Let’s say we imagined a new religion. Our new God wouldn’t care who believed in him, what foods we ate, or what clothes we wore. Racial differences and lifestyle choices are irrelevant. This God loves every human equally and without conditions. What he demands of us are actions and behaviors consistent with improving the quality of life of our fellow man. Using our minds and it’s reasoning abilities this God needs us to structure the ethical and moral landscape to reflect the greater good of society.
I wonder how many sane people would object to this religion. To live in a world where humans work together to improve the lot of people in their communities. Our metrics would be results oriented. Are people living longer, happier, more fulfilling lives. These would be questions we would ask to measure the success of our policies.
Are parents supposed to love their children conditionally? Is love withheld if the child fails to perform in school or make mistakes? Any parent today who has some basic parental skills along with a compassionate heart understands that love is given freely and unconditionally. Yet it is OK that the heavenly father imposes conditions on his adherents within a faith based community. Religious people believe it is not good enough that people live ethical, moral lives and make contributions to society. They demand that you buy into their mythologies, follow their laws, and subjugate yourself body and mind to their creators will. And if you don’t buy in, there is an eternity of damnation waiting for your hapless soul.
How much more war and blood shed has been perpetrated in the name of the conditional supreme being. In these religious groups young children are “conditioned” to accept their conditional masters.
In my religion our God wants people to think and behave responsibly. Our God is not jealous, and does not require us to worship him. In this blog lets examine the standard that our new religion and its God would place on us, and compare it to the old standard of our three great western religions.