Religion: Part I

     The other day, I was on The United States of America Fan Page on Facebook and stumbled upon the discussion of what makes a nation Christian. Reading the very first post, I realized the person who started this discussion is somehow under the impression that the United States is a Christian nation, or any religion for that matter. The purpose of this essay is to debunk this irrational proposition. So, where does one begin?

   First, the Framers of the Constitution of the United States made a very clear statement in Amendment I; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." At this point, I need not go any further, but choose to because religion is a subject that I have avoided writing about for far too long due to the heated debates that ensue almost immediately afterwards. Granted, the Bill of Rights was added four years after Establishment, at the states' demand for one at the cost of ratification. But, that doesn't mean we are free to speculate and then declare the Framers' intentions were for that of subjugation and despotism. Think about it; why would these men try to establish a completely new, innovative form of government, only to have it fall under the same tyrannical strongholds that were the very reasons for "The Declaration of Independence?"

     Second; other than in Amendment I, a variation of the word "religion" appears only one other time in the entire document; and even then, in Article VI, it is stated, "No religious Test shall ever be required as a qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States..." The words "God" and "Jesus Christ" are nowhere listed either. In fact, just two words are left that even remotely resemble any type of religious connection—in Article II, Section 3, where "Ministers" is used in a governmental context, not a religious one; and as for "the Year of our Lord," this can be evidenced as non-religious on the basis that the only dating system around the world for relatively “advanced” societies at that time, and even today, was that which was based on the alleged birth of Christ. There was no other option, although I am sure if there had been, it would have been chosen for the purpose of preventing misinterpretation--which seems to have led us to this very discussion. True it is that a large portion of colonists held Puritan values, but the Founders were well aware, and realized how imperative separation of church and state would be to the unique, new nation, and so implemented the above mentioned, plus many other Rights and Liberties, as Amendments I through X in the Bill of Rights.

     Third, the realization that billions of people remain subject to these ancient concepts (because we have to acknowledge, that is all they are—ancient, primitive concepts), which have, for over 2000 years, been waging war against each other while each declares itself the only righteous path to Heaven, Jesus Christ, God, Allah and 72 Virgins or whatever else any others’ after-life assumptions have evolved into, should be an enlightenment unto itself for all of Humankind. Considering the number of times since conception religions, and all "sub-religions," have been used as both salvation from, and at the same time, justification for, countless wars, Injuries and even genocide, all Citizens of Earth must be willing to realize that the true meaning of life does not necessarily exist in the form of some absolute "faith" in the imaginings of afterlife. Too often, many religions require people to dwell upon death and the most sacred “afterlife” so much for guaranteed passage into the realm of their beloved omnipotence that it completely consumes those peoples' lives and deprives them of the real reason for our existence—the accumulation of knowledge and the proper application of that knowledge, supported with scientific data, logical interpretation and, of course, experience, to ensure intellectual and technological advancement of Humankind in Unity towards understanding the vast expanse that is the Universe in which we are conscience.

   The only way to truly understand the after-life is through death, OR through an unabridged understanding of the fundamental elements and constituents of the Universe through life. If we can understand the meaning of life, using data, logic and experience, then and only then can we make a much more accurate prediction of what happens when our bodies die. We inhabit but a single planet of literally billions that just might harbor some other form of intelligent life. So, should we really be so arrogant to claim that any theological concept conceived by Human Beings holds any veracity on such an unimaginable scale? Before someone decides to rebuttal with some misguided attempt to downgrade the efficacy of Astronomical and Physical sciences, I would like to ask you, when was the last time you looked through a telescope? Or, had the privilege to bear witness to a moonless night sky on top of a mountain, where the Universe seemingly comes alive as an awe-inspiring spectacle? Gazing at the plane of the Milky Way is like looking at the past, the present and the future, all in one breathtaking, spectacular view. Life seems more precious; yet, at the same time—much more probable. The Universe recycles all energy. We are simple, meaty forms of energy and the likelihood of other life elsewhere in the cosmos is—well, questionable by our relatively primitive standards. And those questions have marched millions of people to their deaths. Whether or not we have made contact with other life forms, worship some form of omnipotent being or disagree with others who may believe otherwise should bear no relevance in our quest for understanding. The question we need to ask is not even whether global Unity is practicable; rather, will we have a respectable, responsible and thriving global civilization which is founded on benevolence, interdependence and sustainability to present to our Posterity as well as other possible life forms that just might be intelligent and capable of rapid space exploration?

     It is quite amazing; the fact that we cannot stand on common ground as the Human Race with one goal: unconditional global advancement. There it goes—another ten years. The 21st Century was, throughout the 20th Century, always portrayed as a new era for Humankind, marked by global society geared toward scientific discovery and innovation, Unity and advancements in space exploration. Yet, the same old story sadly reads itself aloud, again and again; year after year; decade after decade: further separation of societies and governments that cherish much different views, attitudes, beliefs, and religions (in the case of the U.S., non-establishment), and that take action appropriate to such, according to their respective attributes. But, I refuse to accept an assumption that our lives should be devoted to an ambiguous speculation that seems to be the most hotly debated topic around the world; based not on scientific data or advancement for Humankind, but rather on ancient legends and myths. Where is the “faith” in Humankind itself; “faith” in ourselves? Must we really be subject to some concept of “God” or whatever name you would prefer? If “God” supposedly created us in his or her or its image, would that not mean that we have an innate right to take it upon ourselves to obtain the best possible understanding of life and everything in the Universe; the Universe which “God” allegedly created from—well, honestly, anyone can fill in that blank? Or that we were “designed” with the capability of rationalizing what is right and what is wrong? And if other intelligent life exists elsewhere in the cosmos, then who are we, Humankind, of the relatively negligible, little planet Earth, to say that civilizations on those other planets are wrong in their attempts to form and interpret assumptions of some type of Supreme Omniscient Being? It is one thing to believe in such an all-knowing being; quite another to try and force those beliefs, through religion, upon others who may have formed separate, unrelated beliefs, or disbeliefs. When religious wars, as the majority of wars on Earth are, continue unchecked, it becomes a necessity to construct a global government firmly rooted in an educational system which not only teaches religions objectively and free from hallowed mannerisms, but also teaches a well-rounded, technology-based, health-wise curriculum. Do not misinterpret me—I am not saying that we should abolish all religious institutions; that would infringe upon the Civil Right of “free exercise” and implies radical measures would be applied in the unfounded attempt to carry out such a decree. Instead, I concede that every single person is entitled to worship as he or she pleases; but do so in a manner considerate of any and all possible social consequences of one’s actions while worshiping. It is when and where a form of worship calls for radical measures to uphold a particular institution’s beliefs, including suicide bombings and forced indoctrination, that a line must be drawn. The future of Humankind depends on our ability to ensure it prosperously; as it manifests itself from our collective actions. If those actions are based on an ill-judged, highly misguided attempt to explain life through an entity that we, only recently in our long history, conceived, then there is almost no hope for breaking the cycle of corruption that has plagued our societies throughout the millennia. And if despotism, wars, starvation, Human trafficking, and many more such atrocities continue, it is because collectively, we allow it. But, I am confident that the generation alive today is the most important generation of Humankind ever. Does riding this wave of the future leave us with only two options: sink or swim? Nay; there is always another option—in this case, we are fortunate to have the ability to fly into the future; nearly frictionless and without any stops.

To Be Continued…