This is kind of an interesting thought. It is a fact that every culture, every civilization, every single different group of people have some form of religion. They all believe in some form of higher-power. Granted, the beliefs of various groups are often very different from others, but the fact remains that they all have some form of relgion.
Now you might think, hey what about atheists and agnostics? They don't believe in anything! Well they do pose some difficulty fitting in this mold, but I believe they can be fit. We must first understand who the atheist is.
The atheist comes from a weallthy and developed country. Typically residing in your western civilizations like the United States and western Europe, the atheist gives no thought to problems of subsistance. He need not worry about when the next meal is going to be, or if he will be able to cultivate all his land. No, the atheist focuses his mind on the big "problems" of society. Things like religion, environmentalism, politics and the like. I contend that atheists do not believe in nothing, but rather they have found a champion within this world to which they worship.
I will start with a general example, the environmentalists. Many evironmentalists today are atheist. After all, to believe that the Earth is so fragile is to deny the power of God, at least to some extent. However, I contend that enivoronmentalists do in fact have a religion. They worship environmentalism. The Earth is the champion of their religion. They have their own religious sects, such as the Sierra Club, Green Peace, and slew of other organizations...all of which require donantions, much like a collection plate in church.
While it's obvious that not all people fit neatly into this category, I contend that all atheists fall in some simlar pattern. It is a bit more difficult to distinguish religion at the individual level though. I'll try to give an example using the most outspoken atheist on the board. Mr. Blonde is a self-declared atheist on this board, and damn proud of it. He makes it known to all who believe otherwise that there is no God. Just in the same manner that a staunch Christian lets all who believe otherwise that Jesus is the savior of humanity. In fact, I believe that some atheists make atheism their religion. Their champion? In my humble opinion, it's themselves. They are the saviors of their religion, destined to free humanity from the chains of your traditional religions. I think this makes sense because, like Mr. Blonde, most atheists are extremely self-righteous.
Once again, not all atheists probably fit in this mold, but I'm sure you can see a pattern starting to form. It appears that human beings have no choice but to believe in something bigger than themselves...or at least bigger than everyone else if they are themselves the champions of the religion.
If all human beings have some form of a religion, this begs the questions, why must all humans believe in something bigger than themselves? Are we biologically wired to do so because it is the only way we are able to cope with our lives, our existence, and the concept of death? Or is it because our mysterious God created us in this fashion because there is in fact a God that created us?
The final thought I want to leave you with is what may hold the answer to these questions, and much, much more. Am I, Der Fuhrer, God? The answer is yes. I accept worship through PayPal, electronic check, credit or debit card. You all go to hell if I don't have enough worship to buy a jet ski for this summer.
Amen, blessed am I. Bow before me. Give me your women. Give me your worship. In Der Fuhrer's name we pray, Amen.
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