One of our panelists on Holy CRAP! talks a lot about critical thought, and how critical thinking will set us free from the misguided oppression of religion, group think, and tribalism. That last word has been creeping up a lot lately in social media, and I think it’s really coming to a head now. More than ever, we’re seeing groups of people entrenching themselves and flying the flags of their ideals, the venn diagram that once united us all having less and less overlap as time goes on. Before long, I think we’ll see a time where two tribes exist that agree on 99 out of 100 things, and that 1 thing will be enough to divide them.
During the last show I was on, we talked about the latest scandal that’s ‘rocking the Catholic Church.’ Of course it’s dying down now, as it always does. I even said that by this time next year it will be forgotten and the Vatican will continue to suckle at the teat of the gullible who throw their money at them in exchange for the promise of salvation. Now, to any critically thinking person, what I just said there sounds ludicrous, right? I mean if you have a single functioning brain cell, you’d see the absurdity of such a transaction. If God is all-powerful, why would he need money? Further, if the Vatican is a conduit for God, then he must be all right with the sexual abuse of children, right?
But Joseph drove the point home during that show: we’re applying a critical thought filter to those who don’t or can’t think critically.
We’re already ‘woke,’ in a sense (no, not the SJW/left version of that word). We questioned our beliefs and came out on the other side as atheists, skeptics, and critical thinkers to a degree. We made the choice to deviate from the norm and that’s why we’re here now. It’s like any addiction; you can’t be force out of it because your first reaction to such an order is to defy it and retreat further into your addiction. I don’t have the stats in front of me, but I’m pretty sure interventions don’t do shit in real life, except make people regress further to escape the pain they feel at the pain they’re causing others. Sure, maybe some will be rocked into realizing what they’ve done and choose to start the road to recovery, but it has to be their choice.
Look at weight loss. One has to choose to not eat as much, or start going to the gym. No one can make you do it. Sure, your significant other may entice you with rewards of an intimate nature should you do so, but ultimately it is up to you to begin. Breaking any kind of addiction is hard, and when it comes to religion it’s even worse because everyone around you is still addicted. It’s like living in a crack house and being the only sober one there. You’re no longer part of your tribe and are left twisting in the wind. For someone who spent their entire life being a part of a group like that, terrifying is probably too light a word to describe it.
All we can do is show that there is a choice. You don’t have to follow a deity or human proxy for the divine. Chances are they’re just charlatans anyway. If there is a creator out there, I highly doubt any human-based religious sect can truly speak for it. In any case, we can post the sign on the road of life, but ultimately it is up to the person to choose to go down that road. It won’t be an easy road, and friends will become few and far between despite what you might hear about the atheist ‘community.’ I can’t even say that you’ll come out on the other side feeling better about yourself. Sure, you’ll be away from the influence and potential abuse on the part of the church, but will you truly be better off? Is your conviction of non-belief really worth it, especially if your family’s life has been fairly good up until now?
I’m not giving up on atheism or whatever small part I play in the activist world, but I’m understanding more and more each day that many of us aren’t ready to make that leap, and that’s why we see the absurdity of things in the world. We can criticize and mock all we want, but in the end our voices aren’t being heard. The firebrands among us hurl themselves at the defenses of religion hoping to crack it and let a bit of light in. But even if that succeeds, it’s up to you on the other side to step into that light and start your journey to freedom and reason.
Do you think you’re ready? Personally I don’t think so but please…prove me wrong. I’ll be waiting here for you to welcome you.