Think as I Think or Else

I will forever be disappointed by the arrogance of humanity. We as a group have caused more destruction, death, and ignorance than any species has a right to aspire to. And it all boils down to the desperate need to have everyone think like we do. It’s a battle between us and them, that, if broken down to its basic elements, is nothing more than a high school football rivalry that has gotten way beyond control.

Just last month, a 300-year-old sacred and historic kola tree was chopped down in the dark of night in Ghana. This tree was older than the founding of the United States. It was so revered that when a highway was slated to go through the area, it was slightly rerouted to avoid destroying the tree. It was also a tourist destination, a sacred site for many, and the black and white seeds of the tree were said to cure ailments and curses.

The fact that it was cut down under cover of darkness proves that the men who did this knew it would provoke outrage. But what motivated them? Apparently, their pastor had them do it. You see, this tree was seen as a fetish for the many traditional religions that have existed in this region since at least 400 years before any Christians barged in.

How dare anyone follow a religion other than that pastor’s? His dogma is the only one to be tolerated! Anyone who disagrees could very well be cut down like that tree was. Praise the Lord.

I sincerely believe that there are many paths to the divine, and everyone has a right to choose their own. They also have the right to not subscribe to any spiritual belief at all. I hold this opinion completely apart from my views of the often despicable acts done by some human beings in the name of religion. I don’t condone violence or hatred or exploitation or atrocities of any kind. I see these acts as the dirty side alleys that some humans get lost in, often to the detriment of the rest of us.

When I heard about the destruction of this ancient kola tree, which, after 300 years of life was probably cut down in less than an hour, I could not help but think of the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. These majestic statues, one of which stood 180 feet tall, had been watching over the Bamyan Valley since the 6^th Century. The Taliban blew them up in 2001 because they did not approve of what they represented.

You can see the footage of their destruction on YouTube. It never fails to bring tears to my eyes. That irreversible act of cultural genocide took less than a second to pull off. Back in 2021, the Taliban were selling tickets to view the site of the destruction, as if it were something to be proud of. I wonder if they still are, and I wonder who would purchase those tickets?

If you believe this destructive “Think As I Think Or Else” mentality is something only “they” do, somewhere “over there”, and that “we” are way too sophisticated and enlightened to do such things, you are sadly mistaken. Wars are the result of one group forcing its beliefs on another group, and America has participated in war in one way or another for 93% of its existence.

Forcing values upon others isn’t new. Think of the witch trials not only in Salem, but also around the world. Think of every hate crime that has ever been perpetrated. Think of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust. Think of every time human rights have been suppressed. Think of every genocide and invasion, and every person who has been tortured. Think of every fist fight on every schoolyard on earth. Think of every time you’ve been talked over or vetoed, and every microaggression you’ve experienced.

This sickening trend lives in every book that is banned, and every coup that is attempted, and in every disagreement that ends in violence. It’s alive and well in every biased Supreme Court Justice, and every school board that dictates what history children should be allowed to learn. It’s also most definitely in every right to work state, every gerrymandered voting district, every insurrection, and every union busting effort.

We are a “think as I think or else” species. When is all this going to stop? When will we all be free to think the way we wish to think and make safe spaces for ourselves while doing no harm to others? It can only end when we all stop saying, “You first.”

Is it unreasonable to hope that somehow that kola tree will find a way to sprout again from the stump that ignorant humans have left behind? I hope it’s not impossible. If that hope is too extravagant, then we may as well abandon all hope, for all things. And then where will we be?

Additional Sources:

The View from a Drawbridge

The random musings of an autistic bridgetender with entirely too much time on her hands.