As you know, I get most of my information about the USA from the news. I haven’t actually lived there in 4 years, so my feelings about the country always come from the outside looking in.
Reading the news today, I see that this “Intelligent Design” issue is sweeping the nation with states actually passing laws saying it must be taught. It seems the extremist Christians simply do not want to lay down and admit defeat in the evolution/creationist issue and thus are slipping religion in through the back door. I remember watching some play turned movie about Midwest housewives going on a crusade against evolution and it being taught in schools while burning books, and getting very angry. They called science “evil.” Doesn’t this sound just a little like the extremists in the Middle East now? Isn’t there some comparison?
For me, I read the news and in my own mind, I wish the Middle Eastern states would turn secular and drop religion from the government. But it seems we haven’t done so in the USA either.
Evolution has been proven time and time again, but it seems man simply cannot accept that he is the product of a random set of events and needs to feel there is a “higher being” looking out for him like a child. Man has called himself the image of God, and points to the perfectness of the body. Isn’t this the pinnacle of arrogance? And how is the body in any way perfect when we are subject to cancer, have parts that don’t’ make sense, like men having nipples, tonsils appendix, and wisdom teeth that cause us so much pain? They also point to the “perfectness” of the universe when it is really a place of such violent destruction and rebirth.
I also remember the Catholic church not wanting to let go of the idea that the Earth is the center of the universe. It took them about 400 years to apologize and admit they were wrong. The fact is, most religious scriptures are mans attempt to explain his surroundings and purpose. If there were no explanation and a benevolent God then most people would be very frightened indeed. The idea that we evolved due to random events and inhabit a rock floating in an immense blackness would scare the wits out of any religious person. It is almost like man is a parentless, abandoned child who insists that his creators have are still around and care for him even when there is so much death and destruction going on, and the creator never shows up. In mankind’s mind, he convinces himself so thoroughly that it breeds religion, an institution, empire, in which the faithful will believe anything the organization teaches without any proof at all. It’s just like any kid will believe anything his parents say.
Intelligent Design is a pathetic cry, yelling “I am special, I am from the Gods, I couldn’t possibly be just an accident, I AM SPECIAL!”
As an adventurer and someone who is not afraid to venture into the unknown, it does not frighten me that I might be a product of random events and floating on some rock in infinite darkness. I do think that there are unseen or unknown forces, dimensions that exist outside our own and my understanding of why I am here or where I am is nil. Of course when I say it this way it may sound crazy to the religious. They would much prefer to think that God created us and looks out for us when we only understand one tiny speck called the solar system floating and billions and billions of other specs called galaxies which get swallowed up and reborn over billions and billions of years. Just as I’m unafraid to go into another country, learn the language and call it home, I’m also not afraid of dying and where I will end up or what adventure I will have in the afterlife. I exist now, and there is no reason to think I won’t again.
For the Christians who say I’m going to hell for this, I must say I have read their teachings which state those that did not accept Jesus will go to hell. So heaven must be inhabited mostly by white people who with all their rules about morality and how life should be lived will most likely do the same in the afterlife and will constantly tell me I’m “damaged goods” (Adam and Eve) and must repent repent repent. So how fun could that be? It would be much better to go to where all the Asian Buddhists go after they die since we might actually be able to have fun in the afterlife! Or perhaps I am a demon since I really really like the sauna and steam baths and feel so great after taking two of them. Perhaps I am simply longing to go back to my natural environment of heat, hot and that which purges my body of the impurities!!!
HA!
