Intelligence. it is everywhere. The underlying forces of our universe are chaotic and if left to it’s own influence there would be nothing but unbridled energy. Intelligence is the glue that holds it together, that gives cause and purpose to survive against all odds.
The Hebrew Bible gets that point right, “In the beginning there was nothingness”. Then in six days the universe is imbued with an intelligence. The sower of these seeds, is a supreme being known to us as “Hashem” the name. In the world view of the religious person the source of everything we have comes from god. Genesis tells the story of creation. Scientists call it intelligent design. That is what we call an opinion. I can’t argue with an opinion based on currently unknowable fact patterns regardless how attractive the concept may sound.
Now here’s where things get very interesting. It seems that one night about six thousand years ago the supreme being holds a meeting at his heavenly palace. He has an idea and announces that time has come to make man, in his image, male and female. Religious people fully believe that God created man as told in the Bible, and the rest of creation is here to support humanity. In return for all this kindness bestowed on us by the creator an expectation of servitude and gratitude is demanded. To achieve that state of servitude a leap of faith, or as a good friend of mine put it to me recently, “every person has to choose when and where to suspend their rationality and just believe”.
Do we need to suspend reality to imagine that life may have come about on this planet as a result of a cosmic accident billions of years ago? That once established in a simple basic life form, intelligence slowly evolved as a methodology of survival. As intelligence continues to evolve, the eventual emergence of sentient beings with greater degrees of situational awareness emerge. Human beings then continue the process by applying their intellectual abilities to create new forms of higher “artificial intelligence”. Are we god too? The theory of evolution was not developed by scientists who suspended reality. They carefully studied fossil records, species of plants and animals and came to reasoned conclusions based on evidence. Though the original theory as posed by Charles Darwin has been modified and enhanced, at no point did mythology or fairy tales figure in the equation. To rely on a story of revelation that only a few were privy to at one moment in time is not evidence of anything.
If God is the source of all intelligence on the planet, then who created God? What then can we point to as the source of all intelligent life on the planet.
As we understand more about the relationship between matter and energy we start to see a structure and order to our universe. The arrangement of atomic particles, molecules, DNA is something which we are only gaining knowledge of in the last century of human history. The advent of modern scientific principles are continually disproving the basis and foundation of religious mythologies. The concept of a virgin birth, or any mythology that supports a deity suspending the laws of physics to protect the faithful is now greatly regarded as fantasy. For this reason and because religious ideologies are responsible for the worst transgressions in human history, most countries and their populace have realized that religious thought and ideas need to be separate from our political systems. God’s laws and justice is only recognized as civil law in the few theocracies left on the planet.
Suspending reality leads to dangerous ideologies that can have catastrophic outcomes. The truth of this is self evident in our history. More murder and suffering has been and still is unleashed on this planet by groups of people suspending reality and believing in a religious or political ideologies.
Without suspending reality, it is clear to me that Man created god in his image and then used that creation as a tool to subjugate others. Why is it that religious organizations have to cover up one scandal after another to protect their reputation. Representatives of Gods moral and ethical words are caught up in so much abuse and sin. Theocracies today are the biggest exporters of terror organizations and promulgators of hate.
So what do people like me who refuse to suspend reality and just believe, do?
Big brother Burt considers personal integrity to be man’s greatest ally. Human comprehension while continuously evolving has it’s limitations. Our choices and decisions should always be based on sound rational principles. In life we must strive for solutions that will benefit ourselves as well as those we deal with. There is so much good in this world that we can afford to share it with others. Doing so brings peace, harmony and co-operation between different groups.
Suspension of reality is good fun in the entertainment industry when people understand reality from fantasy. Otherwise I suggest that we apply personal integrity to circumstances that are beyond comprehension by admitting unfamiliarity.
Sam Harris wrote a wonderful little book called Lying. In it he deals with some culturally difficult themes and insists that we as people strive to maintain our personal integrity even in the face of grave danger. Finding humans of such exemplary character is rare in this world. In my years within a faith based community I met a few individuals who embodied such values. They were the only religious figures who provided me with inspiration. To them I am grateful.
Personal integrity is a value that dies in many religious circles when faith is in question. The idea that it is ok to tell a lie to protect the greater good is simply unethical. I have borne witness to far too many mistruths within religious systems that discussion with religious people rarely yield truthful outcomes. When it comes to protecting the faith, religious people because of their “suspension of reality” suspend the truth as necessary.
The very premise of our western religions is to “just believe”. To ask a person to believe in an idea that is unknowable, implies a deception. It is in fact selling an empty promise. In any other business that would be defined as a fraud. In the business of religion we actually grant a tax deductible status. Local politicians look the other way as religious people organize into voting blocks to support their lifestyles. The lies just keep coming. No amount of rational thought can convince these people any differently. Anything opposing their self preservation is deemed an enemy and defeated.
Every generation will have individuals born who will succumb to religious ideology. It’s our job as a culture to see it for what it is. Every day we should be grateful that we are living in a free society, free from the tyranny of what religious people would do to us if they had the power.
Big brother Burt