The Star-Advertiser’s April 7 Insight section raised two critical concerns: artificial intelligence and recreational marijuana (“Thinking for yourself in the age of AI,” and “Is marijuana good for our community?”). We hope good thinkers and elected officials everywhere will pay close attention.

Both AI and recreational marijuana have their dangers, but their correct use has many benefits. Therefore while they shouldn’t be banned or codified, the use of moral structure, guidance and sound judgment are critical. Just as prohibition didn’t work for alcohol, it won’t for marijuana. Likewise, evolving technological advances require the application of positive moral principles to keep them safe and usable for the common good of all creation.

Further reflection and reading (April 14th’s Insight section and David Brooks’ April 15 column, “Celebrate the Quiet Magic of Diligent Middle Managers”), brought to mind other concerns weighing heavily on our minds: the economic issues of the housing crisis, health care and education, plus other hot button issues like abortion, war, immigration, inflation, extreme weather caused by the climate crisis, our violent culture and criminal justice reform. These issues could more effectively be solved utilizing moral principles rather than implementing more laws.

With abortion, some consider it murder while others believe in a woman’s right to her bodily autonomy. While we can see merit in both ideas, and resist thoughts of abortion as birth control, we believe it’s ultimately a woman’s decision. Regarding those who remain adamantly anti-abortion, we wonder about their often-conflicting support of capital punishment and their opposition to gun control, not to mention the immense budget for our military industrial complex.

We believe in moral consistency and hold all life sacred, but we recognize that, like going to war to defend against a vicious tyrant or terrorist group, sometimes we are forced to commit an “evil” act — as did the Lutheran minister Bonhoeffer in supporting the plot to kill Adolf Hitler. So, too, in the cases of personal defense or health, we sometimes have no other option but to “do evil” and that’s OK — at least we’re being morally consistent and authentic.

Perhaps the real challenge is to acknowledge humankind’s propensity to indulge in the comfortable certainty of dualistic thinking: categorizing things as either good or bad, sacred or secular, black or white, American or un-American. Additionally, some have similar disregard for anyone who is different (in gender, ethnicity, race or their views on politics, religion, taxation, sexuality and death). The resultant polarity has created a dysfunctional society.

However, think for a minute about the results of modeling the moral principles of character education (e.g., respect, kindness, responsibility). Families would be functional and loving again, which would have an immediate impact on education, health care, violence, addiction, incarceration and anger management. Governments would be functional and productive again without open hostility; would make better decisions for the common good; converse frankly while remaining friends; and pass fewer laws while still making our communities safer. Religions would be functional again while respecting each other’s different beliefs and practices (without dogma), and cooperate on outreach projects (engaging human need) while sharing the credit and the responsibility. Businesses would flourish with a reasonable (rather than an overinflated) profit. Schools would focus on producing authentic citizens, and hospitals would focus on keeping people healthy and happy, rather than prioritizing their profit margin. This might sound utopian, idealistic and impossible — but we feel it’s necessary, hopeful and very possible.

Any change can be uncomfortable and challenging but, based on the pain we’ve all experienced from institutional dysfunction, this change is worthwhile. Power and wealth will succumb to love and equity, and while laws alone cannot solve our problems, modeling moral principles will.

The Rev. Dr. John Heidel, of Kailua, is a retired Christian minister, social justice activist and interfaith advocate; Marion Lyman-Mersereau is a retired middle school ethics teacher, and current yoga and mindfulness teacher.