On Control

 

“Religion is for people who're afraid of going to hell. 

Spirituality is for those who've already been there.”      David Bowie

  

My friend Cookie reminded me of this quote recently.  There was a time when I was really religious, but over time I realized that nothing about Christianity made much sense.  Like so many my age we have drifted from religious orthodoxy to spiritual beliefs that suit us better.

 

Simply put, we control nothing but our own choices.  However, for centuries we believed we could influence the uncontrollable by propitiating a deity.  Prayer was thought to have actual power and to this day folks scold when someone wishes ill on another.   If wishing certain people would drop dead worked, don't you think we would have tried it already?

Humanity is on the verge of abandoning religion all together.  Science has done a far better job of answering our questions, allowing us to take a critical view of religion in general.   The problem with religion is the same for all times and all faiths.

Religion was created by men, literally, and they used the tenets of their beliefs to impose control over the masses.   Women and children were property of their male relatives.  Those men are still with us and sadly most of them in the USA are in the Republican party.

Over the past century we have seen rapid changes in every field of endeavor, but in the heart of MAGA they are so frightened of losing control over the lives of others that they are prepared to destroy the world's best hope, the USA, in order to salve their bruised manhood.  Women gained a measure of bodily autonomy with access to contraception and abortion.  And sure enough, the men realized that meant they no longer had control over the women and suddenly both those life enhancing things are being banned.

 

Our former slaves are going to university and becoming well-paid professionals.  So we have to have a new exploitable underclass.  Suddenly migrants who have been here for decades must be deported.  Workers here legally are arrested and deported.  Even US citizens are being deported.  Strange that none of these draconian policies have improved MAGA control over persons of color.

Buddha and Jesus both spoke of reaching a place of inner peace with a mind that accepts the inevitable while decisively choosing the right course of action in any situation.  This we can do through meditation.  We have the control.  Let's use it.