The Backhand of God

So, I woke up this morning to find that Japan has just received a smiting.

What's that you say?  God didn't do this?  Okay, but he did give Aids to gay people, right?

No?  That's not right either?

Well, maybe not today, but at one time, there were a lot of people that thought just that.

We believe strange things and we do so for strange reasons.  I think the strangest thing of all is that even when we don't believe, we still stand up and profess our convictions lest other find out our dirty little secret - that we, and we alone, know that the King has no clothes.

I remember as a young boy of maybe 7 or 8, I would go to Sunday school and think, "You have go to be kidding me."  They'd teach us that God gave us free will and then would smite us if we used it in ways that were not on God's list of "pre-approved" behaviors.  I'd then go into church and sing the hymns and feel all warm inside, forgetting my earlier doubts.

Most of us have read 1984.  I recommend that everyone go back and read through page 16.  Get through the part about the 2 minutes of hate.  Yes, even Orwell knew that we were all disbelievers and yet, the crowd could carry us away in a second.

What am I getting at?

Basically, I think all religion is made up.

Gasp.......

I believe in a Higher Power but when it comes to someone saying, "This is what God or Allah wants you to do." I am absolutely certain they are making it up, often to promote their own position.  Take a look at the "bling" being worn by preachers on TV.

And its not just religion.  Watch Fox news and tell me you don't believe.  While I can't mention the "unmentionable ones," I will tell you there are plenty of people that can say just about anything and we will believe them.  How could they say it if it weren't true?

I'll tell you why.

People lie.

Some do it compulsively.  Some do it because it gives higher ratings.  Some do it because it gives them power and religions do it to instill fear; the backdoor to power.

I think all religions should be treated as businesses.  They should have to put labels on their products.  For example:  The following parts of the Bible are made up.  (Gasp....he'll burn in hell for that one...)

For Muslims, they should be made to tell who is being converted into a terrorist. (Another Gasp...how dare he confront us with the fact that nearly all terrorists are Muslims).

I know many believe the bible is 100% fact.  Good for you.  I wish I had your faith.

As for the Muslim issue, no one doubts that there are factions that cast dirt into an otherwise clean pool of believers.  The part that I don't get is why the leaders of the faith don't come out against terrorism.  They don't need to come out against it...but I think at the very least, they should explain why they don't come out against it.

It comes back to belief.  Terrorists find those with soft minds and tell them what to believe.  In the absence of an alternative voice, the gullible ones have no choice but to believe.

Don't believe me when I describe how easily we can be manipulated...talk to someone that watches Fox news and then tell me you don't understand.

By the way, to make sure this isn't seen as an anti-Muslim rant, I feel compelled to point out the Catholic church promoted pedophilia by staying silent on the subject.

To me, most religions make me feel like I need to wash my hands. I wonder how many people have died in the name of religion.  How does that stack up against the number of people that die from smoking?

Now that all of you are certain I will burn in hell, here is what I do believe in:

There is a higher power and I call him/her/it God.  I don't know why I am so certain of this but I am.

My higher power cares for me, listens to me and guides me.

My higher power does not care if I cheat on my taxes or don't got to church on Sundays.

My higher power experiences my life with me and through me...and that is enough.

If I were to start my own religion, I would hang the following sign on the door:  Leave your fears outside.  Come in and be thankful, not to God, but to life.  No donations accepted.

Now, a moment of silence for Japan...

Up, up and away...

Jim

View From Afar

I'm nowhere near the United States as I write this.  There is hero work to be done everywhere.

As a result, I have been out of touch with the political scene back home.  Not surprisingly, no one in Europe really cares about our details.  They like Obama and as long as he is in charge, they feel like the Americans will behave in a more civilized and rational manner.  I've been here when Bush was on the mound.  When he was in charge, the world saw us a bully.

On to China.

Europe is currently at war with this Asia behemoth.  The Chinese are invading economically and its much more frightening that if they had tanks.  They are using their typical practice of providing poor quality at such a low price that no one can resist.  The scariest part is that they are taking over the telecommunication industry.  This is a country that routinely monitors the internet habits of its own citizens.  They shut down cell coverage areas when protests start up and blame "temporary" problems with equipment.

Here is an example.  The "Jasmine" uprising is a what is being called the latest attempt of the people of China to protest against their government.  Several marches were planned with the intent of meeting at a certain point in a large city.  As the marchers approached from all directions, they found the streets "conveniently" blocked off for maintenance.

Cisco recently proved China had pirated some of their software.  The Chinese government strongly denied the allegation until Cisco showed hidden code embedded in the software that showed the birth date of a Cisco developer's wife.  Seems China had a hard time explaining that.

If you buy something made by China; if you use a service provided by China, you are funding the overthrow of the free market and democracy everywhere.

Remember, you heard it here first.

Microsoft continues to implode.  After the failure of the latest Office Suites, they now have a phone that no one wants to sell.  The Windows based Phone7 has been rejected by all of the major service providers.  By the way, Apple will soon follow for the same reason: protectionism.  Google makes stuff just as good or better and gives it away from free.  Apply makes great products but when Jobs goes, the company is history.

Products that I am waiting to replace: GoDaddy and Norton Antivirus.  Both of these companies provide the best service in their field, but they are not overly impressive.  I've had run-ins with both over the last week and it feels like I am their very first customer and they are still trying to figure out how to provide the service they are selling.

The Sand Countries continue to revolt.   I think it's great.

I watched as a Libyan man mourns the loss of a loved one.  Men around him tried to offer comfort.  When I saw this, something very important struck me...they are just like everyone else.

They are like you and me.

They want families and love and play and freedom.

So many in the States will tell you to be afraid of everyone that doesn't live across the street from you.  How many opportunities  have passed us by as we cling to fear of others rather than embrace them as members of humanity.

Maddoff has been speaking out from his Life in Prison soapbox.  The latest is that he called the entire government a Ponzi scheme.  He is referring to government in general.  The more I think about it, the more I think he may be on to something.

Sooner or later, I will have to return home.  It's hard to save a world overseas when my outfit has no place to hold my passport.

Up, up and away...

Jim