Supermarket Chatter

Yesterday I had to make a beer run and went to the closest outlet - the local supermarket.  While standing in line with my liquid gold, two middle-aged men were knee deep in conversation.  In a very concerned manner, they talked about their hope for heaven and fear of hell.  It's amazing what I learned about those two strangers.

They spoke about their abuses and neglects of the past and hoped that their now more acceptable behavior would earn them a seat in heaven.  But acceptable to whom or what, I thought.  Those two bragged about their charitable contributions to their various religious favorites and tried to out do each other with their weekly church attendance stats.  I found it almost annoying when they both agreed that it was best to sit in the first pew so the pastor could see them.  What can I say; it was a long line.  Also, they managed to fit into their chatter a good tongue lashing of those who did not match up to their personal "level of achievement."  Fortunately, I was glad that I did not have one or two beers under my belt; I do not like getting into verbal jousting with these types.  

I have a hard time imagining a god, or any other for that matter, who much of humanity has given credit to for creating our Universe, wanting to micro-manage my life and the lives of others.  With that kind of ability, I believe that he/she/it is way to busy to be bothered.  We humans have created divinity in our own image and believe that that divinity will behave like us, if it exists at all.  Some humans have gone far enough to presume what that divinity thinks and believes; they created a laundry list of "sins against god."  If divinity was responsible for the creation of our Universe, offending it with what we consider our poor behavior or mistakes in judgement is ridiculous; that divinity is so far above and ahead of us that we cannot count the steps, so why presume what it thinks.  That being the case, reason should tell us that that divinity does not care whether we believe in it or not; if it exists, it is and we are, period.  The bottom line - we are responsible for our lives; past, present, and future.

What we do and say, our words and deeds, determines our life's path.  We create our fate, whether it be good or ill.  When we exit this life, and we all will, we will be judged, not by some far off god sitting on a throne, but by our words and actions.  Chose your words and deeds well; it is the path of honor and respect, in this life and the next.

                                                     Copyright @2013 Terry Unger