There are many different versions of heaven, and they all have
their promises. In a post called How to Manipulate the Public so You Can Rule the World I wrote, “tell them they will receive their rewards after they die.
(Another reason why inventing an afterlife will come in handy) You can promise
them things they wish they had such as a mansion made of gold, beautiful women,
a new attractive body with six pack abs, or even the ruler of their own planet,
feel free to get as creative as you’d like on this one just make sure it is
something they cannot refuse.” There are many different claims made about
heaven, and many religious leaders claim they know the correct way to get there
and are eager to let us in on the truth that everyone else has wrong.
The most common way taught to get to heaven is basically by
believing in the god which a religion teaches and accepting him into one's life.
But if the only way into heaven is to believe and by just believing even a
child molester or murderer can get in - then is it really a place one would want
to spend all eternity? What does that say about the morality of that God?
If being a nice and caring person your whole life isn't a quality heaven is
looking for - then
it’s not a heaven one should want to go to.
Why would a god demand that the only way into heaven is by
allowing other people to control our mind? If Satan were a real figure, this is
exactly the same tactic he would use. In general, we are all against the idea
of mind control, but when heaven is on the line - it seems most of us prefer
it.
If heaven is real, then why does it need an ancient security
system such as gates to protect it? Does God have a problem with people
breaking in and trying to steal things or is this evidence that ancient men who
at the time used big walls and gates to protect their cities came up with the
idea of heaven?
It should be obvious to any rational person that heaven is a
mythical place used to control people. If religion can promise a better place after
death by obeying them today, then they have the ability to control the lives of
others. Just as someone can control a mule by dangling a carrot on a
stick just beyond its reach, religion dangles heaven in front of wishful thinkers
in an attempt to control lives - then scares them with thoughts of hell so they
are too fearful to question it.
Not all religious figures are out to deliberately manipulate
the masses; many of them have just been manipulated by men themselves who were
also manipulated. However, there are many figures that know that what they are
teaching is false but it is either too profitable for them to stop or they
can’t find a way out (see The Clergy Project).
Let’s find the courage to think for ourselves and challenge
our beliefs by asking the tough questions about god/religion. Because if God
exists, then there is nothing to fear by asking these questions, and if we find no evidence to support the claims of god, then we'll have a
better understanding of the world and our place in it.
If we only get one life, we should strive to live it wanting
to know as many true things and as little false things as possible. Because
when we believe things which are false, it allows others to easily manipulate
us into doing harm.
Religion is often defended by saying it gives people hope,
but often it is the harm of religion that causes people to seek hope. And
because religion can be used to justify harmful acts, it is important to fight
the harmful ideas of religion not with violence but with the power of our
arguments, because those with poor arguments are not afraid to use violence.
