Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Consumerism

Consumerism

India is passing through a period of appreciative economic growth. But it is not inclusive and so the benefits accrue only to those already endowed with political, social and / or economic wealth This make them richer and make rich-poor divide much more. Politician- bureaucrat- police- terrorist nexus accentuate this phenomenon. It is a fact that the percolate effects of development benefit some of those marginalised also. But most of them remain outside the governmental and NGO dispensations of programmes and policies.

While those below the poverty line is on the decline and the level of unemployment has decreased from about 20 to 9 % of the population, the gulf between the rich and the poor is widening. This skewing up of the incomes into the hand of a few, portents still greater unrest.

In the milieu of the present day concerns of very slow agricultural growth, increasing farmer suicides, still existing unemployment, quantity constrained consumer market, terrorism, drug and hawala mafia, increasing harassment of women, all pervasive corruption especially of the political leaderships, all varieties of illegalities and internal and external induced insecurity issues, we have very difficult days ahead.

Self discipline and containment of consumerism is the solution. Unlimited wants and increasing efforts to satisfy them are desirable. That will lead to more economic growth and income of the people. But excessive consumerism can only lead to ecological and environmental destruction as is happening in the West, and specially in Germany. In Germany the “ecological footprints” of man is the highest in the World. True to the Indian tradition, let us not imitate the West. We must try to preserve the flora and fauna of the earth, rather than follow the mad race of the westerners.

Prof..Joseph K.Alexander

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Monday, May 10, 2010

Social Doctrine of Jesus Christ

Utopia was, is and will be the dream of all thinkers. A peaceful society of harmony and love and concern for all by all, is the aim. We may call it an ideal society, heaven, nirvana, moksha, Rama Rajya or kingdom of God. Jesus was devising the modalities of a workable or practical heavenly kingdom of homosapiens in this world and the other, after death. He was dreaming about a human society of perpetual peace. He was thinking of a new social order.

Mr. John Kunnathu, said in a message to ICON
“God alone is righteous and all others are not… To become righteous --to become honest and one with God--one should shed all his unrighteousness and dishonesty and repent for all mistakes of, commissions and omissions. This repentance is the key to his teaching. This is the narrow path to the new social order of the Kingdom of God. Repentance leads to faith and acceptance by God, which is salvation”

Now may I add another dimension to the logic? Christ was prescribing a method to achieve this salvation; to create a new social order. What was that method? Repentance is not enough for that.
The main teachings of Jesus are: -
1. Universal brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God.
2. The kingdom of heaven is here at hand and reachable immediately.
3. We are all messengers of Christ to spread his good news

The first is to accept fatherhood of God. He is the supreme authority with omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. This is not anything new. It is an idea inherent in human mind.

The first principle also tells us how to bring about that heavenly society in practice. The method is to practice in one's life the synergy of Universal love to every thing in the World. This universal love is the essence of his teaching.

The 2nd principle says that the moment one repents, accept honesty in his life and love everything in the Universe, he is in heaven. He is in the new peaceful social order. It is in him and within his immediate reach. He can straightaway enter into it

A great problem confronting wrong doers or dishonest people was whether they would remain condemnable all their life? Was there any moksha from it? Will they go through new successive purification births as said by some religions? Jesus gives a positive answer and dispels all fears of perpetual condemnation. This is another great thinking and solace we find in the teaching of Jesus.

Another problem that confronted thinkers was as to what will happen to man at death. Will everything end with physical death of a person? Jesus taught his followers that all honest members of the kingdom of God would resurrect from physical death to live a new life with God. In other words, for honest people life after death will be the same as before death and will be with God. Those who are unrighteous can also get into it by repentance.

In short Recognition of God as superior to all authority,
Recognition of everyone else as your own brother and
Reliance on repentance as the key to Heaven (the New Society)
are the keys of the teachings of Jesus

Prof. Joseph K.Alexander

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Rev.Dn. Alexander and “Holy Brahmawar”

Rev.Dn. Alexander and “Holy Brahmawar”
Ref:- Article published on 13th Dec. 2009 in ICON as post No. 2438
I am happy to read the posting on “Holy Brahmawar” by Mr. George Alexander, Chief
coordinator, D P R of OBL Forum in ICON on 13th Dec. 2009. It gives more information
on Portuguese Padruvado community church and the Propaganda Church of Rome and
how Mar Alvares Julius started the new Brahmawar Orthodox church for the oppressed
old Christian community who wanted freedom from Rome.
The article traces the persons who built up the Orthodox community in Brahmawar. H G
Mar Alvares became in 1889 a consecrated Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox
Church. He constructed this new church in Brahmawar. He got an ardent supporter in Fr
Nuronah, 39 years, who was then already a Catholic priest. They were the pioneers of this
community. Mar Alvares pleaded to his superiors in Malankara to send missionaries to
inculcate the Orthodox liturgy and rituals to his 5000 odd families who were his
followers in the new church. H G Pulikottil Mar Joseph IInd sent Rev. Dn. K J Alexander
who was a reputed orator and convention speaker. He went in 1905 to Brahmawar to join
Fr. Nuronah in building up the Orthodox community. Dn. Alexander thus became the
first Kerala Missionary in Brahmawar.
Fr. Nuronah and Dn. Alexander then requested for woman volunteers from Kerala to
work among women in Brahamawar. They got Ms. Annamma Vettiyil, Vakathanam and
others. As she later got married in her advanced years to my relative, I had an opportunity
to personally hear from her, about her stay in Brahmawar. Dn Alexander was sent by Fr.
Nuronah to nearby localities in Karnataka, and Telugu and Marathi speaking
population for the mission work. Rev. Dn K J Alexander was later ordained by H G Mar
Alvares in 1911 and returned to Kerala to become vicar of his mother parish St. John’s
church, Mepral. It was Dn. K J Alexander and Fr. Nuronah together who built the
COSMOPOLITAN SCHOOL the first educational institution for this community. In1936
Fr. K J Alexander went from Mepral to the death bed of Fr. Nuronah in Brahma war
These facts are not seen in the said article. Fr. P G .Koshy came in after Rev.Dn.
Alexander, who went for higher studies to Serampore College, Kalkota around 1909-‘10
Ref:
1 Light of Life- Feature –H.G. Alvares Mar Julius [1889-1923]
By Prof. Joseph K. Alexander-2005 July Vol. IV- issue 10
2. Kanianthra family History. Feature-Rev Fr K J Alexander Corepiscopa:
Joseph Alexander and Achamma Ammini Joseph –2000- Sankar Printers.
Bangalore .PP 136-141
3. Kanaianthra Kudumbam(Malayalam) Feature- K J Alexander Corepiscopa
1882-1955:– Dr.J Alexander, K. J Ninan and Prof. Joseph Alexander -1991. – M
M Press. Trivandrum. PP 261-271
4. Church Weekly 1956. April 8: Feature- Parethanaya Kanianthra Achen- P P
Varkey
5. “XRAY”- a vituperative book attacking Malankara Orthodox Church- p. 32
says that Mar Alvares ordained Kanianthra Fr K J Alexander, Kannamcote Fr.
Lukose and Kunnamkulam Dn. David.
6. Alvares Mar Julios” Malayalam D Mathews-Feature- “Kanianthra
Alexander Kathanar PP 106-107
7 Ordination Document. Copy - published in “News And Views” of MGOCSM
– Vol I Bk 7 Oct-Dec.2004