Library: Modern Documents: Charlie Webb: Love and Truth in the New Millennium (May 2000)

Love and Truth in the New Millennium (May 2000)

by Charlie Webb

As a simple person, I find the old religions too confusing and too dangerous. For example, almost every major advance in knowledge from Socrates to Galileo to Darwin has been violently opposed by religious authority. Almost every famous mass murderer from Moses to Mohammed to Hitler has been sanctified by alleged tribal "gods". Why do we put up with this? Are we “Homo sapiens” or “Homo gullibens”?

This is a huge problem. I propose a solution in two parts. First, we throw out the preposterous old religions. Then we start a new millennium religion designed to promote survival.

Step one. Why do billions of people believe thousands of contradictory and mutually exclusive religious traditions? Simple. It’s just an accident of birth. Islam parents in Baghdad do not raise Southern Baptist children, and vice versa. Children are simply brainwashed to accept the respective religions of their parents and of their cultures. So let’s just look at ourselves squarely in the mirror and swear with resolve, “I'm tired of being gullible, and I’m not going to take it anymore!!”

Step two. What values do we really need in a religion? Probably only the big two: Love and Truth, the Yin and the Yang for our new millennium.

Remembering the advice of my high school English teacher to “keep it simple, stupid” (KISS), I propose that we define Love as the Golden Rule. Every culture from Confucius to Christ has accepted this as wisdom in its various forms. Confucius: do not unto others as you would not have them to unto you. Christ: do unto others as you would have them to unto you. Krishna; what goes around comes around.

Truth seeking has already been perfected. It’s called science. If you want to know if something is true or false, just test it fairly again and again. Question authority. Accept nothing on simple faith. Think for yourself.

With the notable exception of the Dalai Lama, traditional religious leaders have faithfully opposed scientific advances. Why? Because traditional religions are simply political control systems that train us not to think, but rather to follow, to believe, and to obey. If we act like sheep, we will always be fleeced.

So here we have it:

1.) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And,
2.)Thou shalt think!

What else do we need? Let’s kiss the age-old superstitious shenanigans goodbye and face the new millennium armed with truth and graced with love.

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