Faith and Ignorance in the 21st Century

We live in an age where human curiosity has pushed us, as a species, to develop an understanding of the world around us. This comprehension extends to lengths beyond that which our ancestors could have ever imagined. Knowledge of the atom now allows us to power our cities, or destroy those of others. Knowledge of human anatomy and bio-chemistry, has nearly doubled our life expectancy in the last 80 years. Even for the average man, true understanding of the universe we are a part of requires only to open the right right book or view the right website.

Despite the fact that knowledge flows through our society, like the blood that keeps us living, most people through out the world base their entire lives on a set of beliefs that can not be true. Based on common sense and the simplest facts of nature, men do not rise from the grave after three days of death; any plane of existence that can only be reached upon death, is as imaginative as tales of Tartarus or Valhalla; & any being who sentences you to an eternity of burning & torment, for not prostrating yourself, is neither merciful or loving.

Faith is defined as "belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence", this rings loudly of self-induced ignorance. Accepting myths without apporopriate evidence is a dangerous anachronism. Today we all face being murdered by fanatical Islamists, who consider themselves holy warriors. People who receive a spinal injury, or develop leukemia must face a life of misery or the end of their lives, because fundamentalist christians are impeding physicians in their attempts to help those with the greatest need. In this country, thousands of people are fined or incarcerated every year, for smoking marijuana, speaking "profanity", expressing their sexual nature, and inumerable other acts that are considered immoral by fundamentalists, and prohibited by our corrupt legislators. These are all consequences of faithful ignorance. This is the time for progress and forward thinking, yet there is a resurgence of the detrimental mindset that has slowed human progress since the decline of the Roman empire. For progress to continue unabated, it is necessary to encourage the public to abandon their antiquated beliefs & agree to move forward.