Hey, Hey, Hey...Hold Your Reins

(On Dealing with the Evil in This World))
by aLfie vera mella

Some people think that, just because I've been expressing messages of apologies for those whom I might have offended by some of my atheistic views, I am already renouncing my atheism and starting to be a God-believer. That is not the case. I never apologize for my ideas. Such apologies are for the very bold and passionate ways that I sometimes express my ideas, which offend those who could not take these with a wider angle of understanding. And because many of these people are my friends, relatives of mine, and at least acquaintances, I do this out of consideration and courtesy.

But it should remain clear. I don't believe that God or any other kind of living god or supreme being exists. These entities, to me, are simply images, symbols, or personifications of various human traits and values. If believers take offense in that, sorry but I am simply expressing another way of showing my concern to life, humanity, and the world in general. There is no one way, truth, or path--all of us should have their right to believe in what we want to believe in. To express and criticize is different from to impose and ridicule.

The Evil that Lurks
While I express my sadness and disappointment for the victims of the recent mass killing in Connecticut, I remain stout and clear with my insight that the most likely reason of the killing was severe mental illness of the killer that had afflicted him for so long, compounded by several other factors that included easy accessibility to deadly weapons and his displaced hatred and frustrations.

This has nothing to do with God or religion or his lack of theistic faith or otherwise.

Clear Sense of Purpose
Many are offering their prayers--nothing is wrong with this--prayers are words that can give a sense of hope and a feeling of belonging and importance--that's all. No magic in this that could directly stop anything. It does not move mountains; it does not part oceans.

As far as I am concerned, what society (in general) needs more than prayers is the realization that evilness is a human tendency, and that each person differs in how he deals with this tendency and with how he reacts to such emotions. And the more imbalance the mental state of the person, the more prone he is to act terribly.

Specific Courses of Action
Therefore, a suggested useful courses of action are

1) to acknowledge that the abnormal and horrendous actions and extreme hatred emotions are not caused by lack of spirituality or lack of faith in a god or possession by Satan or a devil; but rather, these extreme actions are caused primarily by a form of mental illness that was either undiagnosed or left untreated;

(Many people attribute 'unexplained' bursts of hysteria and extreme hatred to demonic possession, making the situation worst and medically untreated; superstition is counterproductive)

2) to acknowledge that if there is easy accessibility to deadly weapons such as guns, people afflicted with mental illness who want to displace and project their anger, self-hatred, and frustration have a greater chance of staging a murderous rampage;

(If a severe mental illness is observed in an individual, his family's or community's acknowledgment would cause them to ensure that this person has no access to such deadly weapons and that his actions are monitored)

3) if there is a member of a family who is showing signs of a mental illness, to acknowledge this and deal with this properly by seeking professional psychiatric help--for diagnosis and for treatment;

(Acknowledgment, acceptance, and then dealing with this by seeking psychiatric help--not quack or superstitious intervention, which is denying the real cause)

4) for the government of any country whose rate of mass killings are high (like the United States), its leaders should prioritize free health care, strict gun laws, monitoring, and systematic security.

These are just some of the ideas that have been brewing in my mind amidst such sad human affairs.

Whereas many others find hope and comfort in prayers, faith, and the belief that there is a grand plan behind all these horrible events, I rather find systematic and clearer ways that humans may apply in their lives to deal with the evil in others.

By 'evil,' I mean evil deeds (regardless of cause) and evil humans among us all.

Sa Madaling Salita
Ang tunay na dahilan kumbakit maraming masamang tao sa mundo e hindi ang kawalan nila ng pananampalataya sa pinaniniwalaang mga diyos ng iba't ibang relihiyon. Ang totoong pinagmumulan ng kasamaan ay ang sakit sa utak ng ilang tao na nagiging dahilan ng kawalan nila ng kontrol at pagkakaroon ng matinding galit sa kanilang sarili at sa kanilang kapwa tao.

Or, in Simple Words
The evil in the world is not a battle of believers versus atheists. It is not a question of having faith or a lack of this. It is more an issue of acknowledging what the problems really are and then finding direct ways in solving these.