for thumb sucking will make him feel guilty, which he will try to relieve by
more thumb sucking. This is counter-productive!
It is more effective to keep him well fed and to provide him with
adequate toys to occupy his hands and fingers.
vi.
So newly weds
should take note. You could be damaging your infant’s future personality by
your ignorant enforcement of age-old discipline that was only done in error and
is really a cultural proscription!
vii.
For cigarette
smokers, you now know that you are regressing to a toddler's method of reducing
tension or anxiety, thereby informing all around you that you still immature.
This is equally applicable to ladies who always delight in chewing gums! A word
is enough for the wise!
viii.
However the most
important lesson to learn from the infant at this time is to face your tensions
as a mature adult and seek for help if need be! Don’t resort to infantile
behaviour!! Excessive drinking is akin to this problem. Alcohol never solved
any problems, rather it adds to it!
ix.
The next lesson
is what Freud called “fixations”. “Fixation
at the oral stage leads to extreme
selfishness” states Sigmund Freud. This naturally leads the child onto
seeking pleasurable things in later life, thereby developing as an egocentric
personality! Sensuality, avarice and gluttony follow in the wake of retaining
this misdemeanour!
x.
The next fixation
is that of the anal stage, when the child derives pleasure from controlling the
anus. Due to routine you may not have noticed that defecation is pleasurable!
It relieves tension. But in infancy the toddler notices that he/she can control
the parents by inappropriate release or withholding of bowel movements!
xi.
In later life,
those that resort to this regression of infantile manoeuvre develop stingy
personality traits. They tend to hoard in order to control the relevant others'
behaviour! Traders take note! When this trait combines with the previous one;
greed, stealing and robbery are the triplets that are delivered!
xii.
Stingy parents, please realise that your
marriage partner is unduly being stressed by you regressed fixation! Some
sexual relationships suffer because of this subconscious manipulation learnt in
early life!! I have treated many cases of this type in my clinical practice.
xiii.
Bosses in
offices, Principals of schools, Pastors in parishes, Bursars or Purchasing
Officers in various organisations should take a good note of this and
re-evaluate their behaviour henceforth!
xiv.
The next lecture
from that toddler is the fixation at the phallic stage! Most infants derive
pleasure from caressing their sex organs early in life. Some parents notice
this and reclaim their kids before much damage is done. Others ignore this or
do not even take notice!
xv.
In reality
everyone indulged temporarily in masturbation early in life to relieve
tensions. However some carry it to teenage, adolescence, and even to adulthood!
This results in promiscuity! It is as simple as that! Retrain yourself if you
are involved or consult a sex therapist!
xvi.
By now you may
think that all these are psychological jargons, but I assure you that they are
not! Sigmund Freud spent all his life after medical college studying these and
he is an authority in this area!
xvii.
That one did not
take notice of what one did, as a child does not translate to that they never
occurred! Observe your own kids from now on and you will be grateful to that
great psychoanalyst!
xviii.
The hurdles that
every toddler has to cross to develop into a well-balanced personality have
been highlighted for you to begin a sanitation exercise within yourself!
Consult a clinical psychologist for remedies!
xix.
The integrated
personality that we all desire consists in passing those stage in life
appropriately assisted by our cultural norm and mores. Parental awareness of
these stages is hereby canvassed for. Religion often comes to the rescue, but
with varying degrees of success. Some develop scruples or other depersonalisation
syndromes!
xx.
A normal
heterosexual relationship is hard to attain but it is achievable! Don’t give
up! Make the best use of the knowledge your garnered from this chapter to raise
your lovely children and leave the rest for the Almighty Creator of both you
and you kids!
CHAPTER
5:
WINDOWS OF THE
SOUL
i.
Before
you misinterpret this subheading, note that it is only a continuation of “Lectures
from a toddler” but from a different perspective. As I was typing this on my
computer it occurred to me that we humans perform similar tasks as the hard
disc, floppy diskette or CD-ROM.
ii.
All
computers need windows to function, and so does the human central nervous
system. I quickly remembered also that in the science of ergonomics machines
are made to fit human operators. Then the really big one is that electronic
engineers studied the human brain, how it functions in everyday life, and
copied it to invent the computer itself!
iii.
The
eyes, ears, nose, mouth and the skin of the infant allow it to communicate with
the external environment just as the keyboard, the mouse, and modems permit the
computer to appreciate the “garbage in, garbage out “ paradigm!
iv.
So it is
with the human soul! It has many windows with which it interacts with, controls
and responds to both the internal and the external environments of the human
body!
v.
We feel
hot, cold, warm, and have tactile responses because nature’s gift of feeling is
a window of the soul! So also are the other windows you may observe in the body
of our little lecturer, “the toddler”.
vi.
A brand
new hard disc, “the C drive”, is blank until programs are fed into it! And so
is the new-born / babe's mind, its early responses and later in life its
traits, mannerisms, and ultimately its good and bad behaviours!
vii.
Has it
ever occurred to you that differences in children are due to a variety of
programmers working on its “CPU”, by the very same ways different soft wares
fed into a computer determines the behaviours and services it can render?
viii.
So, we
intend to reflect on how we influence the making of saints or criminals in our
family interactions with toddlers in this chapter! In reality, we are the
products of parental influences, cultural, ethnic and religious stereotypes and
social prejudices! This is the hard truth!
ix.
If you
rear a set of identical male twins, one in a prison yard and the other in a
monastery. What would you expect at the end of twenty-five years? Or, on the
other hand, you rear a set of female identical twins, one in a convent and the
other in a brothel, what will the results of your experiment behaviour-wise?
x.
That is
exactly what happens to us all within our short life span of home upbringing by
responsible or irresponsible adults around us! Make no mistakes about it;
stealing, aggressiveness, telling lies, cleanliness, carefulness, loyalty
promiscuity etc are all programmed behaviours!
xi.
So we
must be wary and conscious of what we do or fail to do in the presence of
toddlers, teenagers and adolescents! They constitute the best imitators and
artistes in the world. The irony of it being that they take it for real and the
beat way to survive in he socio-cultural milieu they grew up! And they carry it
about to other areas of the world unable to differentiate “the good, the bad
and the ugly”.
xii.
When I
bought my first computer, I had “Microsoft Windows 95” as its pre-installation
program from Compaq, the factory that made it. Later on I learnt that two more
windows were already in existence since then, but there little I could do about
a change. I made the best use of that primary learning program, even though
most of my more informed friends pressurised me to re-program it.
xiii.
Sooner
than later, fluctuations in electric current in my neighbourhood took its toll
on my hard disc, and all I got after my computer had booted out was; “operating
system, not found”. Truly, that was exactly “experimental neurosis” for my poor
CPU, and it won my sympathy. I took the whole compartment that houses the hard
disc to Lagos, parted with a large chunk of my income and had
“Microsoft Windows 98” installed!
xiv.
Before
that decision, however, I had made inquiries on the best program that was in
the market, for by then two more windows had been introduced into the computer
world! And so it is with every toddler's mind! It is programmed. But unlike the
computer, it cannot be reprogrammed easily. There are always traces of the
original programs, software, on line, Internet (surfed or browsed) and
downloaded programs!
xv.
You can
begin to appreciate more why parents and other relevant adults around every
new-born must be wise and selective about what the baby sees, hears, tastes,
feels or touches within the first five years of life! Do I need to explain an
idiom? No! It is never done in my culture. You just have to grow up to unravel
the nuggets of wisdom wrapped in an idiom! Do so now!
xvi.
The
‘icons, shortcuts, mouse’ and other methods of recognising and inserting good
and bad behaviour patterns in the infant, graduates into more sophistication as
it learns to walk, talk, read, listen to radio/ tape recorders and watch television
programs!
xvii.
Therefore,
bringing up a balanced and well-groomed teenager is not a simple task.
Unfortunately that is exactly what obtains in most homes! Parents think that
all they need do is; feed the baby well, take it hospital, Nursery school or
Sunday service. They are as wrong as they can ever be in life!
xviii.
And such
parents are the first to exclaim, “ What’s wrong with junior? Why is this child
behaving abnormally? During my teenage years, I never did things like these?
What is wrong with children of nowadays? I cannot exhaust the list of
embarrassing statements I have heard!
xix.
For an
answer, I have only this “They had immature parents who ignored them early in
life, but were busy chasing money, and those parents are delinquents!” We over-emphasise what is trivial, magnify or
over-prioritise that which does not build good human relationships but in the
same vein neglect our children’s proper upbringing.
xx.
Please
rethink after reading this chapter. The greatest investment you can ever make
in life is training you child properly, not a fat bank account or landed
properties scattered all over the world! Many homes have no children but you
are toying with the fruits of love Nature has bountifully and/or gracefully
given to you! Do you deserve them? Relent, my friend, I mean repent!
CHAPTER 6
OF BECOMING A
GREAT SOUL
i.
Everything that
lives and possesses immanent motion has a soul! Do you want a debate on that?
Simple, tell me any invention of man that is self- propelled? The nearest we
have come to that, is the novel solar system whereby some prototypes of
electrical machines are energised by the power of the sun. This would
definitely benefit those living in the tropics and that explains why European
scientists are dragging their feet over their mass production!
ii.
But what are our
so-called professors in engineering waiting for? When shall all those warming
academic stools in our glorified universities in the tropics compete with their
counterparts? In order not to derail, lets focus on how one can aspire to and
eventually become a great soul worthy of mention after one's lifespan on earth!
iii.
What or who is a
great soul? To answer that question let us consider some great statements that
have changed the course of man's history and identify those who made them; - “The
moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall.
He frees himself and shows the way to others. Freedom and slavery are
mental states.” Guess who made that everlasting statement!
iv.
“ If we are to
achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognise the
whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social
fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.” I hope you
will get this very easily, can you?
v.
“ I submit that
an individual who breaks an unjust law that his conscience tells him is unjust,
and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the
conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the
highest respect for law.”
vi.
Have you
attempted to find the Great Souls that made those watersheds of eternal truths?
If not, you need the services of a historian of repute to unravel their
identities! Let me give you some more clues.
vii.
Add this to the
first quotation; --– A diminutive man
possessed of an indomitable will, who not only secured national independence
for his native land, but also introduced to world politics a concept of active,
nonviolent civil disobedience an idea whose myriad applications have only
begun to be explored. Have you remembered him by now?
viii.
Add this to the
second quotation; --As an
anthropologist, she advocated progressive social action, as is evident in one
of her most famous quotes: “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever
has.”
ix.
Add this to
the third quotation; -- When he was in
jail, he wrote, “ I am in Birmingham because injustice is
here”, and then added this to his fellow clergymen… “Injustice anywhere is a
threat to justice everywhere.”
x.
If by now you
have not guessed anyone of the three Great Souls correctly, then stop reading
this Kenezian Ethics, for it will do you no good! You need to refine your
thoughts, enlarge your heart, begin to learn new ideas about humanitarian
principles and a little more from history books!
xi.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,
also known as Mahatma (Great Soul)
wrote the first one in 1949, in his book: NON-VIOLENCE IN PEACE AND WAR. He is
today regarded as the greatest revolutionary of the century. He has many
disciples, to date, including this author!
xii.
Margaret Mead, while
popularising anthropology through her field studies on the cultures of New Guinea and Samoa, wrote the second quotation in 1935, in her classic: “SEX AND
TEMPERAMENT IN THREE PRIMITIVE SOCIETIES.” She argued that culture and society,
not biological inheritance, determine individual character. The idea disarmed
theorists who asserted that personality and intelligence, like the colour of
skin, stemmed from biology, and it discredited arguments that supported
race-based policies of segregation.
xiii.
Martin Luther King, jnr.
wrote the third quotation in a book compiled from the letters he wrote on
scraps of paper and smuggled out from prison cell in 1963, entitled: “ LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL.” The letters
were mainly addressed to his critics in the clergy who opposed his civil rights
marches.
xiv.
King credited
Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi for the non-violent methods of civil disobedience
he used against unjust laws. In subsequent years before his assassination in
1968, King – against much resistance – led the drive toward civil rights
legislation while promoting peaceful civil disobedience as a universal method
of demanding social and economic justice.
xv.
Have you learnt
any veritable lessons from those quotes of Great Souls? I deliberately chose
from three different cultures and from both sexes, to assert that great minds
exist in most men and women of great repute! You too, can become a beacon of
light in this present life and a source of inspiration after death!
xvi.
A single voice
can change the world! Whether the voice describes a new scientific theory,
tells the stories of a culture, or speaks for a previously voiceless group of
people! It can reach across national borders and across time to influence a
wider world and transform the world that follows.
xvii.
That voice could
be yours. Start today to have universal thoughts that will benefit the whole
humanity. Yes, that’s the way all Great Souls began! Influential thinkers
perform such feats! You too, can become a Great Soul!!
xviii.
The twentieth
century is nearing an end. Powerful ideas in physical and medical sciences,
arts and humanities, politics and religion have changed our social
relationships for better or for worse! Don’t sit on the fence. Choose a role
model today and begin to emulate him or her!
xix.
Some great minds
have altered humanity, increased understanding between individuals and
cultures, and helped to define our present world for good or for bad. Nothing
ever remains the same always. Change is a natural law that we all must obey at
all times!
xx.
Do you want to
make history? Today is your genesis! Seize the opportunity of this moment. Let
this meditation on becoming a Great Soul be the impetus that you have been
waiting for! Don’t procrastinate! It is a lazy man’s excuse!
CHAPTER 7
EIGHT AGES OF MAN
i
Now we shall consult another expert on the development of the toddler.
How does the infant acquire some personality traits? In other words, how did
you become the individual you are today with all your peculiar mannerisms? What
roles did your parents and relevant others play in the shaping your present
personality traits?
ii Erik Homburger Erikson,
while practising at the Centre for the Advanced Study in the Behavioural Sciences,
Stanford, California in March 1963 wrote:
“CHILDHOOD AND SOCIETY”, a Pelican Book, that was the result of more
than ten years of clinical observations of two American Indian tribes.
iii On the front cover he
summarised his work thus: “ While tribes
and nations, in many intuitive ways, use child training to the end of gaining
their particular form of mature human identity, their unique version of
integrity, they are and remain, beset by the irrational fears which stem from
the very state of childhood which they exploited in their specific ways.”
iv
Professor Erikson is a Freudian. Using a number of fascinating case
histories as springboards for theoretical discussions of the formative years of
childhood, he reveals human life as a delicate balance between bodily, mental,
and social influences in the masterpiece!
v.
You just have to
locate that handy book and read it in a hurry, in order to follow my
conclusions here! The title of our chapter is lifted from his book and
coincidentally it is also a chapter seven! I can only summarise them here, and
my précis may not convey all the information you need. So, find it and read
it!
vi.
The first age
of man, Erikson labelled as; “Basic Trust versus Basic Mistrust” which
refers to the relaxation the infant feels with parental provision of his basic
survival needs. “The first demonstration
of social trust in the baby is the ease of his feeding, the depth of his sleep,
the relaxation of his bowels. The experience of a mutual regulation of his
increasingly receptive capacities, with the maternal techniques of provision
gradually helps him to balance the discomfort caused by the immaturity of
homeostasis with which he was born”.
vii.
In
practice, the infant’s first social achievement, then, is his willingness to
let the mother out of sight without undue anxiety or rage, because she has
become an inner certainty as well as an outer predictability. Maternal bonds
formed by long and regular breastfeeding ensures this! Such consistency,
continuity, and sameness of experience provide a rudimentary sense of ego identity. The lesson to learn from
that analysis is that parents should take the blame if their children do not
trust anyone in later life! Build confidence in your little infants today!!
viii.
The next age is
labelled: “Autonomy versus Shame & Doubt” which has to do
with locomotion. Maturation of the limbs and the ability to move around brings
in its wake anxiety! Muscular maturation sets the stage for experimentation
with two simultaneous sets of social modalities; their basic conflicts can lead
in the end to either hostile or benign expectations and attitudes. These are
very important facts which parents neglect either due to ignorance or
dereliction of duties towards new-borns that are priceless gifts from Mother
Nature!
ix.
“Thus, to hold can become as destructive and
cruel as retaining or restraining, and it can become a pattern of care: to have
and to hold! To let go, too, can turn into an inimical letting loose of
destructive forces, or it can become a relaxed “to let pass” and “to let be”.
In other words, we need to realise that self-confidence and independence
depends on how much autonomy we allow our children in early life. Allow them to
be on their own. Don’t over-protect nor pamper your children. When they fall
down, allow them to get up by themselves!
x.
The age of “Initiative
versus Guilt” follows, which Erikson describes as the most important
factor in morality development! There is in every child at every stage a new
miracle of vigorous unfolding, which constitutes a New Hope and a New
Responsibility for all. Such is the sense and the pervading quality of
initiative.
xi.
The criteria for
all these senses and qualities are the same: a crisis, more or less beset with
fumbling and fear, is resolved, in that the child suddenly seems to “grow
together” both in his person and in his body. He appears “more himself”, more
loving, relaxed and brighter in his judgement, more activated and activating.
xii.
He is in free
possession of a surplus of energy, which permits him to forget failures quickly
and to approach what seems desirable (even if it also seems uncertain and even
dangerous) with undiminished and more accurate direction. Initiative adds to
autonomy the quality of undertaking, planning and “attacking” a task for the sake
of being active and on the move, where before self-will, more often than not,
inspires acts of defiance or, at any rate, protested independence!
xiii.
The point for all
adults around growing children to note, is that we must permit freedom to
infants to makes mistakes, bear the consequences for their indiscretions and
thereby learn to obey norms and mores on their own initiative rather than to
please anyone! Does this make any sense to you? Moral codes must be
rationalised and internalised on their own, not by religious or parental
coercion!
xiv.
The next age is that of “Industry versus
Inferiority”, wherein Erikson next introduces the genesis of laxity,
truancy and malingering. The last stage is the foundation of initiative, thus
the inner stage seems all set for “entrance into life”, except that life must
first be school life, whether school is in a field or a jungle or a classroom!
The child must forget past hopes and wishes while his exuberant imagination is
tamed and harnessed to the laws of impersonal things – even the three Rs!
xv.
With the oncoming
latency period, the normally advanced child forgets, or rather sublimates, the
necessity to “make” people by direct attack or to become a papa or a mama in a
hurry! S/he now learns to win recognition by producing things, becomes ready to
apply her/himself to given skills and tasks, which go far beyond the mere
playful expression of her/his sexual organ's modes of pleasure in the function
of his limbs.
xvi.
The growing child
or teenager now develops a sense of industry – i.e., s/he adjusts her/himself
to the inorganic laws of the tool world. S/he can become an eager and absorbed
unit of a productive situation, and to bring it to completion is an
aim/objective, which gradually supersedes the whims and wishes of play! A successful
adjustment results in a well-balanced adult! So, guide your kids to achieve
independence and industry in later life and you would have scored a 100% as
good and dutiful parent!!!
xvii.
The fifth age,
Erikson called “Identity versus Role Confusion” which simply states
what is happening as the teenager evolves into an adolescent. With the
establishment of a good initial relationship to the world of skills and tools,
and with the advent of puberty, childhood proper comes to an end. Youth begins!
xviii.
With the maturation
of their gonads; menarche in females and wet dreams in males, they are now
primarily concerned with what they appear to be in the eyes of others as
compared with what they feel they are, and also with the question of how to
connect the roles and skills cultivated earlier with the occupational
prototypes of the day!
xix.
The integration
now taking place in the form of ego identity is, as pointed out earlier, more
than the sum of the childhood identifications. It is the accrued experience of
the ego's ability to integrate all identifications with the vicissitudes of the
libido, with the aptitudes developed out of endowment and with the
opportunities offered in social roles!
xx.
The danger of
this stage is role confusion! Where
this is based on a strong previous doubt as to one's sexual identity,
delinquency and/or outright psychotic episodes are not uncommon! But when
properly resolved and to keep themselves together, they temporarily over
identify, to the point of apparent complete loss of identity, with heroes of
cliques and crowds!
xxi.
This initiates
the stage of “falling in love”, which is by no means entirely, or even
primarily, a sexual matter – except where the mores demand it. To a considerable extent, adolescent love is an
attempt to arrive at a definition of one's identity by projecting one's
diffused ego-image on another and by seeing it thus reflected and gradually
clarified. This is why; so much of young love is conversation and an over-doze
of chattering spiced with giggles!
xxii.
“Intimacy versus Isolation” is the next age of man, according to Professor Erik
Erikson! The young adult, emerging from the search for and the insistence on
identity, is eager and willing to fuse his identity with that of others. S/he
is ready for intimacy, that is, the capacity to commit her/himself to concrete
affiliations and partnerships and to develop the ethical strength to abide by
such commitments, even though they may call for significant sacrifices and
compromises.
xxiii.
The physical body and the ego must
now become masters of the organ modes (instinctual energies)
and of the nuclear conflicts (sexual
urges), in order to be able to face the fear of ego loss (inferiority
complex) in situations which call for self-abandon (self denial): in the
solidarity of close affiliations, in orgasms and sexual unions, in close
friendship and in physical combat, in experiences of inspiration by teachers
and of intuition from the recesses of the self!
xxiv.
The avoidance of such experiences because of
fear of ego-loss may lead to a deep sense of isolation and consequent
self-absorption. These are the predisposing factors that lead to masturbation,
homosexuality and lesbianism! Be observant and rescue your little ones from
these abnormalities early in life! Display genuine heterosexual relationships
whenever you and your spouse are in front of them!
xxv.
The
seventh age of man then, is “Generativity versus Stagnation”,
a term that encompasses the evolutionary development that has made man the
teaching and instituting, as well as the learning animal. Generativity, then,
is primarily the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation of
human beings, although there are individuals who, through misfortune or because
of special and genuine gifts in other directions, do not apply this drive to their
own offspring.
xxvi.
Generativity
thus is an essential on the psychosexual as well as on the psychosocial
schedule. Where such enrichment fails altogether, regression to an obsessive
need for pseudo-intimacy takes place, often with a pervading sense of stagnation
and personal impoverishment. This is the predisposing factor for the variety of
abnormal sexual behaviour mentioned earlier! In fact, some young parents suffer
from the retardation of the ability to develop this stage!
xxvii.
And
finally, we arrive at the last age of man; “Ego integrity versus
Despair”, which the learned professor describes thus; “Only in him who in some way has taken care
of things and people and has adapted her/himself to the triumphs and
disappointments adherent to being, the originator of others or the generator of
products and ideas – only in him/her may gradually ripen the fruits of these
seven stages”.
xxviii.
“It is the
ego's accrued assurance of its proclivity for order and meaning. It is a
post-narcissistic love of the human ego – not of the self – as an experience
which conveys some world order and spiritual sense, no matter how dearly paid
for! It is the acceptance of one's one and only life cycle as something that
had to be and that, by necessity, permitted of no substitutions: it thus means
a new, a different love of one's parents”
affirms Erikson!
xxix.
“The lack or loss of this accrued ego integration is
signified by fear of death: the one and only life cycle is not accepted as the
ultimate of life. Despair expresses the feeling that the time is now short, too
short for the attempt to start another life and to try out alternative roads to
integrity! Disgust hides despair, if often only in form of a thousand little
disgusts which do not add up to one big remorse”,
concludes our learned professor!”
xxx.
My dear reader,
with the wisdom gained here, you can now assert that it is not religion that
makes one feel guilty, develop into a sex pervert and/or become a recluse!
Modern man has to learn to de-emphasise scruples induced by religious injunctions
and accept his responsibility for personal failures in life! If that is the
only lesson you have learnt from this chapter, you are a wise person!! Go ahead
and implement that principle in all your dealings in life!
CHAPTER 8:
MORAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN
i Another
recent research scientist that studied childhood in detail is Lawrence
Kohlberghas, an American psychologist, who stated that as we grew up each one
of us passed six developmental stages of morality! He carefully monitored and
documented how infants develop the sense of right and wrong. He is a current
scientist, and we can learn a lot from his research!
ii Stage one, he labelled; PRE-MORAL , here moral development is essentially at the pre-moral level. Children at this stage
behave properly simply to avoid punishment. They show an unquestioning
deference to power /authority, moreover, the physical consequences of any
action determine its goodness or badness for the child.
iii. Stage two, is INSTRUMENTAL-HEDONISTIC, morality here is like a marketable commodity for the teenager. What is
considered right is primarily what is good for the child himself; occasionally,
the satisfaction of other’s needs is a factor, but the outlook of these persons
is essentially an instrumental-hedonistic one; e.g. ‘You scratch my back, I
scratch yours.’
iv. Stage three, is PEER GROUP APPROVAL; morality is what is approved by others. Peer group satisfaction
gradually replaces parent’s approval. At this level the child is able to take
the role of others, he can understand what will please them and tries to gain
recognition as “the good child”.
v. Stage four; The LAW–AND–ORDER stage.
Here, children’s respect for authority, whether parents, teachers, policemen,
priests or pastor originates in anticipation of honour and avoidance of
dishonour. The orientation is to do one’s duty, obey fixed rules and maintain
the social order.
vi. Stage five; AUTONOMY, principally behaviour is
based on what is right or wrong, decisions are made on what is proper or
improper on the basis of contracts, social or personal at the stage.
Adolescents are able to take into account the viewpoint of society in general
or play the roles of adults.
vii. Stage six; is the UNIVERSAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLE orientation.
According to Kohlberg, only Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King
jnr. have displayed in their lives; respect for the rights and dignity of their
fellow human beings and had been concerned that this mutual respect becomes a
universal law!
viii. From the information garnered from Lawrence Kohlberghas, most
of us humans are still struggling to graduate from the third stage of moral
development and this accounts for so many puerile and purposeless leaders all
over the globe!
ix. The second stage of moral development fits what we observe in Third World countries, whereas,
only a few of the so-called Fist and Second world country are fixated at the
third stage.
x. In INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN
MOVEMENT. (I.S.M.),
the target of each member is to reach the sixth stage within ten
years of joining the fellowship. Any one who lags behind will be asked to
resign his/her membership! It is a sure proof that such a one is neither
rational nor scientific and we detest such regressive behaviour!
xi. If as scientists or rationalists we are agreed that only AN
UNMOVED MOVER, or AN UNCUSED CAUSER was responsible for existence, the universe
and life; then we are brothers and sisters with equal rights, privileges and
responsibilities to one another.
xii. Some philosophers prefer the term ‘The Summum Bonuum’ but we
are not restricting our discussion to languages that are cumbersome for some to
master. ‘The Supreme Good’ is neither an idiomatic translation nor an adequate
literal translation! More over both are subject to myopic misrepresentations as
what is ‘good’ to one person or culture may be ‘bad’ to another, for example,
polygamy whether polyandry or polygyny!
xiii. At this point it might be fundamental to summarise what
Gestalt Therapy has to offer! The mainstay or the notion here is that people are born wonderful, happy
creatures and would remain that was if allowed to grow up naturally.
xiv. It is the society one grows up in which begins to influence us
as children, that sometimes pushes us onto the wrong track. Our problems occur
when we absorb other people’s value-judgements, like our parents, siblings,
uncles, aunts, teachers, religious or political leaders.
xv. When these value-judgements are in sharp contrast to our own
real feelings, life-long conflicts arise. We often experience these conflicts
as self-disapproval for own genuine feelings and rather impose the opinions of
our culture or religion!
xvi. That alone spells the beginning of the end. So in I.S.M. it is
your duty to identify these impositions and ratify them based on the divine
natural laws the Almighty Creator put in the universe. This is the basic theory
and practice of Kenezianism
xvii. Finding them is easy. Look inwards and find the natural laws
written boldly in your heart. The little voice that speaks to you anytime you
are about to violate the natural laws are international and non-partisan. What
your parents and culture tried to do was only to stifle it and imprint what
they thought would be good for you!
xviii. You and you are the final arbiter in what you think, decide
and implement! No one can imprison your mind, thoughts, and words. Yes, no one
can bend your will –power if you are resolute. Are you going to be the driver
in the seat of your vehicle (your material body) or are you going to be a
passenger? This and only this is the golden price ISM demands of you, and
thereafter you can gain eternal freedom!
xix
In Kenezianism, only One True God exists, namely; GOD,THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR! He initiated
initiates and will forever initiate all thoughts, words and actions that are
global, eternal and metaphysical in all beings, animate as well as inanimate.
He is the Only One that deserves our unalloyed worship, praise, honour and
adoration!
xxi.
Every other being that ever existed, exists or will
ever exist, does so at His pleasure and comes under His Natural and Eternal
Laws that govern all macrocosms and microcosms He created! Hence every other
great religious leader, dead or alive, those acclaimed as divine prophets,
gurus, saviours or mystics are all classified as ‘lords’.
xxii.
Therefore
Shankara & Ramanuja, K’ung Ch’iu (Confucius), Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha),
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, John
the Baptist, Jesus the Christ, Peter and/or Paul the apostles, Mohammed the
Prophet, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Sa’i Baba and/or any other
prominent moralist must be referred to only as ‘Lords’!
xxiii.
None of them or
anyone else that may come hereafter is near to or co-equal with Our Almighty
Father, who created and sustains everything in existence! This knowledge and
its eternal acceptance as the stepping stone to all educational programmes are
the beginning of wisdom for scientists of all generations, as well as for all
shades of religious affiliations!
xxiv.
Our great
grandfathers knew that much! So why did some fanatics deify their heroes and
idolised what was created and finite at any stage of its material/physical
existence in this universe? Ignorance is the one and only correct answer!
xxv.
None of these
famous religious leaders was there at the dawn of creations. Read the books
credited to Job, Solomon, Issaiah, Sirach, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. None
of these authors suggested anything like that! No, not even the great Patriarch
Moses who founded Judaism was ever credited with dualising the Godhead, not to
mention Christians tripling it!
xxvi.
Even the great
apostle of the gentiles, Saul of Tarsus, later called Paul after his miraculous
conversion, emphatically states that the Almighty God is One and has no equal
or deputy! Read more of this in his first letter to his loyal converts at
Corinthians, Chapter 8 verses 1-6. Moses did a better job in the whole of his
book named EXODUS!
xxvii.
So let us all
stop this buffoonery of attributing equality in personhood to anything else! It
is not only idolatrous but sacrilegious and irrational! It breeds fanaticism,
segregation, partisanship and finally syncretism. It is the harbinger of
all-religious differences, schisms, feuds and wars!
xxviii.
The world of
science, medicine and electronics have demonstrated that all human beings can
believe, learn and accept certain universal ways of doing things! This is
because these areas of knowledge are impartial, objective and devoid of
sentimental attachment or any form of socio-political patronage. We hold
international conferences on most departments of academics and arrive at
world-wide principles and standards, so why not in religion?
xxix.
The answer is simple; Religion is constructed
on the shifting sands of emotions, politics and hero-worships. These are
inimical to modern man. And the sooner we recognised it and addressed it, the
better for our generation! That is all that I.S.M. stands for. Join us today,
and provide the human race with a scientifically oriented spiritual fellowship
where all are brothers and sisters. Thank you and God bless everyone!
xxx.
*** Christian fanatics should read Matt.19: 16 -30 or Mk.10: 17 -31
or again Lk.18: 18 -30,and thereafter recognise that it was Saul of Tarsus that
deified Jesus at Philippians 2: 6 –11;realising that Is.45: 23 given as a foot
reference does not confirm nor corroborate that deification! It was a Pauline
error, which has diverted the true worship of the only Creator - Almighty God!
So also did the Doctrine of Holy Trinity, which was copied, from Hindu religion
and from Greco-Roman mythology!
CHAPTER 9:
CONTROVERSY CAUSED
BY RELIGIONS
i
My dear reader, can I now call you a disciple? It will help me avoid the
error of many religionists who unwittingly masculinise all their injunctions
with “he, his, himself, man” as if only males are moralistic! In today’s world,
women are more religiously minded than men, yet many preachers and evangelists
still deliver their sermons as if the womenfolk were not around!
ii.
My dear disciple,
have you ever noticed the competition among various churches and ministries
around where you live? Would there be so much strife, slandering, castigation
and/or outright condemnation of each other if leaders of these groups really
understood the existential meaning of religion?
iii.
The true meaning
of the term “religion” is “ to bind oneself to doing something willy-nilly”.
Whether it is the belief in or the worship of gods or a God, as the
dictionaries would have us believe, the word originally came from the Latin
root “religere” which literally
translates to “to bind”, as if tied
with a rope. Its origin was derogatory. It was meant to castigate the early
Christians whom Nero ‘the mad emperor’ tied to stakes and made sport of, by
allowing lions to tear their bodies apart while the victims screamed in pains!
iv.
Read historical
writings about how the early Christians were martyred and you will even realise
that today we have very little faith. Where is the LOVE that these early
Christians demonstrated? Where is ‘the sharing all their belongings among
themselves’ that Chapter 4 verses 32 –37 of the Acts of the Apostles credited
them with? When shall the present crowd of hypnotised fanatics realize that
they are being taken for a ride by ‘a brood of vipers’ or demonic preachers,
‘whose only god is their belly’ as Jesus, the Christ referred to them in the
Christian bible? Hypocrisy has elevated to an art that yields millions for
these half-baked charlatans and school dropouts!
v.
We have lost true
love and religious piety that to greed, selfishness, avarice, pride and the
monetisation or commercialisation of religious worship, crusades and other
clandestine activities, all in the name of religion! While these pastors smile
to the banks, their followers wallow in penury, starvation and ignorance! Did Christ
or any other religious leader in history ever preach competition, hatred,
calumny, gossiping, slandering and a myriad of other divisive behaviour that
characterise today’s mode of pecuniary evangelisation antics?
vi.
So, my dear
disciple, can you now see the plan of the Evil One that was predicted in the
Bible, the Anti-Christ and his devilish strategy? Don’t ever be caught up in
their materialistic religious deceptions! Free yourself today. Rationalise what
you hear, choose the one that satisfies international ethics, as all altruistic
moralists would enjoin us. This is the scientific age, not the early or
prehistoric ages when everything was based on introspective vituperations or
theological speculations of self-proclaimed visionaries. Logical arguments and
satisfactory conclusions should be your guidelines in religious activities, not
emotions!
vii.
If you have not
acquired any logical skills, then now is the best time to learn the basics of
scientific reasoning. It is the solution to so many differences of opinions in
life. I encourage you to be rational in your thinking, discussions and actions
from now on. You will be surprised by the amount of freedom you will feel. Take
time to evaluate all you have accepted from childhood as truths without having
had neither the chance nor the capability to reason them out by then! Free
yourself from self-imprisonment! Throw away those dogmatic and doctrinal
shackles that have held you hostage for so many years.
viii.
Witness these
practical samples of Kenezian wisdom: everyone uses telephone, whether cellular
or non- cellular, these days without quarrelling over who invented it; no
arguments arise from the use of computers or the internet; and so does
transportation either by land, sea or air! None of these has ever brought any strife
neither between any religious groups nor between nationalities of various
nomenclatures. Why does religion generate so much strife and disagreements? The
answer is very simple! It operates on the level of irrational emotions; what
appeals to one group of worshippers do not appeal to others, because they are
primarily based on personal opinions of their leaders. Moreover the human mind
is so egocentric, impressionistic and parochial! It dichotomises what naturally
does not need any divisions, segregations or compartmentalisations.
ix.
Check this one out. Will two medical doctors
quarrel over the treatment of headaches or bruises or fractures? No, is the
natural answer. But often we do not realize why! That is exactly where
Kenezianism comes in as a science of morals that cuts across national,
political and religious boundaries. It reduces every concept about the
supernatural to logic, facts, data and practical knowledge that are independent
of its originator’s personal opinions. The concepts in Kenezianism are natural
phenomena that are replicable in any part of the world, irrespective of the
literacy level of its practitioner!
x.
An example will
demonstrate its universality. In Kenezianism, all human beings are accepted as
brothers and sisters for the mere scientific fact that we have similar blood
groupings, identical anatomy, comparable physiology and heterosexual
behavioural patterns! The proofs are there for everyone to see and accept
rationally, not emotionally nor parochially! We intermarry; blacks, whites, and
yellows interchangeably; and produce children not apes. And these off springs
of ours are neither ethnocentric at birth nor apartheid in social relationships
until their parents introduce them to stereotypic child-rearing practices and
segregationist education! This Gestalt Therapy deals with. The avid reader can
explore it!
xi.
The principle of
Kenezianism abhors such, and will not be dragged into such mundane
socio-political balderdash or any religious buffoonery! Its mission statement
spells that out in the KENEZIAN CREED and the LETTER TO ALL EDUCATIONISTS. Read
them over and over. Rationalise their universal utility for a more equitable
and egalitarian world government! If you cannot accept nor internalise the
concept therein, drop this book here and now and never border to read any other
publications of the Kenezians! It is very essential that we abrogate ethnic,
racial, status and religio-cultural divisions in our world of today that has
become a global village. The way we fight pandemics and terrorism should serve
us well in socio-political dimensions also! We must genuinely be our brothers’
keepers!
xii.
The literacy
level of many adherents of various religious groups is very low. Add to this,
the reluctance of human beings to adjust quickly to changes, and then you will
better appreciate why many wallow in ignorance. Many do not like to explore
unknown areas of knowledge in their short life spans. Most accept the religion
they were born into, swallow all their parental injunctions and cap them all with
the dogmas/doctrines manufactured by their myopic leaders. Thus we have
religious wars, crusades and jihads today, that culminate in terrorism of
varying magnitudes; the highest of which was the now notorious “September 11th
of U.S.A.”
xiii.
When shall we ever learn? Did Confucius, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus or
Mohammed ever preach syncretism? The answer is an affirmative NO! Only Moses,
due to depersonalisation syndromes emanating from years of the enslavement of
his kith and kin in Egypt and his personal refugee status in Midian before he
was recalled to lead them out, inadvertently introduced segregationist concepts
encapsulated in the Mosaic laws of ‘clean and unclean’ religious injunctions
that culminated in ‘the Jew and the Gentile’ racist policies Chris failed to
address succinctly before he was sacrificed.
xiv.
As far as we are
concerned in Kenezianism, that was a costly price for every religious leader
who fails to resolve ethnic issues in his sermons. Did he reconcile the
descendants of Esau, Ishmael and Jacob? No! Did he identify with the
Samaritans, Greek or other ‘Gentile’ citizens of his epoch? No! Did he
integrate the Roman Rulers of his time with his ethnic group? No! There were
many other leaders, religious and/or political, in history that paid for the
same negligence. The concept that he died for everyone is not only obsolete but
also idiosyncratic and outrageously fanatical, for up till now, present Jews
and previous ones never acknowledged that idea. To-date, the Jewish race is
still expecting a Saviour! It was Saul of Tarsus who marketed the idea, as he
was making reparations for murdering Stephen and many early followers that he
had dispatched to impromptu graves!
xv.
The truth will
always surface no matter for how long it is buried. Let us learn to apportion
blame wherever and whenever they are due. Hero worship never pays lasting
dividends. Idolising a great leader detracts from total loyalty and the true
worship we owe to the Almighty Father, the Indisputable Creator of the universe
and all of us; human beings, plants, animals, animate microcosms and other
inanimate macrocosms. It is time to proclaim the true Unitarian Godhead!
Trinitarians are idolaters who copied from the ancient symbols of the religions
of the Far East and those of Egyptian mythology!
xvi.
Pragmatism,
Rationalism and Existentialism (P.R.E) remain the tripod on which Kenezianism
rests! Subject every novel idea you learn, to the acid test of satisfying those
‘Three Kings’ and if it passes, then internalise and practise it in your daily
life. If not, vomit it, for it is a counterfeit and therefore it is
anti-thetical to the present scientific age of man; ‘the Homo sapiens’! You are
hereby appointed a judge of all our write-ups that do not meet those criteria,
namely PRE. In addition, every injunction
of Kenezianism must be people oriented, meaning that it must be truly
humanitarian in all ramifications; thus giving us the formula; k= (ica / pre) hapo, where ‘k’ is same as Kenezianism, ‘ica’ equates to; ideas, communication
& actions, ‘pre’ represents the
three kings just mentioned above, whereas ‘hapo’
stands for; humanitarian and people oriented! Ask a mathematician to explain
the rest to you, while we proceed to other pressing fundamentals.
xvii.
Whereas other spiritual organisations emphasise
‘beliefs-systems’and ‘dogmas/doctrines’ Kenezianism emphatically encourages you
to know, experiment and prove beyond every reasonable doubt, every construct we
propose to you for a lucid evaluation that can formulate the building blocks
for an all-embracive world government. We do not believe that God exists; rather we know
that HE/SHE/IT exists irrespective of our acceptance or otherwise of the great
truth! God is the ONE and ONLY GODHEAD that is and has no need for a
Trinitarian explanation. We prefer to refer to this godhead as ‘The Almighty
Creator’ at all times and use the pronoun ‘IT’ as there is no proof that IT is
either male or female!! And as the Prime Mover of all else that moves, it can
manifest as sound, light, energy and even as a physical entity!
xviii.
The ambition of
all Kenezians is to internationalise ‘obedience to all natural and eternal laws
as the bedrock of a world spiritual fellowship of realists and/or scientists
not a congregation of theologians, fanatics nor religionists. There are many
international religions already existing in the scientific community, like the
FIFA, OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, the WCC, the ICRC or even the latest and most popular
religion as at now; the internet (http/www.org) to mention but a few, with
dedicated adherents from all walks of life, esoteric/mystical sects and a
variety of mundane/fanatical fraternities or denominations that we can
ill-afford to increase the number. Rather, we crave to stand in the gaps to
bridge the sentimental divides and knock down the perennial walls of
differences in doctrinal conflicts.
xix.
We know that it
is possible to get all intelligent people to agree to and share an
international concept provided it appeals to reason and arrests the interest of
literate citizens of the global community who feel concerned. Our integrational
spiritual fellowship, hereafter referred to as ISF, is based on
scientific principles that obey all natural laws in creation. You, too, can
contribute your altruistic quota to the consolidation of this brand of
interdisciplinary, inter-racial and inter-devotional organisation. Any bright
formulation is welcome provided it meets the basic requirements stated above as
summarised by our scientific formula.
xx.
You may
refer to us as the UNAID, UNICEF, UNO or WHO of all known, registered and yet
to be registered religions. We are, in a real sense, the meeting/melting point
of all belief-systems. Every rationalist is welcome! If you appreciate what we
stand for, communicate with us today. Don’t postpone or procrastinate.
CHAPTER 10:
LECTURES FROM THREE UNIVERSITIES
i We now come to the
basics of nature study. Have you ever observed soldier ants on the march? It
will definitely be difficult for those of us who did not grow up in a rural
community or in a farm! For such persons, their elementary biology textbooks
will suffice. All they need do is revise what they learnt in secondary school
about social insects or look up that
title in an encyclopaedia or browse the Internet.
ii.
In either case,
what they will learn is that these small insects are so well organised that it
is a wonder why we, the so-called ‘Homo sapiens sapientes’ are so disorganised.
Why do we need the police force to beat us into line, whereas these minute
insects do not step out of line nor try to do another insect’s duty?
iii.
They have
specialists for any and every problem they group will ever encounter while they
are on any march. Pity yourself, if you interrupt their movement. By the time
they swarm around you and sink their jaws into your exposed skin area, you will
feel so much pain that next time you will not only fear to cross their path,
but you will dread and avoid any other insects that resemble them! Why?
iv.
These little
creatures have soldier ants with larger mandibles specialised for aggressive
actions against any intruder and their duty it is to fight and protect the
group. And their job ends there. They do not interfere in other duties like
reproductive activities or in feeding the younger ones in the group. We have
copied that much, but do our own soldiers mind their duty only?
v.
There, is an
important lesson for us humans to learn! A little common sense is all that we
need to learn only one trade, specialise in it, be proud of it and not
interfere in other people’s professions! But this rarely happens in the social
organisation of mankind, yet we claim to be ‘the lord of the material
universe’.
vi.
Or shall we take
lectures from another university? This time, from honeybees? Read all you can
about this other social insect that even has a language communicated by a dance
ritual. It is wonderful how minute beings out-class us in organising their
little worlds. They eschew in- fighting. Rather they co-operate so well that
their hives are always peaceful until man, the selfish scavenger intrudes to
harvest where he never sowed, namely their honey that we steal in order to
please our tongues!
vii.
Again, they are
so specialised that only one queen and a king may be found in each community at
a time. Unlike what obtains in our human world, where we fight to establish
supremacy! How many kings, queens, presidents, chairmen/women and traditional
or religious rulers do we have? Are we ready to serve, take orders and obey
even our own constitutions? Yet we pride ourselves as ‘Homo sapiens’!
viii.
Visit web sites
and learn how the honeybee communicates to the members of the hive that it has
found nectar, either nearby or faraway. It is amazing, especially when one
realises that they never learn these things. They are born with the peculiar
knowledge of the waggle or straight dance. Scientists call this
‘species-specific’ behaviour, thereby indicating that they are born with the
information stored in their memory and they must willy-nilly manifest them at
the appropriate developmental stages of their lifecycles.
ix.
The inquisitive
minds will at once want to find out whether human infants have anything that
resembles this. The answer is an affirmative YES! So the next natural question
that follows is what happened to the human infant. You want an answer? Are you
really that inquisitive or you want to behave like your species of proud apes?
x.
You will have to
wait till we have received tutorials from another university of nature, the
termite colony! You must do yourself this favor. Don’t believe me, nor trust
the information you surf from the Internet. Go out there, into the fields and
have a firsthand experience of these data that biologists have spent years
documenting so as to spoon-feed our infants at schools. That may also explain
to you how and why human beings, are the laziest and craziest veterbrates in
existence.
xi.
The termites are
the greatest engineers in the universe! That you doubt me fades into
insignificance when you compare their anthill, structure weight for weight with
their bodies. Our skyscrapers are nothing wonderful if we recognise that these
minute ants don’t use mechanical machines to assist them in the construction
work, nor do they use building plans scaled and drafted by architects!
xii.
Again, what
happens inside the termite palace is another natural wonder! The social
organisation, though absurdly hierarchical, commands our respect! There is
specialisation, not only in body structures, but also in the roles and duties
each ant plays for the mutual benefit of the community.
xiii.
That, precisely,
is the point I am trying to emphasise. We, humans need to send our politicians
to these anthill universities scattered all over the globe, to learn public
administration! For as long as we allow mediocres to manage the affairs of any
nation all in the name of political patronage, for so long shall the masses
bear the brunt of their bungling of the administrative apparatus of the state.
xiv.
It does no one
good to function as a Minister of Health with credentials in engineering or
even business administration! I am sorry for developing countries that waste their
little resources by so doing. My opinion
is that they must learn to put square pegs in square holes and round ones in
round holes! They need these tutorials from termites, honeybees and soldier
ants!
xv.
My dear reader,
are you following my trend of meditation? What of in our individual homes,
kindreds and villages? Should fathers, mothers and children not take notes of
lessons from these insects? My emphatic answer is a capital YES! What a mess is
made of family life and peace by parents who throw their weight all round the
place, all in the name of stamping their authority and exacting immediate
obedience from everyone around!
xvi.
Let’s
quote an example to illustrate my point; “Apart from the reproductives, all castes
are sterile and wingless and have whitish bodies, Typically, the workers
constitute the most numerous caste and are the smallest of the adult forms.
Workers build and provision the nest, tend the eggs, and feed and groom all the
other inmates of the community.”
xvii.
“ All species
have soldiers with greatly enlarged heads. The soldiers of certain species are
equipped with huge jaws for defence of the colony; in some species, the
soldiers have long snouts, from which they eject a sticky, poisonous substance
to envelop an enemy and render it helpless.”
xviii.
Do you see what I
mean? They owe their efficiency to dedication to duty despite the fact that
they do not enjoy the basic rights of all other animals, namely the joy of
sexual intercourse. May be I should have said ‘mainly because they do not
indulge in the time-consuming and diversionary sexual copulation’ that is the
genesis of distraction and depravity in the human species. Do you get my gist?
xix.
The rivalry and
competition to attract and please the opposite sex is the bane of all
in-fighting animals on earth, be it in higher or lower creatures, the
unicellular or multicellular forms of all animate beings. In olden days, and in
some cultures to date man-made eunuchs exist and perform their duties more
religiously than our so-called priests and nuns!
xx.
The radical
position being canvassed for by this writer for a wiser society is this: ‘It is
time for selective social engineering, genetical selection and specialisation
of men and women!’ Reproductive activities must be controlled to reduce
defective babies as well as the over -production of a generation of human
beings with a very high load of defective genes! You may scream ‘Tufia-kwa!’ or curse in any other
dialect or language ‘God forbid this!’ But only time will tell whether the
recommendation is completely anathema! For now, most religions of the Far East and the Catholic
Church do not think I am crazy!
And your
life will be enriched beyond your wildest dreams.
Your eternal
self-fulfilment is only one click away on any internet explorer nearest to you
now.
RESUME
I have humbly stated what I was inspired to write to benefit
rational beings that deserve to approach the Almighty Creator as bona-fide
creations of His universe. We were neither consulted nor were there when He
made all of us; however we are all heirs to the mutual benefits derivable by
utilising his gifts maximally devoid of racism and religious bigotry.
Here is the genesis of the call which I received
as early as 1981 after the Guyana Mass suicide of Rev. Jones and his followers. I
wrote a magazine article on the event and followed it up with a comprehensive
analysis of remote and immediate causes of religious psychopathology for my
Ph.D. dissertation, which I entitled; THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS
FANATICISM, but it did not impress my supervisors. They rejected it on the lame
excuse that the psychological test I was developing to evaluate subjects for
the research work was lengthy and could alone constitute a major research
proposal I could never finish in three years!
They were right! They were my revered
Consultants and Professors in Psychological Medicine. I acquiesced and
subsequently went ahead to re-write my proposal and so ended up writing a
belated dissertation that they watered down to; PERSONALITY ADJUSTMENT AND
RELIGION. Over the years, I have written
over fifty-five articles on how the whole world could adopt one mode of worship
of the Creator and save humanity from the religious bigotry, ethnic cleansing,
wars and homicide associated with crusades and jihads.
For, as far I was concerned, we are of the same
anatomy/physiology, we reproduce in the same manner having same blood chemistry
and die in similar circumstances. Therefore, inter-religious genocide were and
will remain fratricidal campaigns led by fanatical, mystical or demented
leaders with misconceived religious military campaigns as the panacea for the
unification of faith. I have a better option, so let me introduce you to its
foundation clauses of I.S.M. a.k.a. Kenezianism;
“A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20
bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of
you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill
up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in
the air. "Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" And he
dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants
it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all
learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still
wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many
times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and grounded into the dirt by the
decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we
are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will
never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely
creased, you are still priceless to Him.”
Cherish these words
of wisdom of an Unknown Author! Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez.
