Why Holism Is Truer Than Humanism
Just in case you are new to the Holistic Church and Holistic Religion, both have evolved; both used to be Humanistic.
After a while of preaching humanism, I realized that human-centrism is wrong. In the words of Native American Indians “The Earth doesn’t belong to us; we belong to the Earth”.
Focusing entirely on us is misleading. We don’t exist outside of the ecosystem. That’s why we have to look at our lives in the context of being a part of the ecosystem. That’s why Holism is truer than Humanism. That’s why living in harmony with the natural environment and having reverence for all life forms is high on Holistic Religion’s priority list.
We all pursue wholeness as individuals. But wholeness is the desired state of being inside as well as outside. Outside with other people; outside with other living beings; outside with Nature. (And yes, when I say Nature, we all think of pristine places, not landfills, not forest graveyards, or plastic-polluted beaches.)
Human-centrism (Anthropocentrism) spreads bias and perpetuates a false sense of superiority. We might be kings of our individual kingdoms. We are not the rulers of the ecosystem. The Earth sets the rules, we have to respect them.
Like all other living beings, we too have many rights when it comes to self-management or society. We don’t have the right to exploit and destroy the ecosystem that sustains us. The fact that we did could be – at least partially -blamed on ignorance. The fact that we continue to exploit and destroy cannot be explained away.
Being a part of anything comes with rights AND obligations. We embraced the rights of being a part of the ecosystem but rejected all obligations. Relationships based on receiving without giving end badly. There isn’t – and can’t be – a healthy, sustainable relationship without respect and reciprocity.
Your own body rebels when you don’t meet its demands. When you fail to sleep enough, drink too much, don’t eat on time, or exercise, you feel poorly and may eventually fall ill.
We robbed our once well-balanced ecosystem. It is “ill” as we speak. If we continue ignoring its needs, the Earth will likely survive, but we may not be so lucky.
That’s why embracing the holistic worldview is of extraordinary importance, and especially urgent, now.
The definition of what it means to be human changes depending on the influences and standards of the time.
Early on:
– a good hunter or gatherer
– a skilled killer
– an efficient robber
– or an obedient servant
was considered a good human being.
Later and to a large extent till today:
– someone well-educated
– someone charitable
– someone extraordinarily successful
– or someone wealthy, and so on
was – and still is – considered a good human being.
What is – or better yet, what should be – the definition of a good human being, today?
– someone who appreciates the interconnectedness and interdependence of the ecosystem and all life
– someone who respects differences and does no harm
– someone who contributes to environmental restoration
– someone who supports human rights and animal rights
– someone who puts the common good over competitiveness
– someone who builds and pursues mutually-supportive relationships
– someone who lives by – and speaks up for – their convictions
Because when all is said and done, the greatest success in life is validation achieved while being true to yourself, your life partner, and your family, doing what’s right by others and the ecosystem at large.
#Holism #Humanism #Spirituality #HumanistChurch #HumanistHolisticChurch
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