At first I was sort of pleased with the increase in declared
atheism. I told my son:
-I just don’t want to hear about flying saucers.
I suspected that most atheists had some sort of belief; we
just hadn’t added the conspiracy or UFO check boxes yet. But now I’m getting irked. I had blamed
Benjamin Franklin. Once lightning was explained, God didn’t seem as necessary.
But there seems to be a general failure to declare, not just religion, but
anything else. Is other going to become its own gang? Caucasian is a racist
term, predicated on the belief that we all came from some group in the Caucasus
that was considered attractive. Colors
seem to be acceptable for black and white, but the brown, yellow and red people
don’t approve. Now we need ten check boxes for sex:
-Sex?
-Yes
I can see why people resist classification. I’m worried that
we will lose culture.
Christine recently dragged me to church and they had a
reading from Jonah. I don’t know of any other story where the prophets get into
it and kvetch about their lot:
-God chooses you. You, quite sensibly, try to get out of it.
After he slaps you around, you do what you are told. You tell the people of Nineveh that they must
repent or be destroyed. They repent. God changes up and you look a fool.
This may be the most
terrifying bible story:
-I hope you don’t listen to me. I wish that you keep your
sinful ways. I want to see that.
Scientists are our modern day prophets. How sorely they are
tempted. If they will only depart from the path of truth all worldly riches are
open to them. Just think of the grants, the Fox interviews, the approbation and
acclaim. Admittedly they will lose the respect of other scientists. Will that
respect pay their flood insurance? I can see why sometimes they mumble, fail to
state the obvious unequivocally, and leaven their jeremiads. What if we listen?
What if we come to our senses and stop poisoning ourselves? There the true
prophets will be, high and dry, simmering in bitterness, with no earthly
reward. These are supposed to be
materialists. Their only possible
satisfaction is to at least be able to say, if only one last time:
-I told you so.
Be very scared when the scientists turn over. When they
realize that we are lost and they may as well grab the money.
You will notice that several towns and peoples are destroyed
in the Bible. This reminds me of the Midwestern effect. In the Midwest it is possible to walk out to
the crossroads. There are no mountains, trees or buildings. It is flat. You stand as a nub in the cosmos,
totally alone.
