How Can We Obey The Law Against War?
by Jan Stephen James Cavanaugh, Ph.D. on 04/08/17
How Can We Obey the Law Against War?
Global Consciousness / Global Conversation
by
JanStephen Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
How can we obey the law against war? When we believe in—and trust—this law to keep us safe from war?
We are beginning the 21st Century with more of humanity freed from war through law than ever before, yet catastrophic war continually looms on the horizon.
What to do?
Ending War is a Global Project
The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928—the law against war; the lesson of World War I to end all war—was agreed upon international law. The United States and much of the “we” of humanity are signees.
Yet, at the beginning of the 21st century, the “we” of humanity give this law no global authority.
With no global will, the “we” of humanity cannot enforce this law. Why? Because the necessary and sufficient conditions for obeying this law are not present in global consciousness.
The sufficient condition before we can obey any law is belief in the efficacy of the law. Most of us do not rob banks because we believe robbing banks is wrong. We believe and empower the law. Most of us stop on red because we fear the negative consequences. The necessary condition for the “how can we obey” is fear of law. We fear and give law enforcement authority.
Belief and fear are the sufficient and necessary conditions of the mindset of consciousness before the ego—in whatever manifestation—will submit to international global authority to end war. Unfortunately, this understanding is dependent on a state of global consciousness not yet present in human development.
Since the “how” is dependent on the “when,” we ponder when might these conditions be present? What shock is needed to energize the “when”? What cosmic slap is required to awaken the global imagination and change in consciousness Einstein foretold to avoid World War III and the age of catastrophe to follow?
Humanity Is War Consciousness Dominant
Since September 11, 2001, I have asked 400 individuals about their interest in ending war. To my surprise, even among most peace activists, there is little interest in ending war. In fact, there is general mistrust in the law against war. Many scoffed at the very idea: too big and can’t be done.
A preliminary study of beliefs and attitudes (N=300) of Americans confirmed a probable thesis: ending war is a hard sell. If this thesis is confirmed, it appears that Americans do not trust the justice applied in law to keep them safe from war. The concept of humanity freed from the terror of war seems foreign to most people. Some are down-right terrified by the idea.
The State of Humanity in 2017
Combined together, the Age of Terrorism, unending guerilla war, and the Age of Climate Change—in geologic time, a short hot age followed by a long cold age—will inevitably converge to generate the “when” required to set in motion the “how”! We know not the hour. The Arab Spring on a global scale!
In preparation, what can we do? Perhaps the most salient need is to initiate a global conversation. Global peacemakers dedicated to ending war can lay out a blueprint for law dominant global consciousness. In the subsequent awakening, global citizens may finally be ready to vote for leaders who obey the law against war.
Thus, the dream will become reality: the Age of Peace when humanity, freed of war, moves one measure closer to the Kingdom on Earth which the sacred teachings reference: They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. (Isaiah 2:4).
Conclusions
Humanity is war conscious dominant.
Because humanity is war conscious dominant, protesting weapons of war will not end war. These protests could be judged as not helpful to ending war.
This is the paradox of peace: humanity without war, humanity at peace from war, is forever humanity’s prayer, but, “we” do not believe freedom from war can become reality. Unbelief—the law against war—is not to be trusted. The idea is judged as “naïve”.
For these reasons, rational arguments against war will never convince the “we” of our global population to give up war. The negatives against war beg the question of what will keep my family and me safe from the terror of war. Yet, there is a strong “gut” resistance to ending war even though many wish it otherwise.
In summary, how can we obey the law against war to end war forever? Before the “how” must be the “when.” Before the “when,” the “we”—the global peace makers to end war—must embrace law dominant consciousness to end war. We can hope to be the leaven in the bread of the change in global consciousness to come.
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