Degrees of Belief

The end of the world... the end of days... the end times.

The rapture... Armageddon... the apocalypse.

Many believe this stuff. Many do not.

It's been discussed to death throughout the millennia.

So who really cares? And who really knows? Not me.

I've been listening to "believers" ridicule the above "believers" for weeks now...

So here's my perspective and point-of-difference on this subject:

It's not about if you believe... it's about how much and what you believe.

It's more than just belief... it's about the degrees of belief... it's a continuum.

A lot of "believing" folks (from the same and different faiths) will dismiss the folks in the photo above as misguided at best; looney and cooky at worst.

Both camps will cite chapter and verse (of their chosen sacred text) to support their position.

But who's left with what's "right?"

And, how far is too far? Ancient, literal translation or modern, figurative interpretation?

It depends on who you are, what camp you belong to, and what you've learned to believe to be true.

Believers will dismiss believers if they don't believe the same things in the same way... to the same degree... Believers throwing other believers under the bus publicly and privately is all-too-common. Each can conveniently make the other "wrong" in their minds to support their own agendas, mythology, and psychology.

So who's right? Beats me... but in this battle, I don't believe anyone wins. History proves it.

I believe it's less about faith and more about fear.

The fear of being wrong.

The fear of being left out or "left behind."

This fear is the psychology at the core of all people whether the faithful, freethinkers, or infidels.

What everyone should really be afraid of isn't the end of days, but the absence of the end of days like these...

©2011 Tom Leu