ARCHIVES - 1996 to FOREVER

I spent it in my dungeon, as usual. First the one at work, where the windows are a two-minute walk (but I can still walk!) and the latter part in my studio in the basement.

And I read something tonight that moved me, and I would like to reproduce it here.... from New10, on a list-serv with me....

My day was OK... got to work early, and clocked in early to help with an ICU patient.

I was in the scan room today, and I got to stick three people who told me that they didn't even feel the needle going in. Man, i just love that.

I could use summa dat every day... but it don't work that way.

Bob Dylan said it... (OK, he heard it somewhere...) Some days are diamonds, some days are stones....

One of them asked me if I do this all day. I had to tell her that no, I didn't, but I would love to... but that we rotated four positions.

99% of my patients are wonderful people.

Well, OK, 90%.

But who's counting?

OK, the religion rant:

Religion By New10. What was it like to have been a man 2,000 years ago or 5,000 or 10,000 years ago? Man had exactly the same brain as he does now-he could be logical, he could reason. What was missing that resulted in man's creation of gods, supernaturalism and religion? Quite obviously it was knowledge. There was no knowledge of science-no inkling of the way his body worked-no idea of biological evolution-no knowledge of the structure of the universe. ` His creation of the supernatural was inevitable due to his wonderful brain-his powers of reason and logic. Had we lived at that time we would have done the same-any one with any "sense" would have. He saw his fellow man die and reasoned that the "life" went out of him. His body appeared the same, only 'life" was missing. He may have dreamed of his dead brother and reasoned that it was his ghost, a spirit of his brother. Already he has a good start on creating a supernatural world. Perhaps he witnessed a fellow man killed by a bolt of lightening which he already feared as an angry god. Wouldn't this god be appeased by gifts-sacrificial gifts? His fellow man whom he feared could be so appeased! When the time came for him to wonder about the origin of man he would logically reason that there must have been a first man. Where did he come from? Of course, a great god in the sky made him. Out of what? Logically out of dust, of course. From here folklore created the Garden of Eden and on up to the marvelous myth of the Fall and redemption-the virgin birth of Christ, the sacrifice on the cross, the ascension into heaven and to the present time when millions are awaiting-in vain after 2,000 years the second coming. This gigantic error of man's creation-the creation of a deity-the supernatural-is a vivid example of the false conclusions of a philosophy based on reason alone-on common sense and everyday experience alone. The vivid lesson of the twentieth century is that philosophy must be based on science-that science is the trail-blazer for philosophy. Indeed, Scientific Philosophy is a science. What are we to think of the great influence religion has on the masses of people in light of modern-day knowledge? It is understandable that the uneducated and the under-educated could easily be influenced and led to believe in, for example, Christian religious folklore. It is not as easy, however, to understand how educated, even highly educated people including priests and some Christian ministers can seriously belief in Christian doctrine. Obviously it is these who continue the propagation of religious beliefs. Without them in the "sheep," the masses, I believe, would in time abandon religion and look for inspiration to the world's geniuses-those in the past and present who are responsible for the great advancement of knowledge and technology-those who build societies characterized by a high level of intellectual, social and cultural development. They would look to those who create art and science-who are working for the welfare of man in one world without war and divisiveness. I believe the religious leaders who continue to propagate religious doctrine are mostly sincere but have a psychological "disease" whereby they are programmed irreversibly to believe as they do and can mentally compartmentalize this belief in a manner which does not, in their minds, conflict with their high educational accomplishments. We have to be patient and realize that man is still evolving intellectually and the wheels of evolution turn slowly. Just as we see war, racism and nationalism dividing people we must realize that religion is another divisive factor as its long history has taught us. When racism, nationalism and religion die out our Golden Age will begin. We can be reasonably sure that in a few thousand years, if not sooner, this will come to pass.

March Index
Main Index
last
next
today
e-mail me