If and Why

I am heart sick at the conflict, the war, the death on our planet carried out in the name of religious belief. Warring people who deeply believe in a god that sends them to do harm to others who do not believe the same way they do. Are we so petty that if you do not believe what I believe you must be evil? Why do we do this in the name of faith, any faith? It is, of course, faith as there is no scientific evidence of a God, of a heaven or a hell. Are our wars data driven, selfish driven, or faith driven? And if faith driven, what are we to ultimately believe?


If there is no God, what is blasphemy? Is it OK to point out to others that there is no God? Why are cartoons of prophets so sacred? If there is no after life, this is all we get, then why should we do what is right, what is moral, what is good? If we do it out of fear of punishment or pursuing reward are the behaviorists ultimately right? Is it the better man who does what is right because it is right, rather than out of fear?

If there is a heaven and a hell, where are they? Is there a supernatural plane that we cannot perceive? Is there a human spirit we cannot measure? Are there GPS coordinates for such places? Is there really a parallel universe where the spirits of “good” folks dwell forever in joy and without want, and another place where the spirits of evil folks are punished forever? Would an almighty God actually allow such a place to exist? Is he so petty that he cannot forgive the evil? Why does he allow evil?

Why are all the “holy” books written by men but treated as divine? Why not assume Shakespeare was inspired by God, or Huxley, or Hemmingway, or whomever? Why these passages and why so holy? Does God dictate narrative? If so, why not send each of us a memo?

Why do those who claim the deepest faith seem to have license to do the most harm? If God is on my side and I claim to love him, shall I now have free reign to persecute others? Why don’t the strongest zealots of each faith recognize that they have more in common with each other than differences as they experience the same intense belief? Why do they lead the charge against the infidels and each other? Why do they insist that their values, their beliefs become the law of the land?

If I do not go to the church picnic this afternoon am I going to hell? Why?

Just wondering.