Analyses

(This is just a snippet from a personal essay I'm writing)

Analyses
A Glimpse into the Mind of a Philosophical, Analytical, Hedonistic, Narcissistic, Antisocial, Atheist Teenage Boy
By: Adam Perry
Circa 2007

         In today’s world of technology, science, and evidentiary beliefs, we find ourselves in yet another religious revival. I am not implying that religion has not always been at the forefront of many of the world’s most pertinent controversies, but it has not seen such a strong breath of life in many a year. Whether it be radical Muslim terrorists in the Western Orient and Europe, or just-as-radical Christian Evangelicals right here in the United States of America, the rejection of common sense to the acceptation of divine presence is going through a minor flare-up in the ever-improving rash on humanity that is religion. I must first preface this entire essay by stating that I have never been a follower of a “religion.” I did (at one minor time in my young life) believe in some kind of creator of the universe. I outgrew this notion about the same time that I outgrew the belief in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny (of whose holiday I knew nothing about), the Tooth Fairy, and the Bogeyman that lived under my bed. However, I believe that my lack of a religious history puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage. I have never fully experienced what many former theists have experienced, and therefore I am incapable of understanding such an epiphany as theirs.
         I am sure many would look down upon my opinions for two reasons: my age and perceived lack of life experience, and my lack of religious background upon which I could base many of my current opinions and/or experiences.  I must also say this: logic and reason know no age. Merely because I have not been on this earth for more than two decades does not mean that I am incapable of formulating my own opinion/view of the universe; age does not dictate intelligence. I must also say that I do understand that I am not an all-knowing genius, and that the older I get the more I will learn (hopefully), and that those that have been on this Earth longer than I have infinitely more life-experience than I could hope to have accumulated at this green age. That minor disclaimer being said let us continue.
         Religious Lifespan
         In my opinion, a species’ span is much like an individual’s. This means that we start off as primitive, ignorant, and simple. We know not how many things work, how many things behave, and therefore our imaginations can take us to some fairly extreme solutions in order to help us better grasp our existence, of which we are taught by our elders, whom we blindly follow without question. 
         In this prehistoric age, superstition and ignorance are our watchwords. Every bump in the night has a reason. Every spark in the sky has a purpose. And every creature on the planet has a divine creator. This seemingly ubiquitous necessity to assign meaning, consciousness, and purpose to every inanimate, unimportant aspect of our lives is deeply rooted in human psychology. But I do not wish to bore you (or intrigue you depending on your taste) with an article on the intricacies of the human psyche. It is just a minor insight into your own mind.
         Along the road of social evolution, religious faith wavers. Atheism and agnosticism become more prevalent, and the society begins to wake up. As with a teenager, the species’ society tries to rekindle lost loves and nostalgic interests, and religious revival can be sparked for short, fleeting moments in history.
         Eventually, however, lest the person/species remain stagnant, they must grow up. They must realize that fairy tales and magic do not exist in the natural realm, and to think of such things seriously is childish. The species will eventually harbor an almost unanimously atheist view. When they colonize the various worlds of the cosmos, traverse the heavens and explore the Great Dark, they will realize that there is no one there, and that gods are constructs of a less-civilized age. By that time, however, the majority will almost certainly have already become atheists. 

Following is a portion of the later parts of the essay.
         Moderate Theists
A small comment on our so-close-to-revelation friends.
      I don’t fully understand the viewpoint, logic, or drive of those identifying themselves as “moderate theists.” A moderate theist may be a Christian who believes the basic story of the Bible, of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but they disregard the basic creation in favor of evolution and perhaps such stories as the flood are regarded as myth.
      Such people are smart enough not to believe in outright foolishness such as instant-creation, but are afraid enough to try and believe in the basic myth. Now, when I pose the question of, “Why?” to a moderate, I mean so to a true moderate, not to one who identifies themselves as such in fear of being a pariah should they outright be an open agnostic or atheist. Those are either too insecure, or they are naturally afraid of their peers and their reactions should they choose to take the self-honest approach. Such “feigning moderates” are likely extremely prevalent in the American South. I’m afraid I can’t blame such feigners, as their physical wellbeing may very well be in danger in certain cases. I would recommend them to just move away, but such a task is sometimes not so easy.
      But I digress. As I was saying, the cherry-picking of a religion is something that can’t be logically done if you actually, truly believe in what you are picking. Yes, cherry-picking can work with other, secular ideologies, but not with religion. Some may say it does, but I don’t think it so. Religions are likely the most serious belief in all of humanity, and as such it has guidelines, stories, and rituals that it holds “sacred.” Sacred things are usually aimed to be taken as fact, for, if they were not so, the entire religion is subject for fallacy. It may sound exceedingly narrow-minded, and even I am not fully comfortable in saying this, but to truly be a “logical theist” (I do love the oxymoron), you surely must be a fundamentalist, because to say, in a matter of phrase, “Oh, I believe in Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection because it is true and because I have a personal relationship with Jesus and I use the Bible for guidance, but there’s a lot about the Bible that’s just plain nonsense,” is utterly ridiculous in and of itself. You should just quit while you’re ahead, take the brave way out, and become, at the very least, an agnostic or deist.