My beliefs – Big Business

Posted on by Opher

Photo credit: The Breakthrough Institute.

My beliefs – Big Business

I believe that capitalism and big business operate in the interests of a tiny minority of rich or powerful people and against the interests of the majority of the people.

I believe that the greed and selfishness created by this system is responsible for the destruction of the environment, stripping of assets and impoverishment of most of humanity.

I believe that the multinationals are a law unto themselves. They are so powerful that thy bribe and lobby to get their own way.

I believe the multinationals use their position to avoid paying taxes and to get around labour laws and laws governing pollution and health and safety.

I believe they are unscrupulous.

I do not know whether there is a cabal of multibillionaires who buy off politicians, control money markets, control commerce, control the media, or seek to maintain ‘the establishment’ so that it works in their favour, or whether this system operates as a loose association of behind doors conniving and ad hoc behavior by a group of people with shared interests – feathering their own nests. The end result is the same. Political systems, laws, the media, and commercial enterprises are all bought and sold. They are controlled.

I believe the answer is to put all multinationals under national control, prohibit the size of any one of them exceeding a certain proscribed wealth (reducing their power) and make them subject to globally imposed laws on taxation, labour and pollution.

I believe that if we do not find a way of controlling capitalism the greed and selfishness will destroy everything on the planet and us with it.

My beliefs – Religion

Posted on by Opher

AppleMark

My beliefs – Religion

I am an antitheist. I believe religion has been created by man. I believe the holy books were written by men. I believe that religion is used by certain people to gain power over others.

Any institution where the leaders are exulted into positions of power I believe is corrupt. Any religion that has leaders dressed in gaudy uniform, with pageantry and elaborate ritual, extravagant buildings and dogma, is setting out to impress and gain power.

I do not believe in heaven, paradise, hell or fifty three virgins. They are manifestly ploys to frighten or control adherents.

I do not believe in any personal god who is interested in human beings, let alone one who created the whole universe just for us. That is egocentric to say the least. Any casual look at cultures around the world shows the worse the conditions the more devout the people. If god responded to prayer the poor would have been elevated long ago. I do not believe in prayer.

As to whether there is a god or not. I do not know. If there is then that force, for me, is more akin to the energy in the atoms than a conscious person.

I think that any literal interpretation of the holy books is dangerous. They were written thousands of years ago and it shows. The Abrahamic tradition (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) originates from a tiny corner of the Middle East and a group of nomadic tribes who roamed around in that region. The writings are full of their creation myths, wisdom, misogyny, power seeking, control and power, cruelty and limited view of the world and religion. Some of the stories are great. Many of them contain beautiful words and phrases that have adorned our culture. There is much to be admired. But even a cursory glance shows the hypocrisy, ambiguity, inconsistency and different authors and views. The god described varies enormously from a caring god of love to a vengeful creature of immense cruelty and vindictiveness. One can select the texts to create a vision of love, peace and forgiveness or select others to justify war, unimaginable cruelty and intolerance. We only have to look at the way they have been deployed (and are being deployed) to justify the hideous torture and burning of witches, pogroms, inquisitions, crusades, jihads, gruesome genocides and murders and pillaging and rape. ISIS are only the latest in a long line.

As an antitheist I would like to see all religion done away with. It is not the cozy Sunday at church or prayer at the synagogue, temple or mosque, the comforting words or helping hand that it purports; all religions are power structures of intolerance, hatred and creators of war and conflict.

As a tolerant person I believe that religion should be a personal choice for consenting adults, and people should have the right to believe in whatever they wish.

Now spirituality, the afterlife, and mysticism – that’s something else.

Beliefs – religion, awe and wonder – Big Bangs, world trade, spirituality, creativity and art, Quakers and Buddhism, philosophy, politics, science, creation of life, consciousness, quantum physics.

Posted on by Opher

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Beliefs – religion, awe and wonder – Big Bangs, world trade, spirituality, creativity and art, Quakers and Buddhism, philosophy, politics, science, creation of life, consciousness, quantum physics.

 

What is it that we know for certain?

Very little.

I know I exist. As for the rest it is largely a collection of beliefs.

 

I thought I might explore my beliefs in a series of posts based upon the subjects above. This is a useful exercise for me to review what it is I do believe in. That is always a good thing to do.

Views and beliefs change. Mine have. Perhaps they will again?

After all, there is very little to be certain of. Our information is limited. We are manipulated and indoctrinated from birth. It is hard to know what or why we do or think the thoughts we do.

A lot of what we accept is true is a tribal response to allegiances we make to various groups or ideologies. How much is unadulterated us?

I find many of these things absolutely fascinating.

We’ll see if you do too.