Realities, identities, and value systems have changed. To take three examples:

1. Men or women felt that they were trapped in their given birth bodies while their true identity belonged to that of the opposite sex. 1a) Bruce Jenner becomes Caitlyn Jenner. Bruce was an American former track and field athlete who as a man came to international attention when he won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics held in Montreal, Canada, in 1976. Later on he became a television personality. Bruce felt his wanting to run away from his male self helped him achieve his feat in running at the Olympics. He has six adult biological children. Now at the age of 65 he, through sexual re-assignment treatment and/or surgery, has become a woman with the name of Caitlyn Jenner has appeared on the recent cover page of a magazine called Vanity Fair. 1b) Recently there was a report in the media of a male professor in a college in Kolkata taking charge of that college as a female principal after becoming a transgender woman through sexual re-assignment surgery.

2. In a recent voting Ireland approved a proposition favoring homosexual and lesbian marriages by a majority of 62 percent. This change is phenomenal in a Catholic country that considered homosexual relationships to be criminal only a few years ago.

3. Assisted suicide with the involvement of a physician is legal in Switzerland. As anyone can get assistance in suicide there, the country has come to be known for “suicide tourism”. As a scientist like Stephen Hawking, and spiritual leaders like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a recipient of Nobel Peace Prize and Gandhi Peace Prize, and Archbishop Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion worldwide, favor assisted suicide in extreme pain, assisted suicide is becoming more of a reality all over the world.

            As the world is becoming a multi-cultural, pluralistic society, realities, identities, and value systems are changing fast. Materialism and consumerism driven by exploitative commercialism have extremely blurred realities, identities, and value systems. Rigid, puritanical, immoral value systems of the past such as racism, casteism, colonialism, and authoritarianism with their excesses and demonic discriminations have not been adequately replaced by a spiritual culture of awareness, thoughtfulness, and sharing where no human is left out. For this, education itself has to be recaptured from the clutches of materialism and given the spiritual purpose of conscience formation, the value of common good, and the necessary skills for healthy living. Changes are necessary. Changes need to be channeled creatively for the good of humanity. While legitimate rights need to be respected, changes are not indiscriminately provided or bought in the market on the basis of who can afford what, while the very basic needs of the overwhelming majority of humanity are not met. Individuals’ rights and freedom should be tempered by the rights and freedom of humanity in general. A thorough revision of our value system is essential. Essential needs need to be distinguished from non-essential wants. A United Nations conference on human destiny needs to be planned.

            On an individual basis, the primary focus needs to be on a deep awareness of one’s own and others’ purpose in life, needs and wants, and available resources. Let science and technology benefit the common person before a few can indulge in luxuries. Life is not an entertainment provided by a few rich actors and actresses that seduces the unthinking human into vicarious living, empty stupor, and stupidity. I do not do something because I can, but because it fits in with my over-all plan and purpose.