Excerpt from a conversation from elsewhere that says a lot:
Here’s what my deal is with religion…
The concept of wonderment, philosophy of our origins and why we’re here, …the idea of a greater awareness and higher spiritual state of being …I am all for it.
I read the bible. I research all sorts of beliefs. I mingle with people of different faiths. I ask a lot of tough questions.
I see a lot of commonality in the message of a lot of religions, a reoccurring theme, if you will. …something ancient predating recorded history. The message is about love and respect, righteousness, peace, tolerance, patience, understanding, and all that is virtuous and moral. It was about how to achieve a better state of being, both as a whole as well as individually, physically and spiritually…a path to what is ‘GOD’.
That’s what all those parables and ancient myths and such are about. They are lessons and reflection upon ourselves to help humanity become our very best.
A lot of people missed the point. Instead of finding god, they are worshiping ‘things’ and preaching fear and hate and everything opposite thereof. They are exploiting the message for political gain or control, using it as a justification to violate, for war/genocide…or things like scaring the hell out of children with threats of eternal hell fire and damnation for not following strict dogmatic bullshit.
Merry (teach your children a lesson in selfishness and materialism by participating in a mass conspiracy to lie to them by telling them there is a jolly fat man with a magic reindeer driven sled that delivers presents through chimneys to good children all over the world) Christmas
Why not …Merry (teach your children a lesson in giving by donating time and food to a homeless shelter) Christmas ? WWJD?
People get wrapped so tight around religion that they miss the point. Ultimately, finding what you see as god is something that is going to have to be done on an individual level. Finding a category to fit into and getting wrapped up in it is not going to get you very far. You are not going to find god by eating crackers, arguing someone to spiritual death, because you have this or that blood, or killing faggots and/or infidels.
When I cannot get a straight answer out of countless people, many of which claim to know the true word of god, there is something wrong with religion. Religion has been perverted and exploited to the point of something disgusting.
I know what god is. And I don’t need to categorize it. I just need to find it.
That being said. …damn right we are building our own tower.
I can sit here for a long long time identifying a gazillion things wrong with humanity. But the bottom line is that we are headed the wrong way. If we continue at current course and speed, my guess is that humanity will either enslave itself by it’s own stupidity and selfish nature, or destroy itself with the sword it lives by.
Try getting through to people, offer a better way. They won’t listen.
…like you said…
” Unfortunately, nothing will change until there is a huge societal crash which will tear away the inconsequential nonsense people strive for today ”
…
…
” The abandonment of children because they get in the way of Tower building is a sign of how low we have gone. ”
Indeed.
” I’ve known many who cannot have children and regret it every day of their lives. I know many others of my own and the current generation who could have but choose not to have children. They lavish their “love” on their dogs or cats or ferrets. Some day, sitting there at the end of their lives, I really wonder what they will think about their choices? ”
I find it interesting, these discussions about abortion and the ‘scientific’ explanation of when life begins, etc.
Personally, I see children as part of what is the temple of god. They are our path to ‘eternal life’.
Everything that we are influences our children. They become us, both via our DNA as well as everything we teach them. As we grow old and die, they take the reins, and pass them down to the next. They are the legacy of our creation, of our image and likeness. Creating a life is the closest thing we can do to being godlike. It is a true miracle in my opinion.
There is no beginning or ending of life. It is a continuum. Life in this world is eternal through our children. – Youth is King
If people don’t want children, then I say live and let live, but it is my humble opinion that they are denying themselves the real riches in life.
Indeed, …What does being fruitful without multiplying do for them in the end? What is a ten thousand square foot house, a Ferrari, and a membership at the local country club worth on your death bed?