Humanism as Religion

The only true religion of humankind now is humanism. Our true heroes will come in the form of non-religious people; people who honor cherish and respect the religions of humankind but who are committed to and guarantee that they do not belong to any of them... even our Jewish brothers and sisters whose allegiance to their own religion has seemed to come more from a survival of their race/people than from a purely religious or spiritual desire... even them... we are at a point where we need leaders and heroes in the form of non-religious people that can rise up and guarantee that no religious dogma or blind ideology will taint their point of views or better judgment.

As its been said before, if God has a problem with that, he will surely let us know; and we welcome him, and stand ready to listen. But until that time, since so much evil and mediocrity has stood before us and attempted to destroy us in times past in the name of God, we have no choice but to begin to demand that God plays no further part in the decisions that affect our lives.

And again it is not a matter of intolerance, but a matter of clear-mindedness. The most spiritual and holy people I have known in my short time here on earth have always been the ones who were free from the grip of any one religion; respected them all, but ascribed to none of them exclusively. I have always been fascinated by this. it is as if they held some secret key to enlightenment that most never grasped, myself included. The religious among us will rise up and preach about morality, that without religion there is no morality, but be forewarned that these are immoral people who are still being born and/or reared without an understanding of the inherent morality that is within each of us from conception. One need not religion in order to be moral any more than one needs money to have class or manners. these are the myths that help the rich and powerful disguised as religious to control the poor and vulnerable. Some of the smartest people I have ever known have been uneducated in the traditional sense, and some of the dumbest people I have ever had the amusing misfortune of becoming acquainted with have held high degrees the likes of which I will never be able to afford.

In the future the tables will be turned, and the wrongs righted, and we will look back on our age of religion as a long series of unnecessary evils that shed much blood and caused us much confusion as a people.

Quick notes: can we create/understand/know/discover the/a concept of a higher power without humanizing it? without personifying it? can we find courage strength and inspiration without religion? Without gods and goddesses?

For myself, I believe it maybe too late. at least spiritually. For what I believe to be true intellectually is still heavily conflicted with what the soul of the inner child within me wants to believe. The God concept is so ingrained in me from being raised so religiously from birth that I am afraid I will always equate a higher power, morality, strength, courage, inspiration with some kind of God concept, even if subconsciously, if not deliberately... but for future humans, there is hope that there is a chance that we can begin to teach strength of character, ethics, moral courage, and divine inspiration without the need for religious dogma or half-truth ideologies. The survival of our entire species now depends on this dream. Whereas in times past perhaps we felt our only chance of survival was by a dependence on a God, on prayer, on dogma, on ritual... but we have seen through the millennia the error of this thinking and we have lost enough of us. I think that we would all agree that we have lost enough of us, as they say, ‘in the name of God.’

If we are going to venture to do anything ‘in the name’ of anything from this point forward let us do it ‘in the name of humanity.’ If that is not just cause enough, then let it not be done.

Last screening: the preceding ramblings were brought to you by the latest ridley Scott film, the kingdom of heaven starring Orlando bloom, which dealt with the Christian/Muslim battle for Jerusalem, which Rome had originally stolen from the Jewish people. Good movie. Great action scenes. Well scripted and acted. Liam neeson seems only to play brief roles where he dies within the first ten minutes now. For an historic epic it was quite perfect. will help build the peace and understanding I believe.