anticipating spring ~
awaiting the days I can
sleep under the stars
write poetry
on sun-dappled afternoons
dance in a moonlit garden
swim and paint
and wiggle my toes in the grass
when i feel so alive giddy tingly
i could dance away.

long dreary winter days
leave such a gloom
the darkness sits under my skin
and pouts.
i cannot tolerate one minute longer
as i stand on a chair
tying a knot on the end of a rope
to hang myself wit
and then~ wait~

pop!
suddenly the sun bursts forth
with a splash of yellow warmth.
hooray!!
i step down from the chair
take my rope outside
and i skip rope in the sun.

The next time you drive by a site of new construction, and you notice a sign that says something like, “Future Home of the Forest-Glen Presbyterian Church,” imagine that you instead saw the following sign: “Future Home of the Idaho Humanist Education Center.” Now, imagine that in several months, when the construction is complete, you drive to the new building, pull into the parking lot, park next to a small elm tree, and go inside. Imagine that the words “Idaho Humanist Education Center” are stenciled on the glass double-doors, and that an office sits just off the entrance foyer, with a desk, and a person sitting at the desk who waves warmly to you through the office window. Imagine several small rooms, each with a long conference table, several chairs, a whiteboard and projector, and imagine a large central room with a podium, projector screen, and room for 150 people to sit. Imagine a room that is a library of Humanist and freethought literature. Imagine a kitchen, where meals for events and for the homeless are prepared.

Do you suppose there a lot of pizza parlors in Boise? There are. Now, get out your phone book and compare the number of pizza joints in Boise to the number of churches in Boise. Get the point?

An Idaho Humanist Education Center is a dream that I revert to whenever I see another church being built. Someday, I will walk through doors stenciled with “Idaho Humanist Education Center,” and someday I will donate my freethought literature to the Humanist library, and I will proudly volunteer my time in the Humanist homeless soup kitchen.

The Humanists of Idaho are the only Humanist group in Idaho. Our efforts to increase membership, and to raise money for the group, are merely the actions we take to progress toward a future in which the Humanist presence in Idaho is vocal, respected, and established. In this future, the Idaho Humanist Education Center can be a reality.

I ask that as you drive, and as you see new churches, that you think of the Idaho Humanist Education Center. I ask that as you consider your participation in Humanists of Idaho, that you remember this future, and that you realize that a small group of Humanists can accomplish a lot, if the individuals are willing to put in the effort.

“What meaning does your life have, if there is no god, no afterlife? What does your existence mean to you without the promise of eternal love?”

I hope, and I suspect, that you FEEL what’s wrong with that question. Humanism is, if nothing else, a joy for life that transcends dogma. Even as you intuitively sense the absurdity of that question, consider for a moment the logical fault at work in the question – consider the assumptions that lie under the inquest.

Christians believe in an infinite afterlife of bliss. For the pious, life here “on earth” must be a bit of an annoyance – a 79-year waiting room. If you are looking forward to an infinite amount of time in blissful serenity, then what relevance do material life and finite time possess? What could it possibly matter if you eat, or go to work, or even to get out of bed in the morning? Death holds the ultimate significance for the believer, and that exempts this life from any true meaning. A lifetime on earth does not even make a noticeable dent in an infinite time scale.

On the other hand, those of us who recognize the finiteness of our time hold death to be irrelevant – death is nothing at all. Hence, we recognize that life is the only truly precious thing we have. Every passing moment is crucial because it is so quickly – and so permanently – lost. Unlike the believer, whose life-span is a negligible bump on a path to eternity,time is the only commodity that Humanists truly possess. To fully appreciate each and every moment of that time is our most challenging goal, and is what elevates our lives above that of believers. We strive to understand and appreciate others, we seek justice for ourselves and for others, we work to secure peace for our world, because the preciousness of our time here demands it. There is no big-daddy to make things better for us, and if we leave this life without having made a positive change to it, we have failed to recognize and exercise the value of our finite existence.

When someone asks you what meaning your life can possibly have, speak seriously about the preciousness of your existence. Explain that it is precisely BECAUSE of your freedom from religious myth that you find meaning in life, and it is BECAUSE you reject appeals to supernatural power that you revel in exploring the depths of science and social justice. Explain that believing in a god would rob life of its significance, of its relevance, and of its passion and beauty.

Robert Ingersoll once wrote of the joys of freedom from god-belief. His words, which follow, are a beautiful tribute to the brilliance of Humanism…

The Joy of Freedom
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833 -1899)

When I became convinced that the Universe is natural – that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of Freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell. The dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts, bars and the manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world – not even in infinite space.

I was Free.
Free to think, to express my thoughts
Free to live to my own ideal
Free to live for myself , and those I loved
Free to use my faculties, all my senses
Free to spread imagination’s wings
Free to investigate, to guess and dream, and hope
Free to judge and determine for myself
Free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the “inspired” book that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past .
Free from popes and priests
Free from all the ” called ” and the “set apart”
Free from sanctified mistakes and holy lies
Free from the fear of eternal pain
Free from the winged monsters of the night
Free from devils, ghosts and gods
For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of my thought – no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings.

No chains for my limbs
No lashes for my back
No fires for my flesh
No master’s frown or threat
No following another’s steps
No need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words.

I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds. And my heart was filled with gratitude, with thankfulness, and went out in love to all the heroes, and the thinkers who gave their lives for the Liberty of hand and brain,

For the freedom of labor and thought
To those who fell on the fierce fields of war, to those who died in dungeons with chains.
To those who proudly mounted scaffold’s stairs
To those whose bones were crushed, whose flesh was scarred and torn
To those by fire consumed
To all the wise, the good, the brave of every land, whose thoughts and deeds have given freedom to the sons (and daughters ) of men (and women ).

And I vowed to grasp the torch that they held, and hold it high, that light might conquer darkness still.

While I expect to see religious symbols on churches or mosques or other church properties, I am uncomfortable with those in the public venue. Many different religions and philosophies have contributed to this valley and they deserve to be honored, or at least INCLUDED!

What about the native Americans who were here first? The sizable Jewish community? The Muslim and Buddhist communities? The skeptics, agnostics, humanists or those who subscribe to a scientific philosophy? Would the Jaycees allow a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant owner to belong? A Jewish businessman? An American Indian? An Agnostic? The cross is, at best, insensitive to their views. How would Christians feel having to look at a Buddhist or Moslem symbol, a swastika, a symbol of a white supremacist religion or even a Darwin fish with feet? Are the Jaycees a specific religious organization?

I suggest it is time to develop a special landmark, sculpture, art work or insignia that is unique to Boise, or to Idaho as a whole — one that is INCLUSIVE not EXCLUSIVE. Let’s have a contest to design a lighted symbol that can really put Boise on the map. The new monument could have a park at it’s base and be an inspiration to tolerance and the amalgamation of many cultures that has made this nation special.

As I write this, it is Saturday, November 27th, and 10,000 people have just finished a march in favor of keeping the Table Rock cross right where it is.

Just how did this come to pass? The controversy began on November 6, when atheist human rights activist Rob Sherman visited Boise and spoke at BSU at the request of Idaho Atheists. In what was described as a “canned speech on atheism”, Sherman mentioned that he was shocked that there was a Christian cross overlooking the city, and that it should be removed.

The news media picked up on this comment, and Sherman, a radio talk show host, played it up as well. Over the next few days a controversy ballooned, and Sherman has found evidence that the Idaho Board of Lands and the Boise Jaycees colluded in a closed sale of the land the cross stands on for the purpose of promoting Christianity. If true, this would be a violation of state law.

All this started while we were out of town, but I’ve been doing a little research and have learned a few things.

First, a bit of background: The Junior Chamber of Commerce, or Jaycees, is a national organization founded in 1946 to promote free enterprise and community involvement. In 1950, the Jaycee’s creed was expanded to include belief in God, and since that time, promotion of Christianity seems to have been part of its mission. In the 1950s, the group built the cross on what was then Department of Corrections land.

In 1971, the Oregon state supreme court ruled in favor of an ACLU lawsuit to remove a cross displayed on public land in that state. By this time, Table Rock was under the control of the Idaho Board of Lands. The Jaycees were concerned that the ACLU would try to have the Table Rock cross removed in a similar fashion. To prevent this, the Jaycees asked the Land Board to sell them the land, but to keep the auction as quiet as possible. The board agreed not to mention the cross in the public notice of the land sale, and also resolved to reject any competing bids. A small parcel of land under the cross was sold to the Jaycees for $100. Supporting documents are available at www.robsherman.com.

Since 1971, legal challenges to the cross have gone nowhere because the cross is on “private land” But if the sale of the land itself were found illegal, this defense would collapse.

This would not be the first time that the Land Board has engaged in questionable dealings. Its long standing practice of leasing state land to ranchers even when others have made much higher bids for the land has come under increasing criticism because it violates the board’s charter to maximize revenues from the land. Selling land in a closed auction would seem to violate the same charter.

Even if the manner of the sale were deemed to be legal, the purpose of the sale may not have been. If, as it seems clear, the land was sold for the purpose of promoting Christianity, it violates the separation of church and state.

A related question is whether the Jaycees is a religious organization. The Boy Scouts of America, for example, have claimed that they are a private religious organization and therefore have the right to discriminate against unbelievers. It would be interesting to know if the Jaycees make a similar claim, and if they discriminate against unbelievers. If so, it makes it very hard to claim that the sale was for a secular purpose.

The controversy over the Table Rock cross may prove to be the one of the biggest battles for separation of church and state in Idaho history. On the surface it looks as if the battle is over before it has even begun. I have talked to several members of Idaho Atheists, and some feel that the negative publicity from this may have been so severe that the group may never be able to recover from it. Others see it as an opportunity for outreach and progress, however.

More important than the cross itself perhaps is the opportunity for discussion once the controversy dies down. How do we as a community come to terms with the fact that Boise is changing and becoming more diverse, with growing numbers of non-Christians? Many of the city’s Christians have not come to terms with this at all, and continue to see non-Christians and especially atheists as outsiders, even as a threat to the community.

So far, Humanists of Idaho has not been involved in this battle and has not gotten much publicity, positive or negative, out of it. How do you feel about this? What does the cross mean to you personally? Do you find it in any way distressing or threatening? Should Humanists of Idaho speak out about it, or would you prefer that we focus on other issues? Let us know.

I have a friend who studies Oriental philosophy and martial arts. Recently we had a discussion about Qi-Gong, the ancient Chinese belief that an energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) exists in the body, and can be focused on points in the body to cause healing or harm. Practitioners work from elaborate diagrams showing paths where Qi energy “flows” through the body. This belief is the basis of acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicines, and also plays a role in many of the martial arts.

My friend agrees with me that the concept of Qi as an energy force is probably wrong. But he maintains that these disciplines do work to some extent and after some discussion we arrived at an explanation of how these practices might have developed.

The modern approach to medicine could be called a “white box” approach. That is, it is based on anatomy and how the internal systems of the body work. The term “white box” means being able to see inside the system you are studying. This is a very powerful method, and is one of the reasons that modern medicine has been so effective at treating disease and extending human life.

The human body can also be approached from a “black box” perspective, that is, observing behavior without knowing the internal details of how a system works. For example, the observation that placing a needle on a certain part of the body can alleviate pain in a different part of the body.

For a sufficiently large number of observations, a sort of picture of the internal system can be built up. This picture may be completely wrong, but can have predictive power nonetheless. The danger of this approach comes when the picture is still held up as truth even after new instruments come along that allow you to look “inside the box” directly.

One example of a black box approach to knowledge was the “science” of phrenology. This was a belief that specific functions of the mind were localized in specific areas of the brain. Developed long before the availability of MRI brain scans, phrenology was based on the simple observation that if certain parts of the brain were damaged or destroyed, specific functions such as morality or memory or speech were impaired, but other functions not at all.

Phrenologists concluded that you could tell something about the person by the size and shape of the brain case. For example, a person with a bump on his head above his “honesty center” was likely to be a very honest person. Phrenologists drew diagrams of the different areas of the brain and their functions.

It is turns out that things are not quite so simple. Full understanding of a complex system like the brain will only be achieved by instruments able to look inside the brain itself.

Another example of a black box approach to knowledge was the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, developed by the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy. Because Ptolemy lacked instruments powerful enough to see the planets in detail, he couldn’t really know what they were, only how they moved. While his model had predictive power, it was so complex that it offended logic and common sense. It was not until 1610 when Galileo pointed his telescope at the heavens that the true nature of the planets was revealed. But by that time Ptolemy’s system had become an article of faith.

Developed in ancient China at a time when dissection of cadavers was forbidden, Qi-Gong probably began as an empirical, black box approach to medicine. But over time, it went beyond observation, and became a religious belief. For example, there are Qi-Gong “masters” who claim to be able to focus their Qi at a distance to knock down opponents without touching them. These feats invariably turn out to be cheap magic tricks that do not hold up under close scrutiny.

More alarming, today in China, despite access to modern medicine in some areas, there are still hospitals where serious conditions like deafness, paralysis, cataracts, and even cholera are treated using acupuncture alone. Entire species like the tiger and the panda are being decimated because of the use of animal parts in traditional Chinese medicine, based on the Qi-Gong traditions.

I am not suggesting that skeptical western science should dismiss all Qi-Gong claims because of these excesses. It would be interesting to apply modern clinical research methods to some of the more plausible claims to determine what is actually going on and if there are any effective treatments involved.

In a system as complex as the human body, it is not too hard to believe that stimulating a particular nerve ending in one part of the body might tell the brain to release pain-killing chemicals to another part of the body. But believing it might be true is one thing, knowing for sure and understanding the mechanisms involved is quite another.

What would you do if you read something in the paper that made you angry? What if you were 12 years old and read something in the paper that made you angry?

At 12, Craig Kielburger read an article about Iqbal Masih, a freed child laborer from Pakistan who had been murdered because he spoke out against child labor and brought international attention to the problem. Craig wanted to know more about the issue but found very little information at the library on the subject. He talked to several agencies dedicated to helping children but he wasn’t satisfied with what he found.

He then went to his seventh grade class with the story of Iqbal Masih. He and his classmates decided to take the issue to a youth fair in Toronto. They made homemade signs and did research on children being used as “slave” labor in developing countries.

When they arrived they found themselves up against organizations with slick brochures and presentations. But they had something none of the others had – children fighting to help children.

While many adults thought of them as cute kids in a club, Craig and his friends persevered. Now their “club” is an international human rights organization called Free the Children. It is the only organization of its kind run by children. Members must be under 18 to vote on issues. Adult advisors help with legal issues and accounting, but most of the real work is done by children.

Free the Children is working to bring to light what is happening to children in developing countries. They are working with the United Nations and other human rights organizations to get every nation to ratify and enforce the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Only two countries, Somalia and the United States, have not ratified this document.

At the age of 13, Craig Kielburger traveled to India and Thailand to meet children working as laborers in appalling conditions, and others that had escaped bondage. Now he travels around the world telling what he has learned and urging adults to follow the example of these children and help free those children still trapped in oppressive conditions.

Craig Kielburger has written a book on his experiences, also called Free the Children. He tells the stories of the children that he met and the horror he felt when he realized the kind of life they led. This remarkable young man is working to change the world and make sure that all children have a chance to be just that. If you would like to learn more you can visit their website at www.freethechildren.org.

Adults seem to be condemning this generation of children, especially the media who sensationalize those few children who commit serious crimes. We need to see more stories on children like Craig Keilburger. Instead of showing pictures of those that are hurting others we need to show pictures of those that are healing others, and there are many. For every Columbine shooter there is a Craig Kielburger, so why then aren’t they turned into household names?

Just as we now judge societies by how they treated women and minorities, the future will judge us by how we treat children. We will not be truly civilized until every nation recognizes that children are not mere property to be indoctrinated, enslaved, or used by adults for their own purposes. Children are developing human beings, with many of the same rights that adults have. But if their rights are to be fully recognized, children themselves may have to demand them. Free the Children may be the vanguard of the next evolution in human rights.

It’s that time again. Every two years our roadways are polluted by cardboard and plastic signs conveying no useful information, our doorsteps are invaded by pamphleters, and our airways are polluted with messages of hate and intolerance. What is this menace? I’m talking about political campaign ads.

Every two years, politicians and candidates of all parties bombard us with images that reflect a distorted sense of reality, a reality where there are only two kinds of people: US and THEM. While every candidate draws this line a little differently, the message can always be condensed down to this: “I’m one of YOU. Vote for me, or my opponent, who is one of THEM, will do terrible things to you and your family.” There is often another message, usually not spoken directly: “Vote for me and I’ll do terrible things to THEM on your behalf.”

In political parlance, this is called creating wedge issues. Divide and conquer. Define mutually opposing armed camps in the mind of the voter and identify yourself with the camp most popular in your district. Liberals vs. conservatives. Outdoorsman vs. environmentalists. Fundamentalist Christians vs. Church-state separationists. Natives vs. immigrants. Federal vs. local control. Pro-lifers vs. pro-choicers. Consumers and workers vs. large corporations. Poor vs. Rich. Teachers vs. parents. Taxpayers vs. government bureacrats.

But reality is far more complex. For one thing, the battle lines are never as clear as politicians would like us to believe. For example, liberals and conservative politicians both agree with 99% of the laws that are already on the books, but only talk about the 1% they would change or do differently than each other. So even these supposed “opposing camps” have much in common. It is also possible for a person to be in both camps on any of these issues. A person can be an outdoorsman and an environmentalist at the same time, or be a fundamentalist Christian and be opposed to theocracy, or believe that abortion should be legal even though they believe it is morally wrong and something they would never do themselves, or work for a large corporation and still care about consumer and worker issues, or be a teacher and parent both, and so on. In other words, politicians present us with false choices.

Politicians also make false promises, in that they promise “victory” over the other side. But in a democracy at least, “victory” is impossible, because people on “the other side” will continue to exist after the election. Also in a democracy, elected officials are expected to work on behalf of the entire community, not just those who voted for them. It turns out that this is actually what most voters want: leaders who bring stability and unity, and who will solve problems, not create them.

But our political system rarely produces such leaders anymore, in part because the interests that fund political campaigns care more about whether a candidate supports their issue and ideology than whether a candidate can lead and unite. They prefer candidates who give standard, packaged answers to candidates who give thoughtful, independent ones. Another example are political think tanks, who rarely recruit original thinkers, preferring policy analysts who already agree with their agenda.

Perhaps this is why each year more and more Americans are refusing to play the politicians’ game. Each election fewer people vote, and fewer people remain loyal to the political parties. As political consumers, they are unsatisfied with the choices available to them.

I should probably say something about third parties, which have gotten a lot of attention this election. While third parties as a group bring diversity to politics, individually they are even more driven by ideology, and their candidates are even more likely to use wedge issues than major party candidates. The TV and radio commercials Pat Buchanan has been playing here in Idaho are an example. Other than pointing out flaws in existing policies, and providing a vehicle for minority points of view to be heard, third parties in America today do little to contribute to the search for leadership or practical policies that work.

Leo Tolstoy once defined freethinkers as “those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs”. I believe the solution is for more Americans to become political freethinkers, to become true independents, and to withdraw our support from political organizations whose only purpose is to promote ideology rather than to search for practical solutions to human problems.

Also, in evaluating our own beliefs we should also be prepared to consider not only that we might be wrong and the opposition might be right, but that the very issue we disagree on may become obsolete or irrelevant in the future. In the next century our society may change in ways so profound and unexpected, that the old debates of liberal vs. conservative will be seen as useless tomorrow as a debate over the gold standard, child labor laws, or woman suffrage would be today. Knowing that profound changes will almost certainly happen, it makes more sense to call any public policy what it is: merely the best we can do today, rather than the best of all possible worlds.

Each year, I am invited to participate in the Thanksgiving Celebration at the Jewish Synagogue. It is held each year at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. People from many different faiths and cultures are invited to attend. The service celebrates diversity, faith, and thanks for the harvest. We sing hymns, Jewish songs, and English pub chants. There is usually a Native American drum song as well. And we each light a candle for our own beliefs.

Following is one of the ceremonies performed each year at this celebration. I personally find it meaningful, and I would like to share it with those of you who were not be able to attend this year’s service.

“Many native tribes have a ceremony by which they begin their day. It goes by many different names and body movements. This description is a composite of what I have learned from others and what has developed within me from my own practices. I encourage you to find herein what truly resonates with you and release the rest. You are your own process. Honor it, and be at peace.”
– Rev. Kathryn E. McDowell Sept. 8, 1991

East: I face the East, the place of beginnings, the place of the morning sun. This day I make the declaration that my life is new. This is my beginning. Everything that has happened before this day is done, and I begin afresh with new ideas and courage. I welcome this day as my opportunity to shine like the sun.

South: The South is the place of fertility, the seeds of tomorrow. Here, in this moment, I place all my ideas, my plans, my dreams, to be fertilized by my faith and my strength, and to be nurtured by the One Spirit which gives me all I ask, both with my lips and with my heart. I now offer to the South my ideas and dreams.

West: This is the place of the setting sun, the place of completion and endings. Here I release all worries and burdens from yesterday. Here I also release all joys and successes from yesterday, for even they cannot hold me back from my new life already begun. Just as surely as the setting sun sets ablaze the sky, I set ablaze all that would restrict or inhibit me from living my greatness. I am cleansed and purified in the fire of the old passing away so that the new can be fully free to manifest.

North: As I turn to the North, the place of the Great Wisdom, the Great Mystery, I stand in awe of my life and all I have accomplished to date. I step forth into this day with faith, and I trust that the Great Mystery provides me with the guidance, directions, answers, and knowledge which I seek. I step forth with courage, confidence, faith, and peace knowing I am a part of the entire Universe and it is part of me.

Above: I salute the sky that covers me. It is the place of the sun which makes the crops grow and which makes me feel so vibrant. It is the place where I often think of the Great Spirit. It is the place where I always know that as great as I may have been or may yet become in the world, there is an aspect of myself that is always greater, always higher than I have ever reached

Below: I salute the ground upon which I stand. It holds me and sustains me. My pathway upon it is smooth and straight. This is the Mother Earth, the point of origin from which all things come up from the roots, from the nutrients, from the soil. I give thanks for this strong foundation of love and life upon which I stand before.

Within: This is the place where it all comes home. Here, inside me, I sense and feel and know all of the other directions. This is the place where it all comes together and I understand what”one” means. I am one with the beginning, one with the fertile fields of my mind. I am one with my willingness to release the past, to move on to the Great Mystery, the Great Unknown. I am one with all that is above and below me and it all comes to rest in this center point of my being. I celebrate this and give thanks.

Upon completion of your Blessing, remember that you carry it with you throughout the day into every situation and that you are always blessed.

The holidays can be a time of joy, beauty, and hope, but they can also be a time of contradictions. On the one hand, Americans genuinely wish for “Peace on Earth, good will toward men”. At the same time we fill the air with song declaring how great it is that our religion is the one true religion and that our personal diety is the one true God. It doesn’t seem to occur to most people just how discordant these messages really are.

With the Cold War now over, the greatest remaining threat to Peace on Earth is paternal, rewards-based religion. From the street battles between Muslims and Jews in Palestine, to the sectarian strife between Christians in northern Ireland, to the Taliban’s systematic erasure of an entire generation of Afghani women, religion-motivated violence springs from the same source: the idea that God will eternally reward those who follow the one true faith and eternally punish those who believe differently, regardless of their conduct or moral behavior. The stronger this belief, the more likely a person is to diminish others who have different beliefs, and the easier it is to violate the human rights of others.

When adults teach children that God himself is a bigot who will condemn good people to eternal suffering because they don’t call him by the right name (or don’t talk to him at all), should we really be surprised when some of those children grow up to plant bombs in buses, shoot their neighbors with automatic weapons, or leave a young man to die on a barbed wire fence in Wyoming because God supposedly doesn’t approve of his behavior? The doctrine of hell is a doctrine of eternal violence.

I am reminded of a scene in the movie Gandhi portraying a story of a Hindu man who came to the Mahatma during the sectarian strife between Muslims and Hindus after India declared independence from Britian. The man confessed to doing something so terrible he was doomed to hell. Because Muslim fanatics had killed his son, the man had killed the child of a Muslim family in a fit of rage. Gandhi declared “I know a way out of hell,” and told the man to find a Muslim boy whose parents had died in the troubles, and raise the boy as his own son, but raise him in the Muslim faith.

In a world where no religion is in the majority, and over a billion people have no religious belief at all, the measure of how close we are to achieving Peace on Earth may not be how many people put up Christmas lights, or how many people are shooting each other in the West Bank, but how many of us could do what Gandhi asked this man to do. If you adopted a child from overseas, could you raise it in the beliefs of it’s native land rather than your own? If not, why not? At the dinner table, what do you tell your own children about people whose beliefs are different?

This year, every person who truly wants Peace on Earth should resolve to learn more about other beliefs. Study the texts of another belief not to condemn it but to find beauty in it. Once this year, attend a synagogue, mosque, or interfaith service. Soak up the thundering oratory of Robert Ingersoll for a glimpse into the agnostic mind. Travel the cosmos with Carl Sagan. Spend a reflective evening with the Dalai Lama. Experience the diversity of man’s attempts to find meaning.

Along the way, we might understand what Gandhi probably really meant when he said (again, from the movie) “We are all Muslims, and we are all Hindus.” We are all human beings, and human beings are much more precious than any symbol, or doctrine, or church.