Mysterium Ignostic

Or, why can't our imaginary friends just get along?

I believe in ----. (fill in the blank)

Oh you're one of those ----- believers. (fill in the blank)

---- believers are so stupid. ---- believers are evil.

The world would be better off without those ---- believers.

Que the crusades, que the genocide, que the cleansing.

Right?

Did no one notice, that the phrase "holy war" is an oxymoron?

Belief has caused endless amounts of suffering, misery, and death. Belief has arrested human development and evolution. Turned science into scientism. Driven countless people on endless errands of futility.

Religious separation and violence has raged entire populations into madness and murderous rampage. All because humans insist on the fundamentally irrational choice to believe.

All belief and disbelief is presumption.

Usually, supported by a long list of other presumptions, logical fallacies, and wishful thinking.

We know this is true because no one needs to believe in things that we "know" are true. Nobody is breathing because they believe in air. We breathe because we "know" if we don't we will die. Our feet are held firmly to the ground because gravity exist. Not because we believe in gravity. Why is this not enough for people?

Why do humans insist on trying to convince others that their imaginary friends are real?

We build arguments to defend our beliefs by assigning presumed significance to events and phenomena that we think might validate our beliefs.

An excellent example of this is the belief in Karma. Theories of Karma exemplify quintessential wishful thinking. We desperately want to believe that there is some kind of inherent justice in the universe. An inescapable consequence of a bad action. We imagine a universal law of retribution that will make the evil people pay for their actions. But this belief is never supported by actual facts and events.

There are people so horribly evil in the world that If Karma was true they would burst into flames immediately. All over the world in board rooms, in state capitols, in the high offices of religious institutions, people would be instantly struck by lightning. Yet these monstrous humans often live to be 80 to 100 years old. But when one happens to go down in a plane crash, for instance, well that's because of their karma. See, karma is real.

That is assigning presumed significance to events and phenomena to support a theory that has no other authentic support.

We want to believe more than we want to use reason. For example, I'm sure you've all heard this before, "If karma doesn’t get them in this life it's going to get them in the next life".

To believe this we must assume that universe (or God if you prefer) is willing to act out some form of divine retribution and justice. Although for some reason, he/they/it are not particularly interested in preventing terrible things from happening. So the gods don’t really have your back. But don't worry, they’ll fix the villains good if they hurt you. Big surprise folks your on your own. But you should still behave and be extra good because that how you get good Karma points.

So the tyrannical human is free to wreck havoc and misery upon humanity. Yeah but don't worry, they're going to get what's coming to them someday. Karma will make them pay,... eventually.

Be a good human, suffer in silence and collect your good Karma points. Oh yeah about that, you can only use them in the next life.

Hmm? Seems like a philosophy that would work out really great for tyrants. I’m sure that’s only a coincidence. It’s not like I’m suggesting tyrants actually wrote this stuff.

Honestly though, I’m not suggesting that being good is not a good idea. Of course it is. It’s a simple fact of cause and effect. Of course, actions have reactions. More times than not good actions have good results. Until they don’t.

Life has never been black and white. Of course living a peaceful, righteous, and principled life, is the best and healthiest way to live. Although, let’s not oversimplify it. There can be times when peaceful is not the best. When threatened with abuse and domination by a tyrant for example.

There are times when becoming dangerous, ferocious, and violent, are absolutely necessary. To defend your life and the lives of those you love against abuse, slavery, and brutality.

Every situation is case dependent. You have to understand your capabilities and how best to use them. You can't always decide by what is good and what is bad. Sometimes what the situation requires decides for you.

It all comes down to self-control, reason, and Situational Awareness. Your moral compass will guide you but the situation must determine what action or reaction is appropriate. Not an arbitrary set of rules from imaginary deities.

We hold on to beliefs because our desire to feel comfortable is greater than our desire to authentically perceive reality. A desire for understanding and clarity requires intellectual honesty.

Intellectual honesty requires that when something is unknown or unknowable we must humbly accept uncertainty. Maybe this is why the ancients referred to the ambiguous enigmatic inner cosmos as the "Mysterium" μῠστήρῐον.

“So the unwanting soul sees what’s hidden, and the ever-wanting soul sees only what it wants. Two things, one origin, but different in name, whose identity is mystery. Mystery of all mysteries! The door to the hidden”

-The Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu. Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Please, keep looking for answers. Don't ever stop. But can we please stop making up the answers if we don't find the ones we want.