We are living in troubled times, however, in all known history there has never been a single moment in time, when there has not been war, poverty, plagues, famine, drought, destruction, oppression or dissent. Every day the newspapers carry stories of wars in distant lands that we are part of through our own government's participation, civil wars and genocide in North Africa, dissent and oppression in places like Syria and Nigeria, famines throughout parts of Africa, the global economic crisis throwing whole nations into poverty, the continued misuse of resources affecting whole continents like Africa, Asia and South America, corruption which perpetuates the poverty that already exists globally, incompetence by government, greed by the banks, murders based on hate ... the list is endless.
Ask yourself - is this the world I want to live in?
Then ask yourself - What role do I play in this happening? Am I doing anything to change this? Do I end up supporting this because I do nothing to stop it?
And finally - If I am not part of seeking a solution, then am I part of the problem?
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".
Edmund Burke
Do you want to be one of those people who 'does nothing'? Or do you think that you do not have the ability to stand up and protest against what seems an insurmountable task in changing the system? One little voice in the wind will not be heard, but many voices together can rise like the roar of a lion. I want to be part of that roar, I want my voice heard in unison with others who believe that we can stand together and bring about change, we just have to have faith and let our voices of dissent be heard as one giant roar. Then we must action our faith.
One of the many problems people are facing today is dealing with the effects of the economic crisis, which was caused by greed, avarice and incompetence by the banks and the governments. Government deregulation in banking has had a direct consequence on why the banks have brought the modern world's economy to its greatest crisis since the 1930s Depression, and yet, the governments seem to think that the role of the public is to bail out the privately owned banks and for the public to face severe cuts to health, welfare and education, as well as facing austerity measures that plummet not only the poorest of the poor, but the average person into further poverty and debt. All this, whilst the banks continue with public funding, even though they are privately owned. And when these banks that created the crisis have been bailed out; once they get back into profit, not only do they not pay back the bailout funding, but they pay obscene bonuses and pay rises of 49% to executives, as though they should be rewarded for their shocking behaviour and lack of morality and ethics. Then we are faced as a public with interest rates going up, inflation increases all the while the banks gain assets by repossessing the houses of those they have so unjustly brought to their knees through debt.
Occupy Faith needs to be dynamic, but always in keeping with the values and principles given to us through scripture by God.
"Wealth is deceitful. Greedy men are proud and restless - like death itself they are never satisfied. That is why they conquer nation after nation for themselves. The conquered people will taunt their conquerors and show scorn for them. They will say, 'You take what isn't yours, but you are doomed! How long will you go on getting rich by forcing your debtors to pay up?'
But before you know it, you that have conquered others will be in debt yourselves and be forced to pay interest. Enemies will come and make you tremble. They will plunder you! You have plundered the people of many nations, but now those who have survived will plunder you because of the murders you have committed and because of your violence against the people of the world and its cities."
Old Testament: Habakkuk - Chapter 2 vs 5 to 8
The authorities need to pay heed to the voices of dissent, and those of us strong enough to stand up against the unjust, undemocratic and unsustainable system and its proponents need to do so now, for their nefarious actions must be brought to an end. We will have our voices heard, but we must stand together and trust each other, respect one another, and rise up in unison against the greater evil of those who wish to continue enslaving us in this iniquitous system.
Tanya
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