I’ve been giving this subject a great deal of thought. At this point, I don’t think it really matters. To say one doesn’t believe in God or religion erects yet one more barrier to that place where we are all together in the search for meaning. So, I’m going to let it go for now. It just doesn’t matter. If someone finds meaning in the absence of a supernatural being, so be it. If they find meaning in the presence of a supernatural being, so be it.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this is to decide for yourself what matters.

The question that raises is, what if what matters to one person means harm to another? That is a question of perspective isn’t it? Someone who is devoted to a certain belief system insists on teaching that system to his or her children. What if that belief system causes harm? Let’s face it, that’s the primary method for passing along prejudice isn’t it? Children learn behavior from their parents or significant care takers. Nothing happens in a vacuum. We’re all in this together.

The next question I have has to do with learning. How do we evolve from one level of humanity to another? A short walk down history will reveal some pretty awful human behavior on a grand and barbaric scale. Witch hunts, the inquisition, genocide, slavery, interment camps, waterboarding, terrorism, racism—you get my point.

Sadly, what mattered most to the KKK was ridding the world of those who they saw as their enemies. When you get right down to it, isn’t that at the heart of all type of human conflict? We see someone as different and threatening so we do away with them by whatever means are necessary. How do we learn another way? How do we overcome our tendency to obliterate, oppress and oppose those who frighten us?