Democratic Conversation

In a thinking environment, Pat Robertson is an easy target. The host of The 700 Club, twice US presidential-primary candidate (1988 & 1992), and friend to one too many American presidents has again entered the news cycle. Robertson’s yearly prognostications list “mass killing” in America from a terrorist attack, and that America is feigning friendship with Israel to move that country toward “mass suicide.” Now if Robertson gave his predictions as considered reasoning given the state of affairs across the world and in the USA, with pieces of evidence to back them up, then we could all easily say “He may have a point!” Given George W. Bush’s blatant ignorance for America’s homeland safety while he empties the country’s coffers for his illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, while simultaneously fomenting scores of terrorists heaven-bent on striking back at the USA, I’ve no doubt there could be a terrorist attack sometime this year. Why not? Al Qaeda is patient, smart, organized, and ruthless: the perfect combination to strike when it sees fit, when the fat USA is sleepy with SUVs, Sunday sports programs, and 2-for-1 bags of potato chips. Likewise, I could also see how, in some people’s eyes, America is simply acting as friend to Israel so that it too pisses off its Arab and Muslim neighbors to such an extent that they once again attack Israel in all-out battle.

But Pat Robertson did not come to his prognostications through study. He got them from “God.” Robertson said that the Lord spoke to him during a recent prayer retreat. God was not specific about the terrorist attack—“the Lord didn’t say nuclear” Robertson is quoted by the AP report, “but I do believe it will be something like that.” The true sadness of this revelation is that many people in America and around the Christian world will believe Robertson. Delusion is not the correct word for Pat Robertson. He’s merely a snake oil salesman who has amassed a faux-religious empire to prey on the fears of America’s sorry masses who have bought into religions fables. Delusion is the very correct word for anyone who believes Pat Robertson. And there must be many people who do believe Robertson. There’s that cynical empire he owns, complete with fancy cars, television studios and production companies, and silk suits….oh, and lots of lawyers to protect Pat and his buddies. Robertson could never afford these luxuries without having fooled people into digging deep into their pockets to help him do the Lord’s work.

There is a delusional quality, and context, to religious belief (and worse, belief in someone like Pat Robertson) from people who otherwise run successful businesses, drive cars, own homes and pay their bills, raise families — essentially, do all the practical things in life that thinking humans must do to get on with it. And yet they believe in virgin births, spirits, that Jesus rose from the dead, angels look over us; that God has a covenant with a chose people; that Allah offers 70-something virgins to a suicide bomber. Take what you will from this list and leave the others, but they are all delusions, passed down from people thousands of years ago—ignorant people, fearful people, powerful and usurious people, people looking for a way to explain their presence, existence, and reasons for life, pain, and death in the world.

Today we know the reasons for our existence through scientific study. We also know the causes of pain, torture, death, and life in the world: it’s called being human.

In the West, people see religion today as basically benevolent, harmless, and a nice way to project and protect societal norms of comportment. (Of course it is not, and wields political and civic power to control all those who don’t want to live in their prescriptive world). Perhaps, however, people have forgotten, or were never taught, or simply didn’t bother to learn through self-education, Christianity’s history of violence, its stranglehold on society for nearly 2,000 years, its ability to accuse, torture out a confession, send for trial, and execute by burning or some other sadistic act. All of this, of course, was to save the convicted’s soul — and preserve the Church’s power and preeminence. It took several hundred years of political and civic enlightenment to successfully neuter the Church’s control over everyday life. The Jews had done likewise a thousand or so years before Christianity. Of course, its people had lots more years to figure out some wrongs in its religious dogma. And today, we see the same sorts of violence coming from many Islamic quarters: honor killings of its women, beating its men for shaving their beards—all those things we Westerners see as odd and sadistic, but are seeded in our own religion’s dogmatic, bloody past. Some people claim Islamic repression is more a cultural thing than the religion. But, again, look at all religions’ history of violence. Islam is the last of the monotheistic sects to gain mass appeal, and its believers, adherents, and zealots likely need another few hundred years to temper the dogma into a malleable shape and mainstream it for the shopping malls.

There is another option, however. For all of us. How about setting religion aside once and for all? Its purpose no longer holds validity. There is no proof of a god’s existence, and there never was one. We know today what the Earth is like, how it was formed, the more-or-less origins of the cosmos, why we are here, and where we are all going: a slow walk toward death. To continue believing in fantastical ghosts, prophets, gods, hell and heaven, afterlife, and all the dogma that suppresses the mind and ruins a life lived, is greatly delusional. Do you really believe in God? Why? Because you “feel” him? Because you were raised to believe? Because you are scared of death? Because you need a safety net to get through daily life? Or maybe you just feel good believing something is waiting for you beyond the veil.

Perhaps I am promoting atheism, you think. Well, perhaps I am, but take a moment to look at the practical side of living without some false notion of a god, and more importantly, without religion. Without the stress of worthiness that begets guilt just from being alive, you will gain a more positive outlook on your existence in this world, and so learn how to enjoy life and not punish yourself for living. You immediately have a greater tolerance for one another, as religion is best known for separating people based on “known” beliefs of being better than others who don’t believe as you (such arrogance can only set one up for a fall). And maybe the best gain, a firmer grasp on what it means, and thus what it takes, to be happy. Likewise, you will experience less arguments about who’s way of living or thought is right. Less violence towards women. Less violence in the world all around.

Delusion is difficult to overcome. One’s delusions are sanctuaries against the oppression of life. Help is needed, often, to overcome delusions. But overcoming delusions requires trust…not only in yourself—and the most important kind of trust—but in others and other areas of thought that expand one’s narrow view and mindset. Art and literature are good points of departure. So is conversation. Leaving religion and the notion of god is not a matter of doubting. It is a matter of trusting yourself within the sea of belief.