There is no god.
The calendar has rolled over to the twenty-first century and god is officially dead.
He has failed to show himself, (or herself), beyond the confines of outdated books written by superstitious men and women, and we must therefore conclude that god is either a machination of the human mind or an illusion altogether, invented to explain the yet to be explained.
The name of god has been used throughout history to subject others to slavery, self-condemnation and all sorts of treachery with impunity. One only needs to consider the Salem witch trials or the murder of thousands during the Spanish Inquisition to understand how mankind has learned to kill, rape, steal and pillage, all in the name of an all-loving deity. The logical mind must see this contradiction.
Some may argue that faith in a god is not logical, or somehow outside or superior to logic. In this case, the argument can end right here. There is no use for logic against a concept that is purported to be outside of logic. This is where many of the "faithful" stop. If it is a matter of faith, supposedly, that is all that they require.
I will concede that if that is enough to bring comfort to them, then so be it. This researcher by no means wishes to diminish anyone's belief system, so long as that system does not deprive others of their basic human rights. Sadly, even in the United States of America, which was founded on the concept of religious freedom, and indeed the freedom from religion, religious beliefs are used to subjugate scores of American citizens that do not subscribe to those ideas.
This must come to an end. The abuses of the theocratic Bush administration, if not over, have at least been stripped of their power. The sun is shining, and Americans are hopeful about the future, even in the face of a looming economic meltdown.
Science has failed to supply us with a definitive explanation on the origins of human life. Try as he has, Darwin has given us only a theoretical framework in which to work. In all our musings and preponderances, we have yet to fully understand how we came about.
The work of Stephen Hawkings and others has proven beyond doubt that the universe is ever expanding. Those same calculations have allowed us to understand that the universe sprang out of a "big bang" that occurred at a certain point in time. Residual microwave radiation proves this theory. This theory has become something of a bastard axiom in our time.
Another bastardized concept is the sugary expression, "I am spiritual, but not religious." This empty statement usually means the individual has no religious or spiritual devotion, but only wish hollowly they had. This appears to be a passing fad, thankfully.
Where does that leave us then? Can we create a world where religion and government are truly separate? Probably not, is the answer I offer up. Can we revisit this concept? Church and state were separated to prevent the government from encroaching on the personal freedom from religion mentioned earlier. In the 21st century, we see the very opposite happening; religion is encroaching on government to an alarming degree.
Decisions regarding euthanasia, abortion, marriage and civil rights for all Americans are under attack by those who would wish to see their personal belief system forced on the country as a whole. The disgusting antics of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas are a testament that fanaticism is alive and well. "God Hates Fags" is practically their church motto, plastered on picket signs.
The church keeps track and celebrates how many days Matthew Sheppard has been in "hell". Shepard was cruelly beaten with a pistol by two young men in Laramie Wyoming. He was tied, half naked to a fence, in the middle of nowhere, and left to die. It was done because he was gay. His mom and dad, Dennis Shepard and Judy Shepard were devastated. Matthew was 21.
Although the aforementioned examples are from the more extreme end of the spectrum, they are by no means isolated events, even to one country or one religion.
Women and children have been oppressed for centuries by "faiths" that diminish their worth as individuals. In many places under Islamic rule, women are not permitted to attend school, or even show their face or eyes in public.
The Koran opens much like the Old Testament in the Christian bible, (a term disliked by Jews because the implication is that the New Testament replaced their testament), trying to distinguish the chosen from the lost. If you are not one of the chosen, (a believer), your destiny is death, hell fire and torture.
I believe it is safe to say that scaring someone into believing something just to save themselves from death and torture is not faith at all, but a scare tactic up on stilts. Believe in this—or die. What decision would you make?
One may argue that religion is needed to guide our morality. Is it not safe to say that murder, rape and stealing are just bad decisions in their own right? Do you need a religion to tell you that if someone murders a loved one that great damage is done? That your loss is incalculable? Profound?
Some turn to religion for a sense of worth. It is a weak mind that needs to believe his life has significance, or that he will live forever, even though there is not a single shed of proof in thousands of years of millions of humans searching for that very answer.
It is only the human ego that believes he is too important to be turned into dust along with the pigs, cows and every other creature under this gaseous star we call the sun. Religion does pretend to offer other worldly benefits once you die on earth.
Muslim extremists claim to be in possession of many virgins if they die for Allah, but they are not permitted any sex here on earth. Perhaps a little bit of sex and alcohol will take the murderous edge off. One must wonder if the virgins are made to wear burkas, even in sexy virgin heaven.
Is it not apparent that a new model of community must emerge? Accordance must be reached to promote civility and peaceful cohabitation on the earth, regardless of what brand of religious knick-knack is hanging on our wall over the fireplace.
