Contemplation of Tragedy

A recent post to social media stated it well, that anti-intellectualism is hindering progress in this country. That concept is doing laps in my mind, in the wake of the tragedy in Charleston. This, while the news is littered with interviews of forgiveness and persistent faith. Faith is not the answer, no matter your cultural background and ethological belief. In what do you have faith? Do you have faith that God's plan is working to perfection, when traceable hate and unequivocal murder is answered with immediate forgiveness? There is no plan, but if you must believe, how can you believe that an omnipotent being plans for something such as the murders in Charleston? It is not a sin to answer this tragedy with an intellectual resolution. In fact, it is time to expect it. Do not go to church to seek solace in your sorrow; discuss what your sorrow, anger, and confusion mean with your friends and family, or whomever is close to you. Contemplate what can rationally be learned from this, and dissipate the cloudy faith to find and support an existence of cooperation. Faith in God is a distraction from reality. I will not sit idle while we coddle The Distraction. It is time to air intellectual debate, and empower rhetoric. If you believe God exists, explain her role in this tragedy. If you are at a loss for words, or hide behind the concept that God's order is unfathomable, take a moment to listen to those that consider this tragedy in terms of what it means in THIS life. Ponder and digest an evaluation that betters our belief in the civilized life. Make no mistake that I am talking about public debate. Let a public discourse permeate your perspective, because I have faith that it will have weight on the honest soul. What is more persuasive than honesty? I don't feel that intellectual honesty and pragmatic thought needs a sales pitch. Its faith that needs the gimmicks. Our existence is simultaneously hunkered in honesty...without compromise. From an early age, we are taught to believe that life is just stage in a greater schematic; we are also taught that Santa delivers presents to every boy and girl in one night. These are equally dishonest concepts, however, we grow out of one while the other wrecks civil growth. Yes, belief wrecks civil growth, because it begs you to part with your intellect and trust in a scam. There are so many branches of discussion that we could take from here: interpreting written text, role of religious structure on raising a child, historical accuracy. Let's talk about all of them! At the very least, it behooves each of us to take a step out of our comfort zones to think about life without a fairy tale ending. Think about life as nothing more...just life. See us a animals...better yet, see us as two hemispheres of the brain driving a sack of blood and bones. If you cannot, it is only your ego that is stopping you. If you cannot put down your safe construct for the sake of exploring a thought, just a thought, its quite apparent that your fear of honesty overwhelms you. The Bible study attendees who were murdered in Charleston did not deserve this fate. BUT, this is not a play by God, and its not the devil sneaking one by. This is the act of an angry bigot with a gun. He was taught, or taught himself, to hate. It is intellectually honest and necessary to see this for what it truly is, and it has nothing to do with God. When the news coverage slows, and the talk of forgiveness and faith dwindles, the melancholy will set in. At this time, ask questions. Don't hide behind your pious shield. The victims deserve your intellectual analysis, and so do you.