Look on any news reporting website, or Christian web page and you will find at least one story about the fight over the Ten Commandments. The headline might read something like this, “Atheists Suing God and His Commandments on Courthouse grounds” or “God’s Law-Constitutional or Illegal?” or “Christians Donate $50,000 Ten Commandments Statue to Public School.”
At any given time you can find two-dozen stories on the battle to keep the Ten Commandments in view of the public…front and center. What you will also likely find is the same explanation for why the Ten Commandments should be displayed-prominently: It is the basis of American Law.
If you think that on the face of it, it appears that placing a religious memorial on government property is unconstitutional- you would be right, and not alone. In fact, numerous cases for erecting new Ten Commandment statues have been shot down by our courts. But this has not stopped Christian groups from pushing the agenda forward, only this time, they say ‘these aren’t religious symbols, they are historical ones’. They argue that without a doubt, the Ten Commandments are the foundation for the United States legal system. Without them, our laws would look quite different.
There is no argument over the influence the Christian religion has had on this country’s development, but I had to pause and wonder if what Christians are claiming is really true. As an exercise of my own sanity, I want to revisit the Ten Commandments and see just how much influence they have on our current laws. Can we see traces of the Ten Commandments in our legal system today? I have to find out. So lets line the batters up, one by one, and see if there is a hit behind the pitch.
Commandment 1: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
According to most Christians, this is the most important commandment of them all. If you have other gods, they are quite clear on where you will be spending your eternity after death.
The interesting thing about this commandment is that it flies in the face of the first amendment of the US Constitution. There is no question that the god mentioned in this first commandment is Yahweh or (the Christian) God or Jesus. The first amendment gives us the freedom of religion and no one is thrown in jail for practicing the gods of other religions. Just ask Tom Cruise. Strike one.
Commandment 2: Thou shalt not make any graven images.
One only needs to step into a church to see this commandment being grossly disobeyed. The Christ on the crucifix is the most recognizable symbol in the world (just barely ahead of “the finger”-thank you England!). If this commandment was so important, why is it OK for Christians to trample all over it?
Never mind the Christians’ disregard for this important directive, this commandment directly contradicts our freedom of speech given to us in the 1st Amendment. If this commandment was foundational to our legal system, then it is as elusive as a ten-point buck during deer season. Strike two.
Commandment 3: Thou shalt not use the Lord’s name in vain.
See the first amendment, under freedom of speech. Not only is it contradictory to my rights as an American, but I know what you, me and any other red blooded American would say if you drop an open beer or accidentally hit your thumb with a hammer. Its like a goddamn tradition to yell it out when the opposing team scores a touchdown!…oops, it slipped. Strike 3.
Commandment 4: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Little to no explanation is needed for the egregious behavior of the American people on Sundays. Anyone who knows the bible knows this original commandment was followed by very specific details on what God meant when he said, “keep it holy”. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
Not only do we go to stadium packed football games, mow the lawn, clean our pools, walk the dogs, and watch America’s Funniest Home Videos on this holiest of days, we consume ridiculous amounts of beer after purchasing a case of Budweiser from the local store which is full of hard working employees-who ironically just want to go home, watch the football game and get drunk.
As for this commandment’s influence on our legal system, it’s quite obvious isn’t it? Strike 4.
Commandment 5: Honor thy mother and thy father.
This is an interesting one. At a glance, this sounds like good advice…if your mother and father are loving and caring people that is. It may have been important back in the day when respect in the community was of utmost importance to a family-where honor killings were part of the social justice scene. Not in America. If my father beats me, I am not going to respect him any more than I would respect a slave owner. Additionally, my father would be the one going to jail. This commandment is not only not practical, but like the others, has no trace in our legal system. Honor thy common sense. Strike 5.
Commandment 6: Thou shalt not kill.
Finally, we are getting somewhere. No question our laws are built around this premise, but is the law to ‘not kill’ original with the Jewish Ten Commandments?
It is generally understood that the Hebrew story of the exodus, if taken to be true, took place around 1490 BCE. The Egyptian Book of the Dead was written around 1800 BCE. The confessions that the Egyptian deceased would have to make to pass through to the next life resemble many of the Ten Commandments we are familiar with today, especially the one about killing. The confession is written, “I have not killed; I have not turned anyone over to a killer.” Surely, it was virtuous to avoid killing centuries before Moses trekked up the mountain to get the tablets, but it was Christopher Hitchens who said it best when he supposed that if the commandment to ‘Not Kill’ was original with the Mount Sinai episode, surely the human race would have never made it to Mount Sinai.
In addition to the historical roots of this command, we can also look at our own back yard to see how well we are adhering to this very important commandment. If you avoid places like Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Florida and 31 other states that have capital punishment on the books, you will see the broad sweeping affect this commandment has on our society and its laws.
Don’t get me started on bible-belt murder rates either. Strike 6.
Commandment 7: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
A society based on family development, prosperity, education and security would have this principle at its roots. However, a principle is not a law, and there is nothing even close to resembling a working law that this commandment has influenced. How this can pass as influential to the American legal system is beyond me, because we all know that adultery is an American virtue.
Good idea, but pointless in the legal system. Strike 7.
Commandment 8: Thou shalt not steal.
See Commandment 6.
I am not trying to weasel out of putting in my time with this commandment, but when a precedent has already been set, why waste a good reference. Strike 8.
Commandment 9: Thou shalt not bare false witness against thy neighbor.
The Book of the Dead again seems to have beaten the Hebrew commandments to the punch. “I have not uttered lies or curses,” it reads, short and sweet. This by no means weakens the importance of this commandment, but if we are going to erect symbols of legal influence in or around our courthouses or public schools, wouldn’t it be more accurate to build monuments that display the Code of Hammurabi or the Book of the Dead?
I won’t give this one a strike, but perhaps a foul ball in a full count.
Commandment 10: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s property.
The heading above is quite generous. The “property” being referred to in the bible is quite dated in its descriptions of things not to covet (i.e. house, land, man servants, maidservants, ox, donkeys). Despite the fact that coveting your neighbors stuff is the very foundation of the American way, and let’s be honest, the reason Christmas is the biggest shopping event in human tradition, the question remains…what influence has this commandment had on our legal system? In one word, none.
Strike 9 and a half.
These are the ten most important and influential commandments to our American Legal system according to Christian groups across the nation. We are told that the very foundations of our society were built on these ten significant and eternal rules, but where are these influences to be found in our laws? Clearly, a majority of these commandments have nothing to do with law at all and even go so far as to directly contradict what we accept as essential human rights under the U.S. constitution. There seems to be a stretching of the truth by proponents who wish to erect these “monuments to history”. But if truth and accuracy is what we are after, shouldn’t we be instead building steles with the code of Hammurabi inscribed on it? Or large rolls of papyrus with the inscriptions from the Egyptian Book of the Dead? In fact, why not just erect a statue of Superman and place him at the stairs of every school and courthouse? At least he echoes what our American legal system is all about. Truth, Justice, the American way! Yeah, I like that idea. Who could possibly lie in a courthouse that is adorned by a statue of a man who is incapable of lying himself? There is nothing more American than Superman. I am starting a petition today…Who’s with me?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Angel on Flight 837
The day started off the same way most of my Monday’s do; I woke early, packed my bags, packed my work material, drove to the airport, checked in, got through security and plopped myself in line at the gate along with all the other zombies. I had to be in a business meeting just shortly after landing in Spokane, so time was going to be short. My plan was to take the closest open seat available on the plane, jump out ahead of the pack, sprint to the rental car counter and blaze onto the open road.
I was stuck with a ‘C’ boarding pass, which if you’ve ever flown Southwest Airlines you know the ‘C’ stands for “Crunched between two people.” Almost assured to be a sardine for two hours I entered the craft quite skeptical of getting a decent seat. As I peeked around the corner I was pleasantly surprised to see an empty aisle seat in the third row. I asked the middle-aged woman sitting next to it if the seat was open. She replied that it was, but she warned me she had brought along her small terrier which occupied the floor by her feet. I’m not opposed to dogs, but I saw an empty aisle seat only three more rows back and decided I could use a little more peace and quiet.
I approached the empty seat and saw a small boy, maybe ten years old, at the window and a larger woman sitting in the middle. I asked if the seat was open. The heavy woman replied, “If you don’t mind sitting next to someone who is gravely afraid of flying, it is.” I smiled and sat down next to her.
As the plane climbed to its cruising altitude, I could see the difficulty the woman was having with the turbulence. I asked if she was flying to Spokane for business or pleasure.
“Home,” she said with a sincere smile. “I am finally going home.”As we chatted I discovered she had gone to California to see her older daughter. What was supposed to be a two week stay had turned into a month-long nightmare. The young boy next to her was her grandchild. He was flying back with her to see the rest of the family.
The conversation was pleasant. She talked about her work, I told her about mine. Then I began to notice as the conversation drew on she was finishing what seemed to be every sentence with “God willing”, “Praise Jesus” and “In Jesus’name.” I wasn’t turned off by this, but do you know how hard it is to casually work these into every sentence? At that moment I remembered I had placed my Portable Atheist book by Christopher Hitchens into the pocket just in front of me. I had been talking with this woman for so long I had forgotten I put it there. Of course I started to panic. Not a full-fledged panic, but a mild ‘I hope she doesn’t ask me if I believe in Jesus’ sort of panic. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, especially one who seemed to care quite deeply about her faith and one who was already in a fragile state.
“I prayed this morning that an angel would protect me and my grandson during the flight,” she told me quite nonchalantly. “I had the whole church praying to keep this plane in the air today. I thought maybe an angel would just help keep the plane on course, but God sent one to sit next to us.”
I couldn’t see myself blush, but I felt it. I usually do when I get complimented. I didn’t thank her, but rather insisted she had helped me pass the time too. We had both benefited from our casual banter.
“So, do you believe in Jesus?” she asked. My heart dropped into my lap. There it was; the ultimate question. I wasn’t surprised she asked, just taken off guard that it was so straightforward. Truth-be-told, I am not one to lie about my point of view and an honest question always deserves an honest answer I was once told. So I looked the woman in her sincere brown eyes and replied, “No mam, I don’t.” From outside the window, one would have thought an elephant had spontaneously appeared in the aisle, but the awkwardness of the situation was more than that. It was like I gave the round woman her birthday cake then smeared shit all over the top of it. Her shock was only momentary, then a drizzle of mild disgust took over. “Really?” she asked. “And why not?”
I never thought about formulating a thirty-second ‘elevator pitch’ about why I am an atheist. It’s always been a bit more complicated than that. But I said the first thing that came to mind. “I guess my mind doesn’t require a god to be happy,” I replied. Even as I said the words, it felt too simple an explanation. But after weeks of reflection and self-critiquing, I find it to be extremely accurate.
I couldn’t tell if she was insulted or just caught off guard. She glanced over at her grandson, who I had noticed was intently listening, but was now pretending not to be. She turned back to me and asked, “You know the stories in the Bible are true, right?”
As an atheist who typically knows more about the bible than those religious folk who preach to me, I could only smile. Not out of arrogance, but out of pity. This was the equivalent of the baby bouncy pitch in kick ball; predictable and easy to hit out of the park. I knew that this was going to open up a more confrontational discussion, but what the hell; we still had thirty minutes before we got to Washington.
“Which stories are you referring to?” I asked. “All of them,” she quipped. “You mean the ones like Sampson and Jonah?” She was already "all-in" on her faith, no need to wait for her response. I continued, “So a man possessed super human strength due to the length of his hair?”
The woman thought for a moment, then almost whispering her reply she said, “Yes.” I then asked about Jonah and the GREAT FISH (never call it a whale-they hate that) to which she confirmed was also literally true. I brought up other stories as well, Israel wrestling with God, how Adam and Eve had two boys and somehow married women who were not of their lineage, etc. The grandson seemed to be getting a kick out of the back and forth, almost like I was saying things he could only dream of saying himself.
In the end, I told the nice woman that I was still young and who knows, someday evidence may be discovered that favors her Christian God; swaying my world view to a more Christian perspective. But until then, my conversion will have to wait. She replied in kind words that I truly helped her relax during the flight and that meeting me was a ‘special event’. Again blushing, I thanked her.
We landed safely in Spokane and as the rows of business travelers and weary parents exited the plane, the woman had one last thing to tell me. “You are too nice to be an atheist. I think you are closer to being a Christian than you think.”
And there it was. She effectively dipped (what was in her mind) a compliment right into the gooey pot of bigotry and hatred and delivered it like a pro. And ‘this is where the problem lies’ I remember thinking. Right here, with this woman. She is the embodiment of all that is wrong with religion. It removes a person’s sensitivity to others, like a circumcision of the mind. I have lived long enough to know the woman meant well, but the censors in her brain did not allow her to hear or comprehend exactly what she was saying. I was “too nice to be an atheist”? What are atheists typically like? Are they killers, hoodlums, rabble-rousers, criminals of every sort? It is clear that an atheist is someone not to be trusted or at least considered to be far from civil or well-mannered.
Although I was happy to help someone forget their fears for a couple of hours, I came away with new fears of my own. Fear that a person’s affiliation to a religion will always outweigh their personality and good works. Fear that ignorance is more rampant among the faithful than I ever imagined. And fear for that little boy by the window; that someday he will meet a stranger who is too nice to be anything but a Christian and thus continuing the cycle.
Ignorance breeds fear; fear breeds hatred; and hatred breeds religions. A never-ending cycle that must be broken. I hope that little boy breaks out of the mold.
I was stuck with a ‘C’ boarding pass, which if you’ve ever flown Southwest Airlines you know the ‘C’ stands for “Crunched between two people.” Almost assured to be a sardine for two hours I entered the craft quite skeptical of getting a decent seat. As I peeked around the corner I was pleasantly surprised to see an empty aisle seat in the third row. I asked the middle-aged woman sitting next to it if the seat was open. She replied that it was, but she warned me she had brought along her small terrier which occupied the floor by her feet. I’m not opposed to dogs, but I saw an empty aisle seat only three more rows back and decided I could use a little more peace and quiet.
I approached the empty seat and saw a small boy, maybe ten years old, at the window and a larger woman sitting in the middle. I asked if the seat was open. The heavy woman replied, “If you don’t mind sitting next to someone who is gravely afraid of flying, it is.” I smiled and sat down next to her.
As the plane climbed to its cruising altitude, I could see the difficulty the woman was having with the turbulence. I asked if she was flying to Spokane for business or pleasure.
“Home,” she said with a sincere smile. “I am finally going home.”As we chatted I discovered she had gone to California to see her older daughter. What was supposed to be a two week stay had turned into a month-long nightmare. The young boy next to her was her grandchild. He was flying back with her to see the rest of the family.
The conversation was pleasant. She talked about her work, I told her about mine. Then I began to notice as the conversation drew on she was finishing what seemed to be every sentence with “God willing”, “Praise Jesus” and “In Jesus’name.” I wasn’t turned off by this, but do you know how hard it is to casually work these into every sentence? At that moment I remembered I had placed my Portable Atheist book by Christopher Hitchens into the pocket just in front of me. I had been talking with this woman for so long I had forgotten I put it there. Of course I started to panic. Not a full-fledged panic, but a mild ‘I hope she doesn’t ask me if I believe in Jesus’ sort of panic. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, especially one who seemed to care quite deeply about her faith and one who was already in a fragile state.
“I prayed this morning that an angel would protect me and my grandson during the flight,” she told me quite nonchalantly. “I had the whole church praying to keep this plane in the air today. I thought maybe an angel would just help keep the plane on course, but God sent one to sit next to us.”
I couldn’t see myself blush, but I felt it. I usually do when I get complimented. I didn’t thank her, but rather insisted she had helped me pass the time too. We had both benefited from our casual banter.
“So, do you believe in Jesus?” she asked. My heart dropped into my lap. There it was; the ultimate question. I wasn’t surprised she asked, just taken off guard that it was so straightforward. Truth-be-told, I am not one to lie about my point of view and an honest question always deserves an honest answer I was once told. So I looked the woman in her sincere brown eyes and replied, “No mam, I don’t.” From outside the window, one would have thought an elephant had spontaneously appeared in the aisle, but the awkwardness of the situation was more than that. It was like I gave the round woman her birthday cake then smeared shit all over the top of it. Her shock was only momentary, then a drizzle of mild disgust took over. “Really?” she asked. “And why not?”
I never thought about formulating a thirty-second ‘elevator pitch’ about why I am an atheist. It’s always been a bit more complicated than that. But I said the first thing that came to mind. “I guess my mind doesn’t require a god to be happy,” I replied. Even as I said the words, it felt too simple an explanation. But after weeks of reflection and self-critiquing, I find it to be extremely accurate.
I couldn’t tell if she was insulted or just caught off guard. She glanced over at her grandson, who I had noticed was intently listening, but was now pretending not to be. She turned back to me and asked, “You know the stories in the Bible are true, right?”
As an atheist who typically knows more about the bible than those religious folk who preach to me, I could only smile. Not out of arrogance, but out of pity. This was the equivalent of the baby bouncy pitch in kick ball; predictable and easy to hit out of the park. I knew that this was going to open up a more confrontational discussion, but what the hell; we still had thirty minutes before we got to Washington.
“Which stories are you referring to?” I asked. “All of them,” she quipped. “You mean the ones like Sampson and Jonah?” She was already "all-in" on her faith, no need to wait for her response. I continued, “So a man possessed super human strength due to the length of his hair?”
The woman thought for a moment, then almost whispering her reply she said, “Yes.” I then asked about Jonah and the GREAT FISH (never call it a whale-they hate that) to which she confirmed was also literally true. I brought up other stories as well, Israel wrestling with God, how Adam and Eve had two boys and somehow married women who were not of their lineage, etc. The grandson seemed to be getting a kick out of the back and forth, almost like I was saying things he could only dream of saying himself.
In the end, I told the nice woman that I was still young and who knows, someday evidence may be discovered that favors her Christian God; swaying my world view to a more Christian perspective. But until then, my conversion will have to wait. She replied in kind words that I truly helped her relax during the flight and that meeting me was a ‘special event’. Again blushing, I thanked her.
We landed safely in Spokane and as the rows of business travelers and weary parents exited the plane, the woman had one last thing to tell me. “You are too nice to be an atheist. I think you are closer to being a Christian than you think.”
And there it was. She effectively dipped (what was in her mind) a compliment right into the gooey pot of bigotry and hatred and delivered it like a pro. And ‘this is where the problem lies’ I remember thinking. Right here, with this woman. She is the embodiment of all that is wrong with religion. It removes a person’s sensitivity to others, like a circumcision of the mind. I have lived long enough to know the woman meant well, but the censors in her brain did not allow her to hear or comprehend exactly what she was saying. I was “too nice to be an atheist”? What are atheists typically like? Are they killers, hoodlums, rabble-rousers, criminals of every sort? It is clear that an atheist is someone not to be trusted or at least considered to be far from civil or well-mannered.
Although I was happy to help someone forget their fears for a couple of hours, I came away with new fears of my own. Fear that a person’s affiliation to a religion will always outweigh their personality and good works. Fear that ignorance is more rampant among the faithful than I ever imagined. And fear for that little boy by the window; that someday he will meet a stranger who is too nice to be anything but a Christian and thus continuing the cycle.
Ignorance breeds fear; fear breeds hatred; and hatred breeds religions. A never-ending cycle that must be broken. I hope that little boy breaks out of the mold.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Starry Night- by Chad Tomasso
Like most, as I look up at the sky I see an endless universe of wonder and beauty. I gaze upon the millions of brilliant stars burning at unimaginable temperatures, the twinkling planets- millions of miles away- reflecting light from the very sun we orbit, and streaking meteorites-emblazoned with fire as they burn up in the atmosphere. Oh, how our ancestors must have marveled at the site! Of course, they would have seen things quite differently than me. They might have seen long lost relatives who had passed into the next world, or the eyes of a thousand beasts roaming the deep black pastures of the afterlife, or the twinkling of angels dancing in the firmament. The mystery of it surely had provided endless stories of the heavens and explanations of the cosmos- all wrapped in the context of whatever culture they were describing it in.
Gods were created from such stories; thousands of gods in fact. Why, who else could inhabit the great beyond and the unreachable sky but gods? Sometimes these gods fought for supremacy on a cosmic level. Some destroyed worlds while others created them. Other gods battled just to bring the sun up every morning and others to take it down at night. But after a while the stories became too complicated and far too cumbersome to remember. Though people had an explanation for things, and that was very important, the explanations seemed to change from year to year, ruler to ruler, king to king. Eventually, I suspect, it all became a bit comical and just downright confusing.
Then the people decided that one god was enough, to paraphrase centuries of theological evolution. One god could handle it all. This idea had never been tried before, but why not? People could really sink their teeth into a being that was all-powerful and who controlled everything! This made people feel strangely comforted and strangely happy. Sure the unknown was still out therel, but at least this god had it all under control.
Then the unknown started to lose territory. Its borders got smaller, its darkness a bit brighter. The holes were being filled in and people’s eyes were beginning to truly see. What was a god to do, retreat? In a sense, I feel guilty for knowing far more about the world than my great ancestors did. The wealth of knowledge I posses now is embarrassing in comparison. I also feel pity for them. They never knew how wonderful the real heavens were…how vast and beautiful, how violent and cold, and how far grander it is than the one they came to know.
I wonder about the stars and what they see when they look at us. Do they laugh when they hear us call them angels? Do they giggle when we refer to them as dead relatives, or pin pricks in Heaven’s dark blanket? No that’s silly, stars don’t think or laugh or giggle. What about aliens then? Do they look at us and immediately know we worship gods? Do they see a species that depends greatly on the judgment of an omniscient being? When they see every country poised with armies ready to defend themselves against one another, do they see a life form who truly thinks it will be protected by a celestial being? I suspect not. American evangelicals often say that god is on their country’s side. That America is doing the Lord’s work. Why does the lord need so many guns and missiles? Can’t an all powerful being protect its own righteous country? What would happen if America destroyed all its weapons, and told its enemies that God was now protecting them? That’s a silly idea too. We all know what would happen.
No. Aliens see what everyone else sees, a world behaving exactly as it should if there was no god. It sees a species constantly looking out for itself; defending its resources and its sovereignty from other would-be takers. This is what a species does when they know they can’t rely on anyone but themselves.
The stories of the cosmos will always be around, but maybe-just maybe- they’ll gradually change. Perhaps they will talk about common perspective, or our innate human desire to come together when we share a common bond; or our collective desire to know…not just stories, but the truth of things. How grand of a story that would be! In the meantime, the stars will continue to bat their bright eyes, planets will continue to roam the deep and meteorites will consistently streak over the dark horizon. And the aliens, well, they’ll probably just wait until we’ve finally grown up.
Gods were created from such stories; thousands of gods in fact. Why, who else could inhabit the great beyond and the unreachable sky but gods? Sometimes these gods fought for supremacy on a cosmic level. Some destroyed worlds while others created them. Other gods battled just to bring the sun up every morning and others to take it down at night. But after a while the stories became too complicated and far too cumbersome to remember. Though people had an explanation for things, and that was very important, the explanations seemed to change from year to year, ruler to ruler, king to king. Eventually, I suspect, it all became a bit comical and just downright confusing.
Then the people decided that one god was enough, to paraphrase centuries of theological evolution. One god could handle it all. This idea had never been tried before, but why not? People could really sink their teeth into a being that was all-powerful and who controlled everything! This made people feel strangely comforted and strangely happy. Sure the unknown was still out therel, but at least this god had it all under control.
Then the unknown started to lose territory. Its borders got smaller, its darkness a bit brighter. The holes were being filled in and people’s eyes were beginning to truly see. What was a god to do, retreat? In a sense, I feel guilty for knowing far more about the world than my great ancestors did. The wealth of knowledge I posses now is embarrassing in comparison. I also feel pity for them. They never knew how wonderful the real heavens were…how vast and beautiful, how violent and cold, and how far grander it is than the one they came to know.
I wonder about the stars and what they see when they look at us. Do they laugh when they hear us call them angels? Do they giggle when we refer to them as dead relatives, or pin pricks in Heaven’s dark blanket? No that’s silly, stars don’t think or laugh or giggle. What about aliens then? Do they look at us and immediately know we worship gods? Do they see a species that depends greatly on the judgment of an omniscient being? When they see every country poised with armies ready to defend themselves against one another, do they see a life form who truly thinks it will be protected by a celestial being? I suspect not. American evangelicals often say that god is on their country’s side. That America is doing the Lord’s work. Why does the lord need so many guns and missiles? Can’t an all powerful being protect its own righteous country? What would happen if America destroyed all its weapons, and told its enemies that God was now protecting them? That’s a silly idea too. We all know what would happen.
No. Aliens see what everyone else sees, a world behaving exactly as it should if there was no god. It sees a species constantly looking out for itself; defending its resources and its sovereignty from other would-be takers. This is what a species does when they know they can’t rely on anyone but themselves.
The stories of the cosmos will always be around, but maybe-just maybe- they’ll gradually change. Perhaps they will talk about common perspective, or our innate human desire to come together when we share a common bond; or our collective desire to know…not just stories, but the truth of things. How grand of a story that would be! In the meantime, the stars will continue to bat their bright eyes, planets will continue to roam the deep and meteorites will consistently streak over the dark horizon. And the aliens, well, they’ll probably just wait until we’ve finally grown up.
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