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 A distinguishing characteristic of man is his ability to communicate through the use of language. This means that language has no counterpart in the animal worldview.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A cursory look on this topic will prompt one to ask who does God use? And who doesn’t He use? If God is the uncaused cause as we believe, then He must have caused man for a purpose.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
PROVOCATIVES: Series of articles have flooded medical, military and humanistic journals concerning the scientific breakthrough of the 21st century. These articles have not only arrested modern man’s attention but have provoked modern church authorities to speak out.
Believe it or not, the speed at which science and technology are moving in the 21st century calls for the attention of the public. The speed calls for ethical evaluation on the dangers and progress so far. The speed calls for moral assessment on the benefit to nature, man and his environment. These demands are relevant because scientific wonders are not only raising grave fear to modern man but generating millennial anxiety to the public. Millennial anxieties resulting from scientific breakthrough are pursued out of inhuman and horrific scientific inventions and discoveries. These millennial discoveries have become not only complex but sophisticated with latest improvements and refinements. Due to the countless negative impacts of these amazing refinements on human life, modern man is afraid that the third millennium otherwise our “aging age†will be crippled by these horrific discoveries. The fear of modern man goes beyond the benefits of these prodigies to nature. Her fear goes beyond how technology has failed man in so many ways and how it has failed to assist modern man to achieve his ultimate goal (Heaven) via science. The fear of modern man goes beyond the limits of space and time. Reflecting on the Spatio-temporal dangers of scientific sophistication one cannot imagine what deepens modern man’s anxiety. Modern man is mandated to provide moral and ethical solutions to the dangers of technological sophistication. He is to realize that the sophisticated wizardry of science is not only profitable to consumers but destructive to providers as well. This is why any form of weakness in educating the masses that scientific wizardry is not indices of progress and development cannot be condoled. Modern man must therefore realize that though the benefits of science are incalculable, its impact presents unimaginable constraints to its beneficiaries. Modern man as beneficiary must realize that technology is a sword having two sharp edges. We can use it for good/productive and as well as bad/ destructive. In this reflection, the sporadic scientific discoveries of technology and modern man’s fear concerning its liberation are inter alia the subject matter of this discourse.
SOPHISTICATED SCIENTIFIC PRODIGIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Sophisticated prodigies otherwise technology has come to be pre-fixed with “hyper†–Hyper technology. I propose in this reflection to outline some basic prodigies of science and technology. To me, it would sound preposterous to make a critical analysis without first following some research modalities and assumptions. My first critical judgment centers on the defining roles of technology. As the name goes, technology according to Iroegbu (1994) implies the practical conversion of the instruments that promotes life and further research. It is both a means (instrument) to an end, and a human activity that posits those ends and works toward them with instruments. Technology is a radical evolution that enhances human mind, bodies and how those means confronts man and his environment. Sophisticated technologies however originated from human action (efficient cause) which works on the doneness (the given) of the universe (material cause), thereby producing technical things (formal cause) in the view of a better life, generally to enhance the material well being of human being (final cause) Arriving at the well-being of man, modern man with his millennium ingenuity has arrived at the noble ambition of Descartes, which is “to be the sole lord and possessor of nature.†It is by overcoming nature that scientific prodigies and all that it offers is achieved. These prodigies at a glance confronts nature and cause machine to exist in place of man. And when machines replace human strength and effort, Iroegbu concluded “spontaneity descends as artificiality reigns, rhythm vanishes, speed rules, living dies, stress dominates, and authenticity displaced by superficiality. And when artificiality takes over authenticity, modern man would experience the unpredictable that leaves human activity humiliating. In the “I†robot movie, we observed how humiliated human activities were overtaken by science, fiction and artificial fabrications. And when artificial fabrications take over from natural phenomenon, man becomes exposed to those wonders that destroy him. In this case, man is destroyed by the work of his hands. From one generation to another, man has simply become afraid of the wonders of his ingenuity. He is afraid of the growing sophistications of his brain. He is afraid that the products of his hand are driving his crazy and pushing him to the curve. He is afraid why his advancement in science is causing him become religiously opiumized, intellectually domesticated, psychologically basterdized, economically exploited, politically marginalized, morally thing-fied, socially fragmented, anthropologically pauperized, and as a matter of fact scientifically scared. By scientific sophistication, I mean that technology has lost its natural simplicity and has advanced into globally complexity. I mean that inventions and discoveries have jumped from natural simplicity to sophisticated prodigies. I mean that scientific discoveries are now at its latest improvements and refinements.
My logic remains that man’s urge for excitement of the latest refinements is behind the many sporadic scientific changes of our times. Scientific prodigies of our time are manifold. The production of nerve gas through the application of chemistry and the production of atomic weaponry via physics are biological and physical wonders of science. Alternative fuel care has overrun the ordinary usage of gas. Cars can be run on alternative fuel such as hydrogen, solar power or steam engine. Infect, any automobile powering of engine that does not involve petroleum is fast. Diesel powered cars can now run with little or no modification on 100% pure bio-diesel. Mileages can now be calculated in megawatts. Off-peak electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country’s 220 million vehicles if they are plug-in hybrid electrics. Technology as well has made video games hard to give up. Kids and adults stay glued to video games because the fun of playing actually is rooted in fulfilling their basic emotional and psychological needs. Besides video games, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, are now designing new high-tech medical tools to equip the operation room of the future, in an effort to help doctors treat patient more safely and effectively and allow them to perform to optimal capacity. Technology as a radical evolution promises and enhances human minds, bodies, and what it means to be human. Also, scientists have made emotional intelligence to matter more than human IQ. Visual experiences have taken over to real bargaining and shopping. Online visual experiences have improved consumers knowledge of a particular product. This market tactic back fires by creating a false sense of what the product’s real capabilities are. In Sci-Fi moves, robots are seen doing human bidding- a prove of concept that demonstrates that an individual can “order†a robot to move to specific locations and pick up specific objects merely by generating the proper brain waves that reflects the individual instructions. A classical example of Robotic intelligence is the killing and destruction of human infrastructures. The “I†robot of Will Smith is a testament of a monumental degree of Robotic influence on man. Scientists can now control the movement of a humanoid robot with signals from a human brain. The discovery of galaxies beyond the Milky Way has a cosmological red shift. In human history, Active-endocrinology, intra-fallopian transfer, artificial wombs, Uteruses, twin fusion and parthenogenesis are some biological sophistications that impact the sacredness of man. Other biological sophistications by man are genetic engineering. All that we know today is that genetic modification is the basis of human evolution.
Genetic engineering is a horrific credit of biotechnological inventions. In Genetic engineering, man employs a technological program of experimenting with genes and elements that produce human species. The DNA makes a pale-ontological inquiry into the exact origin of human life. This scientific inquiry begins from the theory of DNA (Deoxyriba Neucleic Acid) to RNA (Related N.A to D.N.A in the synthesis of Protein). Beside the D.N.A are other sophistications that attempts to manufacture human lives. Today, babies are produced from the sperm and egg banks presently spreading around industrialized world. Astro-physical achievements like the invention of microscope, radar and other physical outreaches are few conquest of biotechnology. In Biotechnology, human genes are altered and this alteration affects not only animal socialization but human communities. Similar alternation affects human predispositions to become either good or bad. Hyper technology has not only made scientific research on human person more sophisticated, but has equally transformed life and challenged man to a radical constrain. Human embryo could now be bought and been preserved in refrigerators. High quality babies are now selected and reproduced via cloning. The ambition of cloning according to Iroegbu is to produce modern ‘Anapheims or a super race.’ In biological science, cloning means producing 4,6,12, 24, 48 persons that are the same simultaneously. In cloning, individuals are replaced exactly as their originals: Height, IQ, Complexion, Character, traits, and everything that human wisdom could imagine. From the discovery of DNA to the cloning of various animals, the study of genetic engineering has overturned the way society view life in general. In addition, science has woefully failed to convince modern man if a cloned child could be mallible to chromosomal irregularities or inherited disorders such as brain abnormalities, behavioral dysfunction, inappropriate learning experiences and biological dysfunction. It has not been able to identify a cloned child cognitive status (average, mild, severe or profound). Studies have shown that products that are genetically engineered may cause severe negative effects on human society. This industry possesses the potentiality of leading modern man towards the unnatural selection of humans to possibly environmental disaster that put mankind in peril. Society along side with modern man will be in jeopardy since genetic engineering has the potentialities of being disastrous (Azete, 2008).
The dangers of cloning are manifold. The undoing’s of cloning is irreconcilable to the human mind. The fundamental danger here is that scientists call themselves the creator of man. Jeremiah Curran (1993) articulated that scientists insert a man-made-man between himself and the God fabricated man. I make bold to say that God-made man is the man born through a natural biological way, while the man-made man is the fabrication from the laboratory of a scientist through cloning and invitro -fertilization. Another danger of modern effort is that humanity heads towards atheism or the cataclysm of self-creation and human destruction. Without negative feelings, one could say that cloning has some moral and ethical consequences. An ethical danger in cloning is that it contradicts the ethical value for the respect of man as an individual. Also in hetro-logos artificial fertilization, modern man employs scientific techniques to obtain human conceptions artificially by the use of gametes coming from at least one of the married couples. Similar breakthrough includes Invitro- fertilization (I.V.F), and Embryo transfer (E.T). In reality, Invitro fertilization refers to the scientific process in which an egg is fertilized by sperm in a Petri dish rather than in the womb of a mother. Critics of biological advancement argue that a child conceived under a Petri dish cannot be as rational as a child conceived through a natural biological way. Such child in my opinion would not match a natural child in IQ, wisdom and common sense. A child conceived through a Petri-dish could exhibit artificial intelligence, but would lack common sense in the everyday human activities and operations. This child in all standards would not be able to make a distinction between intelligent realities and common sense knowledge. Hetrologous artificial fertilization is contrary to the unity of marriage, the dignity of spouses and the unborn to be conceived through conjugal act.
Homo-logos artificial Insemination is another scientific prodigy of our time. In this type of scientific process, modern man obtains human conception through a transfer into the genital track of a woman of the sperm collected from her husband. As scientists would say, homologous artificial insemination within marriage is permitted except that it technically helps the conjugal act achieve its natural objectives. On another extreme, this technical means becomes morally illicit when it takes the place of conjugal act. In the 21st century, modern man has witnessed advancement in motherhood. This advancement is technically called surrogate motherhood. Surrogate motherhood is an advanced method of impregnating a woman with a man’s sperm with an understanding (arranged by contract) that the child would be given to the sperm donor and the child would be theirs legally. In surrogate motherhood, the borrowed mother carries and delivers the baby for the legal mother. At all times, a strong moral judgment is placed on surrogate motherhood. Here, human metamorphosis is interrupted and disintegrated. This process is an escape of biological identification of humans. One would logically say that the process is a biological destruction of elan vitae (life). The merit of biotechnology is allowing man to genetically engineer organisms against nature’s will. Nature is about the earth, animals, man and his environment. Modern man took it upon himself to domesticate animals such as dogs for hunting; turkey for family reunion and German dogs for security and sniffing of drugs and finally cattle for food. Biotechnology has changed human environment in which organism lives, by external conditioning. Through scientific conditioning, Modern man has found himself gripped by technology that allows him to genetically engineer organisms against nature’s will. Manipulating the genes can take any forms to advance modern man’s yelling. Biotechnologists have made lasting contribution to sustain human development. But there is something still lacking when it comes to human progress and development. Plant biotechnologists are helping the entire world to grow more and better food for human consumption. They are also producing greater yields of crops used to produce bio-fuel to help meet modern man’s energy needs (Council for Biotechnology Information, 2007).
Today, modern man is witnessing some terrifying advancement in military prodigies. The history of military carnages in the 21st century has come a long way with myriad military advancements. Destruction at every combat has grown from minimum to maximum. Today, metals, bow, arrows swords and guns have been replaced by atomic bombs and nuclear energies. These sophisticated replacements have today widened the horizon of warfare to wear a dramatic shape thus sweeping human lives to an unprecedented proportion. The atomic bomb of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has presently overrun ordinary bombs to intensify modern carnages. Ballistic Scud missiles, warships and nuclear submarines are now the latest in both land and sea combats. “Fab Man†is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki Japan on August, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare and was the third man-made nuclear explosion at that time. The design of “Fat man†nuclear assembly was substantially the same as “the gadget†detonated at the trinity test in July 1945 (Hakim 1995). Trinity was a test of an implosion designing plutonium bomb. It was the first test of technology for a nuclear weapon. Mighty cities and human opponents are bombarded and leveled in minutes only by pressing one computerized button. The operation desert storm of Gulf crises of the 90’s otherwise “the mother of all gruesome wars†raised lots of fear concerning the growing military strength and sophistications. Air pollution in our time has been confirmed to be the most dangerous threat to man and the extinction of animal species. The consequences are observing our beautiful earth hurtling towards a warmer climate at a quickening pace. War has been confirmed a gruesome phenomenon to war mongers and war enemies. Also the ecological lives, vegetations and mineral resources of both the victor and vanquished in which inhabitants depended heavily will be incalculability damaged. It has been confirmed that air pollution is now the most dangerous threat to modern man and the extinction of animal species. In this case modern man is experiencing incalculable damage in animal and environmental species. The consequences are observing our beautiful earth destroyed. The effect of all these make global warming a reality of our time. It has been argued time without number that global warming is capable of destroying the ocean and the atlantics, and sea inhabitants. Citing accurate experience, beach erosion claimed an Alaskan home rendering owner and the city homeless. Authur Max (2007) confirmed that a climate report from earlier 2007 predicted that the sea levels would increase seven to 23 inches by 2100, spreading erosion and threatening coastlands without mercy.
The potential impact of air pollution, industrialization and global warming has become “so severe and crippling that only an urgent global action would help provide remedies. Because of these menace, environmental scientists describe China as one of leading world’s biggest polluters of air and “the most precious treasure of our planet.†This means that other industrialized nations need to respect the sacredness of man and reduce the speed of their technological navigation. The Japanese and the Soviet approach to technological transfer for economic development display far more differences than similarities (Sternheimer, 1981). Technologically speaking, China and the Japanese have been nicked- named the world’s junkyard of electronics. Jamie Choi, a campaigner with Greenpeace China in Beijing accounted that more than 1 million tons of e-waste has enabled Chinese technocrats to produce 5 million television sets, 4 million fidges, 5 million washing machines, 10 million mobile phones and 5 million personal computers. These efforts account for the acceleration of international trade and agreement in technology. This singular act also informs the present recall on tolls from China by the U.S and other industrial nations of the world. Manufacturers such as dell and Hewlett are two companies in the world that have immensely profited from e-waste recycling and mega market expansion. Bodeen (2007) and many others note that when one visit south eastern Chinese town regarded as the heartland of “e-waste†disposal, it shows that little has improved while it is not. Chinese environmentalist as well as the church has highlighted the dangers of Chinese e-waste nightmare. Accurate figures about shady and unregulated environmental mess is estimated at about 70 percent of the 20-50 million tons of electronic waste produced globally each year as they are dumped in China. The Chinese environmental protection Agency believes that it is cheaper to export e-waste than to dispose of it at home. When these cheap wastes are exported to China, and other third world countries the consequences become too much for ordinary citizens. Chinese migrant workers in an effort to dismantle much of the world’s junk waste of electronics smash picture tubes by hand to recover glass and electronic parts, releasing as much as 5.5 pounds of lead dust that is dangerous to health. Dust from the lead is capable of causing pulmonary disease or cancer to mine workers and people living outside the mine. Other health risks include throbbing, headache and metallic taste in the mouth. All these and many other related health crises are horrific consequences of e-waste. Long time health consequences can include kidney and nervous system breakdown weakling the immune system and precipitating any form of cancer. Chemicals including mercury, fluorine, barium, chromium, and cobalt causes skin rashes and respiratory problems. All these and many other factors make the production of toxics and e-waste both a credit and debit of modern ingenuity. In addition to modern ingenuity is the menacing disaster discovered in post-communist holocaust. These frightening discoveries were simply traumatic on human lives that the world and the church are now afraid to clean up the mess. A gallant question needs to be posed here. Would environmental humanist whose mission is to preserve nature’s gift to mankind fold her arms, pinch her nose and keep mute to these ungodly sophistications? Would the church marked with the insigna of human evangelization hide her feelings and allow scientific prodigies to destroy millennial humanity of God-created universe? My answer is no. My answer will remain no till the 22nd century.
FEARS AND MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC INVENTIONS
When the book of Genesis empowered man to have dominion over created things (Genesis 1:28), he never authorized him to have irrational mastery over nature. Man was not authorized to produce objects of his own end and destruction. He was not empowered to manufacture objects that frighten him. It is unfortunate that modern man has abused this scriptural injunction through his technical inventions and mastery. Abuses on human invention inform the fear of the church especially now the world is approaching the next millennium. By millennium fear, I mean awe and uneasy feelings of modern man. I mean anxiety for the safety of millennial humanity from scientific destruction and inventions. I have the feeling that modern man is afraid of mega-technology. Modern man is afraid of investions that destroy his sacredness. Modern man is afraid that he will not only conquer nature but also conquer the master of nature (Man). Modern man is afraid that he is producing something that has the capacity to place him at a distance from God. He is afraid that he has plunged himself into doubting God as alpha and omega. Mega technology discourages human spirituality. Advanced inventions maim human holiness. It contradicts the teachings of God by rendering human minds less human and turning human’s spirit more elemental and atomistic. In the viewpoint of Ehusani (1991), technologization robs man of creativity, affectivity, spontaneity, and responsibility, making him mere cog in the industrial mega-wheel, or turning him to what Yablonsky calls Rob paths. When man becomes robot, he is enmechinized. Enmechinization makes modern man mechanical that he no longer uses his God given brain. Enmechanization compels modern man to obey the dictates of machines to the extent that he becomes more cedonical than machines. The almighty computer otherwise artificial intelligence is the product of human mind. This product hardly provides man room to think independently. The almighty computer has denies man the opportunity to advance his writing skill. At all times, I hold this as my first empirical postulation that there is no logical relationship between bad hand writing and intelligence. What technology has done to modern man is to avail him the opportunity to type in word document, thus making it increasingly difficult for him to write legibly on paper (Ogbuja, 2007). In technology, modern man leaves thinking solely to computer with emerging sophisticated language and thought patterns. The effect is that man’s rich perception and imagination that allows for simple mental and thinking operations is affected. Again, formal operational thinking, abstract thinking, deductive reasoning are destroyed. Here thinking is no longer bound by perception and human logic but something modern man has made to act quick.
All these have caused modern man to develop an imperfect ability to listen, think, write, spell or do arithmetic calculations. They have hampered human achievement and intellectual ability of modern man in different rational and mathematical ways. Seemingly, technology has caused modern man to develop third eye (contacts). Modern man can now drive fast automobiles with remotes that can start the engine from his bedroom. Media advertisements such as “kiss me,†“eat me,†“buy me,†“use me,†and “love me,†have over taken man’s natural order of love and passion. The moral implications of these media manipulations on man are incalculable. Also media expansion and whatever it offers have made man loose faith, thus launched him into “sin of pride.†In the wisdom of the philosopher, Gabriel Marcel “scientific discoveries are responsible why modern man has loose his sense of the sacred what the church calls “sin of pride.†Besides sin of pride, scientific mastery wages war against the profound meaning of human existence. From African moral standpoint, investions of the 21st century are not only unethical, but anti-human. Africans are of the opinion that mega technology damages human values and pave way to individualism that has become the bane of the civilized world. Mega technology also is responsible for the growth of Atheism, materialism, existentialism, humanism, pragmatism and relativism today. It is responsible while nations exploit another. Mega technology is responsible for the indices of what the mind could not imagine. Ratzinger (2001) the present pontiff once noted that technology dapples man’s primary and fundamental right to life, his dignity as a person who is endowed with the spiritual soul and with moral responsibility and who is called to a beatific communion with God.
THE POSITION OF MODERN CHURCH IN MEGA ADVANCEMENT
The church irrespective of her fears and anxiety should engage in the moral examination of scientific methods by unveiling those scientific wonders that confronts modern man. Modern man would not have peace unless these moral examinations are conducted. It is the duty of the church therefore to re-establish a symbiotic bond between moral theology (church) and her sister science (technology). It is the responsibility of the church to caution scientists morally and neutrally so that through her advancements, and research, they would carry out their refinements with full recognition of the church magisterial. Scientists should channel their refinements to respect the dignity of man. They should anchor their findings to respect man as being created in the image and likeness of God. Scientific discoveries are to be placed at the service of modern man to enable him come closer to God. This is a millennium message to all scientists around the globe. This is a millennium message to readers of this reflection. Millennium messages of this kind require scientists and technocrats to desist from further destructive inventions, resist sophisticated temptations, insist on the improvement of human lives and persist only on rational inventions that assist millennium humanity. When scientists and technocrats put these caveat into consideration, especially in the approaching millennium, they would have contributed in no small measure towards exalting man in excelsis (Glory and happiness).
The intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) has made little effort than modern man expected. One primary contribution of this panel was to make the phrase ‘global warming’ become familiar to many people as one of the most important environmental issues caused by science and technology. Climate change is growing very rapidly today. Climate change as a result of industrialization and scientific pollution is now a new phenomenon of our time. Goldemberg and colleague (1999) write that any large change to the average climate tends to bring stress off modern man. Most importantly, extreme climate events and climate disasters which emphasis the importance of climate to our lives and which demonstrates to countries around the world their vulnerability to climate changes is now common experience to modern man. A vulnerability enhanced by increasing demands on earth resources. The following questions need to be posed here? Do all these point to a changing climate due to human activities? Do they provide solid evidence of global warming because of the increased carbon dioxide and other green house gases being emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels? Tropical cyclones called hurricanes or typhoons, wind-storms, floods, tornadoes and droughts whose effects occur more slowly, but which probably are the most damaging disaster experienced by modern man would continue to be his contemporary nightmare. Despite these damaging experiences, modern and industrial nations continue to pollute our atmosphere. There are about eighty hurricanes and typhoons that have occurred around the tropical oceans each year. Hurricane GUSTAV and KATRINA has put inhabitants of Louisiana on a sudden stampede. Loss of lives and properties are always painful to recount. Similarly, hurricane Gilbert caused devastation on the Island of Jamaica and the coast of Mexico in 1988, Typhoon Mireille hit Japan in 1991; Hurricane Andrew caused a great deal of damage in Florida and other regions of the southern United States in 1992; Hurricane Mitch caused great devastation in Honduras and other countries in central America in 1998 (Gates, 1993). These are notable recent examples. However, Scientists know that windstorms or hurricanes are by no means the only weather and climate extremes that cause disaster that frighten modern man. Like weather forecasters we watch on our televisions, their results are not entirely accurate, but can provide useful guidance to how far our beautiful earth is destroyed.
Global warming has been identified as one of the consequences of industrial and scientific exploration by modern man. A question needs to be posed here. What causes global warming? Research shows that global warming results when Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun’s heat and causing the planets to erupt causing the largest U.S source of carbon dioxide pollution. Climate change is growing very rapidly and its growth is becoming a startling tradition to be accepted by modern man. The destruction of green vegetation and man’s environment has become the cornerstone of modern man nightmare. Disruption of habitats such as corals reefs and alpine meadows could drive many planet and animal species to extinction. Warmer sea surface temperature will fuel more intense hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West (NRDC, 2008). Debates on the issue of human-induced climate change have grown at a rapidly increasing pace. That was why in his new documentary: An inconvenient truth, formal Vice president Al gore sounded global warning to technocrats and scientists around the globe. Al gore identified that the planet is heating up very fast. He sounded very convinced that Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, cloud forecasts are drying and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace. According to Al gore, it is clear that humans have caused most of the past century’s warming by releasing heart-trapping gases as we power our modern lives. He believes that Global warming is not just about science and that it is not just a political issue. It is really a moral issue (Al gore, 2006). Houghton (1997) adds that the domains of science and religion are simply complimentary ways of looking at the merits and demerits of science and technology. Like weather forecasts, their results will not be entirely accurate, but can provide modern man a vision into the future.
CONCLUSION:
The scientific basis of global warming is the likely impacts of climate change on human society. At all times, scientists argue that much of the assessment of climate change is focused on science, its impacts and response strategies to alleviate its effects on human lives. Without pointing accusing fingers to any human department, technology has been found to be one pressing problem confronting modern man. Without any accusation of a sort, we know that modern man has brought this whole drama upon himself. In an effort to reach new and astonishing peak of scientific success, modern man has placed his life, neighbors and environment on an awe-inspiring threshold of failure and disappointment. He has succeeded in producing machines that think and the instruments that peer into the unfathomable ranges of interstellar space. Modern man has succeeded in making the unseen to appear, the unheard to be heard; the visually impaired to see and the emotionally unstable to become stable. He has succeeded in making the irrelevant relevant and the minor major and magnificent. He has built gigantic bridges to span the seas and gargantum buildings to kiss the skies. His airplanes and spaceships have dwarfed distance, placed time in chains, and carved highways through the stratosphere (Martin Luther, 1964). Modern man has learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers (Luther, 1964). This is a dazzling picture of modern man’s scientific and technological progress. But in spite the spectacular stride in science and technology, and still unlimited ones to come, something basic is missing in the life of modern man. There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer modern man becomes materially, the poorer he becomes morally and spiritually (Luther, 1964). The rescue of modern man must come from God and the church. Besides, scientists have no choice but to care for the earth solicitously as its ‘gardeners’ in a partnership with God (Houghton, 1997). My critics including scientists and avowed agnostics will find my declarations a little bit out of context. But I know that the domain of science and religion are simply complimentary ways of looking at the truth. Truth is hard to speak and only truth will save modern man from his technological romance.
References:
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Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
This paper reviews the problem of brain drain or skill migration from developing countries mostly to industrialized countries. Some case studies are presented to illustrate some of the major problems facing Africans today in not being able to utilize optimally the human as well as material resources endowed to us by Almighty God to enable us render our expertise for the development of our continent Africa. This proposal includes the setting up of an International Academy of African Academics and Professionals in Diaspora (IAAPD). It is envisaged that IAAPD will have a Talent Bank which will be a database on African Academics and Professionals living and working inside African countries as well as outside with detailed information about the experts, their areas of expertise and products developed etc. Furthermore professional resource centres which will be land-based as well as cyberspace or virtual based will be setup made up of published information ( journals, technical reports) and specialized research equipment/facilities available in African countries where African Academics and Professionals can have access to for their use as well as for developing upcoming African Academics and Professionals. It is envisaged that African countries will create the enabling environment through entry visa and professional short visit regulations for African academics and professionals to use their Sabbaticals, annual vacations, study/research leave, professional short visits etc. academic/ professional staff exchange to go to other African countries to render their service.
Introduction
The brain drain or skilled labour migration is not a recent phenomenon, but over the last few years it has caused much concern. Brain drain or skilled labour migration according to the United Nations definition is defined as a one way movement of highly skilled people from developing countries to the developed countries that only benefits the industrialized countries.
When a highly qualified professional chooses to leave his own country for another, he does so for one or several legitimate political or economic reasons: peace and security for himself and his family, job satisfaction, education, better pay and conditions, a higher standard of living, etc. Throughout history, countries and centres of academic excellence which offer these attractions have received the largest numbers of professional migrants and these have, in turn, made substantial contributions, not only to the economic growth of their host countries, but also to the scientific and technological advancement of humanity. The negative impact of brain drain has also been stressed in the New Growth literature (Haque and Galor, 1995). Most studies underline the positive impact of migrations on human capital formation, but when turning to the issue of the brain drain, observed that there is a detrimental growth effect. For example, (Haque and Kim 1995) found that "brain drain” reduces the growth rate of the effective human capital that remains in the economy and hence, generates a permanent reduction of per capita growth in the home country". There is a strong consensus that deficiency in human capital is a major cause of African countries remaining poor. To render matters worse, when reasonable quantities of human capital are formed, quite a significant number are lost due to migration leakage. No wonder then that the concern has been to contain the leakage. In the words of a recent World Development Report: "Can something be done to stop the mass departure of trained workers from poorer countries?"(World Bank, 1995) .Returning professionals also need to find a place to work. Until a few years ago, the Gambia did not have a university and had to spend a significant proportion of state funds to train and educate its professionals abroad. Those who became professors abroad could not return, as they had nowhere to ply their trade. In many other African countries, educational institutions are poorly funded and resourced, while there are few private sector jobs. Although governments promise to redress such shortcomings, they still spend very little on specialized areas such as science and technology. The continent's share of investment in research and development is only 0.5 per cent of the global total and it spends 0.8 per cent of the world total on scientific publications. Also, Africa desperately needs universities devoted primarily to research. Africa's problems are further aggravated by the under-utilization of those skills it already possesses, notes UN Economic Commission for Africa Deputy Executive Secretary Lalla Ben Barka. "In every African country," she says, "there is a paradox of high rates of unemployment and under-employment among school leavers, including university graduates — even scientists and engineers."
Brain Drain or Migration of skilled labour
When people leave their countries of birth to other countries (migration), they gain many benefits including money, a better quality of life and a challenging environment in which they can thrive and fulfil their potential. Indeed in the West, actions are linked to results and hence work has purpose. All of these benefits emanate from the fact that the leading nations of the world such as the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, Japan etc. have systems that function. The capitalist nations have separated God from the affairs of life and believe that individual freedom must reign. They are convinced that the earth and all its resources are for them and they struggle to dominate it, driven by insatiable greed and the belief that their ideas should be the reference point for all. The manifestation of such vision is concerted effort. Western nations, and especially the leading nations, work to be the best, as this is required to achieve the dominance they seek. All properties and resources are held in trust by human beings, to be used only in accordance with their divinely ordained purposes. Rights of ownership and usufruct are distinct and separate, and while property rights are rigorously safeguarded there are important restrictions on the use of property. Every member of society is entitled to benefit from a common resource to the extent of his need, so long as he does not violate, infringe, or obstruct 'the equal rights of other members. The user is also held accountable; in return for profiting from a renewable natural resource, he is obliged to maintain its value. If he causes its destruction, impairment, or degradation, he is held liable to the extent of repairing the damage, for he has violated the rights of every member of society. To the extent that a common resource is not sufficiently abundant for everyone to use it freely without impinging on one another's rights, the dire rights of usufruct should be allocated according to the following considerations:
1) The degrees of need;
2) The impact on the resource,
3) Investment in the resource by way of work and capital;
4) Priority in time of the chain upon the use of the resource, and
5) proximity to the resource.
Some case stories on brain drains or skilled labour migration
"Immigration is always a gamble. But when it goes right, everyone wins," says the Economist. Yes, but… In the case of Africans immigration, the gamble has often gone wrong. International migration of skilled persons has assumed increased importance in recent years reflecting the impact of globalization, revival of growth in the world economy and the explosive growth in the information and communications technology (ICT). A number of developed countries have liberalized their policies for the admission of highly skilled professionals. While it is obviously not possible to prevent people from migrating to developed countries for better prospects in this era of globalization and democratic governance, the adverse impact of such movements on development and poverty in developing countries and policy options to mitigate such impacts merit serious attention
Brian Drain from Arab Nations
A report by the Arab League estimated that loses to the Arab nations as a result of the migration of Arab intellectuals to Western nations amounted to about $ 200 billion, noting that the Western states are the greatest beneficiary through hosting 450,000 Arabs with higher scientific qualifications. The report warned that the migration of Arab intellectuals and scientists is, but a new catastrophe which threatens the future of the Arab nations in the area of technological and scientific competition with Israel. The report added that Israeli has won in the competition for scientific struggle with the Arab states through attracting European scientists of Jewish extraction and settling them inside Israel at a time when number of Arab scientists emigrants increased to foreign states. So far the Arab nations have failed to benefit from restoring back its scientists or to make use of them. It is worth noting that scientific investment in the Arab nations is low, and the tools of cooperation such as advanced communication and collaboration infrastructure are not advanced or even available in some states. Also, it is worth noting that the general environment prevailing in many Arab states is not attractive to those intellectuals who seek an open and transparent environment that provides for tangible and intangible issues such as free speech("www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/010227/2001022720.html") Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Brain drain from Africa reportedly costing $4 billion a yearAfrica, which has serious shortages of manpower, has been worst hit. It is said to have lost more than 60,000 professionals (doctors, university lecturers, engineers, surveyors, etc) between 1985 and 1990 and to have been losing an average of 20,000 annually ever since. Every year, thousands of qualified doctors, lawyers, architects and other professionals leave Africa for the west. They are tempted by significantly higher wages and brighter prospects. There are more than 21,000 Nigerian doctors practicing in the United States alone. Meanwhile, Nigeria's own health system suffers a cruel lack of medical practitioners. Sixty percent of all Ghanaian doctors trained locally in the 1980s have left the country, according to the UNDP's 1992 Human Development report. In the Sudan, 17% of doctors in UK made up of more than four thousands specialist doctors and dentists, whilst 20% of university lecturers, 30% of engineers and 45% of surveyors have gone to work abroad. In Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, for example, the flight of doctors has been so overwhelming that they have had to recruit hundreds of Cuban doctors to fill the gap. The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has said that only 600 doctors work in public hospitals out of more than 5000 registered doctors in the country. The rest either work abroad or in the private sector. The trends have been blamed for poor health services in Kenya, which has been ravaged by high rates of HIV infection and other communicable diseases. The chairman of the KMA, James Nyikal, urged the government to improve doctor's salaries. Most Kenyan doctors dissatisfied with wages in Kenya move to the UK, Botswana, or South Africa. Opposition Member of Parliament, Paul Muite, has said that the UK recruits the most Kenyan medical personnel (The Lancet, 2001). Although it is difficult to calculate the cost of an expatriate professional in terms of the nutrition, health care and education provided by households and the State, it is clear developing countries are losing colossal amounts of investment annually to the developed countries. Based on UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, Africa is losing as much as US $4 billion a year through top professionals seeking better jobs abroad, according to research by a senior economist at Addis Ababa University.
Most adversely affected countries by the brain drain
The receiving countries are the winners while the sending countries are the losers. The receiving countries include the United States, Australia, UK, and West Germany. The sending countries include Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. Nigeria has more than 1,000,000 immigrants in the United States alone. In the United States, sixty-four percent of foreign-born Nigerians aged 25 and older have at least a bachelor degree. Forty-three (43) percent of foreign-born Africans living in the United States have at least a bachelor degree. Nigerians and Africans are the most educated ethnic groups in the United States. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) notes that in Africa, the loss of medical doctors has been the most striking. At least 60 per cent of doctors trained in Ghana during the 1980s have left the country. The phenomenon "is putting a huge strain on the continent," notes IOM Deputy Director- General Ndioro Ndiaye. To fill the gap created by the skills shortage, African countries spend an estimated $4 billion annually to employ about 100,000 non-African expatriates. "It is high time programmes and policies are put in place to reverse the devastating effects of the brain drain," she says. The wars in Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola and Zaire contributed to the brain drain problem.
HOW CAN THE BRAIN DRAIN BE REVERSED?
When a highly qualified professional chooses to leave his own country for another, he/she does so for one or several reasons. Some of these reasons may be due to legitimate political or economic reasons: peace and security for himself and his family, job satisfaction, better pay and conditions, access to educational opportunities for self and or family, a better quality of life and a challenging environment in which they can thrive and fulfil their potential. Furthermore professionals who trained abroad in certain specialized areas will become redundant because they have no place to practice the expertise they have acquired, in their countries of origin, so they have no option but to stay abroad permanently. There are yet others who returned but because of the lack of systems at their homes, they prefer going back abroad. A number of developed countries have also liberalized their immigration policies for the admission of highly skilled professionals. This brain drain can be reversed by setting a system and strategic short plan and long technological one. By recruiting and retaining them. Provision of recruitment incentives such relocation expenses, loans for housing and for starting businesses, salary supplement for the first few years. For thousands of Africans living overseas and seeking ways to contribute to the development of the continent, initiatives aimed at staunching the outflow of professional expertise are offering new possibilities. Now, more than ever before, there exists "a major opportunity to transform the historical brain drain … into a new African 'brain trust'," notes Mr. John Sarpong of the Digital Diaspora Network Africa. He was among 130 heads of technology firms, non-profit organizations and UN agencies who launched the network in July 2002 as part of a resurgence of initiatives to reverse the loss of professional skills from Africa. Among those being targeted are scientists, medical doctors, engineers, university lecturers, economists, information technologists and other highly skilled people in short supply on the continent.
For the first time, the African Union has invited Africa's Diaspora to actively take part in the region's development. Heads of state who met for the African Union extraordinary summit in February 2002 agreed to amend the organization's charter to "encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of the continent." This followed active lobbying by members of the Diaspora seeking recognition as agents for the continent's development. With the absence of formal structures, African Diaspora groups have generally relied on ad-hoc, disparate and small-scale programmes to assist in the development of the continent. Despite this, many have been able to help build schools, hospitals and roads, run training programmes, supply books and computers to deprived schools and establish scholarships to assist students.
Some initiatives use the Internet to attract skilled workers — like the thousands of South African doctors living in Canada — and make it easier for them to provide services to patients back home. Other programmes hope to entice skilled professionals to actually return to Africa. The Kenya-based Research and Development Forum for Science-Led Development in Africa (RANDFORUM) has been exploring ways to repatriate African professionals and intellectuals, as requested in 1999 by the Presidential Forum on the Management of Science and Technology in Africa, a grouping of African heads of state. That year, a taskforce led by a former Zambian president, Mr. Kenneth Kaunda, recommended that RANDFORUM and its sister organization, the African Foundation for Research and Development, identify overseas-based Africans interested in returning home to offer their skills. Another RANDFORUM project aims to relocate professionals from "distressed countries" — those that are faltering economically or politically, such as Liberia or Somalia — to where they can be productive. Rather than confine professionals and intellectuals from such countries to refugee camps, they are utilized elsewhere and returned once the situation in their countries normalizes. The Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) in October 2004 launched the Nigerian Experts in Diaspora Scheme(NEADS) aimed at attracting Nigerian Academics and Professionals in Diaspora to contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria through short-term academic appointments. The major objectives of NEADS are to encourage the movement to Nigeria on a short-term basis of academics and experts of Nigeria origin for engagement in teaching research, and community service activities in the Nigerian University System. To tap from the huge human resource of Nigerian origin based within and outside the country but located for the purpose of work outside the country. To encourage healthy staff movement, interaction, and collaboration across and within Nigeria Universities and other sectors of education and national development. To encourage experts in industry to participate in teaching and research in Nigerian Universities. NIGERIAN RESEARCHERS, ACADEMICS & PROFESSIONALS ABROAD (NIG-RAPA) was setup by a group of Nigerians academics and professionals based in Malaysia with membership in the Asia- Pacific sub-region in 2003 with bjectives like improving the level of human resources development in Academia, R&D Institutions, and Industry. Promotion of ICT culture in Nigerian universities. Exchange information on learning resources and teaching aids, e.g. E-books, E-lecture notes, etc. Organising short courses and regular courses/seminars for academic staff and postgraduate students, and industrialists for the development of knowledge and skill.
Promote the establishment of visiting professorships, which will involve activities such as external examination, curriculum design, review and assessment, and delivering of lectures to students. Provide support for postgraduate studies including placement for funded research programmes, and possibly co-supervision. Exchange information on possible research collaborations, short term research fellowships, funded conferences, etc. The South African Network of Skills Abroad (SANSA) is another example of efforts at reversing the brain drain. Through its website, it invites professional South Africans to sign up. It reports that at least 22,000 graduates from five major South African universities resident abroad remain in touch with the universities. SANSA estimates that about 60 per cent of the country's expatriate graduates are located in six countries, with Australia, the UK and the US accounting for more than half of them. Looking at the nature of their skills, the group estimates that about 30 per cent of the University of Cape Town's contactable doctoral graduates are living overseas. They comprise significant proportions of the university's graduates in medicine, commerce, education and engineering, all areas in which South Africa has an acute shortage of skills.
Once professionals join SANSA, they may offer to train their South African counterparts or assist them to conduct research. They could facilitate business contacts and transmit information on research results not available in South Africa. SANSA members may also help to transfer technology to their home country, such as providing computers and software. This is already being done in other African countries. The Africast Foundation, for instance, collects and refurbishes "retired" computers in the US for use in schools and poor communities in Ghana.
African professionals tend to migrate to Western Europe and North America. Many are dissuaded from returning home by the economic and political crises that have bedeviled the continent over the last few decades. Failing economies, high unemployment rates, human rights abuses, armed conflict and the lack of adequate social services, such as health and education, are some of these factors. Until recently, African governments had expressed little concern about the loss of skilled people, while development lending agencies often compounded the problem by obliging recipient countries to hire foreign expatriates, as part of the conditions attached to those loans. Moreover, politicians often portrayed countrymen who opted to work and live abroad as unpatriotic. But the sharp rise in skilled emigration and the serious human resource constraints facing the continent have forced many to rethink their views. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is one of the leaders actively attempting to address the challenges of the brain drain. On his trips abroad, President Obasanjo often meets professionals and intellectuals who have left Nigeria to ask them how they can contribute to their country's development. President Obasanjo also is one of the architects of the continent's new development framework, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The New Partnership calls for the establishment of a reliable, continental database to determine the magnitude of the problem and promote collaboration between Africans abroad and those at home. An important NEPAD priority is to develop Africa's human resources and reverse the brain drain. Under NEPAD, African leaders explicitly call for the creation of the "necessary political, social and economic conditions that would serve as incentives to curb the brain drain…."
SOME STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF DRAIN ACROSS AFRICAN COUNTRIES
In order to create the enabling environment for African Academicians and Professionals, who will provide solutions to African countries in all fields of human endeavor like technology, science, law, commerce, as well as short to meet the challenges posed by globalization being imposed on the continent in particular and mankind in general some strategies are proposed to achieve these objectives.
1) Setting up a global organization to be known as “International Academy of African Academics and Professionals in Diaspora” (IAAPD). It is envisaged that IAAPD will have branches in all African countries. IAAPD will develop a website for all Africans in Diaspora worldwide which will contain some of the following information;
a) Talent Bank which will contain information about African Academics and Professionals, their location, and area of expertise etc.
b) Concise up to date curriculum vitae of African Academicians and Professionals available online with access based on permission being granted by the website manager or system administrator in consultation with the Academician or Professional.
c) Information about facilities e.g. research institutes/centres, specialized institutions like specialist hospitals, technology parks etc in African countries which can be made available for use by other African Academicians and Professionals.
2) Through cooperation and networking among African nations, there will be the urgent need to create the enabling environment for easy mobility of Academicians and Professionals from one nation to another to render their services to one another for the benefit and development Africa. These objectives can be achieved through some of the following actions:
i) Introduction of a common K-passport in all African countries which will have in built facilities like relaxed work permit, entry visa, and other immigration requirements for African Academicians and Professionals. This will encourage Brain Gain from the present Brain Drain.
ii) Relaxed entry visa, work permit etc. for ease of mobility of African Academics and Professionals. The possibility of granting short term passports of nations they will be going to render their services should also be looked into.
iii) Encouragement of migration of African Academics and Professionals to get long term temporary residency as well as permanent residency in other African nations whose proximity will enable them to render more effective service/ expertise to the continent
iv) African Academics and Professionals in Diaspora should be encouraged to go for their sabbaticals, study/research leave, professional short visit, annual vacations etc. There should be programs like academic staff/professional exchanges, external examiners, postgraduate training, receiving African students in their laboratories etc.
v) There should be access across all African nations for the use of their pooled resources like research institutes/centres, specialized institutions like specialist hospitals, technology parks, data banks, library resources etc.
vi) Provision of competitive salary and fringe benefits.
vii) Consultancy and applied research and technology development/transfer in public research institutes.
viii) Participating in training or research via the network and initiating research and commercialization of products.
ix) Facilitating business contacts.
x) Encourage Academics and Professionals to author books based on Islamic principles which will imply a paradigm shift, and publication of scholarly, professional, and application oriented papers in journals.
In conclusion, even though the brain drain is not a recent phenomenon, it has caused serious developmental problems in African countries over the last few years. The African continent is losing more skilled people every year. A project like IAAPD can be invaluable in recapturing some of the lost skills. However, we realize that the success of IAAPD depends on amongst other factors, the willingness and commitment of the expatriates, getting trusted relationships with political leaders etc. It is also important to go beyond just setting up the network, but ensuring that it is self-sustainable.
REFERENCES
1 Galor, O. and Tsiddon, D., 1997. The distribution of human capital and economic growth. Journal of Economic Growth 2 1, pp. 93–124). 2 Haque and Galor, 1995. 3 Haque, N.U. and Kim, S.-J., 1995. "Human capital flight": impact of migration on income and growth. IMF Staff Papers 42 3, pp. 577–607). 4 Lucas, R.E., 1988. On the mechanics of economic development. Journal of Monetary Economics 22 3, pp. 3–42.). 5 Samuel Siringi The Lancet, Volume 358, Issue 9278, 28 July 2001, Page 307. 6 World Bank, 1995.World Development Report 1995. Oxford University Press, New York.). 7 ""www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/ Day/010227/2001022720.html""
This Paper was presented at the First African convention at INTI College Sarawak, Malaysia 2005
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Someone has suggested that tithe is a covenant. I searched through the whole Bible and I could not find such a statement, neither could the one who made the suggestion. Even circumcision, which was ordained by covenant (Gen. 17:6-14), became irrelevant with the death of Christ (Gal.5:6).
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In our complex and rapidly changing world, human beings are confronted with three crucial problems which are intertwined and have got an important implication for our mental health both individually and as a larger group.
Impulse purchase vis-à -vis consumerism: the naked street dance of the contemporary Levites: In our complex and rapidly changing world, human beings are confronted with three crucial problems which are intertwined and have got an important implication for our mental health both individually and as a larger group. The first there is the unfinished business comprising poverty, prejudice, discrimination, social stress etc and the second is new business including high rise of drug, abuse, violence, crime increase, emancipation of all kinds, sexual immorality, energy and ecological crises, impulse purchase, armament, increasing and uncontrolled social change and the third is future business the Pandora box focusing on building a better world for all human beings. Many have the thought that these problems are devoid of solution but I reject such thought system in my psyche. The “Kpim†of this piece is on the impulse purchase which has been the cause of many mental dislocations of the modern times. The seventeenth century has been called the age of enlightenment, the eighteenth came to be the age of reason, the nineteenth the age of progress and twentieth the age of anxiety and for the 21st century permit me to call it the consumerism age.
Impulse Buying:
this is the buying of goods on impulse: the purchase of goods that may be unnecessary caused by the sudden urge or desire to have them. Impulse purchase means something bought without planning: something that a shopper buys on impulse, having had no previous intention of doing so.Impulse as we know is a sudden desire, urge or inclination. It took its etymology from the Latin word impulsus meaning to impel. Psychologically it can be seen as a drive or natural tendency. This phrase cannot be wonderfully treated if we cannot see its twin consumerism which is a materialistic altitude that lend to value acquisition and accumulation of material good. Levite is a member of priestly Hebrew tribe: a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi, chosen to assist the priests of the Jewish temple. Our aim here is to see it as it challenges the promise of service to God and humanity which demands for simplicity, self emptying, dependence insecurity, impulse purchase is the buying of something without planning where one buys at mere sighting of the item, having had no previous intention of doing so. Where accumulation becomes a natural tendency. It is a tendency worthy of thought because many are caught up here, in living lives that way we are bound to run off in the heat of the moment. Spontaneity is a good thing but it has been used in this case wrongly. Thinking first before purchase is necessary to see its relevance to a life and work you have chosen since “quo quis plus habet eo plus cupit†that is the more one has, the more one desires. It takes only a second to check the map and see if the turn we are thinking of making is where we really need to go, differentiating needs from wants is all we need and of striking concern is that as the Latin adage say “qui vult finem, vult etiam mediam i.e. who desires the end also desires means. The clear implication of this is the incessant and voracious search for money through any means and many land themselves in avariciousness, rapaciousness, simony, doctoring of accounts, sycophancy around the heavy pocketed “flocks†and failure to achieve such ends has been projected as frustration, covetousness, envy, jealousy and the host of all that is in direct conflict to the call to serve and live according to the dictates of the master. Rather imbibes the 21st century virtus post nummos i.e. virtue after coins/money Many CUTODIANS OF FAITH are striving to keep up with the joneses.
We tend to compare ourselves and compete. But while we strive towards this new goal we get so busy that we ignore our soul and fail in nourishing the souls kept in our care. Comparison should be between our daily life to our ideals and dreams. The incessant search for material enrichment is an outcome of the new thought system that a fulfilled Levite is identified by what he or she has. The truism is that when we are attached to things we worry about them when we don’t we are enriched based on the provision of Christ in Luke 12:31 instead strive for his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well but how far have we thought of these because the present situation show our unbelief in such passage of the gospel. The consumer syndrome that ruminates around the servants of God is shaped by the values of materialism; the newest religion which has ruined many and sent may to early grave. Vaelau hadel once said that materialism may have failed as an ideology in the East but it has certainly triumphed as a matter of practice in the west†what then happened to Africa. May be in Africa it has collected a resident permit and has filed for citizenship and in some areas its course of sainthood is on the offing.From the point of view of John Kavanaughs in his book “following Christ†in a consumer society it is appalling that this has become a way of life, a though system that even across many that it is a system of values and thus attitudes spread via advertisements. This situation which is an invasion of the values of the catholic tradition because things become more important than every other creature such pervasion one can say has made us less “contagions as people who has given up everything and followed Christ.
Religious Life
The religious life has become mediocre because the original focus has been lost since the focus in the resurrection is no longer our focus we have repressed it, office things are more important to us. The religious life or the solemn decision to serve God as it is has it’s root when Christ said blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom heaven Mtt 5:3 but do we live up to this since we were told as followers of Christ to take no bag for your journey or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff …. (mtt 10:9) inviting us for a life of simplicity both in mind and body since you cannot serve God and wealth (Mtt. 6:24)This consumer culture has it that as a well developed world we stand chance of being spiritually under developed, and made it that people think that to become someone you have to possess plenty. As such persons begin to serve things instead of things being made to serve persons such invasion of values is idolatry in its highest point. How then do we reconcile this with Jesus saying “do not store up treasure for yourselves on earth … but store up treasures for your selves in heaven… for where your treasure is there your heart will be also (Mtt 6:19). The Latin adage has said it all “nemo potest doubus dominis sevire†i.e. nobody serves two masters at a time In our lives as servants of God today there is a subtle form of enslavement: persons produce and produce in order to consume plenty things and so they are consumed as persons in this process, at the point that the consumer becomes consumed in the process of consumption. We are held captive by our cravings that within the life the line between the necessary and the superfluous becomes blurred.
This is where for example a car begins to seem more like a luxury and less like a necessity, as such the need for another or a new car becomes our second nature that acquisition is a natural tendency as the saying goes “AMOR NABENDI HABENDO CRESCITâ€( i.e. the love of having increases by having). The explosive growth of this culture has gone a long way to question our recta intentione†as Rev. Fr. Jude Asanbe puts it, “it is first and foremost a sole and noble desire that translates into a clear and firm will to consecrate oneself entirely to the Lord’s service and the salvation of souls†a whole new ball games “Gamelli Surmising on the opinion of St. Alphonsus de liguori offers that right intention consists in making one’s aim in life to be the service of God and his glory the salvation of souls and to appreciate and deserve the goods of Jesus Christ, these three elements necessary preclude the pursuance of one’s own happiness and sensible pleasures which are the goods for which man comes†the urge to belong to this culture by many questions our recta intentione and to explain further the word preclude as used by Gamelli (has its root from Latin ‘praecludere’ literally meaning ‘to close off ahead’ from th word ‘claudere’ to close, because of our right intention is as he stated we will interpret it) prevented us from getting involved in this consumer thought system. Our obligation of simplicity rest on our uniting ourselves to Christ in an intimate way, since Christ himself offered a perfect sacrifice. Let it not be that our right intention is to live comfortably; have assurance for future security or “licensed for anxiously pursuing a course that would fetch a lucrative jobâ€.
This is what I see as an issue of misplacement of priorities as the voracious search for wealth and material comforts has over shadowed true values leading to alarming increase in impulse purchase. I wonder how this Present situation can be juxtaposed with our initial intention as it is written in Phil. 3:10 “that I want to know Christ and the power of this resurrection and the sharing of his suffering by becoming like him in his death†and “but emptied himself taking the form of a slave being born in human likenessâ€. (Phil 2:7). Our creed tends to be I believe in wealth, acquisition almighty maker of nearly everything desirable on earth. I believe in fulfillment measured by accumulation and acquisition. I believe that my own sins which are not too many ought to be forgiven by a just and merciful God but if any one sins against me he had better look out. I believe in having good time. I believe in praying less so that I can have more time to see the latest product in television to buy. The people of the consumer culture believe that they have to have “more†“biggerâ€, “betterâ€, latest†of the new and improve†in order to be someone. Such that there is never enough in the life of this man of God whom having more means being more than looking good and being more depends on acquiring more, earning more. This has made it that the elderly pastors appear less lucrative, whom church or parish has little or no place for and the productive one or who is a lucrative area for ever. As they are anxious of their being like so many of the commodities they have consumed they too may be faced out we are left productive than prophetic, kept continuously busy, we are offered economic benefits and security for living. We are rewarded for efficiency and competence, always working more towards changes of socio-economic system which is fuelled by activities of production and consumption and such busyness leaves us consumed that we are now human doings than human beings. This thought system not only affect the persons but it mars, a smooth relationship within communities, because it is easily internalized in our patterns of relating to others and to God (i.e. Spirituality).
A passage of reflection that comes to mind is “therefore brethren seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to ministry of the word†Acts 6:3-4. The problem for us here is a clear case of misplacement of priorities and point of declaration of one’s ‘recta intentione’ We find in ourselves in this culture believing that love or life is something earned or purchased so we tend to please people to help us acquire certain things (sycophancy). The belief militates against the profound faith of people formed by the biblical tradition: faith in God’s gratuitous love for us. This belief in God’s gratuitousness which is the authentic Christian spirituality prompt us to pray, worship and give ourselves freely, and the outcome of such living is that “then the word of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith†Acts6:7. This is the main problem why we are not ready to sacrifice or live a self-emptying life because life and love can be earned or purchased. The clarion call demands with urgent immediacy to re-affirm and re-echo the ultimate mandate “as you go, preach, saying ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ … provide neither Gold nor Silver nor Copper in your moneybeltsâ€.Mtt.10:7, 9 One can say that it is difficult in a culture that values things more to have a deep relationship with God “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other, you cannot serve God and mammon†Mtt 6:24 and as such the promises poverty in spirit or simplicity we profess makes little or no sense. This is what makes a servant of God to function than flourish. Christ reiterated the fact that, being rich: having all the basic amenities of life at hand, is a state of life that can eat deep into ones life and make him self-satisfied and self –complacent when he said “… truly I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God†Mtt 19:23,24. Incessant pursuit of riches as we know is a direct contradiction of the gospel Spirit. The poverty of Christ which we are talking of here is marked by simplicity of mind and body.
Poverty of this kind is a natural expression of an inner filial dependence on God. At the middle of two cities as St. Augustine puts it lies poverty and for me it is either you stand in the city of God and looking over at the city of the world the either way as a religious your to only look over than struggling to go over as St. Paul described as being in the world and not being of the world, such that all things are there to serve the love of God, the incredible profusion of beauty from the stars to the stones, serves our fathers love as a living sermon. Let things serve love than love serve things. This calls for accountability; this is word many servants of God dread such that is seen as a plague so not to be pronounced. We are to be accountable about the expenses we incur and our way of life and not having a conscience anaesthetized We shall not boast of a thorough going intellectual voyage in this issue at stake without mentioning some of the damages it possesses to this our call within a call. The effects of this present day consumer syndrome is a Panoptic (all seeing) case, that the rate of spiritual anorexia among the servants of God such that a spiritual struggle seen in any is regarded as “old school†or a thing of antiquity, pure Christian values are more of artifacts and archaeological findings. A God who becomes the object of our being but invariable he becomes god shaped by our needs and wants and projections. This God becomes easy to cut down the size or shape it in our own image. Prayer and other spiritual exercise turns to be our way of using God for our own interest for our personal development and the consumer culture see it as healthy. In this case all spiritual exercise is seen as unproductive and therefore useless. Being with God is useless since wasting of time is socially unacceptable. When God is seen as a thing humanbeings can fragment as such it is predictable and dispassionate. The Igbo people will say once the eye starts crying the nose joins when the Levites are spiritual malnourished your guess is as good as mine as to what becomes of the followers as Christ said once you strike the shepherd the flock scatters. The situation here is this heart rending condition of the shepherds leaving the flock unattended. Are we not then working as hired men than shepherds? The rate at which spiritual and moral decadence is on the increment, is to be blamed to some extent that “delivery†is very poor. Isaiah55:10, 11 “for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and do not return there but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it†said it all. What do we say of this we have not being prophetic rather were being productive? Giving dry sermons dodging certain issues because as odimegwu ojukwu said because am involved.
Conclusion
Worst of it all is telling people what they would like to hear, living in contradiction to our word. A religious who suppose to be a value radiating centre, an insignia of Christianity, a disturbing presence in the church recalling all Christians to follow Christ totally. When people begin to blame a lot of things as being the causes of armed-robbery in the churches we tend to forget the flamboyancy such embarrass de ri·chesses (overabundance causing confusion: an overabundance of desirable things that makes choice among them difficult) quite mind-boggling and glaring in the life of many servants of God. The prayer of every robber is where the thing is and also easy to get, it is quite alarming at the rate servants of God are robbed but I think it is in proportionate to the rate of flamboyancy in their lifestyle. One of the issues that is rocking the very foundation of the African church today is the rate of royal sycophancy among servants of God many have been pocketed by the rich and powerful in the society because of what they tend to gain from them and this affects the strength of our preaching the word today. Truth has been covered to avoid the servant of God from losing favour from the victim. What can we say to such thought provoking words of pope john Paul II that “it is now more than ever when we begin to call things by their proper names and look truth in the eye without yielding to unnecessary compromise and self–deceptionâ€. What then do we say about the ambassadorial imbecility and royal sycophancy seen among us? We are as it is the ambassadors of Christ, A sacramental blessing to all who we meet but what can we say if not that, if this is being the representative Christ demands of us then the whole story of his dying for us is fruitless because we are not representing him to the extent expected of us. Permit me to say that the servant of God then becomes ambassadorial hazard because we misrepresent Christ since the prophetic preaching of the gospel message or every other of its kind taken by many with a grain of salt. What will this amount to if not pastoral negligence when the “ecclesial gene†got from Christ dislocates, then we cease to be shepherd. In a situation where commitment and focus is relegated and we begin to move with the crowd instead of leading the crowed following us. We neglect our primary duties in preferences to gallivanting around and inconveniencing people from enjoy the comfort of their homes and offices. At this juncture I beg your pardon to call for a crusade against this syndrome because all that is glaring here is all about attempt towards ‘clericalization’ of the laity and ‘laicization’ of the clergy. As it is, there exist crises of identity; for lay people should know their responsibility and go after it and so as the clergy with theirs. “In achieving all this the laity, that is Christians who have been incorporated into Christ…are of primary importance and worthy of special care†Then, we will say farewell to:, ecclesiastical autocracy, financial profligacy, diplomatic imbecility, royal favoritism / sycophancy, ecclesiastical complicity and ecclesiastical buffoonery, ecclesiastical tensions and above all “be a great asset to these young churches in discharging the more difficult ecclesiastical duties…so that the local church must represent the universal church as perfectly as possible…and these churches renew their common pastoral zeal and setup suitable joint projects…that gradually these churches might be able to provide for themselves and help othersâ€. The picture here is to emulate more of the church as the mouth piece and embassy of Christ
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.Swindoll, Charles. The mystery of God’s Will. Tennessee: W publishing Group inc. 1999.
2.Mihalic Frank. Tonic for the heart in 1000 bottles. India: Pauline pub.2004.
3.Washington, James. A testament of Hope. NewYork: harpersanfrancisco.1991.
5.Asanbe, Jude. Recta Intentione in candidates for the priesthood in Nigeria:a perspective from canon 1029,the Voyage Vol.3, Jan. 2006
6.Kavanaugh, John. Following Christ in a consumer society, orbis books, new york. 1981.
7.Carter, Edward. Shepherds of Christ Vol.2, Shepherds of Christ, Texas, 2002.
8.Varkey, C.P. BE HUMAN BE HOLY ST PAULS PUB. INDIA 2005
9.Nubiola, Ramon, our search for happiness, Gujarat sahitya prakash pub. India 1989.
10.Maurus, J. The joy of being human, St Paul’s society Press, Bombay: 2004
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Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
I ought to have six children but I have four. The oldest is fifteen years old, the youngest, five. The oldest two ought to be twenty two and seventeen years old but they are not here. This is the story of the two who did not make it.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
All these are the troubles and trails of the sanguine but God will deliver him from them all, this being the favorite verse of a sanguine who like the monk goes to worship goes incessantly in search of merriment.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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