If only I believed, life would be so much simpler…..

We have just come back from the pub where we had an interesting conversation with Kieran and Annie about travel and the vagaries of life.

It’s been a good day today even though I was woken early by my wife who was having one of those hot events that happen to women of a certain age. Anyway at around 5.30 this morning I was editing the guitar I had put down on my latest tune entitled ‘The Prize’.

What is The Prize? Muslim suicide bombers expect a room full of virgins.  Douglas Adams came up with the definitive figure of ‘42′ , I’m not so sure it is as clear cut as that.

I hate religion and the power that it has. I detest the intermediaries: the priests, vicars, bishops, imams and rabbi’s that use their power to control their small but faithful followers.

I recently have been suffering doubts about myself and the way I look at life. I think it’s an age thing.  My song is about doubts, getting old , forgetting where I have been and who was there with with me but I think maybe I have come close to the true answer to the Prize. It was written in 1793 by Thomas Paine,

 

I believe in the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavouring to make our fellow creatures happy………..

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My mind is my own church.

            All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

 

This was written over two hundred years ago yet I fear we are no closer to a world of harmony.

What is it about the total belief in God, the Bible, the Quoran and the Torah? If believing in god is so harmonious why do the different faiths think that their religion is the right one? I just think they are all totally deluded.

Does anyone know the truth?