Over the past few months I have received a number of knocks on my door from people wanting to recruit me into various religious organizations. Normally I avoid writing about the subject of religion because it is a private personal matter unrelated to Promptoria. However, after today's knock on the door I felt compelled to share.
The people in question are always nice genuine people and I always listen politely because I respect those that express themselves honestly regardless of whether or not I agree with their views. Of course I could just say "I'm not interested thank you" and close the door, but it's not in my nature to let them off that easy. I make it a point to challenge my own beliefs constantly so it seems only natural to challenge theirs. How else can one learn?
Since they have taken the time and effort to tell me about their beliefs I feel obliged to tell them mine. So far their attempts at recruitment have failed but I often wonder what they are thinking after they leave. My personal beliefs have proven unshakable so far. I find it hard to imagine what it would take for me to change. But learning from exposure to new ideas is my life's blood. I strive to keep a perpetually open mind, anxious to learn and ready to adapt.
Anyway, at the risk of provoking the ire of my readers, it seemed like the right time to make it official and tell the world exactly what I believe.
First of all let me state emphatically that I am a true believer. I have always been a believer as far back as I can remember. I believe with such steadfast resolve and conviction that it has never once in my life even occurred to me not to believe.
Now your probably wondering WHAT I believe. The truth is - I don't have the slightest clue. Furthermore, I don't believe anyone who ever lived throughout the entire history of mankind knows any more about it than I do.
Does that mean I'm an Atheist - someone who doesn't believe in God or any other kind of deity? Definitely not. There is no question that I do believe - even though I don't know what I believe.
Does that mean I'm an Agnostic - someone who is not committed to believing in either the existence or nonexistence of a supreme being? No, this designation doesn't fit either - it's too wishy-washy. I am deeply committed to my unknown beliefs and acutely aware of my own ignorance. This one just seems too easy. A cheap way feel safe with all the bases covered, and confident in the certitude that we can't be wrong either way.
If there is a word that describes my belief system I would reject it immediately because I despise labels. To think that the intricate complexities of any human soul could be expressed in a single word is preposterous. Labeling is a convenient mechanism of black and white thinking that obscures the true reality which is composed of infinite shades of gray. Labeling breeds prejudice and harboring prejudices precludes any chance of ascertaining truth.
Let's get down to the real question - Do I believe in God?
I try to avoid the "G" word since, like the word "love", it means too many things to too many people to mean anything definitive at all. I find it hard to reconcile the notion that God is something outside of ourselves - the proverbial old man in the sky that looks down on us to check if we are following his rules, and documenting our every thought and deed for that fateful day when we meet face to face for the final reckoning.
If there is a God I would prefer to believe that he/she/it is an inseparable part of us all. In this scenario searching for God would be a process of unveiling the earthly foibles of human nature that conceal the true essence of our spiritual nature inside the facade. Conventional wisdom holds that God requires devout worship. If God is truly a part of everything then we may as well worship ourselves, which intuitively seems a little too weird to be holy.
I suppose I have a distinct religion, for lack of a better word. But my religion doesn't have or need a name. It does not have a known vision or version of God, although it does not rule out the possibility. It does not come with any hardware, imagery, or paraphernalia of any kind. It does not require any particular form of worship outside of the celebration of the wonder of life itself on it's own merits. It does embrace the more noble human attributes of honor, integrity, respect, and justice, and definitely frowns upon the only practice it has is the perpetual search for truth.
My religion would probably be best characterized by what I don't believe in rather than what I do believe in.
Probably the most significant thing I don't believe in is - DEATH. I don't claim to know the meaning of death any more than I know the meaning of life. If you can believe that everything we know as life happens on some insignificant speck of dust flying wild through eternity at blazing speeds then - just about anything is possible.
Another thing I find very hard to believe in is - ORGANIZED RELIGION. If I did believe in one of the more conventional organized religions I would be faced with the daunting task of deciding which religion to believe in. There are so many religions they can't all be true. History is punctuated by many fatal conflicts arisen from trying to resolve this issue. No religion is worth either killing or dying for. Surely there are better things to do.
Most of us are born into a particular religion and raised with its system of beliefs. Of course there is no empirical evidence to prove the truth of any religion. We are forced to adopt their beliefs as a matter of blind faith. I cannot accept being FORCED to believe in anything. Therefore I consider religion an evil affront to free will. Free will is one of the precious few things I definitely do believe in.
There is one undeniable fact about religion. Whether or not any of them are true, religion has been used through the ages to control populations. Personally I tend to believe religions were conceived for exactly this purpose. We never realize what life was really like in ancient times. All we know is what we see in movies. It does not require an in-depth study of history to realize life was nothing short of living hell for the majority. Ruthless enslavement maintained by scarcity and enforced by the relentless whip of tyranny is still prevalent in many countries today.
Religion is a very effective way of controlling the behavior of populations by promoting a system of beliefs to prevent rebellion against those in power. Love the ones that hate you. Bless the ones that punish you. Be passive and submissive and you will be rewarded with eternal bliss in heaven. Dare to oppose religious doctrine by violent rebellion against aggression and you will surely burn in hell for all eternity. In this way the people are coerced into enduring the bonds of tyranny, falsely secure in the knowledge that justice will ultimately prevail.
Organized religion also opens up tremendous business opportunity. The slaves donate what they may to secure their place in heaven. Religious leaders are paid by the tangible fruits of the slave's labor and what they give in return doesn't cost them a dime. Historically speaking, religion has traditionally provided the wealthy middle class with the convenience of securing salvation for their sins at a suitable price. Religion has always been very profitable - and let's not forget the tax advantages.
People are attracted to religion because so much of religious doctrine preaches sound decent moral human values. Religious text contains many valuable lessons of life that are eminently worthy of belief and provide a sound foundation of truths to work from. However, these truths are mixed with messages of questionable merit and authenticity. This is one of the hallmarks of mind control. People are thus pursueded to adopt a particular religion and once their faith is established they will tend to believe anything told within the framework of doctrine.
Anyone with open eyes can see the prevalence of evil in the world. Religion is something people turn to for relief from the grim realities of life and to be a part something they see as wholesome and meaningful.
One can only marvel watching huge congregations spellbound by the hypnotic rhetoric of the self proclaimed emissaries of God. I must be missing something because all I see are emissaries of their own greed. If these guys end up in charge of heaven then hell may well be the right place for me. Keeping an open mind definitely has its challenges. Followers may be hopelessly misguided but I guess it's better than nothing.
Of course not everyone in charge of religious organizations are evil. In this sense religion is similar to politics. If you want to find the evil just follow the money. The greater the money - the greater the evil. The most vile of evil always seeks control over the money and the power from the highest levels of the organizational pyramid.
Whenever a group of people are united by a common bond they create a formidable power which ruthless individuals will seek to contol to serve their own ends. These people are the most accomplished liars in the world. They are expert in mixing lies with the truth to decieve and manipulate. They can face huge crowds or television cameras and lie through their teeth with a straight sincere face and without blush or embarrassment. Followers are generally normal decent moral people. Followers don't have the evil in themselves which prevents them from recognizing evil in others, especially when those others are preaching the kind of beliefs followers want to hear.
P. T. Barnum
is attributed with coining the phrase - "There's a sucker born evey minute".
Another common perception about life is Gordon Gekko
It may seem that evil is more powerful than good since evil has a way of rising to the top. In truth the only reason evil is on top is because evil never hesitates to destroy any good that gets in its way. True good does not seek power over others which leaves evil free to achieve its goals without opposition. When evil works in the open light of day where it is clearly visible and recognized by the public, good rises up to vanquish the evil. That's why evil prefers to work hidden in shadows of secrecy and deception where it can move unhindered.
I believe everyone should have the freedom to pursue their spiritual journey through life however they see fit as long as they don't harm others. People are also obliged to take responsibility for themselves and protect their own souls from harm. We must be constantly vigilant and carefully scrutinize those that seek to influence and dominate others. Life is full of choices and we should take these choices very seriously.
Overall I believe it pays to live a spiritually enriched life, for the health and well-being of ourselves and our children, and for the betterment of society as a whole.
In my view there are two possible outcomes of life:
1. Death is the awakening to a greater reality.
In this case a soul that lives life seeking the truth should be well prepared for actually finding it, whatever it may actually be. The practiced willingness to let go of our preconceived notions and to welcome and embrace the unknown should, at least in theory, ease the transition to this new reality.
Conversely, a soul that has grown stagnant in fixed beliefs of falsehood, or a soul that is bankrupt with no belief at all, may find the transition of awakening too much of a shock to bear.
What happens to a soul unable to make the transition? Maybe we get a chance to try again. Maybe we are left to drift aimlessly flowing in the endless currents of time. Maybe we just dissolve into nothingness. Maybe we descend into the traditional pit of burning hellfire and damnation, though this vision seems a little outrageous. Again the only thing I know with absolute certainty - is that I don't really KNOW anything at all.
Still - I tend I favor this option. It's true I don't know the truth, but there has always been something inside me that says there is more to reality than meets the eye. I don't understand the nature of this inner voice but its presence has always been known to me. I could no sooner deny this voice than to deny my own existence. When it speaks I have learned to listen - the closer I seem to get.
2. Death is the end and there is no more.
In this case what we do in life impacts only those we leave behind. Nothing else will matter since all of our problems will be solved and we won't be around to worry about it any longer.
