Visited the casa Buonarotti today, the house that Michelangelo lived in when he came back from Rome and lived in Florence. They call it a palace because it takes up a whole block or two. Right next to the school. Unbelievable. What an honor to go there. 

Studying ancient Egypt a little just to get my mind off of Italy for a moment. Two important things occurred to me. one, while watching the episodes concerning the Nile and the landscape of Egypt, I realized that I do not have too much of an interest in nature. things like natural wonders of the earth do not interest me very much. As compared to things that have to do with mankind. I am much more interested in humans than I am in the earth. Frankly I think the earth is worthless except for how it relates to us. sounds crazy I know. but I am just completely fascinated by and in awe and admiration of humanity itself. I am passionate about it. I find myself only caring about things that relate directly to us. The earth without man? Who really cares about it? I am glad that other people do, because we need them to think about protecting the earth and all that or we wouldn’t have an earth. But for me, it was just this major realization I had. I just don't care about nature too much. Only us. What is most important to me is studying mankind. I do not care about things that are outside of us. 

And then later when they were talking about the pharos and how their tombs and temples would show their power, their wealth, and their eternal devotion to the gods. Something very strong occurred to me. How easy it was for them to say they were devoted to the gods. What an easy way out this is. To say this. Devoted to “God.” Really, what is a God except a symbol of our highest morals and values, yes? How easy it is to say I am devoted to this or that God. And people really do wave it around like this all important flag. And wear it on their sleeves. Because to them it stands for all the morals and values that they associate with that particular God. So yes one can see the importance of the symbol because of what values they associate with it. Christian or Jewish or Muslim or whatever. but to me as I get older I find myself caring less and less about the particular God I am “devoted to,” and more and more about the actual human morals and values that the god represents to me. 

An honorable man is not devoted to any God but to humanity itself. The noble man is devoted to the values that are most valuable to mankind, with or without a God. It is these values and morals that will ensure our survival and our evolution as a species. Gods come and go as mankind evolves. They always have and always will. Our History has shown us this. No God has lasted more than a few thousand years, at most. And yes it has always been considered sacrilegious and heretical to say anything against whatever God happens to be popular in any given age of man’s history. But Mankind has lived for some thirty-thousand years, in our current form, give or take an ounce or two of brain matter. We have a chance of continuing to live and thrive and flourish and evolve for tens of thousands of more years. if we all start to get more and more devoted to Us. WE are the God. Honor the values and morals that are the most important to us. 

I'm not saying I don't believe in God. Cause its kind of embedded or inbred in me. I don't think I can necessarily get rid of the idea of it or the belief in God. I like it. It feels good. I love talking to God. I absolutely love it. And honestly I feel that when I write things like this, when I get thoughts like these, it is because God is guiding me to. I think God is desperately trying to help mankind evolve to the state of godhood, so we can pass on to a more ‘godlike’ state of consciousness. And truly I think God would love more than anything to get rid of the religions on the earth and for us to gain a more internal spirituality that is more spiritual, more tolerant, less exclusive, less dogmatic, more human, and more humane. (A perfect example is how just this week the pope called on Catholics to unite to fight against gay marriages. Godlike? No. afraid not. Very un-God like. This is someone who does not know the same God that I do.) And I'm sure the pope claims to be “very devoted to God.” Have devotion to humanity first. Have devotion to good values and morals. I believe that our actions can speak much louder than any churches or monuments we can build. 

Its been said a million times already. But the day that we discover other life in the universe, or they discover us, this little planet of humans is going to have to change its whole construct of religion as it stands today. the whole idea of God will change for the little earthlings who are locked in these religion boxes. Me included.