Banky For President

In spite of what is commonly thought, I argue that people really like to talk about religion.  It’s the listening part people have a problem with.  As such, two-way conversations are rarely possible, because it involves more “common understanding” and less “preaching.”  Conversations allows for your thinking to be challenged, and if there is one part of our lives we typically don’t want challenged, it would be our religious beliefs.

Prepare to be challenged.

I don’t believe in God, but I don’t cede a spiritual life to those that do.  Walking a spiritual path is a priority for me, and as such, I’ve arrived at some answers I am going to share with you.  It’s very possible I have some of the answers wrong, and as such, I’d like to hear why.  You see, it’s not important that I’m right.  It’s more important to get it right or at the very least, get closer to the “truth,” whatever that may be.

So, like Beck, let’s break it down:

1. You should question everyone and everything before you call it a belief.

The buddhists have a saying, “If you see the Buddha on the side of the road, kill him” which is meant to suggest no one can tell you what to believe.  You have to figure it out for yourself.   If something doesn’t make sense, you should question it and preferably question him/her.  If their ultimate response is that the answer can be found in a holy book or God told them, how is that good enough for you to base a belief on?   The Gospel of John tells the story of Doubting Thomas as a way to illustrate it is bad to question God.  If God is all great and powerful, can’t he/she/it withstand a question from one of his followers? But, Banky, that’s what faith is all about! Hold onto that thought.

2. You should be able to validate for yourself whatever is claimed.

You should not HAVE to take someone’s word that something is true.  For whatever is claimed, you should be given the right to “try it on” and determine for yourself whether it makes sense.  For instance, if someone told you “21 + 21 = 57,” you should be able to validate whether or not this is true.  In other words, if you have a spiritual belief, it should be grounded in some reality you can relate to.  If it doesn’t, you are free to ask questions until satisfied with whether or not a solution can be offered, rejected, or tabled later for further thinking.  Which leads us to:

3. Whatever is spirtual should be reflective of the best that humanity has to offer.

Think of those you admire.  What qualities do they possess?  Do they generally seem happy?  What is it about them that make them appear happy? What characteristics do they exhibit?  Do they exhibit:

• Jealousy
• Insecurity
• Anger
• Hatred
• Greed
• Insensitivity

We’re all human, but in general, these aren’t characteristics of healthy, happy people.  If God exhibits these qualities and, in fact, these qualities are celebrated in a particular religion, a red flag should go off in your head.

4. If your answer doesn’t reflect a positive answer to any of the above, you should probably reject the belief and continue seeking.

At this point, something smells rotten to you. Don’t ignore that smell.  If the thought stinks, it can affect your other thoughts.  Let go of your “stinkin thinkin” and seek for a better smelling answer.

5. You don’t know everything. Repeat the process if necessary.

There are things in life you will never understand.  Part of being enlightened is knowing you aren’t.  Trust your instincts though.  Have the confidence that you can make these decisions.  Let go and move on.

Next, Part II: The process in action and I’ll address “faith.”