Intellectual Honesty
Why is it that people are so willing to confine themselves to the smallest possible world they can create?
I want to yell at them, “Your god is too small!” They don’t want to open their minds to the bigger world. They go along spouting things from their mouth that they themselves were once told, and they never questioned.
“Well, that sounds right,” is their creed, and they do not know the meaning of truth, corrupting the very idea of it with their vile incompetence. They take joy in not understanding the world around them, to the point that they think every one else should celebrate that same joy. “Have no worries, have no questions, but trust god.” It is evil to try to understand the world. It is evil to look for knowledge!
It horrifies me and fills me with despair.
I look around and I see the corruption of everything I hold dear: justice, understanding, knowledge, freedom, love, and truth. Justice is at the whim of the people, understanding and knowledge are divinely revealed from god, more security for more freedom, sexuality paraded around as momentary lust replaces a deep emotion, and truth is unreachable.
What is this world that is so backwards, and how did I come to see it as such, being a part of this world?
Am I the one that is backwards?
Can it be backwards to believe that justice and understanding is a product of reason?
Can it be backwards to believe that knowledge is a product of evidence?
Can it be backwards to believe that freedom means without control?
Can it be backwards to believe that love is the product of a deep emotional connection?
Can it be backwards to believe that truth can be verified through the application of the scientific method?
If any of these things be considered backwards, then god damn it, I’m going to be backwards!
We have but one life to live on this earth, and we’re lucky to have that. There are no second chances, no ‘do-overs,’ no reprieves. This world is what we make of it, and we must do our best to not allow ourselves to let our short time here slip away.
