The Endless Benefits of Blind Faith
Posted by Josh | Filed under Ex Mormonism, Me
In a world lit by my tiny flashlight of reason, and the occasional insight Iâve gathered by the imbibing of various plant life, I have discovered what many residents of this world have known for a few centuries now, and perhaps knew [in some parts of the world] before the conquests of the great megalomaniacs, that we as humans know nothing of this universe in which we find our selves.
The Universe in many ways is merely the infinite vacuum of information, the void of endless nothing (modestly sprinkled with matter), the star-salted blackness left for us to observe in the wake of the Big Bang. Philosophers stare at it, scientists pry at it, and theologians and mystics apply human characteristics to it, while world powers and politicians pretend to ally with it, to in turn rule or enslave with it. The lack of knowledge is astounding, and it has been, for the history of the species, the ultimate playground.
The universal lack of Knowledge is so profound that even a manufactured idea, when skillfully applied can turn a mere dreamer into a powerful leader. In fact, these invented ideals, tend to be more power promoting than actual truth, or even valuable information. Power tends to come from, and be protected by maintaining a monopoly on ultimate knowledge. Rulers of old, and religions of now, have maintained control over their subjects by professing to know the will of God, and then, in turn, passing âHis willâ upon the masses they intend to rule. Having a monopoly on the opinion of God has remained a powerful means of influence even to this day. Though the majority behaviors are no longer dictated by leaders speaking on behalf of this God character, tithes and other donations continue to be collected in enormous quantities, and the world governments still profess to know whatâs best for their people.
New science seems to erase old science on an annual basis, each new PHD marks some thinkerâs attempt to expose another particle of truth. The seeming change of existing understanding however is merely the refining of extrapolated ideas or guesses.
We knew the sun would rise in the east, and set in the west, that was the first understanding of natural science, and the extrapolated interpretation of how it did so was that the sun traveled around the earth. We still know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but with new information we know that the earth rotates and the sun stays stationary relative to it. Effective scientific learning doesnât erase truth, it only refines our guesses, but the rate at which science lights our path is mournfully slow. It cannot yet compete with the speed of theologians. The majority of the worldâs population accepts some form of appallingly outdated mythical explanation for the hows and whys of the Universe, and many endeavor tirelessly to meet the demands of the Universeâs ruling class, the unnamed, or the Big G.
Until Science can catch up with Theology, we will continue to live beneath the popes and preachers, governments and policies, schools and teachers, ceaselessly operating under the notion that those above us know more than we do, when the greater truth is that we are all little more than blind. All the lines are yet imaginary and power remains relative and unevenly distributed.
If the majority of science would change itâs focus from the reverse-engineering of science fiction dreams, and return to the big questions, we may one day stop plugging into devices that merely preoccupy our minds with fictional entertainment, and instead travel the universe immortal, communing with other enlightened souls discovering instead of devouring through development.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
