Think and Be Kind

by Robert Norvell: I had a philosophy professor in the early 1970's when I was a graduate student. To protect his identity I will simply refer to him as DR. Z. He started his career as an American Baptist minister who then became a Congregationalist and then a Unitarian. By the time I reached him as a student he had become a full blown cynical atheist. Dr. Z was also a despiser of Western Culture believing all cultures to be equal to each other. He was constantly insulting the West by stating all of Western Culture could be summed up in just four words, "Think and be kind." I am sure Dr. Z viewed himself as being clever and sarcastic.

Over the last forty years I have often thought about Dr. Z's remarks. He was right, but in a very different, more profound way than he envisioned. The two ideas that have governed the growth of Western Culture have been reason and the Golden Rule. We received reason or logic from the Greeks. The Greeks taught us to reason or think in a logical fashion. It was from the Judeo-Christian ethic we received the admonition to be kind, caring and loving to others. This thought reached its zenith in the teachings of Jesus known as the Golden Rule. It states "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Western Civilization is far from perfect but its twin ideals (Think and be kind) have been the guiding lights of our culture. Islamic culture on the other hand is the only world religion that has no concept of the Golden Rule. Hence the barbarism and cruelty of militant Islamic groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.

With all the many faults of the West I prefer the "think and be kind" of Western Civilization over Islamic
Culture. Think and be kind are after all a pretty good way to live one's life.
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Robert Norvell is an Arkansas conservative activist who contributes and researches articles for the ARRA News Service.

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