Looking Through a Keyhole

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Copyright (c) 2013 David Johnson

Over the years, I, like so many of us, have watched as my views, opinions and beliefs have changed. It's completely natural and unavoidable; it is a testament to our humanity and the constant evolution of our consciousness and how our thinking and continually processing brains work day-in and day-out, assimilating both familiar and fresh stimuli (or information) with each new day in a new way. We are not the same persons we were yesterday, nor will we be the same after the experiences of tomorrow. Change is not only inevitable, it is a fundamental constant.

Sitting here now, I can look back and say with certainty that I never would have thought that I would be where I am today in terms how I think, what I believe or how I form my opinions. I am, however, thankful for who I am today and hope that I can "best that" on the 'morrow.

In the beginning of "being me," I did not see the world as I see it today. Like Neo in The Matrix, I only had a feeling that there was something deeply wrong with the world as it was presented to me and how I allowed myself to perceive it. I wish that I could have had the same thirst for knowledge at that time that I have today. Growing up and for many years, I was under the impression that I had the right ideals: God (mine, not yours, mind you), Country (again, mine, not yours), take care of your own, and shoot for the "American Dream..." All the clichs that every one of us have been spoon-fed since childhood. As I look back, I see these ideals as nothing more than a prison for our minds, and divisive tools used to separate us one from another...you know, good ol' divide and conquer.

Gods:

I settled the "God debate" long ago within myself. I see using the belief in a God as nothing more than one of the most divisive tools ever used to subjugate humankind. Organized religion (I am using the term in the broadest sense and am referring to the monotheistic, Abrahamic-derived religions) is a business that's selling certainty on a wide range of issues where there is no certainty to be had (at the moment). We fight, bicker, kill, elect politicians and make other sweeping decisions based upon a belief that hasn't the slightest amount of empirical evidence for it. By its very definition, religion/faith is irrational and serves only to pander to its own biases, agendas and fears. One only needs to count the myriad of sects within a given religion to realize this. If there is but one truth regarding the fate of our eternal lives, why the litany of versions on a theme? SImple: the various versions are interpretations by fallible man based on his preconceived ideas about the world around him. Incredibly, almost every sacred text never means what it plainly states, rather, it says what the reader believes it to mean.

Unfortunately, a great number of the vague tenets in Holy Writs are relatable to our basest fears and desires. This creates a discordance whenever a belief is questioned in such a way that the believer feels as though they are being personally attacked. (This is also the case with political beliefs, as I'm sure you've experienced.) The problem with this is that discussion and understanding are put on lock-down out of a false ideology of "respect" and fear of causing "offense." So, the unbeliever fails to understand why the believer believes and vice versa. Without discussion and understanding, there will always be a huge discord among humankind.

With so many religious adherents believing in a final showdown between God(s) and man that will end with an apocalyptic finale, it's no wonder that we aren't doing more to maintain our planet. It's no wonder that we aren't demanding a much larger push for sustainability. Why push for global changes that may cost us so much monetarily now when so many believe that the end is near? Why, when so many believe that God will create a "new Earth?" If my view is wrong, so be it. But, if the faithful are wrong, they have done nothing to help leave their world a better place for their children and their children's children. In essence, they will have squandered their finite time on this planet and left the mess to their next of kin, whom they have indoctrinated so that they maintain the status quo. We've already seen this cycle play out for thousands of years; it's time to break the cycle. The faithful don't have to give up their capital 'F' Faith or their little 'F' faith, but the self-proclaimed faithful could certainly be better stewards of the earth and its inhabitants right now.

As long as we, as a people, continue to cling to Bronze Age beliefs coupled with 21st Century technology, there are bound to be "wars and rumors of wars." In an attempt to fight for our faith (because everyone thinks that THEIR faith is superior), we accomplish nothing except fear-mongering and bloodshed. We will continue to lose focus of the truth that we all knew as children; we are all one people sharing one Earth. You are not broken, you're human. Organized religion is selling the disease, the cure and all the reasons to be apathetic about the current state of the world.

For Country:

I left the stranglehold of Nationalism a while ago. Webster defines Nationalism as a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country, often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries. While I can honestly say that I am grateful to live in America and enjoy the semblance of "Freedom" afforded to me, I am certainly not under the delusion that it is superior or more important than any other country. I don't have a foam finger on my hand and run through the streets shouting "We're number one!" The fact of the matter is that in several aspects (the ones that REALLY matter), we're most assuredly NOT number one. This is not a statement of opinion, it is a matter of verifiable FACT.

Ask yourself, what is America leading the world in? We do not lead the world in the following areas: exports, literacy, labor force, math, science, life expectancy, infant mortality and median household income. There are other areas in which we don't excel, but this short list will suffice for now.

Everything in the list above (let's boil it down to education, wealth and healthcare) is a contributing factor to one index: quality of life. If we are not ranked at the top of other nations in these key areas, how on Earth can we even THINK that our quality of life is superior to other countries? It is this "superiority complex" that inhibits us from learning what we can from those countries that ARE ranked at the top of their game. "Well, that idea is completely un-American! Why would we want to do that?!" This is the kind of thinking that is leaving us behind in a hurry. It's time to look at things differently and borrow ideas from those that are getting it right.

Go ahead and call me a Socialist. I couldn't care less about the labels that have been sold to you out of fear or want of profit. All of these "-isms" and "-ists" are nothing more than labels for ideas and those that subscribe to them. It's a great way to take out the fact the there is a person behind the idea. It's easy to hate an idea, it's a lot harder to hate a person.

This week, it was announced that Sweden would be closing the doors on no less than four prisons. The incarceration rate in Sweden is 9 times less than that of the U.S. 75 per 100,000 vs 751 per 100,000. How do we account for this disparity? Many on the web have taken the side that the lack of religion in Sweden has played a role. I understand that there is a degree of correlation, but correlation is not causation. It is more likely that it is the quality of life (perceived and real) played a much larger role than did the lack of religion. It won't be until we tackle the problem of quality of life that we see the benefits.

It's time that we faced the music: America isn't number 1, plain and simple. To continue to chant otherwise is counterproductive. We have to take a good, long look at our flaws and the reasons why those flaws continue to stay with us.

Take Care of Your Own:

In the political climate that we have today it's so easy to get caught up in this one. Today, you hear this cry under the banner of (continued at www.questionapathy.com/looking-though-a-keyhole .......)

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