theories

What has been the long term result of not having a strong belief system while growing up?
For me, and for Rene'e as well I believe, it has been turmoil. I think the only difference is that I am more adaptable, I was more open to lookng for those answers, whereas Rene'e still hasn't realized that she is searching, much less what she is searching for. My father believes that it is best not to raise a child with any religious beliefs. I think that parents believe this because they don't understand what a child goes through when raised without beliefs, perhaps they went through their own religious crisis as an adolescent or adult, but they do not truly know what it feels like. I have been lost for my entire life, human beings need beliefs, the ability to believe in something is hard-wired into us, and without beliefs we feel cut off from the rest of humanity. Many times I've felt jealous of people who have faith, many times I've argued about the fallacies of their beliefs, but what do I gain by stripping another human being of their faith? I am no longer interested in proving whether or not god exists, or jesus, or any of that shit that the athiests and the agnostics are hung up on, such an existence would be meaningless and cruel. I am happy that these humans have found something to believe in, however disappointed I may be in what they do in the name of their beliefs. I think people take faith for granted, it is no longer a way to feel connected to the universe, but an excuse to do horrible things to other individuals. It has become a weapon of mass delusion, a tool the powerful use and manipulate in order to elevate themselves and implement their own plans, to convert individuals into mindless worshippers.
Individuality and hierarchy, the religious and the free spirits.
Athiests may think themselves to be free but in reality they are just the bitter and sadly neccessary oppsition to the religious, they are the blind man that says sight cannot exist, and the agnostics are merely afraid. I am not saying that they are wrong, nor am I saying that all athiests and agnostics are really like this, I'm just trying to illustrate how they are not truly individuals. I think the true hierarchy in this world is organized religion, it is the one thing that even governments bow to. I am not trying to turn religious leaders into evil menacing men who are trying to control the world and steal your soul, indeed I don't have to, there are so many opposing religions out there that, doubtless, someone else has already made that claim. I'm not trying to say it is all a tangled conspiracy, a silent battle for supremacy and conformity, although it wouldn't be difficult to see it in that light. I am trying to see it in the basest form of human nature, it is human nature to want supremacy, and also to want conformity, but it is also quite simple for humans to convince themselves that they are right, and with that knowledge, convince others of the same. Human beings are full of contradictory emotions, for example, humans strive to be individual and yet we are quick to conform, and so willing to believe. I am not only speaking of religion, humans will latch on to any idea that is advertised to be original and rebellious, non-conformity has become quite popular, they sell it in clothing stores and you see it on television and probably in your own neighborhood. But are these people truly indiviuals? For example, look at punk rock, you've probably been to the mall and seen hot topic or any of those other stores, even macy's is now carrying punk clothes. I wonder if the first punks wanted their way of expressing their individuality to become a national obsession among teenagers, did they even want their friends to start dressing like them? Or did some company see potential in this unconventional style and think it might catch on? Fashion magazines write about finding a style of your own and then suggest various celebrities you can copy in order to do so. People no longer dress to express themselves but in hope that someone might copy them so they can tell people that they were the first, they started that trend. Young people have become mannequins, trendy assholes. My brother and I have taken to calling people 'alpha male' whenever they do something stupid or assholeish, just to see if it would catch on. I would suggest doing this to anyone willing to dedicate themselves to trying, just make up a saying that sounds fairly cool, if you say it enough, chances are it will catch on. You might even want to tell people that you heard it from someone popular, just to see if it spreads faster. Before half of my freshman year was over I had most of the high school saying 'I swear to bob' and ' spank you', it was a small high school but it worked all the same.