Thursday, September 15, 2011

It's hard to imagine

It’s hard to imagine how much wasted money goes to religion, including things like: books, videos, tithes, churches, sound systems, gas to get to these stupid events, etc. This isn’t including the investment of time that people put into this smorgasbord of folly. I can’t help but wonder how much further along we would be technologically, medically, and scientifically if just a third of this money/time was allocated toward more worthwhile endeavors, not to mention if the whole amount was allocated more wisely. We could be heavily researching life extension technologies so that people could enjoy the only life they have for a much longer time. We could invest more heavily in cancer treatment research or AIDS research. The Christian religion is a multi-billion dollar industry; these numbers don’t even include other religious faiths that suck up resources better used elsewhere. Humanity has spent so much wasted time and money on something that’s completely fictitious—it’s the ultimate facepalm!

I know many Christians who just take this life for granted. They are absolutely certain that a future one lies ahead. They take their health for granted, and they take their environment for granted. After all, Jesus will return and usher in a new age, with a new world. Instead of doing something constructive, they decide to pray for things, like rain. They often put a religious spin on every minute detail of their lives that consequently influences their day to day decisions.

The Bible is considered their “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” This is a template for disaster and misuse of resources. There’s nothing in the Bible of any benefit than can’t be found elsewhere, from the golden rule and onward. Yet, this book has sold over 6 billion copies. There are enough copies for every single living person on the planet. The book has been published in over 450 languages and is generally found in every country, aside from the ones most vehemently against religious freedoms.

We should consider the number of people who decide to go into ministry that could be doing something far more profound with their time. We should consider the number of dollars going to people like Benny Hinn that could be going into research. Instead of churches, we could have learning and research centers based on the sciences. How much more advanced would we be? It’s hard to imagine.

3 comments:

  1. I wonder about that every time I drive past a church in Tulsa. They're gorgeous buildings, but imagine if they were all libraries.

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  2. I so agree with you! I think of the suffering religion causes -- tearing families apart, the severe rules for yourself and for others, the lifetime of austerity in preparation for an afterlife that won't even happen -- what a waste!

    And yes, who cares about the environment or preparing for the future, taking care of the planet, if Jesus is going to make it all right later. Makes me feel sick... Some crazies probably wouldn't mind a big nuclear catastrophe, to get us into heaven faster. Yikes! Scary. Plus, as you say, all the wasted money... The research that could have been done...

    All such a waste.... believing so fervently in something that there's just no evidence for at all... sigh... why do people do it???

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