The Paradox of Racism and Reparations
metgat
There is considerable evidence suggesting that reincarnation is a fact, although I believe it is somewhat more complex than those who believe in it realize. The evidence indicates that we reincarnate in both genders and in different races and cultures so that we can fully experience all aspects of life and progress in the world of spirit. The evidence further suggests that the soul chooses its parents and the lessons it wants to learn in its next lifetime, although undeveloped souls may not have a choice - they may be forced to come back to a lifetime that will help them overcome the transgressions of the past life. For example, a racist might be forced to come back in the race that he despised in the past life.
If there is anything to reincarnation and its concomitant, karma, I suspect there is something of a paradox in the reparations made by the U.S. Government to Native Americans and Native Hawaiians for having confiscated the land of their ancestors.
The paradox is that the conquerors, i.e., those who took the land from the Indians and Hawaiians, may have reincarnated in those races or cultures as a karmic debt. To put it another way, they were European Americans in a past life and have returned as Native Americans or Native Hawaiians in this life in order to experience some of the hurt they inflicted upon other races or cultures. At least that was the soul's intent. But these souls may have been too undeveloped to try hard enough in their attempts at expiation and are now reaping the rewards of their own negative actions, thus apparently not learning whatever lesson was intended.
I pondered this possibility while reading a front-page article in USA Today a few days ago. The article mentioned that Native American tribes are purging members from their rolls, apparently so that they won't have to share profits with them from casinos on land acquired from the U.S. Government as reparations for their (Americans') dastardly deeds a century or two ago.
As I see it, the whole reparations idea is grounded in materialism. It assumes that we are nothing more than biological beings, the product of our blood relatives. It denies the survival of consciousness and the whole idea of a spirit world and spiritual evolution. . What a paradox there, too, since Native Americans and Native Hawaiians have great traditions grounded in spirit. It makes absolutely no sense to me that the current generation of Native Americans and Native Hawaiians should be indemnified for the losses experienced by their ancestors five or six generations back. It seems to me that the forces of evil are at work here, just as they are in so many other areas of life.
Of course, it could be that the people being expunged from the Indian rolls are the former conquerors reincarnated. So maybe there is justice here. I don't know, but it sure smells of greed one way or the other. I'm just a blind groper in search of truth.
Access: Public
awareness
July 2008
Hello Mike,
Yes, there is a problem with the notion of reparations from the government to Native Americans, but not because they were treated with unspeakable cruelty by the Europeans. Crowfoot, a Blackfoot warrior, said, “Our land is more valuable than your money. It will last forever. It will not even perish by the flames of fire. As long as the sun shines and the waters flow, this land will be here to give life to men and animals. We cannot sell the lives of men and animals. It was put here by the Great Spirit and we cannot sell it because it does not belong to us.” And Crazy Horse said, “One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk.”
That was the belief of the Native Americans who settled this land beginning 14,000 years ago. And yet those who want reparations now are asking for money for the land their forefathers never claimed to own. They should be asking for reparations from a humanity destitute of spiritual grounding, so devoid of feelings of brotherhood that humankind would regard a people of another race, land, and religion as less than human.
Then who should be given reparations? We should demand reparations from the Italians, whose Roman ancestors disregarded the teachings of Jesus and created a church hierarchy that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 25 million people. We should expect reparations from the Greeks, whose rationalism resulted in Enlightenment materialism that threatens to destroy the earth today. We should demand compensation from the Medici family in Florence whose ancestors stirred a Renaissance that resulted in a humanism that rejected all things of the spirit.
Yes, I believe that reparations are due all of us. But we can't gain recompense from the past for what has brought us to where we are today. Instead, we need to be what we wish all of those in the past had been. We need to hear the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, and the other luminaries whose words would have spared us from the atrocities humankind has experienced in the last two millennia. Our outrage, in other words, must be converted into resolution. These atrocities will not happen again! And the only way we can ensure they don't happen again is to become what we want the world to be.
Yes, the demand for reparations is purely materialistic. There is no spiritual grounding in it. And that is the real tragedy. The Europeans removed the Native Americans from their land, but more tragically, they removed them from their spirituality.
Tecumseh said, ” So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and bow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
That shows no taint of European materialism. The demand for reparations is filled with the pox of materialism brought by the Europeans. We, and the Native Americans today, should demand reparations from those who preceded us for separating us from God, from one another, from nature, and from the wisdom that is in our spirits.
Ohiyesa, a Wahpeton Santee Sioux, said, “It was our belief that the love of possessions is a weakness to be overcome. Its appeal is to the material part, and if allowed its way, it will in time disturb one's spiritual balance. Therefore, children must early learn the beauty of generosity. They are taught to give what they prize most, that they may taste the happiness of giving.” That is the Christ mind, a fulfillment of the teachings of Jesus that the Europeans never had. The settlers took that away and gave the Native Americans a church. That is the transgression for which they should demand reparations.
Craig