Natural Born Atheists

This premise is quite simple. Every human being, like every other animal on this planet, is born an atheist. There is no divine intervention or blessed soul; just as there is no divine right of kings. Moreover, God, Religion, Souls, Belief, and Faith are creations of the mind. These self-created manifestations may be inspired but this inspiration does not come from a Grand Creator. In fact, inspiration for such ephemeral thoughts is more likely to come from societal control and hierarchal structures within societies. For example, if we view the Ten Commandments we see that the majority of these commandments center on God. No idol worship, only one God and so forth. However, these ‘laws’ are created to establish a system of control. And of course we can not forget the consequences for failing to follow these laws: DEATH. So, I hope all the devout followers have never told a lie!

Moreover, religion and the illogical belief in God must be indoctrinated into every person. Children are forced to go to church and placed in situations where questions are not answered or their curiosity is placated by two simple words: FAITH & BELIEF. In fact, religion is the only area of societal discourse where these two answers are accepted without any further recourse. Imagine a doctor explaining to you that his faith is the proper prescription for your pain due to abdominal surgery. Imagine a lawyer defending his client by using the doctrine of infallibility. Or a judge explaining to the condemned that his fate was sealed by God before any evidence had been produced. Ironically, all of these examples are part of the human experience. In other words, there was a time and place where these exact sentiments were valid: faith healers, the Inquisition, Divine Right of Kings and the infallibility of the Papacy. So what changed? The Bible or Koran has not changed. The Torah has not changed in thousands of years. So if these infallible books which are inspired and written by God have not changed and our interpretation has clearly shifted, then what is the difference between now and the 1^st, 8^th or 13^th century? Or more to the point has anything changed?

If we step back and analyze religious history, lets say, during the inquisition we find that Christians were actually performing exact instructions from the bible. (Historical accounts of Islamic actions need not be introduced here, just open any newspaper and the evidence of jihad is evident) Heretics and non-believers must repent or die. The auto-de-fa was a societal response to a biblical mandate passed down from a book written by men 40 years after the ‘savior’ appeared on earth. Logic was suspended and faith carried the day. Now, in retrospect, we find this 400 year historical epoch as a miserable example of human beings capacity for immorality. An immorality vaulted into the public area by faith and belief in a non-existent creator. However, the Inquisition is just one example of religions passion for blood and sacrifice. The list is endless, starting with the Egyptians and the pagan religions of the Greeks and Romans running through the Holy Roman Empire, metastasizing in the White Man’s Burden and seeping into our everyday life.

Our pledge to the flag, our coins and our leaders are molded and shaped by this fantasy of religious myth. Our political leaders must be believers to be accepted as candidates for office. In fact, belief in a non-existent God is the only true litmus test for persons running for office in this country. So again I ask has anything changed? Simply put, nothing has changed. The war in Iraq was spawned from religious edicts (God told W to invade Iraq). The war in Kosovo dealt particularly with ethnic (read religious) genocide. And the Darfur region of African is a clear example of religious fundamentals exerting power and death over a religious minority. People are divided into religious groups then the group with the most weapons forces others to see their truth. Might makes right, and with the blinding power of faith and belief how can one be wrong? The root of all evil and immorality stems from this improvable state of affairs. My God is the one true God and your God is not. Each mythical cult can lay claim to this notion because this statement defies truth, logic and evidence to the contrary. Moreover, the mere discussion of such things is not polite conversation. We are instructed not to talk about two things in public, religion and politics. Why is that so? Because these two philosophical ideas are directly linked, Plato describes the Noble Lie which must be repeated by the leaders to the masses. The Nobel Lie reveals that people are made of differing metals, gold, silver, and bronze and those made of gold are the only ones fit to rule. This Noble Lie has been extended into religious dogma. However, now those made of GOD are only fit to rule. I guess gold was too illogical for the early cultists.

So where do we go from here? The answer may not be the most pleasant but following historical trends sometimes leads us to unsavory events. As all great empires before ours, each must plow through the religious nonsense of Manifest Destiny. In other words, as atheists we must hasten the day that religion takes over our nation, on every level. I know this sounds counterproductive but the reality is clear. Empires only fall after a viral episode with religious conversion. An additional consequence of this fall from grace is that religion is placed in check and never is allowed to rear its ugly head again. In the past, The Holy Roman Empire is a good example; this change took hundreds of years and cost countless lives. After the fall of the Empire religion, and the separation of religion from government became the rational choice of philosophers from Locke to Montesquieu, came the establishment of a continent which is the most irreligious on Earth.

However, we are in a new age, an age of WMD’s and caliphates. Information is moving faster and hate grows even larger, the earth has grown smaller and the reach of religious extremists is limitless. America fears the Muslim world and the Muslim world fears America. Is it of no consequence that the irreligious EU experiences terrorism at a much lower level then America, even though Asia and Europe are connected geographically? Shouldn’t Europeans be bolting the doors and cutting off liberties to save themselves from the ultimate calamity of Islamo-fascism? Or do the Europeans know something we don’t? It is clear that as religion devours the institutions of government; its downfall is not far behind. And with the downfall of political institutions and subsequently religious dogma, a new historical era will be born. An era absent of religious myth and illogical fantasies; an era of enlightenment and self-actualization built on observational evidence and scientific fact.

Thus, we must embrace the Jesus Camps and Christian Soldiers of America for they must take power. They must be put under the microscope of logic and reason. They must debate and respond to charges of lunacy and hypocrisy. After their fall from grace, America will finally be reborn anew; awash with reason, fact and free thinking.

Democracy: What is and what ought to be

The democratic ideal or what ought to be is broken down into six sections by R. Dahl in his new work On Political Equality:

1. Effective participation

2. Equality in voting

3. Gaining enlightened understanding

4. Final control of the agenda

5. Inclusion

6. Fundamental Rights

These six pillars of democracy are arranged around direct democracy. This is what ‘ought’ to be in a democracy. However direct democracies are absent and what is now left is a representative form of democracy. Thus institutions must be created to reach these ideal pillars of democracy. A scaffolding of representative democratic structures spiraling around these pillars of direct democracy. Dahl reveals six points creating what “is” instead of what “ought” to be.

1. Elected representatives
2. Free, fair and frequent elections
3. Freedom of expression
4. Alternative sources of information
5. Associational autonomy
6. Inclusion of all members of the demos

If placed into a corresponding table:

A	1,4
B	1,2
C	1,3,4
D	1,3,4
E	1,3,4
F	1,2,3,4

Why is this civics lesson important? Because this 120 page work gives every citizen a guideline illustrating the health of our democracy, it reveals the reality of our democracy and the ideal. Political equality is the legitimatizing factor of any democracy. It is the lasting idea of the enlightenment a faultless notion of earthly solidarity. Dahl’s work cuts through the minutia of civics class and enhances the vibrate kinetic energy of our democracy. Don’t miss this prophetic work.

The Morning After

Now look out your window or open the front door and ask yourself, “Is it my turn to be a patriot today?” After the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air, am I now ready to be a true patriot? After the Iraq/9-11 speeches have fallen hollow and the pundits have started fires with their insensate spinning of half truths and misleading talking points. Is it now time for me to be a patriot?

Do not confuse a patriot with being patriotic. Everyone is patriotic out of pure unenlightened self-interest. We all want America to succeed and provide security and comfort. We all want better schools and better lives and better homes. We all find the time to rejoice in the luster of our credit ridden wealth. We all want to succeed more than others and have more than others and love more than others. This is human nature, and in America human nature is amplified. However, this is not the act of a patriot.

A patriot is selfless and communal in thought. A patriot looks closer and understands the essence of power, is to have more power. A patriot loves all and excludes none. A patriot does not give hubris filled speeches but listens for hours while those who disagree are given a clear forum for debate. A patriots holster is full of questions. A patriot lurks in all of us. The patriot is the selfless teacher. The patriot is a thoughtful broker of mediation and understanding. The patriot is just below our natural state, it is the core of our being a true American. A patriot has become a rare species in this time of disillusionment and fragmented views.

9/11 is not a time for tears and political conflagration. Instead, 9/11 is a time to reignite the embers of the patriot in all of us. Look past the corporate media and find a new way past the echo chamber. Do not believe your ears. Do not believe your eyes. Believe in your mind. Believe in your thoughts of righteous days gone by. Believe in effort. Believe in facts not commentary. Believe in yourself as a source of immeasurable strength against a tide of deceit and lies. Remember, these are only words; you and I have the power to restructure the echo chamber. Begin to read current books, from all sides of the political spectrum. Talk often with people about politics, and when talking only ask questions. Go beyond the news of TV and newspapers find the independent source of news for you. Turn off NPR and Radio news. You must find that patriot within before you can stop the spin.

The Coming Class War

Ponder this for a moment*… 53% of all stocks in the market, are owned by just 1% of American households. Couple this with a 60% decline in net worth for the middle class due to mortgaging. Then add the fact that payment for overtime no longer exists. That’s right there is no such thing as overtime. Please refer to page 15, 576 of the Federal Register. You can work over 40 hrs but you will not be paid for it. That is a grand total of 2.7 million workers losing overtime. But they probably didn’t count on overtime in their budget. Overtime is a bonus anyway. FDR must have been a little tired in those first 100 days to enact such a measure. These figures begin to solidify and like cancer the haves and have mores increase there parasitic ways. For example, here is another bit of statistical information to make your blood boil; according to the World Bank the USA has more millionaires than ever: 7,400,000. And the total number of billionaires has jumped to 341. Lets Roll!!

This rot will end, however it could get a little bloody. I know that many are banking on the rapture so that rent for next month will not have to be paid but the fact still remains that America is becoming a mirror image of other more unsavory nations, such as Saudi Arabia and China. The discrepancy in wealth is on par with these two bastions of freedom and democracy. Monopolistic means of production and supply are global and wealth is concentrated within fewer and fewer circles. Within the next 10 years one of two things will happen, a catastrophic depression bringing everyone to their knees or armed resistance. I am taking marksmanship lessons now. Happy Hunting.

*The above stats have been incorporated from Greg Palast and official Federal documents.