It's Okay to Not Believe in God

So I've been thinking lately about the very concept of God - where did it come from? Why does it permeate our society, our psyche, and our cultural experience? It's been an interesting experience as I have gone about studying what this "God" concept is to much of the world. To some, God is a Spinoza character, a hands-off creator who made our reality then sat back and observed (Einstein favored this point of view). Some believe that God is a father-figure we must impress with our actions. Others (most Americans) believe God is a loving, personal being that watches over us and reveals truth as we request it.

Then, there is a growing sect of people who believe there is no God - and these, I have decided, are very different and distinct from the common atheist, who does not believe in God. To believe there is no God is a stance that the world is natural, that it is good as it is, and that God is not only unnecessary, but nonexistent. The atheist, on the other hand, requires little evidence but that which in convenient to his or her preconceived notions of the world - have you ever noticed how many atheists are friends with eachother, listen to the same music, engage in the same activities, and read the same books? This isn't herd mentality, it's a coincidence produced because they, as people, are designed a certain way and the concept of God doesn't jive with how they are.

And that's just fine. Childish, but fine.

On the other hand, there are the people who believe there is no God. I must say, I actually empathize and respect this view because it is, at least, based on some objective pursuit of truth, some rational understanding of reality (which is, ironically, the very endeavor that brought me to God.) It is a belief that is the result of reason and struggle, not the path of least resistance.

I must contrast this with the common practices of many prominent atheists who deny Christianity and other God-centered religions (but mainly Christianity) based on what it teaches - in other words, they disagree with it, therefor it is false. The atheist's ego or sense of ethics is offended by Christianity, and therefor it is cast out from their sense of reality as a straw-man or social enigma. In doing this, the atheist reveals the age-old natural motto: The world is natural because it must be natural. Nothing else will do.

Many Christians, to further contrast the perspective, believe in God despite the moral and ethical implications of a personal God - I, for example, would much prefer a physical existence devoid of God or afterlife because it allows me to pursue whatever hedonistic, pleasure-seeking experiences I want with no regard for those around me or the state of the human condition. However, the existence of God guides me to a higher level of happiness (one with a counterpart in responsibility) and demands that I refuse to invite the animal inside up for tea.

To not believe in God is to not reject God as inconvenient or as an obstacle to our physical fulfillment, but it is the result of our God-given reason. And that's okay. I can't agree ... but that's okay.

The UN: All Talk, No Action

The following is the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a concept in which the UN, in all its wisdom, decided to set forth certain absolute rights which all people are guaranteed to. Oddly enough, it's essentially the American Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights re-arranged and worded more carefully (without mention of God, I noticed. You gotta be PC when you're spouting rhetoric.)

I found it funny (no, not funny ... sad, actually) that an organization that allows tyrants and dictators to sit on its council, that has turned a blind eye to genocide and torture worldwide, that has sat idly by as nations starved to death, were murdered by their governments, that sends troops to "keep the peace" by standing by with their guns holstered as people slaughtered each other has the audacity to tell the world what their rights are.

This is another prime example of how useless, flaccid, and unnecessary the UN has become. Say what you will about the United States, but at least we act on our convictions from time to time - with varying degrees of success.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. *

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. *

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11

1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14

1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15

1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16

1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17

1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21

1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23

1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25

1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27

1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

* I thought these were particularly pathetic since the UN has allowed Iran to enter its council chambers countless times and defend its theocratic government which has ignored human rights since the Iranian Shi'ite revolution.

A Razor-Thin Line Between Patriotism and Propaganda

[Author's note: I have made use of some symbols and images in this article - some are concrete, others inflammatory, others purely anecdotal. I have included these for a reason, and the clever reader will find this reason with ease. For the rest - pay attention to symbols. They have great power.]


Last night, Americans across this nation celebrated our Independence Day - on this day nearly two and a half centuries ago, a room full of brilliant, brave men made the concrete resolution to create a new nation, born from oppression, and destined to lead the world into a new era. This was to be an era where governance was done by reason, by virtue, by a government responsible to its people and freely election by its people - it was to be an age of freedom. And so, every fourth of July, we Americans gather to celebrate this New Age of Reason, to come together as one nation to give thanks to those great men who founded our great nation and forged its borders with sweat and blood.

And yet, here we are, celebrating our independence ... but from what? America was supposed to be a shining beacon of decency and liberty, a nation free from the trappings of Empire, free from the tyranny of ambition and the slavery of taxation. She was designed to give every person an equal chance at finding peace, happiness, and freedom within her borders. Now, a little more than two-hundred years later, America, it seems has little to celebrate on this day.

Still, the songs are sang and the slogans chanted, the banners raised and the flags waved. We shout "God Bless America, home of the Brave, land of the free!" and we seem to have forgotten what these words mean. Indeed, there has been a great effort to make us forget what they mean. The first step in controlling ideas is to control language, and the best way to control language it to control its meaning.

Within the past fifty years, we have seen the meaning of freedom change so many times - when our nation was founded, it meant freedom from tyrannical governments, from burdensome taxation, from religious oppression and the shackles of the British Empire. Then, during the sixties, freedom meant equality - that every man or woman, regardless of their race, gender, or ethnicity, is free to participate in the American Dream. Now, what does freedom mean to us today? If you believe popular conception, and I contend that you must, freedom to America today means the right of a nation to govern the world; Of a culture to invade other cultures and infect it like a virus; Of a renegade presidency to declare itself above the law; It means the right to shout down opposition by calling them "unpatriotic"; It means the right to abandon our rights in a state of fear.

In America today, we have shamed our forefathers by exchanging our right to free speech, the right to fair and free commerce, the right to bear arms, the right to pursue happiness in whatever way we choose - all because we are told there are people everywhere who want nothing more than to kill us, to undermine our religion, or to lead lives different from ours. And, in our panic, we have handed over that God-given power of the People back to the Empire, and have led ourselves back into slavery.

It's an unfortunate truth that King Henry is back in power, except now, he wears fine suits, lives in Texas, and controls an even more oppressive, deadly army.

But still, every fourth of July, we sing the same songs, we raise the same flags, and shout the same jingoistic, ultra-nationalist slogans. I cannot help but wonder if, by participating in these mind-numbing activities, if we aren't participating in the selling-out of America. If, every times we are engrossed by the flashing of lights and blasts of sound when the fireworks launch, if we aren't engaging in a battle of ideas - on the wrong side. Everywhere, there are distractions: Cable news programs, fear-mongering newspaper, liars behind podiums, smug radio talk-show hosts condemning anyone who disagrees, international organizations who seek world domination .... the list goes on and on. And yet, to claim victory, all we need do is stop being distracted - look beyond the propaganda, beyond the lies, and try to see what is really happening to America. We are living in the Age of the Death of Reason, and we must save this country.

Stop saying freedom unless you are sure of its meaning. Stop singing the songs unless you really understand what went into composing them. And, for God's sake, stop saying God Bless America.

In fact, isn't God Bless America beginning to sound less of a statement and more of a plea these days?

Perhaps its time for America to start blessing God ... as she did those hundreds of years ago.

We should never forget the words of Sinclare Lewis when he prophesied, "When fascism arrives in America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying the bible." Pay attention to what happens in your country.