Maybe it was the lack of having a strong father figure growing up that I immersed myself in books written by opened-minded men (and women) and so, Ive always respected various viewpoints and objective thinking. That doesnt mean I havent been a complete idiot at one time or another. I lacked discipline growing up, so when I woke up one day and realized the world wasnt the perfect reality of being raised in the liberal city of Ann Arbor, I lashed out. Pent up anger and rage for all the unfairness and hatred I witnessed all around me came out through me keeping my mind in a constant haze where I could put off using my reasoning. I was afraid. Lazy too. Nowadays, I cant thank the universe enough for giving me the mental faculties I have. They are a gift. Its a shame to drown them in permanent fog. I feel the same towards everyone elses. Which is why when I see grown men and women still refusing to think for themselves and pushing their beliefs on one another, I cant help but feel that post-High School fire surging back through my veins. Youve met these kind of people, Im sure. They are the ones quick to point out the many things youre doing wrong with your life. They add up your sins with glee like young children composing their Christmas lists. They tell you to turn your life over to their own version of a higher power. But they dont open their sales pitch with the one (and only) truth that should matter, that God is love. No. They judge you and tell you how their Almighty will continue punishing you if you dont straighten out and repent, or in other words, become like them. Its infuriating and makes me empathize with every atheist or agnostic out there who uses their own mind and simply hasnt come upon something which has made them change their stance. Guess what? Thats okay. Its not up to you to change each and every single person you come across because based on your theology, the more converts under your own personal belt, the bigger your mansion will be in Heaven, Paradise, etc. Put simply: youre making your God look bad. A strong mind will be able to reason that this is still just one mans understanding of said God. They wont throw the baby out with the bathwater. So Im not trying to pick on entire theologies. Im sure Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and even a religion some random guy invents where he prays to his own refrigerator and has compiled a Holy Book based on how thats helped him live his life can all provide a sense of peace, a degree of wonder for the world and fill a persons heart with passion and love for their fellow human. The moment you impose your beliefs upon a fellow human however, and God forbid, they disagree, so you turn towards violence and hatred, then youve lost all my respect. Perhaps your religion is beautiful and your Holy Scriptures have deep truths which can turn lives around, but youre a terrible mouthpiece for it and youve just proven that you should have no say on another persons way of life. Lets not solely use religion as a backdrop for this disgusting way of thinking. Political systems too, are guilty of this type of oppression. The people who blindly follow suit are to blame. Lets be completely honest with ourselves--everyone grows up at some point. Everyone hits an age, whether thats 18 or 85, where they no longer need to hold onto their parents hands, or Pastors, Priests, or governments. They can begin asking questions. Why do I believe this? Why do I think the way I do? Where do my prejudices come from? An intellectual wont be afraid to ask those questions, which may or may not reveal some uncomfortable answers. The truth will always stand up to scrutiny however, so if you find that, throughout your journey of self-reflection, you come back to your initial way of thinking and can call it truth, then thats the mark of a mature mind. Youve reassessed the situation, youve looked into opposing viewpoints and now, you can defend your position that much more, with added confidence and persuasion. Thats the type of person I respect. But when all you know is a single book, a single text, sacred or not, and expect to defend it against a person whos not only read your book, but a thousand others, I guarantee, they will destroy you. They will pose questions which youre unfamiliar with and youll be left standing there with your thumb up your ass, unable to explain why you believe in what you believe. Theyll look at you with pity and say, thats exactly why I dont hold your God in the light you do. And who could blame them? I dont. Not all atheists are world scholars though, and not all believers are fundamental loonies. I dont mean to sound bitter, but it makes me so sad to know that they are the ones being written about in the news. That those with the most hatred and least amount of understanding for a God who should be all about love and forgiveness, gets the most attention. These people are savages. Mentally, at least. They dont know why they are what they are, they just memorize the last sermon they heard, without questioning it one bit. They condemned Socrates to death because they thought he was poisoning the minds of the citys youth. His method was genius. He wouldnt impose his beliefs on you, hed ask questions and let you come across the holes in your argument on your own. Isnt a mind that comes across the truth on its own that much stronger and valuable rather than one thats been trained to say certain things when provoked? Like a cold, calculated robot without emotions. Youd be put to death in Mussolinis Italy if you questioned the way things were. Same in Nazi Germany. Same in Communist Romania or present day North Korea. These people are afraid of questions. They are afraid because deep down, they know somethings not right. Something isnt thought all the way through. The truth can stand up to scrutiny and so, if theyre this afraid of being scrutinized, maybe their way of doing things isnt anywhere near the truth at all. The day you let someone convince you that an entire race of people need to be extinguished based upon the pigment of their skin, is the day you let yourself be brainwashed because of laziness. Laziness and fear to ask yourself, in your bed, at night, when its just you and your own thoughts: does this really make sense?
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 05:13:38 +0000
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