The Most Neglected Need
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"A Theory of Human Motivation" is apparently a classic
in the field of psychology. It was written by Abraham Maslow in 1943 in the
journal Psychological Review and has been widely quoted in books and articles.
It is quoted in a book I just finished called, “Wild Happy:
Dreams, Crises and Acceptance in the Jungles of Papua New Guinea” by Ryan
Casseau.
Maslow’s article describes a hierarchy of human needs that
includes, from the bottom up, physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and
self-actualization. His theory is much more complex than this brief description
but basically attempts to prioritize basic human needs.
Although dated, his theory has validity today, in my view.
Author Ryan Casseau uses the theory in his description of his
experience years ago in Papua New Guinea where, as a young scientist, he was
collecting samples of native plants for possible use in medicines.
Relationship with People
But Casseau’s story is not so much about the plants and their
potential use but his relationship with the people of a small island in that
country and the cultural shock of living there for several months. The people
lived simply, seeming to require only the basic needs mentioned in Maslow’s
article.
Casseau is generous in his praise of the people of the island,
counting his time there as a personal wakeup on how to live simply and
lovingly, telling stories of the people’s generosity and care for him and for
each other. With only tangential contact with the outside world, they are
satisfied with what they have and how they live.
In his only mention of religion in the book, Casseau says the
islanders were evangelized (without using that word) years previously by
Catholic missionaries. The people of the island asked him about his own
religion, but he declined to say, fearing they would disapprove of his lack of
religious faith and that he wouldn’t be able to adequately defend his position.
It doesn’t occur to Casseau to attribute any of the islanders’
qualities to religious motivations. Like so many of our contemporaries, he
describes himself as “spiritual but not religious,” writing that he “hates
religion,” citing the old untruth that religion promotes and has been responsible
for the majority of violence in the world, and that he “hates doctrine.”Ryan Casseau
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I’ve cited the numbers before, but if you have any doubt Google
the numbers on the violence and deaths caused by atheistic governments, such as
the Nazis, the Soviets, the Chinese, Japanese and Cambodians, compared to such
“religious” disputes such as the often-cited Inquisition, the violence caused
by the Reformation, the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and
Africa. You’ll see that the violence that can be attributed to religion and religious
differences is a fraction by comparison.
As for “doctrine,” your attitude – as in everything – will
depend on how you view it. My view is that doctrine isn’t the imposition of
other people’s views but a compendium of believers’ common beliefs.
I thought about all this recently as I listened to an interview
on a National Public Radio station about the religious feast of Hanukah. A
Jewish woman explained the feast – considered a minor one in the Jewish
calendar – and provided some history of the congregation to which she belongs.
Dwindled Dramatically
She described how her once-thriving congregation had dwindled
dramatically in size in recent years to the extent of having to combine her
congregation with one in another nearby city.
It may not be a surprise to regular readers of this blog that this
saddens me because in my view, we as a society need more religion, not less.
From the Christian viewpoint, it’s hard to imagine that the Beatitudes (Blessed
are the poor, etc.) promote violence or are anything but beneficial to society.
To reject religion because some believers fail to follow the
tenets of their faith is like rejecting education because some educators do a
poor job or rejecting “business” because some businesses engage in fraud.
Though I believe Maslow’s list of human needs is useful, it
omits the most important human needs: a relationship with the author of life
and adherence to the religion-inspired commands in the New and Old Testaments
to love God and neighbor.
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