The Church of Euthanasia

e-sermon #11

I spent Christmas in a T-shirt this year, folks. Who says the planet isn't getting warmer? For the first time in history, we all face a common enemy. For the first time, we face a truly global crisis. Never before has man been united in this way. Even in the world wars, or the cold war, man was divided against himself. No longer. Everyone needs clean air and water, and food to eat. No living creature can survive prolonged contact with its own waste. No species can increase its population indefinitely. We do not inhabit the vastness of space. We live in a finite world, with finite resources that must sustain all life, not just our own. The food pyramid we sit at the top of is an unimaginably complex web of interdependent living beings. A single pond contains more relationships than we can possibly count, and don't think people haven't tried. The trees that make our atmosphere breathable thrive within narrow temperature bands. When the temperature changes too rapidly, they die. The insects we fear so much play indispensable roles in the maintenance of our ecosystems. When the environment is contaminated with toxic chemicals, they die, and beings that depend on them die. When we kill insects, trees, animals, plants, or any living beings indiscriminately, carelessly, without consideration, we kill ourselves. Let's not waste any more time talking about whether there's a problem, or how big it is, or whose fault it is. We have meddled with the primordial forces of nature. We must atone. Let's start talking about solutions.

The Church of Euthanasia isn't asking much of you. We're not asking you to go to mass, or recite prayers, or sing hymns. We're not asking you to deny yourself sexual pleasure, or submit to some mighty paternal authority. We're not even asking you for money, though we could certainly use it. All we are asking you to do is not procreate, and not eat meat. It's really that simple. These two small sacrifices can have more effect on the future of the earth and her creatures than anything else you can do. You can change the world.

Everything else is strictly optional. If you feel inspired, you could give up your car if you have one, and use public transportation or a bicycle. You could plant a garden and try to grow some of your own food. You could try to use less electricity, or less water, or less paper or plastic. You could recycle more, or buy only recycled products. You could spread the word to other people, to friends and family and neighbors. If you're really ambitious, you could organize a group of like-minded individuals and do all of these things, together. With enough of you working together, you might even be able to build a solar or earth-heated home somewhere. It sounds harder than it is. There are resources out there to help you. People are doing these things right now. But if you can't do them, don't despair. If you're too lazy, or too poor, or too afraid, even if you honestly just don't want to, it's okay. Just by choosing to not procreate, and not eat meat, you've already done the minimum. You can pat yourself on the back. You can feel good about yourself. You are changing the world.

There are those among us who know the truth, and willingly choose to ignore it, out of selfishness, or avarice, or pride. Let's not kid ourselves; there is evil out there. There are forces of darkness and light in the world. In the immortal words of Ghandi, "what you do will not matter, but it is very important that you do it." It is not the exact sequence of events, but the principle that counts. The world needs each and every one of you to fulfill your destiny and achieve enlightenment, here and now. Alone, your life is a tiny, flickering flame. Joined together in harmony with all other beings, your life force becomes a blinding white light that illuminates the darkness and overcomes evil. Look within yourself, and know that there is hope. The earth was created with love. Feel love, for the living earth, for your fellow travelers, and above all for yourself. With love, you will find the strength to heal yourself.

Probably love has totally disappeared from this world. Love implies generosity and care, not to hurt one another, not to make another feel guilty, but to be generous, courteous, and behave in such a manner that your words and thoughts are born out of compassion . . . Everything in the world as it exists now, the society, the family, the parents, the children--they have no love. Do you think there would be wars if they had love? Do you think there would be governments that consider it perfectly all right for you to be killed? Such a society would never exist if your mother and father really loved you, cared for you, looked after you and taught you how to be kind to people, how to live and how to love.

-Krishnamurti

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