Published February 25, 2006

IN THEORY

What is Humanity's Greatest Threat?

Q: This week, Oakseed Ministries -- a Virginia-based group that helps other ministries in their efforts to serve the third world -- launched an international art contest called "Compassion for the Starving Child," designed to promote more awareness among children of international hunger, which organizers say is among the greatest crises on our planet. Bono, of U2, might agree, as he promotes his "One" campaign to deal with extreme poverty. Others have taken a slightly different perspective on poverty.

Mother Teresa once said that "the most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved." What, in your opinion, is the greatest crisis on our planet, and what is faith's/religion's role in solving it?

A: The greatest crisis facing our planet is the loss of community and the rise of the self as the new god. Because in the self we find an ego expressing itself through pride, envy, lust, gluttony, greed, laziness and anger. Each of these seven expressions brings about the problems that our planet faces, from poverty to global warming, from loneliness to war, from hatred to nuclear annihilation.

All true religions should bring the person to understand him or herself as part of a community, and therein, serving the spiritual and physical needs of that collective. In this model, the self - ego - cannot find opportunity to survive above the goals of the community.

In this vein, I'm pleased that today, as this column is being read, that over a million young people are participating in World Vision's 30-Hour Famine this weekend. The purpose is to bring attention and funds to the starving children of the world -- 29,000 of whom are dying each day because of hunger. More than 50 Armenian youth -- all great grandchildren of genocide survivors -- are participating in this planned Famine here in Glendale. It's a strict fast they adhere to -- no food or drink -- to collect much needed funds to feed the children in Darfur, Sudan, who have fallen victim of genocide. In this way, the Church is faithful to its mission to help the individual lose the self (ego) and strive for the greater purpose: the service of humanity.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

Youth Ministries