The current events that divide us relate to the eugenicist narcissist Donald Trump who is backed by the evangelicals. This is an example of the difference between the pursuit of beliefs (or faith) vs knowledge.
To be clear, we all have beliefs that can strengthen our self-confidence and sense of community. Christians believe in Jesus. Monotheists believe in one God. Henotheists also believe in one God for specific situations and the existence of other Gods are fine. Atheists may not believe in God, as Confucius articulated that we can’t address the afterlife since we don’t have enough time to focus on events around us during our lifetimes.
The common bond among all humans is morality which is the principle behind our rules of ethics. We all agree there is a Golden Rule – do unto others what you want others to do unto you. Socrates, Ashoka/Buddha and Confucius highlighted morality at around the same time 2,500 years ago.
Knowledge requires evidence or truths to back up our beliefs. The Catholic Church under Vatican II since the 1960s requires all new Saints must have two confirmed miracles. The confirmation process is the conversion to knowledge from beliefs.
The difference between the pursuit of beliefs and the pursuit of knowledge is to observe our current experience in the January 6 Committee hearings and the actions of a eugenicist narcissist.
Let us assume that the eugenicist narcissist truly believes he won the 2020 election. That can be his belief. What he sees is the $250 million he can raise and control distribution such as giving $60,000 to his son’s fiancé for a two-minute appearance on TV and paying his own hotel hundreds of thousands of dollars. He prolongs his influence and remain relevant through his amoral actions in the past.
- He did not condemn the Saudi by not addressing the murder of the journalist.
- He questioned the US intelligence team’s assessment on Russian meddling in US politics.
- He focused on lifelong tenure to judges, including Supreme Court justices to overturn abortion.
- He artificially increased corporate profits with tax cuts without productivity. The artificially high profits led to artificially high stock market that, when combined with Ukraine invasion and the threat to oil supply, are driving us towards recession today while oil profits reach all time highs.
The eugenicist narcissist uses Fox News to propagate his beliefs and the evangelicals who also support their beliefs instead of knowledge. The eugenicist narcissist cannot hide behind the evidence or truths that strongly point to the lack of knowledge because of his short tenure. I am mindful that the Gnostics 2,000 years ago believed “may the truth set you free.” You can read a copy of the Gnostic Bible in the Egyptian Museum in San Jose, California. Gnostics were driven out of Christianity as heretics before Christianity was declared the official religion of the Roman Empire 1700 years ago.
Please guide our children to pursue knowledge. We are seeing the difficulties of uniting Americans who strictly focus on the pursuit of beliefs. Humanity can sustain progress with less friction if we all agree to pursue knowledge together. Let us start this pursuit of knowledge together in the USA.
Moral Innovator 