First goes the real estate market, then the banks.What next? Law firms? :/

It struck me today that religiousity is inversely related to wealth. Religious people seem to fare worse down the financial scale. In order to validate my argument, I must set my parameters right.

Clearly I’m not talking about fair weathered christians or non practicing jews or muslims who aren’t teetotal. I consider these people as non religious because aside from namesake and the occasional guilt ridden lipservice towards their uncomfortable acknowledging of a faith they push towards the forgotten oblivion of their minds,  they really arent religious in the same way church workers are. I also discount the clockwork psuedo religious types that say grace before their meals or say a certain number of rosaries before bed time because this forms a habit that is quite mindless and methodical. The list is endless but you get the idea.

Instead the people I talk about are those they are browbeaten into thinking that every little something they do is a sin of diabolical proportions. Those who decide that god controls destiny and who doesn’t try to do something to change anything. And you wonder why they are mired in poverty. Step up another level and I meet people who are regular church going folks, engage socially in church and are active members of their religious community. These people include the pastoral team and other church team players who partake in the enterprise that christianity, and indeed religion has become. I have personally developed into an athiest but until America can accept a Black president I will always remain cautious in unfolding my lack of a religious affiliation. They did a poll once and the results came out, apparently Americans are more willing to vote for a black, gay BUT christian president than a straight atheist. So much irony in that, like how Christianity condemns homosexuality and how some branches hated on black people for a long while. Think Joseph Smith and his Klan posse. Additionally might I add that I never really could grasp the reasoning behind why people think that atheists are evil when it is no little irony that many atheists dont believe in good and evil because these two words were invented by Christianity. Others frown upon the negation of the good/evil classification because they cannot escape the socialization that Christian modernity upbringing has imposed on us. Apparently, life can be faceted into two dimensions — good and evil. People can only be either or. Judeo-Christian tradition leaves no compromise for the person who grapples with the uncertainly of life, who is much more complex than simple good and evil. I mean seriously, where is the depth in life? Suddenly, hedonism is irresponsible and.. bad. Thats another thing, the good and bad divide akin to the good and evil rubbish. The problem is not so much morality. Its which sort of morality. For most christians there can only be one morality, the absolute biblical one. Whatever happened to the roman code of morality, where attributes like pride are considered strength and there was eloquence in fighting war. Instead these two form the bane of man’s existence and we are taught to turn the other cheek according to the bible.

Which brings me back to my argument. Christians are taught to turn the other cheek, maybe thats why they are being preyed upon. It is ludicrous to ask to be slapped again, which is the plain language of what Jesus requires of us. Bearing in mind that if it holds true that Jesus is indeed somewhat more immortal than the rest of mankind, don’t his abilities come from that infallible part of him bestowed upon by God? And if they were, then why are normal human beings demanded the same standard when they are handicapped by human nature which is supposedly flawed? If you follow my line of reason it becomes clear that we are not allowed to be us. And if God loved and if love is patient, kind and forgiving then why are we not allowed to remain the way we are? And worse, werent we made imperfect? Why would an all powerful deity make something imperfect like Eve who was invincible against everything but a fruit? Most importantly why live when you have other people namely parents and mothers in law , an old old book and an invisible man in the sky telling you what to do and what NOT to do.

So many people would hella benefit if this sheet of guilt was lifted off from their shoulder that the judeo-christian tradition imposes on that. But I suppose I also agree with Descartes’ conviction that if god didnt exist we would have to invent him. Some people need that, to tide them through distress when human efforts come to naught in face of something finite like death. Some people need to know someone else is in control of the situation and others need to know that there’s life after death with 72 virgins waiting in paradise beyond.

But here’s a thought : I suppose it wouldnt make a difference if there was a god or not. If there was, I would be soulless and burning in hell but life would’ve been baller. If there wasn’t, well what difference did it make at least I had a ballin’ life.

Either way I win.