Sunday, December 26, 2010

My Religion

Given the Christmas season I've been thinking about my own faith lately. It isn't all cohesive, and parts are contradictory, but maybe by writing it down I can start to act on it.

  • I do not believe in an afterlife. I believe that when I die, that will be the end - so it is my duty to make the best of the limited years I've got.
  • I do not believe in a higher power or omnipotent mover. I am uncomfortable with the ideas of a preplanned destiny or predetermined fate. I do believe that some things happen because of the choices I make, and other things just happen. The truly interesting part is how I deal with those events.
  • I believe in evolution. (Especially since I believe in dinosaurs)
  • I believe I should always make the best decision possible given the knowledge and tools I have available at the time. In this way, I live a life without regrets.
  • I believe that my "purpose" is to be happy and, more importantly, to help others find happiness. Human beings have evolved to facilitate spoken communication, written communication, and even our bodies are among the most expressive on earth. Those things are wasted if we all were to live in isolation. Humans have evolved to live together, to form families and friendships and communities.
  • I believe we must work together.
  • I have absolute faith in man kind as a group to do the things that are best for man kind. Individuals still need to earn my trust. And although man kind may be slower to realize its own mistakes and correct them, it does learn, and it does try. 
  • It is for these reasons that I am unthreatened by conspiracy theories. Because humans need to connect, and the more they connect the more they tend to do the right thing for the group, no one person can rule mankind for very long. I believe our forefathers understood this when they created a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. 
  • I believe I am "built" to do something great. It is this feeling that is both comforting and frightening all at once. 
  • I believe I am a better me when I am in a loving relationship. It is different than saying I am incomplete, rather it means that by having a tangible external reason for growth, I grow faster. 
  • And lastly, I believe that when I die, be it soon or late in my years, that those who attend my funeral should be able to look to each other and say, "Will Read lived a full life." That I was unchained by fear, that I said "yes" when opportunity presented itself, that I laughed, and that I loved. And while it should be true that I would accomplish more had I been given more time, no one will think that my life had not yet started - because I am always living it the best way that I see fit. 

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