the evidence of how viciously Christians have persecuted Jews, and others, over
many centuries.
According to these teachings, therefore, the Christian peoples have no
business looking down on anyone, but ought to look up to Jews, even more to
Muslims, and even more to Asians and Africans.
Don’t look down on anyone
More to the point, no one should look down on anyone. The truth is that,
according to the Heavenly Doctrines, all of humanity is in a similar spiritual
condition: “In fact the whole human race is evil, with everyone, if left to
himself, rushing into hell.” (Arcana Coelestia 587) Evil is not restricted to any
one corner of the globe, and every society is beset by significant and vexing
social issues.
This suggests that the differences from place to place are minor and
transient. More importantly, it suggests that everyone should be regarded as
an individual, not as a member of a group. Everyone is different and unique,
people are not bound by their identity and culture (True Christianity 32)
The good news here is that when the Writings describe the character of
various nations they frequently attribute it to factors that are susceptible to
change. For example, one of the most important factors repeatedly mentioned
is the presence or absence of political freedom.
When it comes to the spiritual or
theological teachings of the church,
the nations that have freedom are like
eagles that can soar aloft to any height;
the nations that have no freedom are
like swans swimming on the surface
of a river. (True Christianity 815; also
Last Judgment (posthumous) 5)
We live at a time when political
freedom
is
rapidly
spreading
worldwide. Good things will result.
The cause of the problem is also the
solution
A refrigerator magnet at our house
proclaims: “Beer got me into this mess,
and, by golly, beer will get me out of
it.” While this is clearly wrong, it does
seem that the same factors that have
brought the many peoples of the world
377
No one should look
down on anyone. The
truth is that, according
to the Heavenly
Doctrines, all of
humanity is in a similar
spiritual condition. Evil
is not restricted to any
one corner of the globe,
and every society is
beset by significant and
vexing social issues.