You're A Child Of The Universe

Recently I read an article where someone stated with absolute certainty, “everything has a purpose.” Coupled with this idea, we often hear that “god” works in mysterious ways. Yet, everything scientists know suggests that there is no purpose in the universe. It just is!  Moreover, the only thing really mysterious is why so many people continue to believe that somehow––however illogical it may sound–– there is one supreme being who created everything, knows everything, has always existed, and has a fabulous, everlasting life planned for us after our death, if we just believe in him and be “good”.

Nevertheless, the greatest minds on our planet tell us that a supreme being

who was apparently never born and never dies is simply impossible.

Until some higher beings actually make themselves known, aliens included––and I’m not talking about my father, your father, our father, or the founding fathers––our ideas are supreme.

That said, mankind has made a gigantic blunder by its obsession with a supernatural being who never comes around and never does anything that would constitute proof of his existence. Yeah, I know, back when the bible was written, he was bopping around around the planet all the time.

Speaking of the Bible, there is nothing in that book  that proves anything. Written thousands of years ago by men, far less knowledgeable than we are today, it has one basic tenant: “Yes, these ideas sound outrageous, but believe them on faith.”

You see, we’re supposed to accept that there is a big guy in the sky who is on some kind of endless, cosmic vanity trip: “I’m not going to give you any evidence that I exist other than the fact that you exist.”

Ha! Figure that one out.

“Additionally, if you don’t accept as ultimate, unquestionable proof that I am your supreme creator and judge, well then, I’m going to send you to suffer unending, cosmic punishment that will make Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and Nazi concentration camps, seem like vacation getaways.”

About now some of you are probably thinking: why can’t you just let this topic be? You believe what you want, and I’ll believe what I want; everybody’s happy. If we all could respect everybody’s religious beliefs, we could all live in peace.

You don’t need to be a historian to see how false that reasoning has been. Since the first man/ape looked to the stars for advice, and then started telling people what they can and can’t do there have been wars, torture, brutality, and warped thinking.

I’d venture to say that if religion had never existed, we would have been much further advanced today as a species. Imagine no dark ages with scientists and thinkers allowed to work without interference from ignorant fanatics. Surely, we would have made steady progress in better understanding the universe and ourselves.

Consider how, even today, many people actually don’t want to do any space research. Their reasons being: We have too many problems on earth. It’s a waste of money. If god wanted us to go to other planets, he would have put them closer to us, etc. etc. 

Then imagine a comet or asteroid, as yet unknown to man, on course to smack into the earth destroying it completely, but it’s still years away. The moment that news broke, there undoubtedly would be millions of optimistic believers who would concoct a theory that “god” is testing us. Something along the line of: “He’s giving us this one last chance to love and obey him unconditionally or this whole experiment called earth is over.”

Meanwhile the pessimistic believers would revel in the thought that this cesspool we’ve created will finally come to an end, and the big guy is not going to change his mind no matter what we do. Sit back, pray, and see what happens.

Actually, it may already be too late. Those hundreds of years, that mankind has wasted in religious darkness and dogma may have already doomed us. Can you imagine if we were just three hundred years ahead of where we are now in scientific study and experimentation? No comet or asteroid would take us down, that’s almost a certainty. The point is: religious fanaticism is not just neutral, helping poor souls in time of need; it is actually a danger to our very existence.

In any case, it makes no sense to bemoan the past, but we do own the present! We could start today, throwing off obsolete ideas, living with reality, learning, testing, both technically and socially, and improving our chances for our species and the earth’s survival. Consider these two scenarios for the future:

Option 1: We continue down the same ignorant path. Leaving it up to a non-existent being whether we survive or not. Believing in life after death where we’ll finally live the good life. We continue to accept the “right” of relatively few rich people to own this world, which has become a dump, except in the guarded areas where they live. Our society becomes even more morally, socially, and aesthetically revolting than now. Prisons––now practically the only growth business left––are overflowing. We fight endless wars for power and dwindling resources. Yet, we never really invest in ourselves. Terrorism is rampant––not just from religious fanatics, but also from our own citizens, thrown in the dust heap of history, who strike out the only way they can. Daily we sink into chaos, an Orwellian police state nightmare, or we annihilate the entire planet.

Option 2: Religious thinking declines and those that remain superstitious are an insignificant minority. Society, through democratic politics, becomes more equitable, prosperous, and enjoyable. The rich are taxed higher––a lot higher––but they still live lives most would drool over, because we continue to foster innovation and entrepreneurship by rewarding it financially. Psychopaths, addicts, and criminals are far fewer among us. We stop invading countries completely, and become a nation among many, working for a better world. We invest in infrastructure, science, education, the arts, and in our own health. We create a new renaissance.