Last week, I received a very important phone call. A few days later, I discovered that my phone was not working. Verizon traced the problem, and discovered that it was an outside "problem." I was told that my phone would not be fixed until the 17th. I do not normally spend much time on the phone, but it is an uncomfortable feeling to be without one.

I started thinking about how much I depend on technology. It is difficult to imagine life without all of our gadgets. If something happened, and we suddenly lost all of the things we use on a daily basis, would we be capable of living off the land? In this country, almost all of us have a T.V. and a computer, but how many of us would be able to build them, or even fix them?

There is a point to all this. I began to think about early humanity. They were predators, but they were also prey. They had no technology to comfort them. They were at the mercy of the environment. The newborn death rate was high. The average life-span was short. All in all, it was difficult to be a human 10,000 years ago. Humanity turned to various supernatural entities to give them comfort. They had nothing else. We do.

All the "great" world religions teach that a glorious afterlife exists for the faithful. This must have been a comforting idea to people who were faced with death every day, who lived constantly with the threat of disease, attack, and hunger. Most of us are not faced with these problems. Our biggest problems tend to be things that our early ancestors never could have conceived of: Where should I take my vacation? What kind of car should I buy? What sort of gift should I buy for my boyfriend/girlfriend?

So why are we still so enthralled to religion? I think it is largely habit. Our parents were_______, so we are_______ too. If you read the texts, you will instantly notice that they were meant to appeal to people who had it tough. We do not have it tough. Many people I know say that the idea of heaven gives them comfort. This notion implies that humanity has no value, in and of itself. Therein lies the problem. I find great value in humanity. I know that we do not always live up to our potential, but the greatness is there.

We have to strive for a human centered world, a world where we can rely on each other, not on gods. The religious struggles that we see today are primarily motivated by politics. The leaders of the world know that the people can be manipulated by religious fervor, and they use that fervor to their advantage. Religion has been used over and over to justify violent actions, and it happens because we allow it to happen.
Why?

Learn more about this author, Don Buchwalter.
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