On the Nature of Religion
ReligionI don't want to “namby pamby” about with this piece. It is very important that we know what religion is. I have myself not been raised within a religion. Allowed freedom of belief by my parents. Although the core message of Christianity was drilled into me at school, that of doing good works. Which turned out to be logical and Truth. And I see truth as the fundamental thing that prevents us from sorting ourselves out as a species, the fact that we don't know what it is. I just know that it is good, from much logical thought.
I work as I do, as a philosopher, to poke holes in the atheist universe, and that can only be done with logical proof. An atheist believes in nothing, which is fundamentally stupid, as even they “think therefore they are” and are something.
People are so blind and lost and warped simply because we do not know the truth, and this is doing great damage upon the species, with some factors in belief attacking one way, others attacking in other ways, and extremely depressed Atheists wishing it all wasn't going on and not having a clue why-wherefore-what is going on.
It gets to a point where you have to explain to an atheist that other people exist just like them, and that there are such things as floors and footstools in existence. Seriously. And on the other side of the paradigms (which don't seem to change the current reality in any way) you have the deeply religious.
And in saying what I am next going to say, I do not in any means wish to convey that God or a spiritual realm doesn't exist. But I am pretty sure you cannot perform miracles in this universe. At least not without some technology. I am also definitely sure that Israel is just another land and doesn't belong to anybody in particular as much as any other piece of land does. And Mohamed probably just wanted the best for his people, as do most who start a religion, but certainly not all.
And it is fundamental to learn and think about the start of religions. There are simply thousands of different religions, including atheism, and only one universe with solid footstools [THIS FACT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT]. And based on some tribe's delusionally ill shaman or a true transcendent experience, the fact remains, that it is not as much what is said within the holy books that is paramount, but what is intended for Humanity and how that is translated to the people.People need to believe in something, I mean, have you seen a content atheist who wasn't on drugs? And the problem being that even within prominent religions; texts can be changed and power can be manipulated. When it comes to manipulation of a person, there is no easier way than with their belief. You can get them to do anything you want them to do, give you all their money, give you their children to rape even. And all in the name of God, and how sad if there is a God, to be that God.
What can you do with a soul (if indeed there are souls) who spent their lives being horrible to others through incorrect untruthful environments? People who for whatever reason, committed such acts that destroyed their own Humanity irreparably, something they were too stupid to resist. Too stupid for their own sakes.
It is at this point I disagree wholeheartedly with the idea of Hell existing. It is simply not a wise and truthful thing to do to torture children instead of teach. They're putting themselves and others through Hell here on Earth anyway. And it is why we have religion. For we used to be so primitive. Few could write, Truth could be found nowhere, and so we needed a blessing. A blessing to guide us through dark times of pure ignorance.
And now. In the future. We need the Truth, whatever it is. We do not need belief, we need to know what is actually going on. We need to change our lives from ignorance. And this is so so important!
For someone living in ignorance, has no yardstick to measure their decisions by. They are living out of pure fate. Yet if they had the light of the Truth and nothing but the truth. Then they would know what they were dealing with, and could make proper decisions, instead of educated guesses or blind stupidity. There would be no fate, there would only be the future, because it is simply truthful that it is more useful to help than to hinder.
And Humanity needs to help itself.
For a future of fantasy rather than a future of strangled warped suffering.
(C)opyright Nick.Eliot[at]Cannotfindserver.net 18/07/07
please redistribute if you can be arsed.