Ben England
Sep 2, 2018 · 2 min read

I like this article much better, because you are advocating *for* something — freedom from superficial greatness, and a redefinition of greatness as caring for others. I would just remind you of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, which seems to me to be more representative of the history of this country. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” This is a long way from the Trump-ian America of today. But the point is that America is not a place, it is an idea. I believe it’s time for that idea to become a global idea and not just an American idea. That there is a better way to live, where people have a say in how they are governed, where basic rights are protected, and where people can get their basic needs met, and have opportunities to improve their lot in life through work. Is there anyone in the world that doesn’t want these things?

So how did America change? I think I have part of the answer, and I don’t think any of you are going to like it — the death of religion. I myself am an atheist, but that doesn’t mean that I see no value at all in religion, which at its core is saying that there is something more important than our individual selves and advancement of our own goals. America was founded on the assumptions inherent in Judeo-Christian values, although in many cases they were not applied at first(native americans, blacks, women, asians). To grossly oversimplify them (I apologize that I am no religious scholar) perhaps Judaism was supposed to be about justice and rule of (divine) law, and Christianity was about “love thy neighbor as thyself” (At that time there was not a large Islamic population in America). These were the counter-weight to the forces of unrestrained capitalism — even capitalist leaders like Rockefellers went to church or temple and understood that they had to respect the law and give back to their communities.

While I personally do not believe in God, we have not replaced God with a belief in something bigger than ourselves. It’s time to take this step, not because God will send us to hell if we don’t, but because it’s time to strive for a world that we can be proud of and want to live in.

    Ben England

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