Dooms Day Provided No Doom – Atheists Rejoice!
I woke up on May 21st, 2011 and I was still alive. Not only was I alive, but I also received my tuition bill for school, and I had to buy food to survive yet another day in this world. Unfortunately, many in this world are not able to afford these luxuries at all, and many have also woken up this morning and will not eat before they go to bed again at night. Most people will never be able to realize their potential, express themselves and grow with an education or even the basic healthcare to allow them to live out a full human lifespan.
Atheists rejoice! You have one more piece of proof that there is no god because judgment day did not arrive on May 21st, 2011. Now you can make this claim with a little more confidence. And now is it your turn in the spotlight. So what are you going to do about it? And what have you been doing all this time anyways?
I went to the Atheists of America website (http://www.atheists.org/) to see what all the fuss was about, and to see what Atheists are planning on doing to help fix the problems of the world. In the ‘About Us’ section I read quite a noble statement:
About American Atheists
Since 1963, American Atheists has been the premier organization laboring for the civil liberties of atheists and the total, absolute separation of government and religion. It was born out of a court case begun in 1959 by the Murray family which challenged prayer recitation in the public schools. That case, Murray v. Curlett, was a landmark in American jurisprudence on behalf of our First Amendment rights. It began:
"Your petitioners are atheists, and they define their lifestyle as follows. An atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god. An atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth – for all men together to enjoy. An atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and to enjoy it. An atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help lead to a life of fulfillment."
This new information led me to further investigate how exactly Atheists are going about bringing heaven on earth “for all men to enjoy.” They are not doing it through prayer, but rather through their “inner conviction.” The achievement thus far, according to the website, reads as follows:
The organization was founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the noted atheist activist, as the result of her successful battle against mandatory school prayer and Bible recitation. Over the last thirty years, American Atheists has:
Fought fervently to defend the separation of religion from government
Appeared in all forms of media to defend our positions and criticisms of religion and mythology
Held atheist conventions and gatherings throughout the United States, including "Atheist Pride" marches in state capitals
Demonstrated and picketed throughout the country on behalf of atheist rights and state/church separation. The organization has marched to defend the rights of intellectuals such as writer Salman Rushdie, protested the use of government funds to support public religious displays, and conducted the first picket of a Roman Catholic pope in history
Published over 120 books about atheism, criticism of religion, and state/church separation
Published newsletters, magazines, and member alerts
Built a broad outreach in cyberspace with mailing lists, an ftp and web site, FaxNet, and other projects to keep members and the general public informed
Fostered a growing network of representatives throughout the nation who monitor important First Amendment issues and work on behalf of the organization in their areas
Grown a network of volunteers who perform a variety of important tasks in their community, from placing American Atheist books in libraries to writing letters and publicizing the atheist perspective
Preserved atheist literature and history in the nation's largest archive of its kind. The library's holdings span over three hundred years of atheist thought. Provided speakers for colleges, universities, clubs, and the news media
Granted college scholarships to young atheist activists.
After I read this I was left wondering where in these achievements are the practical solutions that will bring heaven on earth for our fellow man? It seems more like the Athiests involved in this particular organization are making things better for their fellow Atheists in America.
Declaring there is no god is fine by me, as is the separation of church and state. But it’s about time to start considering the next step. Religious people at least have the excuse that they are waiting for god to save them. They have obviously not lived the words of the profits that touted love, equality, peace on earth and to judge not, because despite all the religious heads of state, there has been no decline in starvation, suffering and war. Actually, the religious leaders of the world’s ‘super powers’ have profited off the suffering of their fellow men, as well as plants and animals, and have continuously accepted donations from corporations which do the same.
All the while, Atheists have lived in the comfort of this system, being provided for and living the good life as we all do here in America (as well as all developed countries), without ever standing for what they claim to be their mission. So where are the atheist leaders, and why have they never stepped up?
This is the point where the argument of charity comes in. However, it is blatantly obvious that charity has not fixed the problem. Charity has given limited aide to those in the world who are suffering due to our lifestyles and attitudes in elite countries. As we continue to live the way we do we cause others to struggle to survive, benefitting from their vulnerable positions, and much of the time profiting off of their abuse (for example ‘slave labour,’ deforestation, the mass production of meats etc...). Charities do not offer a solution to the core problem which is our economic system, which supports what I have named above. In fact, charities almost guarantee the continued acceptance and allowance of the system the way it is, because they make people think they are helping. They allow people to feel good about themselves that they are giving their money away to those less fortunate. They take the guilt and shame factor out of the scenario (watch this short video on charity for further insight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF78oOOdYBg).
Furthermore, many, if not most of us in the elite countries are starting to also become enslaved by our economic system. Prices are rising, our countries are going bankrupt, unemployment is rising, social services are being cut, budgets are tightening, and so on. We are now becoming less and less able to support and provide even for ourselves, which takes our attention even further away from those who are not able to afford even the basics such as food and water.
Back to the main point: we humans can go back and forth for lifetimes debating whether or not there is a god. All the while children are dying of starvation and being sold into the sex trade, families are living in squalor and working like slaves to survive, our environment is being destroyed beyond measure, animals are being treated like they cannot feel pain, and we are busy keeping up appearances.
It’s time to realize that there is a group who has not only made a practical proposal for a solution, but one that we are working towards implementing in actuality. At this point in time, the mere fact that a solution has been proposed is a huge step. The solution is what we call an Equal Money System, wherein we will change the economic system as we know it. This proposal will solve a vast amount of the world’s current problems in many ways and it is a first step towards the actual existence of equality on earth. Equality cannot exist unless financial equality exists because we live in a world where you have to be able to pay to survive.
The Equal Money System offers a basic income that will provide each human being with all the essential necessities for a dignified life (to see how we propose to do this visit www.equalmoney.org). Human beings, as custodians of the earth, cannot support their environment if they aren’t even able to support themselves. Today’s sustainable solutions are simply not affordable to the vast majority of people, even in developed countries. Environmentalism has been dubbed a ‘concern of the wealthy’ because they are the only ones who can afford to support it. But why should they? They are such a small group that even if every one of them did all they could and spent all their money on trying to make a difference – no difference would be made because the money they earn is supporting the abuse they are trying to prevent. It’s a vicious circle which needs to end, and the only end in sight is an economic change.
So Atheists: if there is no god, what are you going to do about these problems? If you truly love your fellow man, what are you proposing other than supporting your own beliefs? And how is this behaviour any different than those of Christians for example, who support their beliefs but still do nothing to practically change the situation? The Equal Money System satisfies both of your missions. If we implement an Equal Money system we will be living Christ’s words in fact, in that it will allow us all to love our neighbours, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, and it will allow us to love our fellow man by providing him his daily bread. It also satisfies the Atheist message of changing the world by ourselves, that is, without divine intervention, and it is something we can do now, right NOW!
In terms of the knowledge of self and of our fellow man in order to understand our nature and how we have arrived at this point: the Desteni I Process is one which offers a complete explanation of human nature, the human mind, and tools to change oneself in order to be an example to our fellow man (www.desteniiprocess.com). Many people are already taking this course and offering their experience as support for others. Visit www.Desteni.co.za to try out these tools for yourself, absolutely free. Then, once you see the common sense and the effectiveness of the tools, you can sign up for the Desetni I Process to streamline your effectiveness, support the implementation of the Equal Money System and eventually support yourself financially by supporting others to do the same.
Please start now, stop this insanity before it’s too late. Walk with us as a group so we may bring about a change that will bring dignity back to existence.
For more perspectives in the form of blogs and vlogs on this topic, check out some of the other member’s links:
