Narrow Way Cafe

So what inspires an ideology to die for?

I have sincere respect for Atheism. Sincere. This is no critique.

Having held this conviction myself for a while, I know why it makes sense. Ricky paints the picure – Atheists have nothing to die for and everything to live for.

Ricky’s very clever poster inspires reflection. Some related issues come to mind.

In our increasingly polarized world, an important question is “What beliefs do people die for?”

In many places oppression by the agencies of powerful institutions inspire enemies willing to die for their cause. There are many examples. September 11th. Suicide bombers seek to take victims with them. Self-sacrifice for the sake of destruction. It’s a mendatious evil.

Another kind of self-sacrifice exists intended for the welfare of others. Unfortunately, self-righteous benevolence became a malignant evil. Christian history is filled with examples. The Crusades. Missions in later centuries, up to now.

Beneavolence and Mendacity perpetrate great suffering.

What then are examples that fulfil the intention of influence that do no harm?

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter found themselves astride these very problems when Iran took hostages. It seemed to me that Jimmy sought to do no harm. Others disagree. Either way, a marriage that lasted (how long?!!) must have involved some beneavolent self-sacrifice.

So what was it that inspired my return to faith from Atheism? A wide swath of ‘evidence’ is one way of spinning it. One point of conviction arose from asking the question “What inspires someone to give their life for a cause?”

Twelve Apostles, men of very average origin and one other fellow, a very privaledged and educated man, died horrifically in the service of their faith because they were inspired by someone or something. What was that? I had to think about it.

At least in these cases I learned that history shows that their beneavolence was *NOT* malignant. None of these fellows forced their ideas on people. They promoted their cause and argued it’s advantages. The faith grew by the Power of Attraction. At least I hope there was no coercive aspect.

400 years later, it was a broad group of church leaders and politicians that inverted that beneavolence and toxified Christianity1 in the service of institutional power.

How history repeats itself. Wow.

And so it is with freedom. The US consitution enshrines equality and mutual aid. It does not favor one group or religion. This is inpiring. And it is very powerful in the way it attracts people oppressed in their places of origin.

Freedom is a beneavolent cause with no mendacity. World wars have demonstrated this.