No matter that I have read the book, I continue to refer to what is said as often as I read today's headlines...
Let me tell you why...
First, as is my norm, I introduce you first to the author, Bill Luce. Note that his military experience, clearly shows that he has the background to have the knowledge and personal experience to produce what he has written... Please consider my Must-Read recommendation...
Warren "Bill" Luce is a retired USAF colonel who has served his country in three wars, beginning with World War II. After he served a tour in Vietnam, he began to see the futility of endless wars that solved nothing, only serving to cause suffering, death, destruction, and hatred. Warren was excommunicated from his church for questioning their dogma that God sends people, including little children, to suffer eternally in hell because they do not believe in a certain religious doctrine. Despite that, he has a strong spiritual belief in God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. He is an optimist, believing that humankind will eventually rise to the occasion and bring peace to the world, the destiny that was intended for us. Warren intends to convince the world that is so.
Let's Make Our World Better:
How Politics and Religion Stand in The Way
By Warren William (Bill) Luce
There is a universal human want to know that
everything will turn out all right in the long run.
This work provides that hope...
Part 2 Religion Chapter 11, Religion: The Great Barrier
It's in our best interest to consider the consequences the denominational religion brought to the human race through its man-made doctrine. Religion is usually considered beneficial but is often otherwise. It has been the source of great enmity and violence in the world. It's been a major factor in dividing the human race instead of uniting us with one another and with God.
Most religious leaders would say that they believe in freedom of religion and often express tolerance toward other religions and beliefs. They probably do...sort of. However, if one were to question or express disbelief of their religions doctrine, one likely wouldn't be welcomed in their midst. When I questioned the Christian doctrine that only Christians are saved and that God sends everyone else to hell, I was told that I was no longer welcomed in my church and was eventually excommunicated.
It's interesting to note that as you near the city on the road to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, there is a road that branches off with a sign that implies an infidel bypass. All non-Muslims are infidels (unbelievers) and are not allowed in Mecca.
On a more serious note, religious leaders damn other people to a hell of suffering. Most would deny it, but the fact is that they do! When they teach and preach that everyone must believe as they do to be saved, they're proclaiming that those who don't aren't saved. They're condemning anyone who isn't of their 
Attempts to impose religious beliefs through Christian evangelism or Muslims' Jihad only intensify the discord. And even more derelict is the failure of the religions to follow God's basic instruction to teach love, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness as the way to peace, harmony, and righteousness with him. The source of all this alienation and failure to teach God's truths is flawed religious doctrine--dogma created by men. The religions of the world are by no means evil. They've accomplished much good albeit hampering mankind's spiritual development at the same time by intertwining false, man-made doctrine with God's truths.
Surely, our neighbor, our brother, our fellow man means all human beings...
~~~
Surely the title tells us the intent of the author. But then he takes it a step further and pinpoints two of the biggest problems to a better world: Politics and Religion. You know, it's been years when I first heard the advice "stay away from conversations on politics and religion" in routine discussions.
You know what? I have done that too long...and there are perhaps many Americans that have done that too. Yet, this war veteran has the courage to speak out and say that there is still hope!
I got so excited as I started to read that I wanted to immediately start sharing some of the book. Why? Because the author has put his long years of experience within the government, as well as within religious situations, and has very plainly come out and not only identified the problems, but has immediately put his potential answer out for consideration...
You know why his words are important? Because there is nothing unique or new about his words... What he presents is "Common sense and reasonable answers to world problems... Even better, if money happens to be involved in a proposal, he provides the method by which money can be raised, without it coming from taxpayers!
The book is divided into two parts: Politics is a straight forward attack on major issues facing America: Political Atmosphere, Terrorism, Health Care Costs, National Debt, Jobs, National Security, Immigration Reform, Social Security, Postal Services, and the Middle East Solution.
Part 2, Religion, on the other hand, starts with a more philosophical overview of how religion has led to what we now see, and have seen many times through history. One religion causing havoc across the world "in the name of religion..." And worse, it is all people who are in that religion that have received condemnation, who happen to be in a religion different from another.
The one that has been the basis for problems created by various religions since the beginning of time. Thou Shall Not Kill.... Four simple words that have been ignored by anybody who wanted something that was not theirs...and killed to get it...Now, it is to the point, that many do not feel they need a reason, at all! War is a common decision being made by uncaring leaders and politicians who know money moves along with war activities...
God does not change, he does not alter the rules as the game of life goes along. Surely, his omniscience would preclude establishing rules that needed to be altered at some later date. He is constant and immutable as most religions teach. God gave his people the Ten Commandments, one of which is "Thou shall not kill." How, then, could God, who is unchanging, do an about-face and tell his people to kill their enemies? How is it possible to justify that...violence, supposedly at the behest of God with God's instructions...that we're to love our enemies, do good to them that persecute us, return evil with good, turn the other cheek, and don't worry about those who can kill the body but not the soul? We cannot make that justification, and therefore must conclude that the old... characterization of God as angry and vengeful is the errant word of man.For those who do not believe in God, Luce takes on His Existence and then moves on to God's Nature and also the Nature of Man. He addresses how we have come to think killing was ok with God... He talks about the materialism and its effect on spiritualism...and many other topics. I found this section more inspiration since there was little new for those who have thought about their faith, rather than just accepted it from somebody else. Still, there were many points that caught my attention.
- Religion is not only a major factor in keeping the human race separated, but it's also a significant barrier to our spiritual growth...
- Our ability to grow spiritually and improve our relationships with one another is stifled, even thwarted, by much of the religious teaching of the world...
- A great misunderstanding exists as to the nature of prayer and God's blessings. We tend to think that God blesses some more than others, and we don't understand why...
- Faith is believing without seeing. None of us...has seen God. Nevertheless we believe he exists. We reason with our mind, but some beliefs seem to be instinctive or intuitive. When we see the wonder of a newborn baby, the beauty of a flower...
- Intuitive belief, as well as the logic of our mind, tells us that murder, lying, rape, and robbery are wrong and that love, kindness, and truth are right. That same intuition and reason tell us which words of [holy books] are from God and which are of men. We instinctively know that greed, vengeance, killing of people for their land, and smashing babies against the rocks are not God's ways but those of man. We know that showing love, goodness, kindness, caring, compassionate and forgiveness to one another...are truths.
- A wise man once said that it appears that man has made God in man's image. We have most certainly done that, making God a person with human visage and even implying that he has human frailties such as our often-displayed tendency toward anger, vengeance, and violence....
- But Wait! What about all the empirical evidence that supports the ability of man to do good without the benefit of Christian or other religions beliefs?
- As we think, So We Are...If the human mind can put man on the moon, can it not also do a simple thing as change the circumstances of one's own life...Except when oppressed by others or unusual circumstances, we have the means to control all aspects of our lives...
- We know that almost all deviant behavior in a society is caused by societal failure to install proper values, beliefs and behavior patterns in its members...It is obvious that we have done and are doing a poor job of it in our society. We allow media, television for example, to program the minds of our children with violence, loose sexual morals, and bad habits such as smoking, drinking, and the consumption of unhealthy foods.
- We must change the perceptions that "might makes right" and provides security, also that there will always be evil in the world, so we must be prepared to battle it with guns and explosives. Military might eventually results in insecurity. Love is a much better and more effective "weapon" against evil. We must listen to God, then there is no need for weapons. We don't need them to defend ourselves when we accept God's instructions that we're to turn the other cheek, love our enemies, and do good to those who persecute us. It's a hard philosophy to accept and live by, but God's wisdom is flawless.
- ...until we realize the abolition of armies and armament, the world's military establishment can use its resources for humanitarian relief. A very great need exists for such action. Funds currently being spent for the production of weapons of war...can be redirected...to ease the problems that confront mankind...
Thus Part I was the more important part for me because it provided information that I had not earlier known. Only one other topic not covered is of concern to me...drugs and human trafficking...but after reading the points in this book, I realized that those things would just not be happening in the world if we started taking action rather than continuing to allow individuals, politicians, the rich and powerful and even national leaders to act based upon personal agendas rather than national improvement and freedom...
There are many points that warrant thoughts for the future:
- Terrorism has its roots in both religion and politics. The very first thing that must be done is for America to understand and acknowledge that we're a major part of the problem
- ...We seem to have a love affair with guns since there are 90 guns for every 100 people, which is more than any other country...
- Basically, the goal of self-governance doesn't justify humans killing and maiming one another in an attempt to achieve that goal.
- Our incarceration rate dwarfs that of other countries. China, with an overall population four times greater than ours, has a prison population of about 1.5 million. We have imprisoned 2.5 million of our citizens, many of then unnecessarily and wrongfully in some cases...
- We suffer another illusion, which is believing global terrorism is a threat to our national security. The threat to our national security from terrorism is almost nil...
- Let's put things into perspective regarding getting killed. About 3000 people were killed on 9/11. Well over 3000 children die every day in the world from starvation and the effects of malnutrition when there's plenty of food to prevent that.
- Prescription drugs account for about 10% or $290 billion of healthcare costs each year. Drug prices in U.S. are the highest in the world and rising significantly faster than the rate of inflation. Pharmaceutical is the highest profit sector in the U.S...
- The World Health Organization has estimated that world hunger could be alleviated at the cost of $15 billion per year. That is a pittance in comparison to world expenditure on war and preparation for war...
- According to the Congressional Budget Office, every $10 billion spent on defense creates 40,000 fewer jobs than if it were spent in the civilian sector...
- We weren't meant to live in a militaristic world. We are meant to live in peace. We need to open our eyes and minds to that truth...Love one another as I have loved you. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you...
This book goes on and on and on and on, quickly addressing each issue and just as quickly challenging status quo, with common sense that is easily understood...and, you know what, it is quite easily accepted as truth. Not something we are able to say confidently these days...
This one book has so much information and sound advice that it is almost overwhelming in forcing a desire for action...for readers to react and begin anew in trying to help make our world better. At the same time, it is all there in just one book that is just 250 pages. It is well written, well presented in logical breaks of information. The continuity of the materials in both sections reinforce the other, but more importantly, forces each reader to question our own life's beliefs and actions and how we stand as a human living off the land that has been given to us by God...not Man...
The book is shocking, provocative, intimidating, challenging... It is welcome relief, hope, a sharing of love and concern that cannot but be felt. The result is energizing, enthusiasm, power to speak... it is, I believe, a message from God...
One man has lived his life, seen what we humans have done to the world and each other...and now speaks to each of us. As the front cover promises, his work does indeed provide...HOPE!
GABixlerReviews
Our condition, both by religion and in a secular sense, that we are flawed, poor sinful beings has become the greatest most harmful self-fulfilling prophecy in the history of mankind...
Hope springs eternal in the human heart and we need to realize it is love that will bring it to fruition...
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