Political Spirituality

- By Bahram Maskanian

I invite you to reflect on the higher possibilities of the human spirit and intellect to discover and explore the soul and creative potential of humankind within a nurturing and supportive environment of Political Spirituality. 

Political spirituality is inspired by humankind’s -- Womankind plus Mankind -- deep social desire and comfort of being part of, and engaged in any given community.  In the absence of a free, objective, ethical and rational social and political spiritual community, people tend to search for different sources of meaning and spiritual community, such as any of the patriarchal backward religions, to congregate around and fulfill their need of being part of a community.  In essence, religion and superstitious myths of religion will replace the logical forces of reason and common sense that any society desperately needs to ethically and justly govern itself. 

Each society is comprised of different types of personalities: self-centered, selfless, wise, ignorant, greedy and compassionate.  A soul of a society carries the blueprint of its highest and lowest purpose and ideals.  A successful society discovers its soul by strengthening the higher and the noble purpose and ideals to embrace the wise, the kind and the truthful.

The soul of any given society shall express its sense of wisdom and generosity of spirit or lack thereof.  The soul of the society holds the purpose and the design for that society’s development and fulfillment of its higher and noble purpose.  This is precisely the reason why any social governing system made of, by, and for the people, shall not perish and will last as long as the soul of the society is the guiding and the driving force.

Politics is an inseparable part of our lives.  Politics directly and indirectly touches and influences our lives every single minute of every day.  We are sent to war by politics, we are taxed by politics, we are forced to congregate around bad harmful policies by politics, we are poorly informed and badly educated by politics, etc. 

There are humane good democratic politics and bad evil politics.  Bad evil politics is where a handful of individuals with a predetermined agenda, make up self-rewarding and self-serving kinds of policies for a whole nation, without the nations’ consent, in secrecy behind closed doors.  Good politics, or true ethical and democratic politics is where the concerned public is deeply involved in every step of the way in making local and national decisiona and policies, implementing and safe guarding them. 

We must use politics every day in our affairs in order to live in our communities and societies at large. Politics is a spiritual force connecting people together.  We must discover Political Spirituality and celebrate it.  Political Spirituality is where good politics can take root and grow.  Political Spirituality is the only means of uniting and peacefully solving our social, political and economic issues peacefully.  Political Spirituality is the one and only way to establish and maintain a true democracy and preserve human rights.

Lastly for those amongst us who claim not to be political, one would find that statement to be a confession of laziness and as stupid as saying: -- I am not into breathing oxygen as much, as I prefer carbon dioxide CO2 --.

Power Tends To Corrupts, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely