Prologue from the final edition of ‘The Futility of Sheep’
Sheep are needy. They require close attention. They like to be around others; however they do not like to lead. They appreciate company but prefer standing on the sidelines, whilst others try to rally and direct them.
The question is not why do they not lead, but why do they follow? What is it about the sheep which makes it feel safest in a group? Is it the overt risk of leading and getting it wrong? Is it a mental disability which stops those afflicted from forming their own opinions? Or is it merely a question of nature?
Religious believers are needy. They require guidance. They like to be around others; however they do not like to lead. They appreciate fellow believers but much prefer watching from afar, whilst others instruct them.
The question is not why they follow? It’s what is it they follow? What is it about religious believers which makes them feel safest in a group? Are they afraid of thinking the wrong thought? Is it a physical disability which disallows them from feeling their own emotions? Is it natural?
The key difference between God and nature is that there is actual evidence of nature everywhere we look. Whereas there is not a single shred of evidence which supports the existence of a supernatural omnipotent omnipresent being which created all. Despite the evidence which surrounds us we consistently underestimate the value of human nature.
The foolish and the blinkered amongst you may ask if there is no God, what is the meaning of life? The very question is a result of pre-designed thoughts. It’s a question which arises from a programmed mind. It is not a thought which results from a human who is spiritually and morally free. The dung beetle, an insect a mere inch long has never recorded its thoughts on the afterlife. Nor should we.
Life can mean whatever we choose. Our lives can be bittersweet, or merely just bitter. It is a choice, from beginning to end. The easy path is to let others choose. That is what religion offers us. The relinquishment of our own decisions. Peculiarly, we are the only species in existence which passively releases control of its life without putting up a fight.
There is not a supreme creator hiding out in the clouds. In over five million years of human evolution not a single minute molecule of proof has been uncovered to support the idea. The very fact that a staggering number of humans devote their lives to celebrating such a myth is simply astonishing.
We are the creators of all. The human race. We invented every religion. We invented every tree. We invented every star, every planet, every person, every idea, every object, every animal and every single particle and atom which drifts through our universe. The human race invented each of these things the moment we were awoken to their existence. Whether it be by thought or eye or name alone, it was us, the homo sapiens of this planet who brought these things into existence. I don’t imagine I shall convince you, my readers, so very easily, nor is that my intention. Contentment is what I seek, not infamy.
Whilst following others blindly is valiant it is also a tremendous waste of life. It is a complete rejection of our very selves and the world we live in. The world by designation we shaped. To spend a lifetime as a sheep is choosing to live as a blind man. Whilst being even more foolish as you are choosing futility rather than ever even trying to reach your potential.