“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act“, George Orwell.
The country, truth be told, is going to hell in a handcart. Everything is bad. Everything. Nobody can afford anything. Nobody can do anything for want of resources. Nobody knows what to think about this, and nobody can do anything about it. For sure, nobody has any solution. Options are limited, of course, and despite minds greater than our own being on the case, there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
Alternatively:
The country, truth be told, is heading for the sunny uplands. Everything will be good. Everything. Everybody will be better off, and prospects are looking positive. You will know what to think because we will tell you. You can do something about this, which is to support us, because we have greater minds and we know what is best for you. Trust us because there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Well, that’s tricky. Two alternative world views. Are both equally plausible? Yes, of course they are. Should you believe either? That’s up to you. All we can do is trust our own judgment ultimately. And in doing that, we might look to others’ views and opinions as much as a form of research as anything else. Like many in times of such quandaries, I asked my mother: “What shall I be?” “Will I be handsome, will I be rich?” The best she could come up with is: “You’ll have to wait and see“.
Thanks, mum.
Whatever will be has come to be. I’m as ugly as sin and as poor as a church mouse, but such travails have shaped my worldview. I’ve got a handle on things (possibly). I’d say trust no one and believe nothing until you see it. That headmistress at primary school who made me (and many others) sing “There is a greenfield far away outside the city walls…” was not to be trusted. The god/son/ghost to which our poorly sung words alluded has never presented themselves to me in any form. I’ve had a look. Not there. Unless I missed something. I’ve had a further look. Nope – nothing. So if a ‘culturally anglican’ can’t see it, then what hope for others?
Each and every one of our readers will have a separate experience, of course. One will take the evidence on board and make one’s own mind up. If your god works for you, then let him/her/they/it do so. No problem. There is NO problem. Think what you think, believe what you believe. It’s not an issue.
Until…
Well, until that ‘faith’ starts to impinge on others who might have a different faith or no faith at all. It’s a mystery to me how people, even ostensibly of the same faith, can find fault or nitpick with the minutiae of their fellow believers’ practices and observances. It happens in Christianity and in Islam. It probably happens with all faiths – I’m not au fait enough with the detail to comment (which is my failing, of course). But what I think might be useful is for people to take a look at what this means for the world – in other words, all of us. Is there not a way to live in peace and harmony with our neighbours? Is there not a way to respectfully demur from their views whilst acknowledging the differences and rising above them? How difficult can it be? Why the hatred? What is it about ‘faith’ that is so blinding? I’m reminded of one of my favourite pieces of literature in which the satirical writer Douglas Adams presents this scenario:
Man says to god – prove that you exist.
God says – I refuse to prove that I exist because proof denies faith, and without faith, I am nothing.
Man says – but what about the Babel Fish? (The Babel Fish is a creature that lives in all lifeforms’ ears and translates any and all languages into an intelligible form – a creature so fantastic that only a god could have invented it)
God says – Oh. I hadn’t thought of that, and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.
This isn’t a theocratic debate. I’m not interested in that. I’ve made my own mind up and am ‘reasonably’ certain in my conclusion. However, having done so, I’m still not entirely sure what theocrat’s motivations are. How is it that if one occupies a certain place on the globe, then one is expected to follow certain doctrines and is expected to defy other doctrines, often their neighbours, geographically speaking? I’m open to the idea that this is about control – telling people how to live their lives because it keeps a certain elite in power. We are familiar with that, right? Say any old rubbish to keep people in line if it keeps you in charge. Even circumventing language, that great unifier, to your own ends. Here’s an example: ‘semitism’ (which begets anti-semitism). What does the word mean? Well, it refers to the Semitic peoples: originally taken to mean those who shared a language throughout what we know as the ‘Middle East’. Anyone who speaks a language based on Arabic or Hebrew is a Semite, so how come we are in the position of ‘anti-semitism’, meaning anti-Jewish? It’s all very badly twisted. Interestingly, Farsi (or Persian), as spoken in Iran, is not a Semitic language but is instead an Indo-European language more closely aligned with English, German, or Hindi. More interestingly still, the predominant religion of all of these places is Abrahamic in origin.
The bottom line is this: I would suggest do what you need to do. Be happy. Live your life in as much happiness as you can and with those whom you care for. We’re all pretty similar underneath it all. We are Homo Sapiens: ‘thinking man’ to translate from the Latin. Above all, make your own mind up, think independently and don’t be told what to do without very good reason. You have a choice in thought if not deed. Maybe try to connect with others of the same persuasion if you can. Possibly even those not of the same persuasion. You never know, you might find that you have things in common.
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