The Perils of the Anarchist Utopia

Violent Anarchism is the offspring of an era barren of sane and wholesome ideologies due to the moral bankruptcy of our high-tech materialistic and hedonistic culture. Naturally, a corrupt tree produces rotten fruits. There is nothing abnormal about it. 
So, before we single out, judge and condemn the incongruous and dangerously angry mask-wearing young adults for preaching anarchism by throwing Molotov bombs around, or, in the best case, by writing insulting messages on walls, we should first look for the roots, i.e. the cause of this tragic social phenomenon. 
Every reaction presupposes an action that has provoked it. Regrettably it goes without saying that rampant corruption in high places of government generates antagonistic forces in society that are bound to create vicious storms of bloody violence. And this is what we have seen being repeated in human history, both in an ethnic scale and in a larger international scale.
Therefore, we should first condemn our corrupt democratic system for cynically and habitually violating age-old moral principles; we must denounce the ruling politico-economic class for its covert or overt violence; we must hold our governments responsible for oppressing millions of people with innumerable social evils, for their provocative injustice, and their aggressive exploitation of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Surely, it is easy to condemn those frustrated youngsters and deride them as coward for perpetrating crimes behind black masks, but, alas, we usually endure without complaint those rascals in high places of power...

The Perplexing Last Words of Jesus

There is no doubt that Jesus’ impact on history is unique. Whether the overall impact of this great Jewish prophet and mystic was positive or negative for humanity is up to the unprejudiced individual to judge, although, in my opinion, an objective assessment is not that easy.
Few people would argue that Jesus has been both passionately loved and vehemently hated by men more than any other historical or mythical figure. 
Under the inspiration of Jesus’ name, the greatest acts of sacrificial love have been performed and the finest pieces of art have been created; but, alas, also in his name, the most ugly wars have been fought by his fanatic followers, not that he is in any way responsible for that. 

In my opinion, Jesus’ teachings centered on love have had an undisputable positive effect on humanity, while the man-made doctrines about his ‘atonement’ and his supposedly equality with God have been a stumbling block and are responsible for many destructive divisions in mankind. The aim of this article is not an overall account of Jesus’ life but the analysis of his last words, and specifically the prayers he prayed, as recorded in the Gospels.

I wish I were sure that all the words which, according to the Bible, were uttered by Jesus are definitely his own and have not been put into his mouth by the writers of the Gospels much later. But, to be honest, I am not. My doubts are reinforced by the fact...

Stealth Marketing: The art of deception

It is obvious to the naked eye, and quite offensive to one’s moral conscience and common sense, that nowadays marketing practices tend to be reduced to a black art of stealth, in an attempt to deceive potential customers and lure them into buying often unneeded, useless, or even harmful products. 

The psychological deception of fellow human beings by various advertising tricks has become the object of modern science of marketing, a science that has proven to be one of the most popular fields of study in universities and colleges during the last decades. Unfortunately, humans are considered by many entrepreneurs simply as consuming robots…

Once upon a time people used to exchange goods they produced for different commodities they needed. Later they invented money, which was supposed to enable them to trade more fairly and easily with each other. And, indeed, money was an important invention for our civilization. Soon, however, people chose money to be their god and,...

Xenophobia, Racism, and Antiracist Hysteria

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female”, declared the Apostle Paul, some 2000 years ago; but to this day, few have taken notice of him. The bitter truth is that people love their racism. 

What is racism? Basically, racism means any distinction based on race or ethnic origin that results in the persecution or the restriction of human rights of groups that are discriminated against. 

The racist ideology or, rather, pathology, is abhorrent and condemnable under any circumstances and excuses. Unfortunately, there are still more subtle forms of racism, as e.g. against women - in certain cultures and religions more than in other ones - racism against old people, disabled people, the poor, the ugly, and even racism against people living in a particular locality of the same country. 
However, xenophobia, which is usually a reaction to mass and uncontrolled immigration, is not exactly racism, at least it is not the worse expression of racism. This is my opinion, anyway.

Xenophobia is an age-old universal phenomenon, as it stems from man’s basic animal instincts and/or simply from pure common sense. It has to do with the powerful instinct of self-preservation...

Christianity’s slavish attitude

How many practicing Christians are conscious that their attitude towards God is one of slavery, beggary, pitifulness and unworthiness? By feeling totally inadequate and appealing to God as ‘Lord’, thereby reducing oneself to the status of a ‘servant’ – ‘doulos’ (slave) in the Greek N.T. – is not exactly an indication of humility before the Almighty. It is rather a symptom of helplessness and defeatism such as a slave feels towards a cruel master. 

In the liturgical texts of traditional Christian denominations, the phrase “Lord have mercy” appears innumerous times. “Lord have mercy”, plead the Catholics and the Protestants after every other phrase that is uttered during their liturgical services.
But even if that were the right way to be absolved from the guilt of sin, pleading once would be adequate. An over and over parroting repetition of the same request is unintelligent and hence useless. On the other hand, by reminding God some verses from the Bible, supposedly being his own words, in order to oblige him to show mercy is an attitude of distrust and doubt of his kindness.

Instead of getting on with working to put right what we have done, or has gone, wrong, whenever this is possible, Christians endlessly cry for Mercy! Mercy for what? Mercy to avoid the consequences of...

The Bankrupt Educational System

In the era we live in – an era of bankruptcy of ideas, principles and values – the educational system has been the first to be infected by the lethal virus of confusion as to what is right and wrong, logical or absurd, beneficial or harmful for individuals and society as a whole. 

Contemporary educational system is the great patient of our day, whether we admit it or not. And because our educational system is ailing, society is critically ill. 

The question now is: who is going to cure whom and how? One patient cannot heal another patient. How could a corrupt state transform a corrupt educational system? The puzzle is like the chicken and the egg. A sick chicken (state) cannot bear a healthy egg (educational system), and vice versa…
Any enlightened and wise individuals that might exist have been unfairly pushed into obscurity, as their words, sharp as a sword, are threatening to the corrupt political, economic and religious establishment of their country.

Instinctively, however, governments know that an effective educational system is a prerequisite for a just, orderly and affluent society, and occasionally make some feeble attempts towards its reformation and restructuring through new legislation and by diverting more money into the budget of the Ministry of Education. But alas, it is all in vain! Neither laws nor money can save the great patient…

The Ultimate Art of Being Human

It is well known that the eccentric Cynic philosopher Diogenes, who had a passion for virtue and natural living, was walking around in the daylight with a lighted lantern. When asked why he was doing it, he used to answer, “I am searching for a MAN”. Apparently, even in Diogenes’ days, true men, i.e. human beings with a virtuous character, were something scarce. 

An anecdote about him says that one day he called out for men in order to teach them. When people gathered, Diogenes started hitting out at them with his stick, saying, “It was men I called for, not scoundrels.” 
What was Diogenes looking for? He was looking for people who had realized their true spiritual nature and had submitted their ego with its petty desires and carnal appetites to the dictates of their Higher Self.

Being born in the family of Hominidae, i.e. being a bipedal primate having language and the ability to make and use tools, does not automatically make one HUMAN. Far from it! Possessing humanoid features does not in itself guarantee that one thinks, speaks, feels and acts as a HUMAN...