Beyond The "What If" Paradigm

Read all of Romans 8

The “what if” argument.

What if there was more equality in the world?

What is equality?

Is it all people having the same amount of things, or enjoying the same benefits of labor?

What if we were all kings; who would pay the tribute, enforce the law and build society?

What if we were all subjects; who would manage the government, write laws and deal with lawbreakers?

What if we were all priests; who would need saving, argue for the defenseless and invoke blessings from Above?

What if we were all rebellious heathens instead; would we have a civilization to complain about?

If we had anarchy, what about the weak or the indifferent?

Would such as these be protected?

If all people would have it their unique way, where would consensus be and who would enforce it?

It is easy to criticize a system that allows you to be openly critical without having your tongue cut out...yet not all existing on earth enjoy such a freedom! (sadly, tongues may still be cut out in some dark corners of the world...or worse)

It is easy to protest for / about ________ (whatever you feel passionate about) when the current context allows for such criticism.

When people abhor the empires of the past (and present), I don't think they fully understand where they now stand, for what they now enjoy is likely a by-product or direct result of empire's footprint.

I personally am a byproduct of Fidel Castro's attempt to 'change' something he saw as wrong, unjust or equal.

The question then is: would I even exist if it wasn't for the Cuban exodus into the U.S. from what eventually became a communist effort on that island and the economic embargo that prompted my predecessors to leave the island?

If I would have been born in Cuba (my parents having met in the U.S., not in Cuba), would all things have stayed the same (no Castro / communism / embargo)?

Would I have turned out to be the man I am today?

Would I be speaking English, or studying the subjects I research and write about?

I would not have been born in Silver Lake or have grown up in Los Angeles.

I would not have met and communed with those I have throughout my life.

The answer is no, I wouldn't be the man I am, for this man writing these words is the consequence of living in Southern California since 1975 up until the present (with a momentary sojourn in Texas).

I am the consequence of all the people I've met, the experiences I've had, and the schooling I've received every day since I can first remember...and learning is an every-single-day-effort.

It is this “what if” that causes us to mistakenly think the present would be the same, or better, if certain things from the past would have developed differently.

“If only _______ (your gripe) would have turned out _________ (your ideal)” isn't a wise contemplation when you have reality to work through...and it is this challenge and effort which makes you into who you are Today!

The cause and effect of “what if” can never be accurately estimated since all things present are consequences of past events.

We can learn from the bad decisions of others, and our own, to not repeat what may seem inevitable to some.

There is no “what if”, even from one day to the next, for our time, decisions and their consequences cannot be rewound as if it was a song or a movie.

It is easy for people to rant about the sins of the past of others, or injustices of collective government, when their ranting online, for example, is a byproduct of such activities.

If it wasn't for empire, do you suppose most of the innovations, developments, education and benefits that specialized societies enjoy would have come to pass in the first place.

No.

If we were all equal in the sense of being the same with all similar attributes inward and outward, would man have progressed beyond the invention of the wheel?