"My country is the world and my religion is to do good."

-Thomas Paine

             I have just recently discovered this Paine quote, and though it is over 250 years old, it is a timeless and universal ideal that bears revisiting. I find myself in profound and deeply convicted agreement with this simple passage. It is simple in its statement, but incredible complicated in its effects.

        Let us examine it and understand what it means to live by the simplicity of such a statement. For convenience, I will break it down into two parts; the former and the latter.

        The first part claims a global citizenship. That would mean the child in sub-Saharan Africa is as much your neighbor and equal as the child that truly lives next door. The mother in East Timor struggling to feed her children is an much of a concern as the woman in your town that just had her SNAP benefits canceled. Not that you don't care about those people in your immediate vicinity, but that you care about the child and woman on the other side of the world just as much. It requires that being your brothers keeper does not stop when you cross an imaginary line on a constantly changing map full of them. It requires that your concern be universal instead of limited by any political, social, cultural or religious belief.

        The second part is almost deceitful in its simplicity, but there is nothing simple about it. If the core belief system is to do good, no matter the circumstances, then there is an almost overwhelming necessity to do three things; 1) know the truth or learn it, 2) a vast understanding of consequences and the ability to see how a process or action has effects in the long term, and 3) the courage to see harm, even potential harm, and repudiate it. 

        When put together as Paine has done, the statement becomes almost an universal Hippocratic oath. It requires thought, deliberation, community, commitment and work. Very hard, thankless, drudging work. It is hard to discern the truth, it take patience, study and an open mind (at its core, it requires the belief that, despite what you think, you could be wrong). No decision is incorruptible without some basis in truth. No policy, no belief, no action should be devoid of truth, otherwise, and I can guarantee this, there will be someone, somewhere harmed. But that truth should be almost as incorruptible as 2+2=4. The more incontrovertible the truth, the better the decisions that stem from that truth. Is there a perfect truth in most situations? Not if it involves any form of humanity. If a human being is involved, then the truth becomes colored by politics, belief systems, bigotry and greed. It is not that I am kicking the dog here, its that that is the way the human mind works, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It is swayed by experiences, upbringing, social and cultural pressures, etc. So finding the truth is, ultimately, extremely, almost impossibly, difficult. But through pati3nce, asking questions, study and dogged perseverance one may come damned close.

        I also believe that in today's world, to do good, an individual must prioritize. There is simply too much "ungood" for an individual to be able to change all of it. So, "first, do no harm", then select the harm you are prepared to commit your study, your resources, your thought and your commitment to correct. Then do it. Find others committed to correct the same harm. Use every aspect of who you are to correct it, while causing no harm in any other arena. Believe that good will prevail. Bet on it, even if you lose in the short term. I can only quote one of King Solomon's wise men to assist you in your endeavor- "This, too, shall pass."

        I find that my commitments along these lines clarify a lot of confusion, chaos and rhetoric. Its is very hard to lie to someone who has put in the time and effort to know the truth. It is equally hard to dissuade some one from doing good when they have a moral commitment to know what that is and act on it. Be that person.

UNUM

I would like to acknowledge Robert Arnold for exposing me to this Paine quote and explaining it better than I will ever be able. He has a YouTube channel that I hardily endorse. Please visit it if you have the chance.