A 2017 The Advocate opportunity

Note: this is a revision of my online comments regarding The Advocate’s “Our Views: Christmas hope never dies,” December 25, 2016.

We think The Advocate is timely to note that Jesus was “a poor Jewish child born into a world . . . that often [treats] life quite cheaply.” Unfortunately, the daily news informs us that we live among barbaric people. We neither expected nor wanted what-is: civic dysfunction.

For civic morality, it seems better to tell the whole story. It is neither a harsh story nor an affront to personal sensibilities on Christmas day: The-objective-truth offers the route to peace during our lifetimes in this place.

The Jews, especially starting four-thousand years ago in Abraham’s now Arab land, Ur, reasoned to benevolent-monotheism the world’s quandary about myths and gods. Benevolent-monotheism makes sense in the absence of the-objective-truth. (The-objective-truth about God exists in reality. But humankind has yet discover if an entity controls the unfolding of the universe.)

The benevolent-monotheism rationalization also produced a “chosen people idea” that made the Jews hated wherever they lived. The hatred is severe among many of Abraham’s progeny not from Sarah, now called Arabs, most of whom are Muslims. The Jews now struggle to establish a nation-state wherein they may survive a world of hatred. (And the USA just turned their back on them in a UN vote.)

Some priests, starting perhaps 1900 years ago, expanded Jewish scripture to construct the argument that Jesus is the Jews’ expected Messiah. During 200 to 300 years, Romans canonized a Christian Bible that asserts election by God. While Jesus was born over 2000 years ago, Roman Christianity was formalized perhaps 1700 years ago. The Church was opposed by Protestantism 500 years ago, but neither Christian faction admitted that the Bible’s affirmation of slavery was a grave error as viewed from the physics of slavery---whips and brutality.

While the Bible is tainted with “the original sin of slavery.” President Obama falsely condemns the USA, whose civic people inexorably march toward justice.

We doubt any importance of skin-color in identifying superiority. Some people think Jesus was black and poor and Jesus’ role is to save blacks from white superiority promoted in white church. God is black. The only way a white-skin can save his or her soul it to help black Americans, a faction of the black-skinned people, reign supreme.

This 4000 year old religious conflict, emerging with four factions, each fractionated---Jews, Muslims, white Christians, and black Christians---holds hostage the respective followers and the rest of the world. Until a civic people iteratively collaborate for Security, via public-integrity or better, the conflict will continue unto either Earth’s demise or humankind’s destruction: There will be no collaboration for peace without mutual appreciation among the civic persons.

Civic persons maintain their real-no-harm religious comforts against life’s uncertainties as well as hopes for the afterdeath they desire. Appreciative people may establish a culture of Security that empowers every real-no-harm society to flourish.

Over these four millennia, experiences and observations perhaps convinced the Jews that whatever may control reality, it is up to PEOPLE to assure Security. Therefore, in Israel, the Jews apply the noblest ideal I have ever contemplated (during my last two decades): Appreciative humans' greatest strength is that they neither impose nor tolerate force yet prepare for defense (tacit paraphrase of Agathon’s witness in Plato’s Symposium, about 2500 years ago).

We commend The Advocate to make 2017 the year The Advocate promotes We the [Civic] People of the United States, a concept derived from EBRP library meetings by a Louisiana non-profit, education corporation titled “A Civic People of the United States.” The long-term goal is the totality We the People of the United States, inspired by example rather than exhortation and hope.

Meetings began on June 21, 2014, a draft-constitution ratification anniversary. Thirty months ago, we proposed to use the civic preamble to the constitution for the USA to motivate Baton Rouge residents to solve the problems motivating St. George City. Later, we set September 17, 2017, national Constitution Day, as our goal for 2/3 of Baton Rougeans appreciating each other as iterative collaborators for civic morality or Security. Participation by over fifty people has brought our purpose to establishing public-integrity, a seemingly lofty goal. But all it takes is to awaken civic awareness and collaboration by the 2/3 who already work for civic justice but are divided by the past. In other words, we propose that The Advocate promote public-integrity, even though it is an idea originating in The Advocate’s home town.

People often remark that my writing makes no sense. My response is that people often express what they want to believe---humans are innately evil, we were born in sin, the elite must fear the masses, and other social conventions that are candidates for reform by civic morality. During the past 1700 years we’ve thought “merry Christmas” will provide peace someday: History informs precious doubt.

Our message is that mutual appreciation by a civic people can motivate peace during our lives in this place. Humankind’s tendency to be virtuous has never been demonstrated, but it may be, by coaching the children unto authentic young adulthood. Let’s use our opportunity to establish public-integrity in Baton Rouge. Let 2017 be the year peace rather than mere hope began in this place.