by Rodger Caldwell

Created on: March 20, 2009   Last Updated: March 28, 2009

Since the dawn of civilization, religion has existed for the purpose of maximising a group's numbers, controlling deviant and bad behavior and keeping people subservient to their leaders and providing status and an easy living to preachers or priests. Science has largely discredited religion, and consequently there has been increasing moral turpitude. All American politicians profess being religious, indeed if they are not Christian they can't be elected, but they are all fairly intelligent, many of them have some scientific literacy, and consequently lack the fear, dread, and hope of reward necessary for them to behave in a righteous manner. Many people have well developed moral and ethics centers in their brains, but many also lack these brain components, and without religions coercion can't and won't behave. Righteous behavior is necessary for the maintenance of civilization, for without it there is chaos and anarchy, so many people, especially politicians, need something as effective as religious beliefs to guide them.

I believe the answer lies in requiring politicians to take an infallible lie detector test, both before running for office and upon leaving it. They should be asked if they intend to use their power to steal, cheat, or act unfairly. When they leave office they should be asked again if they have done such deeds. In the past people feared punishment or hoped for reward from a deity or deities, but they were not certain they would get it. The divine consequences for their actions were deferred until after their deaths, or any punishment during their life lacked evidence that it was ever forthcoming. People had fear and uncertainly, but nothing concrete, so while fear helped them to behave with some effectiveness it wasn't nearly as efficent as what I purpose, the certain punishment of financial reversal or jail.

The truth meter is an infallible, new technology, inexpensive, easy to use, non invasive lie detector developed by one professor Nickols of Johns Hopkins university, and can act as a viable replacement for now discredited religion.

I believe politicians should be held to the highest ethical standards, for they make the laws that underpin our civilization. The knowledge of their detection and sure punishment will make them conduct themselves properly far more effectively than any mythology ever could.

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