No Gods, No Masters!
13 03 09 - 10:05 Some seven million years ago, a distant relative of the Chimpanzee named australopothecus ramidus stood up,and began its descendants on the journey that would culminate in our modern day. The descendants of this
hominoid eventually found need to explain to one another how the world worked, and so was religion born.
It started off simply enough--- spirits, demons, sorcerers, magic, etc. As time went on, superstitions became
more and more codified and traditional, regimented by rules and standards passed from holy man to holy man.
These superstitions, often based upon or containing useful information such as the migration patterns of game
animals, were held in high regard and those who knew them were afforded certain privelidges in order to preserve
that knowledge. As time went on, these superstitions often became the justification and basis for ethical systems.
More than explaining why the rains came, more than explaining why herb X cures ailment Y, peoples began to
expect their shaman to explain why bad things happened to good people, what is right and what is wrong, what
happens when we die, and so on and so on. Thus was God invented, to answer the legion of questions that
curious human beings had come up with, long before science could show them the true answers.
One might be inclined to say that based upon this utility, the fallacy of Gods might be justified; for after all,
what harm can there be in convincing a man of the fundamental good of humanity? Surely, the charitable works
of religions excuse them from the wrong inherent in their character. However, fallacy is, in this case,
the appropriate term.
A brief word on logic: an argument is traditionally divided three ways. First, there is the premise, which is the
assumption or idea which is being tested. Then you have the support, which is the evidence which positively
or negatively indicates the validity of the premise; then you have the conclusion, or deduction, which is what
was learned about the premise through investigation. When one follows through on false premises with the
intention, tacit or otherwise, of proving them true, it is then called a fallacy.
Whenever one considers religions, it is very important to remember that virtually all conclusions derived from
religious thought are fallacious. They are based on the false premise that there is a God. Religious organizations,
whether they venerate Jesus or Muhammed, Rama or Bhudda, Thor or Zeus, are dependant upon the assumption
that such entities exist. They do not.
Let us be clear: The reality is that there is no God, of any type.
There never has been a god, there never will be a god.
Some defend religion based on ethical grounds; that religion instills in men a sort of ethical framework,
even in men who might not characteristically seek to act ethically. Bearing this presumption in mind,
please consider the following quote from Aristotle: "I have gained this by philosophy: That I do without
being commanded that which others only do from fear of the law."
Following, let us have a brief example of the ethical implications of religion.
An atheist and a muslim walk into a neutral charity. Let's say that both men are equally good and generous
and kind. The Muslim is motivated variously by his personality and the teachings of his religion. He wants to
give because 1: His religion teaches him to do so. 2: By doing so, he believes that he might be saving the
souls of those he helps. 3: By doing so, he believes that he is securing his own place in heaven. 4: By giving,
he could seek to convert others to his religion. 5: Finally, he seeks improve the general state of mankind.
The Atheist, on the other hand, 1: Is not obligated to give; he does because he wants to. 2: The Atheist does
not believe in souls, nor in saving them. 3: The Atheist does not believe in heaven, and does not seek to secure
its favor. 4: The Atheist does not seek to influence others to atheism.
5: He seeks to improve the general state of mankind.
The ultimate difference between them is that the muslim (for this example it could just as easily be any
other religion) has been incentivized for his action. He has been bribed with the promise of heaven, or
perhaps threatened by the fires of hell. He is not doing good, even if that is the result of his action,
because his motivation is flawed and ultimately selfish. Yes, the ultimate goal is to improve the general
state of mankind, and this might even be effected. But it is not genuine, because a truly good person
would seek to improve the general state of mankind out of genuine kindness, not out of fear of hell or
of god; not for the sake of advancing one agenda or the other, and certainly not for the sake of
glory to a fictitious god.
The Atheist, in this example, cuts a swath through the chaffe of religious superstition and skips directly
to the real ethical disposition of mankind; which is to the general improvement of the state of mankind, l
ocally and globally. If a man is educated properly, he will not need to be made to fear religious law in order
to achieve goodness in his actions; he will do good things because he recognizes them internally as being
good and worthwhile, and because the nature of mankind is altruistic.
Religion presents major problems for those of us who seek to bring about positive change in society,
particularly those of us who seek to promote eaglitarianism, and even more particularly those of us who
seek to establish uncompromised liberty. Religion is truly ancient, indeed it is older than mankind as we
know it today. Human ancestors practiced veneration of the dead and ceremonial burial for many hundreds
of thousands, perhaps millions, of years before present; long indeed before modern humans evolved to their
present form. Ancient as it is, religion is not as old as the Authority Principle.
In a nutshell, the Authority Principle can be said as "Might Makes Right". The Ape with the biggest club
and the strongest arm wins, and rules society as the venerable king; so long as he remains the strongest
ape. Such a system does not long last and seldom affords any stability. In this system, constant warfare
and strife prevent a king from solidifying his power, and as we know a people whipped will not wait long
before rebellion.
Force is not enough for tyrants to maintain their power. Despots employ religion to justify their power,
and to make sure that the many continue to serve the few. The ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians
were ruled by God-Kings, who were worshipped as Gods themselves. And who among men would resist the
dictums of a god? The Medieval Europeans looked to the Pope, who was (is?) the infallible voice of God himself.
And who among men would resist the dictums of god, spoken through the Pope? Notably, another name for
the Pope is "The King Maker". Thus religion ingratiates itself to the ruling establishment, which in turn makes
certain that the current religious establishment continues and retains primacy. Thus the few rule the many.
Please consider this passage from the book Deuterotomy:
"Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?"
The potter is god, and we are the clay. The moral? Some people are better than others, and these people
have been mandated by god, who has made them intrinsically better, to rule over the rest. To rule, with
impunity, over the rest of us, whom god has not made so well. And should we the rabble masses of people
get the erroneous idea in our heads that we are deserving of the same rights as anyone else, we can be
assured of our passage to hell.
And furthermore, if one worries about injustice in this life, one need worry not! All that one has to do is
suffer the indignation, and turn the other cheek, and allow oneself to be exploited and oppressed in life,
and one will be rewarded in the life after this with paradise! All are equal in death.
If we are to profess ourselves as men without masters, free and emancipated workers, then we must also
reject the most pernicious master, that of superstition! If we are to be free of masters, we *must* be
free of gods as well, for it is those gods and those who worship them that have established the legitimacy
of the inequality in our society! I say live free, live good, and live you lives with *No Gods and No Masters!*
Hale
123 comments
