A Christian tells me Jesus Christ is the only true son of God. And how he was a perfect man, whose path we must follow in order to reach the paradise of heaven in the afterlife; I listen and consider the possibility. A Muslim regales the doctrine of Allah, and how it alone carries ultimate truth; adding how Christianity is a false prophecy designed to suffice early Caucasian societies; I listen and consider the possibility. Buddhists shake their non-judgemental heads, as Hindus force a reminder how theirs is the eldest of all modern religions. Explaining heaven is based around the many reincarnations of Vishnu; I listen and consider the possibility.
A Hebrew stands together with his Torah carrying band of united brothers, awash in the ethos of Yahweh - angry at the false notion of Jesus, and humoured by the ridiculous fabrication of Mohammed; I still listen, but begin to suffer the agony of choice. The cynical atheist looks on in amusement, believing them all to be fools following an opiate of the unexplainable; I listen and consider. My ears have been preached to for a long stretch of time now, and after hearing every last idea - as is always in life, I draw my own conclusions. I create my own version of 'truth'.
Seven thousand years of religious evolution, and still the world splits itself into ethereal chapters determined to prove their belief system, is THE belief system; as if it is more important to prove others wrong, than to prove themselves right. The promotion of difference lingers deep within an animal which finds evermore unique rationalisations, in the conviction they both ride upon the true rulebook of absolution, while equally understanding so much more than anybody else; an issue of external control? Perhaps. Of internal protection? Most definitely. Self-explanation, creating more separation than connection; surely defeating the purpose of any religious etiquette, regardless of the origin?
Personally, I choose universalism; the idea that God - or the essence of God, lies in nothing more than the answers to all the questions we are far too primitive as a species to comprehend. This is however, my reality - my truth; and I am no more correct in believing this, than any religious covert who sees life as they do. In my view we can only understand how we can never truly understand why we are here; wandering around on planet Earth. Faith is a wonderful, almost vital element of survival. But in the end, we all exist within the same solar system, and either we have completely missed the marker in our ideas of the big question, or, we are all correct; omnipotent reality simply being whatever you choose it to be. In essence, the system of an Alltheist; the belief that the one genuine God, allows all religions to be true - therefore nobody is wrong; even the atheists.
So why argue over who wrote the right book, whose signature lies upon its dotted line, and whether it is written in a language understood by human interpretation, or divine inspiration; in all honesty, it doesn't really matter. The core of all religions and systems of human production, are to live a life of decency and moral virtue towards our fellow man - not to argue over who is right, who is wrong, and who is entering the pearly gates come judgement day. As Paul McCartney once sung "There will be an answer, let it be." Of course, no one has to agree with me on any of this - I wouldn't expect you to. Just make sure whatever you believe, makes people happier - it doesn't matter which religion you are in, in order to do this...
Lee.
