Scientific Idol Worship

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday break - I know that I did! I was blessed by a friend who reminded me that we are called to give thanks in all things (not for all things). That means that no matter how "good" or "bad" things are at the moment, giving thanks during the journey is critically important to how we move our way through the situations we face. Really good reminder and an interesting seque into our topic for today. Mahatma Gandhi came up with Seven Deadly Social Sins - we are on the sixth "Science Without Humanity". What does it mean to have, or to practice, science without humanity? Isn't scientific exploration all about bettering the human condition and solving the insolvable problems that confront us? Look at the tremendous beenfit that Science has brought to this planet. Human lives are saved everyday through the result of scientific experiments and discoveries. Humans are living longer and better, crops grow better and are more fruitful, buildings are safer, water is cleaner, new labor saving devices are continually developed and brought to market, diseases common just a few generations ago are all but eliminated from the Earth. It's hard to argue that the contribution of Science to the world has been anything but transformational. Gandhi died before most of the scientific discoveries of the last 60 years. He did live to see the horror of atomic weapons realized and utilized. He knew of poison gas and other human atrocities - of concentration camps and genocide. He witnessed two world wars and the associated growth to dominance of the military-industrial complex. I think that this is what he meant when he saw science without humanity - the exploration of science that lead to discoveries which were then used against other humans for political gain. I wonder how he would view the discovery of DNA, the human genome project, test tube babies, cloned sheep, artificial intelligence, designer crops....? We set ourselves up for idol worship when we take a good thing (e.g., earning money) and make it an ultimate thing (making earning money the only thing we work for). I am a highly trained scientist who worshipped at the idol of the scientific method for many years. I was convinced that science could and would answer all the unanswered questions - it was just a matter of time. Then I began to work in intesive care units where technology and "life saving" devices were employed and deployed to "save" people who were critically ill and/or injured. I saw and participated in the application of science, often without regard to the humanity of the situation. I now realize that it is inhuman (or inhumane) to apply technology where there is no reasonable hope for a return to functioning humanity. I have helped to create hundreds if not thousands of "living dead", those who are fed and watered artificially and require turning every 2 hours to prevent the development of bed sores. One man's journey through the application of science without humanity - science without dignity for human life and the reality of human death. It is a burden that I struggle to balance and to justify. Pursuing scientific answers to human questions is still a large part of my life. However, I inform my science with a broader view of how I'm called to love my neighbor as myself. In this way, I'm continually in dialogue with myself and others regarding how new chemicals and technologies will actually benefit people. The mantra in Medicine of "first do no harm" is one we would do well to apply across the spectrum of Science - "designer" tomatoes may not seem a bad idea on the surface, but when viewed with a more loving eye, the risks come further into view. This is what drove me to create "Possibilities Journey, Inc", a 501c3 public charity dedicated to re-engaging faith communities in health care and public health. Without the doctrine of selfless love and the development of healthy communities, we are quite possibly doomed to live with science without humanity. Something to consider as we come to another Holiday season. Peace for the journey, Dan

Just the Facts, Please

Today I'm continuing my muse on the Seven Deadly Social Sins of Mahatma Gandhi. We find ourselves confronted with "Education Without Character" - hmmm, I wonder what the Mahatma was going on about?! Certainly in the U.S. we have a very good educational system overall (with well known issues of lack of pay for teachers, poor quality schools and inequality in education) but not a perfect system. Children today receive their mandatory education and make their way into the world. By standard test scores (SAT, ACT, SOL's, etc) they are well prepared to go out into the world and continue to pursue their roles as adults. However, standardized tests do not measure character. I wonder...are we educating people without attending to character development? In this connected world, there is never an unanswered question. Someone wonders about an issue, and smart phones launch browsers to find the answer. The only question is who has the fastest internet service on their phone/I-Pad. Answer(s) are found and the issue is laid to rest. What I find, however, is that seldom is there a critique of the quality of the answer(s). As is true of so much of the information out there on the internet, some of it is incorrect or misleading - answers without any depth of knowledge. There is a difference between information and knowledge (and certainly wisdom) that seems to escape people nowadays. So we can easily find facts, but can we find out about our character both individually and communally? Take a look at an on-line Dictionary and see what it says about the definition of character - it might surprise you. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in his "I Have a Dream" speech noted that part of his vision was: "...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character...." Are we educating our children in a way to accomplish this dream? Beyond not bullying and teaching children to not be rude or malicious either in person, or more frequently through technology, are we educating our populace about character development? With talk show personalities and T.V. violence, "real world" looks at people behaving badly and without regard to others, can we really say honestly that we are educating anyone how to build character? What is the content of your character? Educating for character is not something that belongs soley in the purview of the school system. It lies with the families and the faith communities and the larger community as a whole. When we all sit by and allow our children to watch shows that denegrate others, shows that promote worldly vices, violence, rudeness and disrespect, should we be surprised that we are living in a world where these behaviors are rampant? Educating with character is a responsibility of all of us. Building healthier communities begins with holding each other in higher regard - by loving another more than we love ourselves. Healthier communities are built when we hold each other accountable to a higher standard of behavior. Wholeness comes when we conduct ourselves morally and ethically in a manner that is beyond reproach - when we judge each other on the content of our character. Peace for the journey, Dan

Self Satisfied

In the continuing saga of exploring Gandhi's Seven Deadly Social Sins, we find ourselves confronted with "Pleasure Without Conscience". Staggering to me that Gandhi saw the world around him in the 1930's and 40's and saw quite clearly that the world was headed towards a time where it lost its conscience. That's the world we live in right now, isn't it?! Corporate executives rape the businesses they run and then get multi-million dollar buy-outs. Global enterprises find the cheapest labor to produce the worst quality products that they can sell, and they don't care if it means tearing the top off of a mountain to get the raw materials. Humans in the U.S. are pursuing their own interests and satisfactions without regard to the impact of their decisions on others. It's all about the libido, all about pleasure, all about the self. It's a well known psychological fact that if we feed the Ego long enough without balancing it with empathy (i.e., narcissism), the Ego takes control and becomes a wicked task master - demanding ever larger sacrifices of time, money and self-worth. The world is constantly telling us to "just do it", to get all that we can because we only go around once, that there's no reason to deny ourselves anything - whether we can afford it or not. Movies and television reinforce this creedo showing us celebrities behaving badly and "Friends With Benefits" (a recent movie where two friends use each other for sex). "Hooking up" or "booty calls" are common, and not just among the young. I'm finding that recently divorced persons are also engaging in this kind of behavior - rather than opting for the effort it takes to form lasting relationships. People exist as objects for another to use up and throw away - we've become disposable! Relationships, especially healthy ones, require a great deal of effort and commitment, and the world tells us that we'll only get hurt again if we do that. What the world doesn't say is that if we really pursue pleasure without conscience, we will never, ever be satisfied - there's never an end to the uninhibited desire. Self satisfied...that's really the goal that we should be pursuing? All of the spiritual teachers over the course of millenia have warned against this self indulgence. They saw the decay of Rome and so many other "powers and principalities". They saw the ruin of uninhibited actions - actions that had no thought for the worth of others. They tell us of a differnet way, one that is disciplined and empathic. One that humbles the needs of the self for the good of the other. One that loves others more than it loves itself. One that searches for a message that brings peace and grace and wholeness. This week, examine what is driving your decision making. What are you spending your time, energy and money on? Are you finding yourself seeking ever bigger pleasures that bring you an ever smaller level of satisfaction? If you are, then you have become addicted to the thrill and have lost the ability to be satisfied. There is a different path and a different world view. You can find it if you try - it's as close as your nearest faith community. Peace for the journey, Dan

There's a Sucker Born Every Minute

The third in my series on the Seven Deadly Social Sins of Mahatma Gandhi is "Commerce Without Morality". It is alleged that the great showman, P.T. Barnum, uttered the words in this post - and given his history, it's quite possible. He was always trying to push the envelope and bring in more money. Treatment of the people and animals in his circus was secondary to their ability to fill the tent (so to speak). With all the recent goings on in the world of business and finance, one has to wonder if we've really learned anything at all from our past. Wendell Berry has a lot to say on the issue of the growth of enterprise and the loss of a moral compass. Whether in his books or poems, he skewers the large conglomerate that is the agricultural industry; the govenrmental subsidies that promote the improper growing of crops; and the effect on the global economy and on small farmers worldwide who can't compete with unfairly priced commodities. In fact, when crops became commodities and began to be future traded, we started on a long road to social injustice and immorality. Business without a sense of right vs. wrong will always lead to injustice. When a business becomes so large that it loses its place in the fabric of the locale in which it's located (and the concomitant accountability) then it becomes all about profit margin and share holder return-on-investment. One just needs to review the policies of many large employers nowadays that do not provide benefits (health, retirement) to part-time workers. The greater Memphis metropolitan area has 50,000 people who are working but do not have adequate (or any) health insurance due to this policy. Right or wrong - where's the moral compass? The lack of morality in our current world view has been written about a lot. A study of 18 to 23 year olds in the U.S. showed that most felt that anything was right as long as an individual thought it was right. Thus, individual views trump societal values and morals. The idolization of the self leads to the demonization of everything else. For when I take a good thing, like business, and make it the ultimate thing (make it an idol that I worship), then everything that does not help my idol become mroe powerful is demonic. This happens all the time in our world - just listen to the political rhetoric in this country right now. When we lost the absolute truth that all people are created in the image of a loving G-d, then the resulting world can be nothing but satanic. The views of right and wrong from a spiritual sense are absolute. In order to recover our sense of morality in business, we first have to recover it in every other part of our world. Businesses that operate without morals are not demonic as much as they are lost. It is our duty as shepherds to go and find these lost sheep and return them to the flock. This week, take a hard look at the places you do business and evaluate their moral compass. Engage with your own compass to make sure that it is functioning well, and then take action on what you find. Whether it's Quran, Torah, Bible or other sacred teaching, recommit to it today so that we can repair the damage to our world tomorrow. Peace for the journey, Dan

Money for Nothing

The second deadly social sin according to Mahatma Gandhi was "wealth without work". This was highlighted in an old song by Dire Straits "Money for Nothin'" where the idea was that guitar heroes "get their money for nuthin' and their chicks for free". The concept of wealth without work is a common theme in our day and age. Think about the ageless "Publisher's Clearinghouse Giveaway" or any of the myriad lottery offers. If you just spend a dollar, you could win millions. The studies of the winners however, yields a portrait of despair and destruction, instead of the beautiful and carefree life that ticket buyers envision. Funny how money doesn't change the person that you are and the decisions that you make. Money for nothing shows again the truth in the adage "there is no free lunch"; or as Christian scripture says, "where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also". Wealth without work - it really is a problem, isn't it?! When one doesn't earn a living, doesn't have "sweat equity" or is truly invested in the job, then there is often a lack of committment. It is a common finding among Habitat for Humanity home owners. They are given a house that they often have spent only a modest amount of time building, and they go about treating it poorly afterwards. Their newfound "wealth" is meaningless and hasn't changed their life or their lack of training on how to keep a house - many often have had little or nothing of their own for their whole lives. Handouts often keep people down rather than raising them up. There is a mantra in social services agencies that says "never do anything for someone that they can and should do for themselves". In other words, teach them to fish rather than just giving them fish. This philosophy is why microcredit organizations like Oikocredit are so popular and so effective. They give micro-loans to persons across the globe (mostly women) to spur businesses that otherwise wouldn't be albe to get off the ground. The Heifer Project is another initiative that comes to mind that gives wealth in the form of livestock - but then teaches the receipients how to care for and make profitable the raising of animals. This week I'd like you to take a good long look at the charity(ies) that you support. Which one or ones are lifting people up - helping them find wealth through work? Many of us look at year's end to give some of our money away. This philanthropy is the life blood for so many non-profits. However, make sure that your largess is not creating more problems than it is solving. Support programs and groups that seek to lift people up and improve the lives for all. Peace for the journey, Dan

Deadly Social Sins

I received a mailing last week that highlighted Mahatma Gandhi's "Seven Deadly Social Sins". I was fascinated to look at the list and note again that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." I think you might agree - here's the list: "Politics without principle; Wealth without work; Commerce without morality; Pleasure without conscience; education wihtout character; Science without humanity; Worship without sacrifice." How many of those resonate with you? I've struggled with all of them over the last bit of my life, and some of the social action we are seeing both here and around the world are dedicated to addressing these truths that Gandhi noted more than 60 years ago. It is striking that the concept of politics without principle is topmost on his list - and on my mind on the eve of an election day here in Virginia. More broadly, we are just one year before the next Presidential election, and the rhetoric and propaganda machines are already kicking into high gear. There does appear to be an acute lack of principled people who are elected to lead us. The operating philosophy appears to be "what's in it for me?". That's certainly an understandable worldview, but it is not a principle that leads. That worldview results in 50 million persons without adequate health insurance, a 27.4% reduction in Medicare payments to physicians (of note, Virginia is currently ranked 49th in Medicare payments to doctors) - patients are being let go from physicians who can no longer afford to treat them, increased spending without increased revenue, lack of a socially responsible vision. Lack of a set of guiding principles that are focused on socially acceptable outcomes is providing us leadership without vision. What are we to do about this lack of principle? There certainly is no quick fix to the problem - we're not suddenly going to see a slate of politicians (especially at the national level) who are focused on principle over self. The change has to come from the electorate. We have to change our worldviews into a more principled demeanor and approach. For we just elect those who reflect what it is that the majority believe (at least the majority [of the minority] that decide to vote). We need to re-discover the priniciples that have lead to healthier and more socially conscious communities. We don't have to look very far - the principles that work are contained in the Bible, Quran and Torah (to only name the three major tomes). I'm not beating a conservative and literal translation of the texts, rather, I'm advocating for a return to loving something more than we love ourselves. Reaching out to the least and the lost - the widows and orphans, and doing something meaningful to make their lot in life better. Providing healthy and wholesome communities for all people, not just the one's who resemble us and our views. This week, as you go to the polls (which I hope you do), look for opportunities to support candidates who act out of principles instead of out of self-interest. Break out of the habit of voting for a Party and research the person. Vote for principles and we will all be better off. By-the-way, take a good long look at your own guiding principles and see where they might need some improvement. Peace for the journey, Dan

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics...

Familiar piece of a Mark Twain quote - but oh so true! I doubt that there's any need to say much more about this to anyone who's ever looked at a published research trial or tried to make sense of budgetary numbers or political propaganda. There's basically nothing that one can't do with numbers to prove that the sky is really purple, or that geese really fly north for the winter. Same is true with health information and research reports. It's not enough that alcohol use is hard to control, but now there's two new studies that look at the effect of ethanol on our bodies (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/good-news-and-bad-news-on-alcohol/2011/11/01/gIQAaz6odM_story.html). How do we make sense of conflicting issues when it comes to our health choices? Clearly, too much ethyl alcohol is a poison that kills heart cells, liver cells, brain cells; causes changes to most organs in the body; makes us do stupid things; causes death and destruction of families, homes, cars and lives. No one is quite sure, however, how much is too much. I was appalled by the "science" that showed a "moderate" amount of ethanol can actually be beneficial for one's heart. A glass of wine (or maybe two if you're male) each day seems to be cardioprotective. The problem is that daily alcohol use tends to start with one and continue to grow until it's out of control. Binge drinking is rampant, and not just among the younger crowd. How many people do you know who routinely drink 3 or more alcohol containing drinks at one occasion? It's such an issue in the Washington, DC, area that we stopped asking people if they drink alcohol, and how much. I've watched countless people in the ICU have withdrawal reactions even though the family swears that they don't drink. ("It's only one glass a night - but it never gets empty!") The acoholic beverage industry is a powerful lobby. The promotion of the health benefits receives a lot of T.V. time, while the damage done by alcohol (and the exorbitant costs generated) receive little or no play time. It is quite likely that you know someone right now who struggles with appropriate alcohol use. I encourage you to click on the CDC Widget to the right of this column to get more information so that you can begin to address the place that alcohol has assumed in that person's life. This week, take a measured approach to statistics and medical research reports. Make sure that your looking at both sides of the issue - not just the one that is receiving all the press. The truth is often sandwiched somewhere in between the "good" and the "bad". The old adage, "if it sounds to good to be true - it is!" rings true again. Peace for the journey, Dan