Religion is Simply a Tool

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
-Seneca

How true (and flawlessly elucidated)! Now to really drop the bomb....I do not believe in today's take of religion. I think it is a money grabber, just like most other things. I believe that it was created because at the time, there were few strict governing bodies. You simply belong to the monarch of your village. Some innovative genius came up with the idea of a shared belief to rule the people. So to make sure the people did what (he) wanted, he told them, if you don't abide by my rules, you will be sent to "hell". The perfect ultimatum. Nobody could prove him wrong, and they wanted to live the good life, so they went along with him. He created a story. I wont go into detail picking apart the Bible because so many others have, but I will say, whoever created it may not have been the first. I implore you to read this .

It would be hard for me to live my life based off something that doesn't have any empirical evidence, instead, it relies on my faith to function. And if it doesn't function, they say you're not giving enough faith; kind of a Catch-22. Now, for those of you arguing "Why do you need evidence for something to be real? Who doesn't believe in a soul?" Read the Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil. It goes into detail of what the "spirit" really is. It is simply a lucky sum of chemical bonds with our neurons. Consciousness? Well that is explained too. There is science telling us what a spirit is. Why would I devote my life to something that can substantiate itself? If it were that important, it would get its facts straight!! (Refer to movies in aforementioned article).

As for the "healing" powers of religion, sure there's some merit there. People have claimed to rise from their hospital bed after being in a paralyzing or debilitating condition, by believing in a god. It doesn't matter what you believe in, as long as you think it will heal you. Some of you may be familiar with The Secret. Agreeably, it says that the power of the mind is one of the greatest tools we possess. When the mind is in such a desperate state as in a hospital bed, it will realize its powers. Whether you believe in god, yourself, your child, or the flastscreen TV in front of your bed, it doesn't matter. The fact that you think you will get healed (may) heal you.

I just don't understand why people continue with religion today. Is it the fear that they will end up in the underworld? Is it their hope that religion will guide them to the good life? Are they so lost, that prayer is the only constant in their life? Maybe they don't realize how much money the churches are sucking from them. Famous television evangelists have said, "Buy my DVD to achieve enlightenment!" Or you will find books entitled, "The Secret to a Happy Life." They all tell the same old tale...

Consider who the wisest people in history are. Most of them have been known to delve into philosophy, if not, concentrate solely on philosophy. How many philosophers believed in religion? Find out here. In fact, some well known ancients have died in opposition to religion. As we know, impiety was cause of serious charges, and the most relevant case here may be Socrates' death. Again, philosophers are some of the most well-regarded, revered people. If 3/4 of them do not believe in a god, doesn't that say something about religion?

Education for sale!

Lately I've been thinking about the role of education. In particular, the influence of grade's kindergarten through 12. Are the teachers really there to help us maximize our potential or are they there as babysitters? Honestly, in my grade 12 year, I learned more on my own than in the classroom, thanks to Wikipedia.

I guess teachers are there to expose you to the many directions available; to illuminate the pathways. But it still seems as if we are being taught how to be a respectable worker. Show up on time, have your work done by the deadline, collaborate with peers, ask assistance from superiors, and produce a fine finished product. These are the essentials that are ingrained into us by our mentors. Think about how restricting this is; it starves off the creative process. Artistic human beings don't allow time constraints to limit them, a lack of resources to hold them back, or the judgment of others to influence their work.

Is school simply a manufacturing plant for robots that don't break rules? Robots whose performance is graded according to how well they 'stayed within the box'. The greatest minds in history were the ones that strayed from the pack. The eccentric Albert Einstein or the volatile Van Gogh. Many people of socially conformed society labeled them mad, but they've made some of the biggest contributions to the human race.

School isn't a bad thing, but it could be greatly improved. One suggestion: philosophy being requisite in every grade. The pursuit of knowledge will set the mind free. If you aim for enlightenment, you will see the sun.

Freedom