Who Is Your Puppet Master?

Recently I have read a discussion that bounced back and forth about whether or not God was all powerful or powerless in this world of ours. Interesting banter to be certain, but I found it tedious and wholly traveling down a tired road.

In the end they were both arguing about what degree of power God may have. It always interests me to see people try to explain that they believe in a God on one hand, then try to explain why God has seemed to essentially backed away from humanity and left them to fend for themselves.

Could it be that there is no God? That the reason he does not intervene in the current problems of mankind, like he supposedly did in biblical times, is that he is not real but the invention of men during a time in our society where we were scared of the sun going out, or of all other manner of supernatural things?

God does not look the other way when a hurricane decimates continents, it's not a test of your faith when a loved one is raped, murdered, or dies a horrible death due to an illness. The plain fact is that he does not exist.

Even today people cling to the hope that there is something more to this world then our own mortality. They are still frightened creatures wondering what will happen to them when they pass on from this world. Surely something more is waiting for them, something glorious and wonderful to look forward to.

Heck, you have people blowing themselves up and killing hundreds and thousands of others because they believe they will be rewarded when they do this. How can you argue about the existence of your God, then condemn these people for blowing themselves up in the name of their faith as well?

What's the difference? Oh, it must be because you're belief in an all-powerful God is the correct one, and they are just whacked. What do you tell the Mormons about their beliefs and what they think will happen when they die? Are they wrong too because your belief system differs?

I think that the time for the belief in deities created out of the imagination of man is coming to an end. Perhaps judgment day is when reality hits and people learn to cope with their own mortality without using the crutch of religion. Maybe Armageddon is not the physical destruction of the Earth, but the destruction of religion as we know it today.

I can relate to the Wiccan Rede because it is simple and to the point. “An it harm none do what ye will.” Why cloud the issues with a huge book of mumbo-jumbo when the K.I.S.S. concept will do much better. Point blank, do what you'd like, just don't hurt anyone else in the process.

The Bible is an interesting book to study in the sense that it is a written tome of knowledge on how people thought back then, and what some of their beliefs were. Taken literally as the only path to follow, and that it was written by some all-knowing deity, is a huge mistake. I could write volumes on how the Bible is not truly followed by Christians today. If it were, they would be no better the the fanatical Moslem's that we're currently having to deal with.

Christians go to church faithfully singing praises to a God they know little about, reading in a book they follow very little of, and look down at others who dare to question what they believe in. Many of these people do these things because that is what their parents said they should be doing. Oh yes, and if they don't they are going to Hell.

Personally I think the world would be better off if everyone followed the Wiccan Rede. It pretty much covers everything you need, and does so eloquently.

That all being said, I like the Christian religion. I take comfort in knowing that people get together to help each other through the difficult times, teach morality, and sing songs to help lift each others spirits up and provide hope for the weaker ones in our society.

After all, as I have brought up numerous times in these writings, human beings seem to require a gang of some sort to have a feeling that they belong. It does not matter if it's a church, a traditional “gang”, a sports team, or the military. People just have a desire to be a part of something bigger then themselves.

Your belief in God follows the Wiccan Rede as long as you follow the modern path of Christianity. That is why I don't mind at all if I'm surrounded by Christians, or married to a Southern Baptist. Our two belief systems our compatible in my view. We can coexist without too many issues getting in the way.

Does this mean I'm Wiccan? Nope, I just think the Wiccan Rede makes the most sense compared to most things I have studied so far. The rest of their beliefs I don't think I can really embrace for the same reasons I am no longer a Christian. They suffer from the same delusions as Christians do, which is that of making up deities to explain various things and to give them the feeling of power and support and strength.

I think some of the strongest people are those that have the courage to stand up against all the gangs and say, “No, I'm not following you.” That is why I will not follow what you do, and I don't expect anyone to follow me. I have made up my own mind, drawn my own conclusions, based on what I have studied and learned over the years. If you are still reading this, then you should too.

Do not live your life the way you have been told to live. Do not blindly follow things you know little about. Do not make decisions based on the desire of a gang. Stand up tall, reach into your own feelings and do what you really want to do. Believe how you really want to believe, and when you do, learn all you can about the path you have chosen.

Only through an open mind, and a lot of knowledge, can you truly feel like you are in control of your own life and not merely a puppet dancing to the whim of someone manipulating your strings.