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So, if you can’t go to hell for doing bad, and you can’t get to heaven for doing good, then why choose good?
Maybe we should start out talking about humans and religion.
OK, but first tell me why people seem to be so different.
As we each mature, we develop some level of desire for pleasure and some level of knowledge of right and wrong. On one end of a spectrum of humans is a person who cares for nothing but their own pleasure, it seems as thought there is no consciousness about anyone else’s pain. On the other end of the spectrum there are persons who seem to be saints. These people sacrifice everything including their own comfort for the good of others. The rest of us seem to be somewhere in-between.
OK, I get you so far. There is a continuum with a normal distribution.
I didn’t say anything about a normal distribution. I would hope it was skewed toward the “good” side of the curve.
Boy are you an optimist.
I like to think of myself as a meliorist, one who believes that the world becomes better with time and humans can aid in its benefit.
OK, Mr. Meliorist, go on.
At one end are the most selfish of persons, at the other end are the most unselfish. Religion is invoked to deal with everyone in-between. There is a struggle within each of us between wanting to have everything for ourselves and knowing, just as deeply, that we must live with others. Living with others, means not indulging our every whim. At least for most of us who are not despots of small nations. And, even despots get assassinated once in a while.
You digress.
Sorry. Religion is invoked on at least two levels. The first level is the personal level. There is where true spirituality resides. At the essence of all religion, each person has their own religion. No two people believe the exact same thing, no matter how closely they study the same scriptures.
Sort of like the old joke if you have two religious scholars, you have at least three opinions on the meaning of the religion.
Exactly. The personal religion is what we are at our essence of being. It is not that some people are closer to that essence. We are all that essence. Some people recognize how close they are to that essence, the Source. Organized religion is quite different.
In what way?
Organized religion can be a way to try to band together to appreciate Source. There is great power in groups of humans coming together under one direction. Many people feel closer to Source in groups.
But not all humans feel this way?
No. Many persons prefer to feel close to source as individuals. They sometime will share this knowledge with others. Others will only take up their “practice,” their path, while alone.
So why to humans come together in groups?
On one hand, coming together in groups can bring out the good in people. Think about natural disasters. People will help each other like at no other times. Sometimes I think it would be best if we acted as if we were always “just after” a natural disaster. Then we would always be good to those around us. Then again that is just too exhausting for humans. They just can’t keep that up for long.
But, you are hinting that there are some things that are not so good about religion?
Of course. Think about how many humans have been killed in the name of GOD. The wars that have been, and still are, being fought over religious differences. Why?
Because Homo sapiens, humans, are a strange and dangerous species.
True enough. Gather a group of humans together, particularly male humans, and you can get a lot of destruction. Religions often become an outlet for the gathering and unleashing of power.
But why use religion for the unfurling of power?
This brings us back to the point of why be good. Some people are at that end of the spectrum where “being good” is who they are. Others need an outside force to make them behave well enough to live with others. One method is religion. To invoke a wrathful God, one that will do bad stuff to you, is a very powerful way to control behavior. Our system of laws perform a similar function.
Oh, I get it. Organized religion and government can have similar roles?
Yes. It was not until the Enlightenment that we split organized religion and government. One ruling the soul and heaven and hell, the other ruling our bodies and our physical environment.
So, what does this have to do with being good?
The natural evolution of our society and our personal selves is to do good. To cause no harm, to love everything.
Let me see if I get this straight. If you are selfish, you are not as evolved?
In essence, that is so. The highly evolved person can do no harm. And in fact must do helpful things for those around them. They are driven to do no harm, to do good.
What about all those people who aren’t driven to love everything? You said that is the majority of persons.
Well, that simple observation points to how primitive we are as a species. On the other hand, we can see progress when we look over the course of centuries.
Centuries?
Well, if you look over the past two hundred years you see wars and killing still going on. But, you also see the Geneva convention, the United Nations. Communication unprecedented. Our ability to communicate world wide is part of our evolution. The ability to band together to stop the “bad.” We are still very primitive, but we are evolving toward being able to contain those who would hurt others. Yes, we use awful methods. But we also are trying to protect the unprotected. Not easy answers to difficult questions. How much power should we wield against others, who we feel are doing wrong. How do you define wrong? How do you justify doing one wrong against another wrong? I certainly can’t get all the answers from Source. But I can feel the truth in where we are going.
I think you are just an optimist.
Maybe so. But, the truth is that I would rather be living today in many areas of the world than in any other time in history.
What about living in poverty in many areas of the world today, or being tortured in a prison?
I didn’t say I would be happy to live anywhere in the world, I said some areas of the world.
Like Madison, Wisconsin?
Kind of does seem like paradise sometimes, doesn’t it.
Remind me again. Why choose good?
Really it comes down to this. You choose good because you feel driven to do good?
And if you chose bad?
Then you have to live with the karma you create. If you have some level of conscience, you will feel guilt. If you break laws, you may get put in jail. I don’t believe in heaven or hell or reincarnation. So if you avoid all that those punishments here on earth and then die, then you “got away” with being bad. Too bad for anyone else that was harmed.
I think you are being cruel to take away peoples belief in the afterlife, a place for their eternal rewards.
If I really have done that, then I apologize. On the other hand, those that really believe will just ignore this stuff. I just hope everyone simply thinks more clearly, with their own mind and heart, what may be the truth. I most sincerely hope that people will get the message that to be truly happy, they must be doing good. Even if they are not doing good now they always have the choice to change to get back on the path to loving everything. Many of us fall off. The trick is to get back on and continue our travels.
On the other hand, you were just thinking, “the world is perfect as it is.”
Yes, but, that’s for the next chapter.
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