on the dodge

  One of the things that I don't understand is those that profess they have zero belief in God. What's confusing is the majority of those people are the same ones always talking about inclusiveness and empowering others. So why do they insist on telling everyone how foolish they are to believe in God. I struggle to understand why that is. These are the same people telling me that your "gender" is now to be determined by your feelings. The same people insisting I should accept that unconditionally, almost as a religion of its' own. The thing is both actions are based solely on belief. They are emotional things, not necessarily factual things. Do feelings make it fact? I'd suggest that they do, but only to the one having that feeling. It's a fact if you believe it to be fact.

  For me this professed non-belief is an attempt to escape consequence. Another dodge of responsibility. What is at the heart of most religious belief? The promise of reward. That is what is promised to the faithful. Just how faithful you have to be is always in a state of constant flux. Those dismissing it altogether convincing themselves that there will be no reward or punishment for whatever actions they perform in this life. It's a one and done type of thinking. Doesn't provide much incentive or hope as far as I can tell. It is the proverbial a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush mentality. I do question how that will feel when faced with their own mortality. Rather short-sighted in my opinion. 

  What responsibility is being dodged? For that we need to look at what the religious belief teaches us. At its core is the golden rule. Doing unto others. Remove that, and you are now free to do as you please, to push the limits of what society will tolerate. The laws made by man generally reflect the morality of those being governed. At least that is the premise of our Republic, a rule by the people. Yes, the majority, in our case 75% is the usual standard for passing such legislation. The more people we have dodging that responsibility, the more those laws stray from the rule. 

  Where the wheels start to get wobbly is when others, outside of that society, begin insisting they have the rights of that society. It begins when others outside of that religious belief begin telling the followers of that belief how to practice it! That is the reason for so many variations, so many religions, so many denominations. Each one being created by a society that chose not to follow the original. Indeed, there are those arguing what is the original. Remember in Christianity when we got the "new" testament. The Koran contains portions of the Old Testament. The torah is made up of what? The first five books of the Bible. Each example of that created those wobbly wheels, each one creating a different belief. Some would call it a new belief. 

  And that is what I think causes this non-belief. It comes from those that just can't decide. From people that remain in a state of constant change, whatever change benefits them. It's just a method to justify their choices. It requires no adherence to any code, any moral or ethical character whatsoever. They are bound solely by the laws created by men. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Maybe I'm just wrong or foolish. Still, I believe I can always get another chance, another shot at it. There has to be more than this. We all ask the same question, why. I don't believe any of us will ever know why. I like to think I may learn one day, however. Hope is an important emotion. So is belief. There is no stopping someone that truly believes. Belief is the most powerful force of all. Ironically it doesn't really matter what you believe that statement stays true. All of us will find out one day, maybe for a second or maybe for another lifetime. Maybe it is belief itself that determines that outcome. Can you dodge eternity? I don't think so.