Diamonds in a Dunghill

As Truth seekers, we will naturally reach the same conclusions in the end about the nature of existence, on our journey towards the absolute Truth. We have many beliefs in common but not everything is the same. We may not even hold the same views about right and wrong. As you know the Junto is an open forum where we can debate right and wrong courses of action. This is as it should be. No one religion, group or philosophy has the absolute Truth.” Bill interrupted “but some groups are closer to the Truth than others.” “Certainly, but this is not a static thing. Groups change over time. A religious organisation may start out based on truth, right thinking and goodness but it may not always stay that way. Misguided and sometimes evil people can and do take over good groups and lead them down the wrong path. So a good group can become bad with bad leadership. Also sometimes the leaders of groups who start off with good intentions become corrupted by greed and power. History is littered with examples, spanning almost every nation and religion.” “Like the Spanish Inquisition and so on” Bill suggested. “Exactly!”………………… ……………..Raymond scratched his chin thoughtfully “We have an understanding about evolution that differs from the mainstream. We believe that the earth’s creatures were evolved to the point where there was an ape suitable for the introduction of our human souls.” “So your views don’t conflict with the scientific view of evolution?” Bill interrupted. “No not really, except that most scientists believe it all happened by chance which is a ridiculous notion.” Bill nodded his agreement “So how did the souls of man get into the evolved apes?” Raymond smiled “That’s a bit like asking how God created the universe, something we can only speculate upon. The event wherein a fixed number of human souls were made ready to take on the bodies of the species known as Homo sapiens is called the “fall” of man.” “Yes I’ve heard of that” Bill responded. “That fixed number must have been more than the number of humans who are alive on the planet today then?” “Of course, there are always a variable number of human souls who are waiting on the astral plain of existence to be reincarnated, depending on the number of people currently alive.”……………… ……………………………. The elevator opened and they stepped out into a corridor with no signage, just a door at which Simon waved an electronic key and entered, beckoning Bill to follow. The door opened into what looked like a boardroom with a large rectangular table. Around the table sat a group of about a dozen people, mainly men, who all looked up and smiled warmly as Simon spoke. “This is Bill, the gentleman from Australia we’ve been expecting.” Simon took a vacant seat at the head of the table and motioned for Bill to take the seat next to him. Bill’s mind was racing, who were these people? “You’re probably wondering what this is all about” Simon continued as if reading Bill’s mind. “We are an organisation dedicated to upholding the values and aspirations of the founding fathers of the United States of America. It is our sworn duty to ensure that America remains strong and continues to be a force for freedom and democracy in the world. We think of ourselves as a watchdog on the rulers of America. The founding fathers had a vision for America that was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. However there are forces that seek to destroy this great vision. Politicians come and go, and while most have the best interests of the USA and its people at heart, some are misguided and seek to bring in laws that restrict the great freedoms and rights of the individual laid down by our forefathers. It often starts benignly by politicians who believe it’s their role to bring “social justice” to the world, but that develops into a desire to dictate how others should lead their lives. It’s our job to monitor any such threats and to do anything we can to prevent them from gaining a foothold.” “How do you do that?” Bill asked politely. “We prefer not to talk about our methods” Simon replied…………………… …………………..“Islam is pretty unkind to women isn’t it?” Bill asked bluntly. “I mean no offence but, as a woman, how do you feel about that side of it.” “I think it’s a bit overblown” she replied. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes on against women that isn’t even in the Quran.” “But doesn’t it say in the Quran that a man is allowed to beat his wife if she’s disobedient?” “Yes that’s true” Akram conceded “and that’s exactly what my ex-husband used to do to me. I’m not saying it’s perfect but there are problems with other religions too, even in Christianity women are treated below men.” Bill nodded “That may be so, but it’s a question of degree. In Islam a woman’s testimony is worth only half that of a man’s, which makes rape almost impossible to prosecute.” “I know what you mean” Akram agreed. “A woman can even incriminate herself by reporting a rape.” “And what about the polygamy that Islam allows, would you like it if Don had other wives?” “We’re not actually married but I’m sure he would like it” Akram grinned. “But what if it was the other way around, that you had two husbands? I bet he wouldn’t like that” Bill argued.