The Human Condition

or The Human Conditioned?

“Every day I’m hustling…” Insert catchy earworm here.

Why are we here? What’s the purpose? We’ve been asking this goddamned question for thousands of years with no real answers. Unless you talk to the most religious of your friends. Then the answers are bountiful.

It would seem, and this is a fairly exclusive answer to all with belief, regardless of which god or department of god they believe in — ie: catholic, mormon, eclisiastic, hindu, muslim, baptist…etcetera, etcetera…addum infinitum — the purpose is clear; follow the rules with devotion. Show faith to an imaginary being that resides somewhere above your head, while you are on Earth, and there will be a reward.

Depending on whom you talk to, the reward is varied. That’s right. Not even those sharing the exact same beliefs will give you the exact same answer. Apparently, this has something to do with free will. Wait, that excludes a couple of religions I mentioned above, and then some.

Let’s try this from another angle.

The answer will vary, depending on the person you talk to, the day of the week and where the planets are aligned — regardless of faith and religious convictions. What I’m saying is that the answer would seem to be be custom tailored to each individual on Earth. Essentially, 6.5 billion people interpreting life’s meaning based on — get ready for it — their own life experience.

It’s my epiphany. There’s simply no right or wrong answer. There is no wrong faith. There is no wrong god. There is only our actions and behaviour, especially in the way we treat others around us.

This is my paradox. If my assertion in the paragraph above is correct, then the way we treat each other has nothing to do with faith but is actually an extension of the person we are within. So, when we judge another person — it’s not god that’s judging them, it’s us. When we kill another person — it’s not god that’s pulling the trigger or plunging the knife into them, it’s us.

God is merely the crux with which to propagate our message of maleficence, to project our ignorance and our fear. It is the very reason we get up in the morning and spread our hate — whether outwardly purposeful or the less obvious — the mission is simply to protect our belief systems no matter how flawed or repugnant.

That’s why hate rises to the top. People that lack the ability to project their hate, ignorance or fear live in the moment. They don’t need god because it serves no purpose. They see the world clearly. Maybe the don’t understand the purpose of being here but it’s of little consequence. It’s the experience. In contrast, there are those that live in constant fear of the unknown, latching on to the idea of a omnipotent being, with consequences for not following the guidelines. It nurtures the hate, quantifies the fear and justifies their ignorance.

It seems highly unlikely to me that an all knowing, all powerful creator would want human beings to exist in the dark shadows of their minds, with limited abilities to explore those feelings and ideas. An all powerful being that would want us to turn our back on science and our spiritual selves? To ignore the universe and it’s magnificence and instead trade that wonder in for petty pastimes committed to condemning your neighbor because they don’t have your faith, your religious convictions or the same “moral” compass that compels you?

The hypocrisy is telling in a society that vilifies marijuana and glamorizes alcohol. A society that condemns ideas about prostitution while television programs like Housewives of (insert city here) clearly show that the trade of sex for money works and glamorizes those women who seek out rich men. Meanwhile the 12 and 13 year old girls ripped from their homes are offered no protection from the villainous and predatory pimps that continue to prey on and make money from the affairs of godly men who would pay for sex with innocent girls. Legalization would only stand as an affront to the religious right who see prostitution as sinful. And rather than finding meaningful ways to rid the world of vermin like pimps and protect our young daughters, we wil hide in the shadows less the devil takes us too…

I could go on about the hypocrisy of a world that judges everyone who doesn’t fit the standards of a book written in the dark ages at a time when men were barbarians. I could talk about how we gladly show images of human beings mutilated and riddled with bullets on TV, laying dead in the streets but will censor the human body for fear the nakedness would offend. Or how about forbidding abortions yet letting 1 child die every second on this earth from starvation or war related injuries? The fact that we refuse to accept death and will forbid another human being the right to a dignified exit while we justify the prolonged suffering of those closest to us shows just how mixed up we really are.

The truth is — we’re all scared. That’s because we don’t know what’s coming next. We don’t know what’s on the other side. There is only conjecture. Faith doesn’t give us the answers, it only gives us a buffer. That in turn gives us ammunition to hurt others and a diversion from our own spiritual quest.

The real question isn’t why are we here? The real question needs to be — why aren’t we here? Why aren’t we living in the moment?

Never have I had more freedom from the darkness of this planet than when I shed the confines of a faith that promotes hatred and bigotry. It’s ironic to be living in a world where my darkest thoughts have been replaced with thoughts of hope and joy and all since I denied the faith I was conditioned believe at my earliest recollection.

To suggest to me that a dark angel is waiting to take my soul or that I risk eternal damnation all because my hate is diminishing, my fear of the unknown evaporating and my ignorance of others subdued merely shows me that if there is a “dark angel” it is a minion for a higher power that relies on or needs the fuel of our hate to exist.

The proof is in the pudding as they say. History clearly outlines a pattern that cannot and should not be ignored. Religion has been repeating the same atrocities for thousands of years and continues to do so, all in the name of. How many countless innocents will die today because our god is more righteous than theirs?

Food for thought from your Agnostic friend.