Higher Values for Ecological Economics

Speaker:- Laurie Ross
Worship Leader:- Shirin Caldwell

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Laurie Ross © 17 May 2026

Kia Ora, E te whanau.

I am delighted to be invited to speak to you again today in this beautiful building and in this beautiful fellowship. Tēnā koe Shirin, Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Introduction:

The development of Science, Technology and Military Intelligence has not been balanced by collective development of Spiritual Intelligence. This is essential for Evolution of Human Consciousness, in order to save Humanity from Nuclear War Apocalypse and Ecological Destruction of Earth.

The great scientist Albert Einstein said: ‘The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything except our mode of thinking, thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophes’.

Our Scientific minds and methods have enabled us to study Millions of years of evolution of Life on Earth. The last 100,000 years of Human development is astounding. The fact of ‘Self-Consciousness’ in Human Beings is the most mysterious phenomena, not explained by scientific evolution or biological materialism. Human consciousness is not in the brain. The brain acts more like a radio transmitter and translator of thought waves.

It was Sir John Eccles and Karl Popper who wrote the 600 page book ‘The Self and It’s Brain’ who said: ‘the greatest of miracles is -the human consciousness itself’. This was further explored by Eccles and Daniel N. Robinson in ‘The Wonder of Being Human – Our Brain & Our Mind’ which inspires my work. Consciousness is like Trees of Life and Knowledge, with deep roots, strong trunks, long branches, luxurious leaves, beautiful flowers and fruits….but our trees and forests are threatened by unevolved consciousness in destructive economic belief systems.

Evolving Human Consciousness –Spiritual Teachings

The purpose of Conscious Human Evolution is to fulfil our true potential as ‘Human Beings’ to Love and protect Life on Earth. Thus, We have to Protect ourselves and each other, from unhealthy forms of ‘Economic growth’ and collective psychological aberrations.

This involves inner development of individual consciousness for Realisation of our ‘True Nature’ through study, meditation, movement, conscious breathing integrating Body, Heart, Mind and Soul. This nurtures the ‘True Self’ as part of nature, develops compassion, dedicated to Humanity and all Beings to be Well. The Korean Taoist spiritual philosopher Ilchi Lee teaches integration of ‘Body Brain’ and understanding we are all ‘Earth Citizens’.

We must become rooted in the Ground of Being and Higher Common Values for spiritual health and happiness of Humanity. The great Japanese Soka Gakkai Buddhist leader, Daiseku Ikeda produced 50 years of Spiritual Work and Dialogue as a Pathway to ‘Human Revolution’ for Evolution of Consciousness and Peace on Earth.

Philosophical spiritual ideals, values and experiences are the heart of Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and other ‘enlightenment’ teachings, that have guided humanity for over 2,500 years. Modern Christian Mystic and paleontologist, Catholic priest Teilard de Chardin envisioned this as a ‘Cosmogenesis’ of Humanity and Earth in Divine Love consciousness.

Sufi teacher Hazrat Inayat Khan wrotea book ‘The Unity of Religious Ideals’ expressed in his prayer: ‘Toward the One. The perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, United with all the Illuminated Souls, who form the embodiment of the Messenger, the Spirit of Guidance.’ Similar Spiritual wisdom is reflected in Unitarian Universalist * Rev. Forrest Church ‘Spiritual Guidebook for the Journey of your Life’ which describes a cathedral of coloured glass windows through which one sun shines light. A metaphor of the Divine Light and Unity in Diversity.*UU Cleveland, Ohio June 2001-also ‘Universalism: A Theology for the 21^st Century’

Universal principles

Higher values means realisation of the Sacredness of Life on Earth and ourselves as Spiritual Beings within it. This Spiritual Human Intelligence is suppressed and rejected because it is not proven by scientific empirical reductionism.

However, it is clear that Higher common values for the greater good have developed over the ages, starting with care for family and community survival. This has expanded over time to include Tribes, Races, Nations, the whole of Humanity and the Natural world. We are becoming collectively conscious connected, interdependent Beings.

However, our Nuclear Space Age Techno-Materialism, is governed by unevolved human consciousness, that values unbridled economic military power more than Well Being of Humanity and the Earth. {King Midas syndrome}

Threats to Life

In addition to Nuclear War holocaust, we face multiple other manmade threats to Humanity and the Earth. Science provides the evidence that human industrialisation is the major cause of degradation of the land, pollution of rivers, oceans and air, plus Climate Crisis droughts, floods, forest desolation and biodiversity loss, increasing famine and poverty. This is driven by fossil fueled military industrial Transnational corporations.

We realise these problems are inter-related in a global, economic, political system that prioritises lower values for monetary profit, over higher values for Social and Environmental WellBeing. Evolution of Human Consciousness is the realisation that Humans are the Guardians of Gaia Mother Earth.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, both Maori and Europeans are the Kaitiaki of Papatuanuku.

Unitarian Universalism principle #7

‘Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part’. This is the foundation for Evolution of Human Consciousness, rooted in ancient eternal wisdom.

The ethos is enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the EARTH Charter and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in International Law to protect humanity and nature from War and Ecological devastation.

However, abiding by these Principles depends on individual governments making policies that genuinely serve our higher values. This requires immense people power in political lobbying. It takes incredible spiritual strength and evolution of collective consciousness to do this. UN Secretary General (1961-72) U Thant said: ‘We will not have peace on the planet until we have a spiritual renaissance.’

What is the Problem?

Itis the Psychic Split between scientific techno-materialism and spiritual consciousness. However, they need not be in conflict but are mutually enhancing. Auckland Unitarian Free-thinkers, like Kate Lewis presents a great talk which demonstrates the complimentarity in ‘Faith, Science and Wonder’of scientific holistic consciousness.

Einstein said: ‘To sense that behind anything that can be experienced, there is something ourmind cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly, as a feeble reflection on this is religiousness. To me it suffices to wonder at these secrets and to attempt humbly to grasp with my mind a mere image of the lofty structure of all that is.’

This insightful spiritual humility, by one of the greatest scientific minds that ever lived, is not reflected in the scientific techno-indoctrination of young people today.

The educational system pushes a lopsided Techno-science materialist world view that denies spiritual reality. Although, in Aotearoa NZ this is somewhat tempered by Maori spiritual culture. Other holistic approaches, as in Rudolph Steiner’s Spiritual philosophy of education, nurtures children’s natural organic spiritual development. It is a journey of human cultural evolution, craftsmanship, artistic creativity and values. Childhood is protected from digital tech which is doing them so much harm in mainstream society.

Reinforcing Psychic Split

1. Scientific technology is coupled with cultural indoctrination of militarism, ruthless competition, violence and warfare, shown ad nauseum on screens, as entertainment of the masses and political policy of the elites.
2. ‘The science’ has become ideological belief in religious ‘Scientism’ with economic power. Bio-techno-science is the engine for ‘economic growth’ and GDP wealth. Meanwhile, NZ and the world suffers ecological pollution and depletion, rising costs of food, water, electricity, education, health and housing.
3. The loss of spiritual values in society, the separation from nature is replaced by endless AI techno distractions and addiction to digital devices.

Economic Dogmatism

Corporate technocracy reinforces public submission to the economic ideology of ‘market rules’ NeoLiberalism. It pushes pop culture, unhealthy consumerism and decadent behavior as normal.

The commercial ‘dog eat dog’ imperative uses the Darwinian paradigm ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘competition for scarce resources’ as rationale for aggressive violent societies.

Thus, our common higher values of peace, justice, human rights and environmental health are made subservient to barbaric lower values of warfare, militarism, eco-destruction and monetarism.

We are led to believe that prosperity demands excessive production, consumption and pollution of nature for profit. We are told to ‘save the planet’ by buying eco-friendly products. The reality is We are trapped in a double-bind, to do more-faster, to compete with imported, cheaper, third world slave labour products- in unfair ‘free trade’.

Military Industrial Technocracy

Scientific Technological materialism and Transnational Corporations dominate politics. Governments have the scientific Techno-knowledge for transforming the global Economic system to serve evolved Human Consciousness [conscience]. However, they choose to increase military spending, produce weaponry, practice and prepare for the abomination of warfare. They fail to defend us from the real social and environmental threats to our lives. They fail to address the real causes of wars. They fail to design a genuine Eco-Peace economy for justice, human rights and Earth Care.

We are subjected to oxymorons that ‘Peace – means we must prepare for war’! This Orwellian double-speak fools the masses into hypnotic lockstep. Militarisation does not provide national or international security.[US Dept of War is spending a trillion dollars for more war this year. This is more than Russia, China and 7 other nations together. They are all guilty of indoctrinating their people to believe in Warfare]

New Zealand Nuclear Free Peacemaker

NZ’s most valuable contribution to Security for our friends and allies is Pacific Peacemaking, Peacebuilding, UN Peacekeeping and demilitarization, not being a pawn in geopolitical super power wargames. NZ is a leader in UN Nuclear Disarmament for 80 years and established the Nuclear Free Zone NZ Defence and Foreign policy since 1987.

This incredible achievement is being undermined and government is under pressure to spend $12billion NZ taxpayer dollars for High Tech militarism, to be interoperable with US/Australia, to support RIMPAC Pacific wargames, AUKUS nuke submarines, US Space (War) Force and Technically complicit in the ANZUS Alliance. This $12billion would cover over 30,000 NZ careworker’s claims in the ‘Pay Equity Bill’. It is a travesty that government cuts essential Social Services (people) e.g. teachers, community workers, nurses and healthcare, early childhood, eldercare, disability, mental health and cultural workers.

Much Carework is ‘Women’s work’ which Dr Marilyn Waring documents in her book ‘Counting for Nothing: as if Women’s Work Mattered’. Imagine a ‘Caring Economy’ where Humans doing Carework are valued more than AI Tech robot machines!

Hope for Humanity

Throughout history thousands of individuals have bravely worked for higher values that evolve human consciousness and achieved great policy transformations. A few Examples are: Mahatma Gandhi in liberating India from British colonial rule, William Wilberforce in Britain to end slavery, Kate Shepherd in New Zealand for womens’ suffrage, Martin Luther King for Black people’s rights in America, Nelson Mandela ends Apartheid in South Africa,etc

Organisations like GreenPeace continue public education and political lobbying, to protect the health of our land, oceans, forests, rivers, marine life and Outer Space. They achieve some success but are overpowered by government deregulation and transnational corporations whose mantra is ‘cutting costs and maximising profits’ to maintain the status quo by hook or by crook.The ‘cognitive dissonance’ in the Human Brain and global society demonstrates the ultimate ‘conflict of interests’: do we fight to Stand Up for our higher values or give into apathy and conform to survive?

Do we succumb to ideologies destroying Earth for profit or do we mobilise our collective wisdom power to Transform the whole political economic system?

We are now in a terrifying build-up to WWIII and nuclear annihilation of Humanity in warfare insanity. How can we stop this? Is it possible to liberate ourselves and all parties from imprisonment in the military warfare mindset?

YES! we still have a chance and a choice-to fast track spiritual evolution of Human consciousness to achieve the quantum leap-the collective breakthrough 2.5% minimum critical mass necessary at least in New Zealand/Aotearoa. Let’s do this! Kia Kaha!

Crucial Mission of the Space Age

Development of our spiritual consciousness and higher values of Humanity is the unifying call for Kotahitanga [Together as One]. ‘Spiritual growth’ of human beings is the #1 goal in the 21^st century Technological AI Age. People can and must integrate body-heart-minds in realization of collective spiritual wisdom. This goal must be pursued as intensely as the Space Race to capture the moon. In 1968 -Apollo 8 astronaut –William Anders said: ‘ We came all this way to explore the Moon and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.’ Our most evolved Earth Elder Citizen David Attenborough promoted this love of the Earth in his documentary films. In 1972 Apollo 17 astronauts experienced the interconnected beauty and precious uniqueness of ‘the Earth’. This is echoed in 2026 by Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch in a state of wonder who says: ’Everything we need -the Earth provides’.

Spiritual human development must match the technological, otherwise our AI Robots will take over humanity with impunity. Historian and Futurist Yuval Noah Harari warns us of the existential danger to Human Beings of Techno feudalism and the global Totalitarian Technocracy in his book ‘Homo Deus’. He explains the urgency for ethical development of Human Intelligence to master our Artificial Intelligence algorithm system.

We must take responsibility to use our freedom to protect evolution of our human consciousness. We can use AI intelligence to help us translate divine human wisdom into political policies for an Eco-Peace Economy-for Well Being of Humanity and the Earth. Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata – if the land is well the people are well.

This means we must change the economic system not just the political party in power. Rearrangement of the deck chairs on the Titanic Earth Ship will not save us. This Aotearoa-New Zealand election should be about evolutionary thinking outside the box. The old economic paradigm does not serve our higher values. We must restructure the whole playing field for a WellBeing Economic system.

In conclusion, let us reaffirm our understanding of Universalist Values in the mandala of Transformation rooted in spiritual Interdependence of all life. It inspiresIntellectual Labours of Love/Aroha, for Conscious Evolution of Humanity, so that we can all grow like Trees of Life and Knowledge to bear fruits of Justice for Peace on Earth.

Tena Kotou, Tena Koutou, Tena Kotou Katoa…Thank You everyone.

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