environment – Freeread

This entry is part 9 of 73 in the series 2015

Socialism

Concerning socialism and free enterprise, DK tells us that “the extreme position in either case is untenable.” Rays and Initiations, Page 633

So, what is the extreme of free enterprise? DK talks about free enterprise and “intense individualism” in pretty much the same breath making the extreme here easy to see. The extreme on this side is being motivated only for the benefit of self while ignoring the plight of the downtrodden. The person involved in free enterprise accomplishes the most good when he seeks to benefit others as well as himself and seeks spiritual values, as well as the material.

So, how does the extreme manifest in socialism then?

He plainly states the problem:

“Socialism can degenerate into another form of totalitarianism.” Rays and Initiations, Page 747

Rudolf Steiner agreed with this stating:

“If socialism, in the crude materialistic form in which it appears today, attempts to force itself upon mankind, it will bring the greatest unhappiness upon humanity.” Steiner, Ancient Myths their Meaning; Their Meaning & Connection with Evolution, Lecture 5, 11th January 1918.

DK elaborated further:

Principle of Fusion and of group endeavour is right and part of the divine plan; its implementation by grasping, greedy and ambitious men, or by deluded disciples, is terribly wrong and will lead to disaster. This disaster the Hierarchy is seeking to avert, but the Masters are handicapped (as usual) by the relatively few upon whom They can depend, and by the lack of understanding amongst the masses of well-intentioned people. Discipleship in the New Age, Vol 2, Page 353

“It is not the imposition of any particular ideology upon the world, or its removal, which is of importance, but the establishing of those world conditions which will give all the nations adequate food, the necessities of life, and opportunity then to express themselves, and to make their unique contribution to the welfare of the whole family of nations. “ Externalization of the Hierarchy, Page 209

“Justice and fair play, full opportunity and equal sharing of the world’s economic resources will only be possible when certain broad and general principles have been enforced by the weight of public opinion.” Problems of Humanity, Page 90

And just how can it degenerate to totalitarianism? The answer is obvious. When the State violates the Principle of Freedom and imposes social programs on the people contrary to the will of the people who will have to pay for those programs. If course, those who get free stuff for which they do not have to pay are less likely to complain. If it works with “the weight of public opinion” he tells us that “it can be more democratic than the present expressions of Democracy.”

What are the results when social programs are in harmony with the will of the people?

One of the prime things is that those who are putting up the money will feel their money is well spent and not going down a black hole. Social Security in the United States is an example of a social program supported by the will of the people. The only complaint of substance is the State raids the Social Security funds for other social programs not supported by majority will and this places the whole thing in jeopardy.

Most on the spiritual right as well as the political right will support social programs that are supported by the majority who will pay for them. Of course, the vast majority of those who get free stuff with no payment on their part will want to get as many freebies as the State is willing to dole out. They should not have power to dictate to those who are paying for the programs to pay more and more until there is nothing left to give. That lays the foundation for the tyranny spoken of by DK.

Unfortunately, the political left, as well as many DK students, do not agree with DK and are willing to use the force of the Sate to impose their social ideals, even if they run contrary to the will of the people who have to pay to implement those ideals.

The defenders of enforced socialism often cite Jesus as being one of them because he advocated the principle of sharing with those less fortunate.

At that time Caesar represented the power of the state, which did have its own social programs, but there is no mention by Jesus of using Caesar or force to implement that sharing.

There are numerous scriptures admonishing the rich to share, but not one that indicates forced sharing benefits the soul.

It is interesting to note that the authorities were concerned that Jesus was delinquent in taxes or perhaps avoiding them altogether. It is written:

…the collectors of the two drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax’?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. (He apparently lied here to protect his master)

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes— from their own sons or from others?”

“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” Matt 25:24- 27 NIV

Here we learn that Jesus didn’t pay this tax because he didn’t think it applied to him but when accosted – to keep himself and Peter out of trouble – he went ahead and made the payment.

Word must have gotten out that Jesus was dragging his feet in paying taxes for the Pharisees approached him about his view on them in the hope of getting him in trouble with the authorities.

Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.”

They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Matt 22:17-21 NIV

He avoided saying no, which would have led to an early arrest. Instead he told them it appeared the coin belonged to Caesar since it bore his image. If it belongs to Caesar then let Caesar have it but give to God that which belongs to God.

This confused them enough to leave Jesus alone for a while but word must have gotten out that he wanted the rich to give directly to the poor instead of sharing the wealth through taxes. We find this accusation made at his trial:

“And they began to accuse him, saying, We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar… “ Luke 23:2 NIV

It should be crystal clear to any honest thinker that Jesus would not be in harmony with today’s tax and share the wealth socialists. If something belongs to an individual it was up to him whether he shared with others or not.

The wrong use of force is the extreme of socialism that must be avoided, for if such steps are followed with no one putting them in check then we will reach a state where those who receive will outnumber those who pay, and this new majority of takers will then have power to dictate to a new cycle of slaves what they demand to receive from them.

This tyranny must not be allowed to materialize or the only correction will be found in the complete collapse of the system with the believers of freedom building anew.

DK gives this important statement in regards to socialism:

“It is this growing spirit of humanitarianism which will lie behind all movements towards world socialisation in the various nations. This movement is symptomatic of a change in the orientation of man’s thinking, and therein lies its major value. It is not indicative of a new technique of government in reality, … They may be quite unconscious of any spiritual objective (so-called today) except the recognition that they love their fellowmen; this love will condition all they do and will motivate their every effort. Externalization of the Hierarchy, Page 585

The social idea of sharing will not come about through “a new technique of government” but because people “love their fellowmen; this love will condition all they do and will motivate their every effort.”

If a socialist state forces hard working people to pay much more than they desire to fund questionable social programs then the motivation of helping for love of fellowmen has gone out the window.

There is one social incentive that does work and will bring about the conditions of sharing advocated by DK and that is an increasing motive to assist our brothers and sisters. This will bring abundance for all, but will not happen overnight, but it will happen.

Utopia is nice to dream about but we must be practical as advocated by DK:
“In contradistinction to the totalitarian world order, what should the rest of the world plan? Towards what world objectives should the democracies work? Utopian schemes, idealistic forms of government and cultural living processes have ever been the playthings of the human mind, down through the centuries. But these Utopias have been so far ahead of possibility that their presentation seems useless. They are most of them wholly impractical.” Externalization of the Hierarchy, Page 190

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Book Of Quotes

Inspirational, Spiritual & Metaphysical Quotes

From The Writings Of JJ Dewey

1 The Earth itself is an intelligent life form and by the power of the Spirit of God within it this great entity began to create life upon itself.

2 A business cannot exist without public support and the best way to cause business to police themselves is through education through the media and exposing businesses which pollute and threaten the earth.

3 Pressure must be put on business to recycle and not pollute the earth, but if they are allowed to participate in solutions which strongly affect them, then business can live in harmony with nature.

4 Many of the laws regulating pollution have been unjust and created from an emotional base and with emotional selectivity. The superfund cleanups also have not worked well and have brought many close to bankruptcy.

5 Environmentalists also seek to pass laws based on morality that wind up hurting both the environment and business.

6 The environmentalists are getting their way here in Idaho while being the cause of increased pollution and the cutting of trees and rainforests in other parts of the earth.

7 What must happen in the New Age is that both business and environmentalism must work together and business must have a voice in laws that are written which will govern their destiny.

8 Laws for businesses should not be made by those who do not understand business. Neither should laws concerning the environment be the exclusive territory of those only interested in making money.

9 Our planet is indeed ill and out of balance, but the strange thing is illness is usually caused by some good intention misdirected toward a divine good.

10 There will eventually be universal laws accepted by all the nations which will help protect the health of the planet and bring the human race in balance with the needs of the planet.

11 The environment of the earth will be saved, not by leaving it alone, but by wisely using it and leaving it better than we find it.

12 The environmentalists have such a religious fervor against business and logging that they are even against any commercial interests going in and cleaning up the dead wood caused by the fires because they think that man is not nature and that no business should make any money from trees period.

13 If we can all just curtail our dogmatic points of view for a few years and just work as one people and drop the idea of protesting and destroying all who do not share our thought system, then in 30-40 years we can be on the path to a new environmentally friendly world.

14 If we do not do our part successfully then the life of the planet itself will take measures into its own hands and cleanse itself through major earth changes. Where there is land there will be water and where there is water there will be land until the earth is purified and mankind begins anew with a fresh perspective.

15 There is technology in existence which could replace fossil fuels.

16 We have the three unholy aspects of the Trinity seeking to suppress the knowledge of nuclear energy as revealed by great lights who have come to the earth.

17 You see lots of celebrities claiming to be for the environment, but have you seen even one of them risking anything to promote or finance a clean burning engine?

18 A problem with many environmentalists (but not all) is that they are anti-technology and it is technology which is eventually going to give us a clean fuel source which we shall use for thousands of years to come.

19 Something is always going on with the earth, but what is always the question. We can’t find out by following a blind political agenda. We have to look at the real data no matter where it leads.

20 I think it is a good idea to slow down man-made emissions, but the global warming advocates are mostly against the only real possibility in doing this, which is currently nuclear energy. Conservation, wind and solar will not even keep us at the status quo.

21 The Earth has its own Solar Angel which is even higher than the Planetary Logos.

22 We pick up influences from the consciousness of the earth, but to commune with it we would have to alter our consciousness of time.

23 When we include all life upon our planet within our consciousness we can the shift to monadic consciousness and cooperate with the Solar Logos. That’s when our consciousness is so universal that we see even beyond helping the Earth and instead have the whole solar system in our consciousness, which is way beyond what most of us have achieved.

24 The destiny of humanity is not to preserve a pristine environment, but to improve and enhance it.

25 While it is true that mankind can and does create many problems for this planet, his ultimate destiny is to be a benefactor to the earth, the lower kingdoms and eventually the stars.

26 The Earth is one of the organs of the body of the Solar Logos.

27 If draconian measures are introduced to save the environment at the expense of destroying world economy as well as freedom, then the circumstances we need to make the scientific and business progress necessary to develop and promote safe fuels will not be available and 30, 40 and 50 or more years will pass away and we will still be polluting the earth as much as ever with fossil fuels. Thus the cure becomes one with the disease.

28 He who believes in the Principle of Freedom yet is against cutting down trees must allow others the freedom of choice within their own sphere whether that choice be right or wrong – as long as no great harm is done to the earth.

29 To blame big business for our ills is like blaming big people.

30 The will of God has not yet manifested on earth as it is in the higher realms.

31 All organic life, and especially humanity, represents the personality of the planet.

32 If you believe we need no leaders then you must think a company can run itself with no management whatsoever. If this were feasible then we would see it occur somewhere and it has not.

33 We are approaching a time when competitive enterprise will be looked upon as evil and cooperative endeavor will be the good.