Religion: Soul Survivor

The other day my partner and I were out walking through the shopping precinct in a town not too far from home. There are so many more shops there to browse so we make the journey from time to time. I like to browse book shops and second-hand/charity shops. She, of course, looks at shoes, clothes, and toys for her grandchildren.

There are always quite a few people out walking and shopping. Young mothers pushing prams, teenagers looking for excitement (or new mobile phones), elderly people out socializing and shopping before heading home to batten down the hatches for the night. There are also the inevitible collectors for various charities rattling their tins, pollsters trying to help retailers figure out the best way to seperate us from our money, and last but not least the missionaries out to save each and every one of us from eternal torment...bless their smug little hearts.

I must look like I need saving because I am forever being singled out for special attention by these soul snatchers. Two came up to me while my partner and I were walking by the fresh vegetable stalls on the outside market. They were very well dressed (hint). "Pardon me", one said. "I am a member of............". Before he could go any further I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "That's allright ...I forgive you."

As I look around me today and see all the trouble in this world I cannot help but place a great deal of the blame at the feet of organised religion. I am not blaming any deity, if there are any...if there is One, I blame the fanatics that presume to speak for them...or Him. All this nonsense about paradise and its' grusome counterpart leaves me shaking my head in bemused despair. What tiresome little dreams and nightmares we make for ourselves. How unsure we are of our place in the universe that we have to create a whole alternative to which to aspire.

The world is filled with people who are doing terrible things in order to qualify for the "next" life. They are being led by people who insist they have the answers and can guarantee entrance to paradise. What a strange world we live in.

In the West we have politicians who actually believe that we are in the "last days". They are giddy with anticipation at witnessing Armageddon and, of course, they are packed and ready for the guaranteed trip to the pearly gates. The Middle-East is perculating with angry young people who are willing to commit outrageous acts to insure their short ride to Paradise. Intolerance and Certainty are the real enemies of humankind.

As long as people of influence persist in the closed-minded pursuit of next-world fantasies there is no real hope for humanity. We will be at each others throats forever. One day this world will truely end. The Sun will enter its' final stages, the Earth will turn to cosmic toast, and humanity will exist no more. We will have wasted what I believe to be our only paradise...this good Earth.

So I will turn away any attempts to convert me to anything that has a rule book, guidelines, pipe-dreams, after-lifes, popes, mullahs,shamans, promises, punishments, missionaries, and crusaders. I will adopt Socrates' first rule of wisdom: Admit you know nothing. I will also adopt Hippocrates first rule: Do no harm.