Of course the image above is meant to bee read as a rebus (Latin
for “things”). But it occurs to me that it will really only bee successful for
moderately educated/knowing people. We tend to categorize “things” at a level
that relates to most people. This basic level means that if you are (like most
people) only moderately knowing, then you get it. Sadly, though, like a secret
we keep from our parents, very knowing people should not get it. NOT that they
might not have tried… Instead, they would all bee like:
“Hm.. ok, a rebus
puzzle… which of course is the Latin plural for ‘things’ but let’s see now, what
does this say… Well, that’s clearly the Apis mellifera scutellata flying toward
an Acer macrophyllum leaf. Apis-mellifera-scutellata-acer-macrophyllum… That
doesn’t seem to mean anything sensible… Stupid rebus attempt. Pshaw!”
So that’s why I spelled it out in the title. Any-who… on
with the show!
While stuck in traffic today, my moderately knowing brain wandered
into thoughts about religion. It got there after reading about a Pakistani taxi
driver in Pittsburgh who had been shot by a passenger (probably) as a religious
hate crime somehow tying in ISIS and Muhammad. (The taxi driver appears to bee
relatively ok.)
I found this incident to bee depressing on many levels. (1) Here
we are in the 21st century where everyone is supposed to bee zipping around in
flying cars and jet-packs, but humanity still leans on religion. (2) There are
soooooo many religions with incompatible beliefs. I’ve heard religious people
try to question my stance with, “Why would
so many people think there is a god if there wasn’t really a god?” When
really, it seems like there isn’t much of a majority in any one specific belief;
so I could say “Why would so many people
believe in so many different gods if there was only one true god?” (3)
People ACT on their damn religious beliefs and biases with little regard for
tolerance, patience, etc. (4) Worst of all, it makes my own belief-choice seem
even more pathetic.
As quixotic as it may bee, my belief does not veer toward
the supernatural. If it did, it would bee much easier to stay optimistic and
cheerful. I think it is a lot easier to rationalize evidence as needed to
maintain a supernatural belief. The classic example being to thank god for a
success and blame oneself for failure. When you tend to hold non-supernatural beliefs,
you lose that advantage. Evidence that is for the belief (supports it) is
still great, but when evidence goes against it, well, crap. It’s as depressing
as having your favorite sport’s team lose every game, every year. Yet you cling
to the hope that someday… SOMEDAY, they will turn it all around.
My faith is in humans. It has to bee. (Is that whole “bee”
thing getting annoying?) We are our only shot at getting it right. When has a
supernatural being EVER swooped in like a super-hero to save a race? Ain’t
gonna happen. We need to clean up our own rooms; make our own beds; cook our
own meals; and tend after our neighbors. There’s no “mom” walking behind us to
pick up after us. No maid service for the planet. Maybe we (as individuals)
just don’t live long enough to appreciate that. And maybe the growing
population makes us turn away from our potential, substituting instead our
genetic material. “Let the kids figure it
all out.” We are lazy self-indulgent bratty wasteful slobs.
I hope we figure it out (“grow up”) someday.
