The Basic Necessities

Quite often today people speak of the deterioration of morals, family values and ethics. One thing consistently missed in this speech are examples of what a society with a higher standard of each would look like. The subject of this blog is the role the basic necessities of people play in achieving a high moral standard and creation of an ethical society.

 Before I go further consider the following:

 Currently in the USA parents of minor children have an obligation to provide for them their basic necessities. These necessities are the same for all and are food, clothing and shelter. There is one more basic necessity which is the opportunity to be what one wants to be. However, a parents’ failure to provide this one is not met with the same punishment that will befall him or her if the first three are not met. A parent who fails to provide the first three is considered to be unfit and can have their children taken away from them for a duration of time for this failure. This parent can also have his or her parental rights terminated forever for this reason! The underlying presumption of this type of punishment seems to be that the basic necessities are important to children and their growth and development. Therefore, this suggests that these are the foundation of living and must be provided to all of them.

This is a fair presumption. However, this presumption begs the following question. If a parent is unfit for failing to provide the basic necessities for his or her children, why isn’t a nation that fails to provide the basic necessities for its children, its citizens, also considered to be unfit?

Before you begin thinking that this blog is promoting some form of socialism think again as it’s not. Are you socialist because you provide the basic necessities for your children? Is the USA socialist because it provides the basic necessities for those people in its army, navy, air force and marines?  Of course not. However, in both cases what is recognized is the fact that the lack of these basics stunts growth and development and makes it difficult to concentrate on tasks for any duration of time. In the former case children cannot grow and develop into emotionally and physically healthy adults. In the latter case members of the military cannot do their jobs well when underlying their job performance is worry and concern about how their basic necessities will be met.

It is difficult at best for a person to be moral and ethical when he or she is not able to provide the basic necessities for his or her family. Worry and stress are created when a person does not know where his or her next meal is coming from. This stress easily leads to illegal and legal crimes, substance abuse, depression and the host of other ills considered to be normal by this culture and society today.

It should be noted that any society that doesn’t create and then implement policies which lead to providing the basic necessities to all, is in no position to speak of the need for higher morals, values or ethics. Simply stated just like a parent is considered to be unfit for not providing these basics to his or her children so too is a nation unfit when it does not provide these to its children its citizens.

Guidance on this subject and its importance in leading to a well-balanced moral, ethical and harmonious society can be found in the following excerpt from Chapter 33(18) of the Pert M Heru from contemporary papyri (19) which says the following about this subject:

“I have done God’s will. I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the clotheless and a boat to those who were shipwrecked.”   

The Pert M Hru is a book from the ancient African country today called Egypt but in that time called by its inhabitants Kamit. The word Kamit means “the Black land or Land of the Blacks.” The title Pert M Hru means “the Book of Coming forth into the Light, or the Book of Enlightenment.” It is a book that helps its reader transform his or mortal consciousness into spiritual consciousness. Inherent in this transformative process is acceptance of the premise that it is “God’s will” that “all” be provided with their basic necessities which is needed before the self-awakening process can begin.

High morals, family values and ethics are by products of a society of people with no reason to steal, kill or be stressed and depressed because they are not able to take care of themselves and their family. If all three are truly desired by a society then creation and implementation of policies that will provide the basic necessities to all should be strongly considered.

Blessings and Peace,

*Join us in Egypt in July 2019!