Today, protection
forces, such as the military, the police and others, protect us from other countries and from other citizens.
We have a history of using, exploiting, abusing, mistreating and harming each other and we continue to engage in this behaviour, so these forces are still necessary.
We have to change our internal qualities from the quality of selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to the quality of bestowal (seeking to benefit others).
If we change our ways, we'll stop harming others and all the protection forces will become unnecessary and will disappear.
The Bad
If you look at the history of mankind, it's been a brutal existence dominated by the quality of selfishness. People have sought to dominate each other resulting in endless wars and atrocities.
We don't trust each other and so we need to protect ourselves from each other.
While protection forces are now necessary, they are a drain on society because they consume monetary resources, employ intelligent people and use the best technologies, resources which could be best used elsewhere, to benefit society.
While protection forces create jobs, they come at a price. Soldiers, police and others put themselves in harms way, facing physical and mental harm, even death.
Hollywood has made spies and espionage seem glamorous, yet some of these people face cruel inhumane abuses, torture and even death.
All for what? This is humanity? This is who we are? This is the best that we can be? Do we really need to live this way, paranoid and in fear of one another? Do we need to subject protection forces personnel to harm and danger simply because we can't get along?
Some say they need protection forces as a defense because they don't trust what other countries or people may do. Others say they need protection forces as an offence to mitigate potential threats or to help others.
As long as we remain in the quality of selfishness, we'll continue to harm others. This behaviour has to stop.
We need to change our internal qualities from selfishness to bestowal/love of others/altruism. We need to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about others.
We need to seek to benefit others instead of ourselves and when we do this, we'll stop harming others. We'll build trust between us and we won't need protection forces to protect us from each other. We'll live in harmony with each other and with all of nature.
The Good
There are many positive things about the protection forces that could be used to benefit society.
Soldiers, police and others undergo specialized training that teaches valuable skills such as disciple, dedication, commitment, resolve, endurance, teamwork etc.
They also learn leadership, organization, time management, strategy, foresight, planning, logistics, working with goals, achieving results etc.
These skills and traits could be very helpful if they're used to benefit society.
We need to change our internal qualities from selfishness to concern for others, and seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
We are all one family and we have to start living as a family. We have to stop fighting and harming each other and start looking after each other in mutual concern and responsibility.
No disrespect is meant to veterans, military personnel, police personnel or other people who have risked and/or continue to risk their lives for the sake of others. Only love.
The Answer
The only battle we should be fighting is an internal battle with our internal qualities. Our internal qualities must change from selfishness to concern for others, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
Only God Himself can help us, protect us and change our internal qualities. As it's written, "... Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers." (Quran 3:150, Sahih)
We should live a life that's based on mutual responsibility, cooperation, collaboration, connection and trust. We are one family and we need to look after each other.
History has shown that empires come and empires go, and what is gained today is lost tomorrow. Jesus said, "... all who draw the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52, NIV)
However, there is one kingdom that will reign forever and that is God's kingdom. As it's written about Yeshua/Jesus/Isa, "... he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:33, NIV)
Copyright © 2013, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.
