Living in a free society, we have  the rights and responsibility to think for ourselves, to make choices, and are prepared to take ownership of consequences of our actions. Our personal choices, beliefs and the resulting behaviores will greatly influence the quality of life that we experience. To live authentically, we must be willing to constantly examine and re-examine our beliefs which influence us in the choices we make.

This concept of self actualization is scary and intimidating for many people. The unfortunate truth is that many are content living an “auto-pilot” existence, and never challenge themselves to fulfill the greatness that we are all capable of achieving. The question of “what do you truly want out of life” is often replaced by limiting beliefs, ideas that are implanted by others who gain benefit from your subservience.

Religion and political ideologies have been fashioned to do just this. Religion wants you to believe that your existence  on this planet, and then after you die, is related to your relationship with their ideology. Instead of doing the difficult work of thinking, and figuring out who you really are,  you are urged by religious groups to adapt to their way of thinking and behaving. They then certify this by telling you amazing stories of gods grace on earth and beyond.

In the past when the harsh realities of humans living in difficult times, where free societies were extremely rare, the idea of replacing a religious ideology for a political subservient reality was not a bad choice. As Moses said to the Pharaoh in Exodus, Let my people go, from the servitude of Egypt, to serve their god Yaweh, in the desert. This was the foundational time for the first big monotheistic religion, Judaism. if you are to believe the story of Exodus, what was developing here was a religious ideology that was designed to replace the harsh political ideology of Egypt.

In todays world free societies exist and are challenging us to think for ourselves. Science and technologies are constantly showing us proof that contradict the ideas and short-comings of religious beliefs. Our personal sense of integrity, deeply ingrained in our very physiology, is guiding us to disgust when we are confronted with the evil being done by religious extremists in the name of their gods. As sciences dealing with the inner workings of our brains are giving us answers as to how we think, we are learning that superstitions, are not responsible for outcomes in our lives.

Big BrotherBurt is confident and optimistic that within a free society, human integrity can continue to emerge as the guiding force in our world. As people we are all imperfect. Yet we all posses the ability to think, and choose the pathway that we all know is aligned with human integrity. Historically we have overcome tremendous obstacles and have time after time defeated the forces of evil that have threatened our survival. The reason we have survived the challenges and continue to evolve is because it is written into our very genetic code to do so.

Free societies exist today as a testament to the who we are as humans. We created free societies so that the next level of human evolution can occur. 

I often wonder what would happen to organized religion, if all the related tax deductions were removed. How many of these “holy folks” living off the backs of us taxpayers would continue to operate. The amount of tax free living arrangements afforded these people is astounding. The phasing out of these deductions would mean an enormous shift in our economy. The resulting business of religion would then have to compete for dollars the same way the rest of us do.

Products and services offered by these groups would have to appeal to buyers like any other business. Without the incentive of tax deductible contributions, would the faithful be as quick to part with their hard earned cash? Would the promise of everlasting life and the grace of god be enough to entice folks to empty their wallets. For some who are easily swayed I suspect not much will change. For others whose buying decisions are based on a more critical approach the “smoke and mirrors” that were so enticing in times past might fall to a more discerning audience.

My personal business as a health care provider resolves around providing a service that my clientele need and desire. The benefits of my services are readily apparent to my customers and result in a direct enhancement of life quality. Health or lack of it is a tangible entity for us humans.

Religion also fills a need. People want to believe in something. They want desperately for someone or something to give them answers to things that humans do not currently understand. Religion takes a story about the revelation of god and gives it legitimacy. By dressing it up in scholarship, rituals and hints of supernatural phenomenon, religion becomes believable to many, and demands an absolute belief of its followers. The resulting theology appeals to millions who convince themselves, their friends and families that they are in possession of the true nature of what we as humans cannot comprehend.

So where does this fall short?. If a Devine being really did reveal himself to humanity there would be one faith and we would all know it. Instead we have countless faiths with millions of believers who have convinced themselves that they are the true faith of god.

It is the opinion of BigBrother Burt that organized religion is nothing more than a human fabrication in attempt to satisfy a basic human need. Devine revelation as the basis of every religion is variable and exists as an unprovable assumption. The sooner humanity comes to term with reality, the human suffering and division that comes along with religion will cease. The United States Government as a next step to the constitutional mandate of separation of Church and State, has an obligation to evaluate it’s tax code and start treating religious entities for what they truly are, businesses.

Organized religion has a right to exist. Like any business that influences people to buy into their products and services, they should be subject to taxes when profits are realized. Clergy and theologians do not provide any additional benefits over any hard working Americans and have no reason to  be privy to special treatment under our tax code. The faithful who make donations to their churches and synagogues should not be granted an automatic deduction unless the money is truly earmarked to provide for charitable causes.

The politician that will solve our economic crisis is he or she that is not afraid to challenge the status quo of organized religion.  In doing so religion will have to adapt itself and find compelling reasons to survive. The religious organizations that do survive will have to prove itself to the consumer like any business, to be worthy of their products and services.