From the beginning of our social and political awareness, fear-based control philosophies have been robbing individuals of their peace of mind, as well as their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. This, in turn, diminishes faith in both God and humanity.
Personally, I believe that God’s existence is intertwined with the existence of the human individual, no matter how insignificant they may appear to be. Just look at our ghost towns: the buildings, roads, and systems are intact but hold no value unless people inhabit them. In other words, something is only valuable if it is needed. Similarly, God may seem useless alone; it’s the human individual who attributes value to God, feeling weak and having no control over mortality, hence the extreme fear of death, which is closely tied to the fear of losing loved ones and material assets. As I said before, God and a ghost town have one thing in common: they can’t be meaningful without human beings.
You might argue that God created everything, but I can counter that it is humans who assign value to everything. It’s an assumption from both perspectives if we disregard the importance of the human individual. Without humans, logically, everything falls apart because there would be no one to assume, argue, or even kill each other over those assumptions.
The education of individuals under political influences fosters a sense of belonging that makes them feel valueless, vulnerable, fearful, and needy. Politically, people are preached to and convinced that they would be wrong to stand up and recognize their value, especially if they are mortal. This insecurity among individuals has been a boon for ruling authorities.
I believe that human individuals need to understand their place in the grand scheme, rather than subscribing passionately to fear-based education, whether it comes from religious authorities or other governing systems.
First of all, as individuals, we are told that God has endless powers and can help us whenever we need. But comparing ourselves to the unlimited makes us feel even more limited. Yet, we are the foundation of God’s physical powers or expression.
This traditional knowledge has been robbing individuals of their value and self-esteem. If a person determines that they are valueless, the only beneficiaries are those in the business of politics and power, whether it is religion or an ideology. They won’t preach for individuals to become the CEOs of their own lives, capable of putting them in their place if needed.
If you start to look at yourself the way I see it, first, you will understand and filter out the politics of power. Second, you will develop self-respect and learn to be who you really are. In reality, you are an ocean in a drop and the CEO of your life.
As the CEO of your life, you will see how important you are in the larger scheme, whether you believe in God or not. You will not be who you were made to believe; you will develop self-esteem to be more productive and useful to God and yourself simultaneously. Your importance is illustrated in this example:
When you see a beautifully designed tablecloth, you admire it as a work of art. But if you examine it closely, you will find that it is made of a very fine, weak, thin, and easily breakable thread. The value of this thread should not be underestimated. Without it, there would be no tablecloth. If you pull one thread out, it may not affect the appearance or strength immediately, but if you keep pulling, it will eventually lose its beauty and strength and become valueless.
Now, if you are the thread and the cloth is God, you can’t separate the two and place value on one but not the other. The beauty and strength of the material are valuable only if both are in the picture. They depend on each other to be a beautifully designed cloth. So, should one fear God when God is made meaningful by human beings? This question is for you to answer personally. Your fear is deeply related to insecurities and control; you want more security, so you seek God’s help. If you can overcome these deeply ingrained beliefs, you will see yourself as a workhorse of God. God needs you to be healthy and strong to take care of divine affairs.
A poem I read as a boy in Pakistan, by an unknown author, resonates here: “A lily in the pond of a forest cries about its dullness for thousands of years; it is very difficult to find a set of eyes that can appreciate its beauty.”
As human individuals, we need to recognize that even God’s existence depends on us. It is our spiritual duty to respect life and reproduce, making killing in the name of religion or any governing system a spiritual crime regardless.
If you believe in a philosophy that does not respect the importance of the individual, you are influenced by the politics of belonging to a particular group. You need to focus on God, humanity, and spirituality rather than religions and nationalism exclusively.
My logic is simple: God is like a ghost town without humans—valuable yet useless. Take pride in being God’s workhorse. Don’t be fearful and begging, because you are the main source of fulfilling someone’s prayers physically. If you feel inferior as a thread, remember that the cloth’s physical existence depends on you. Understand the politics behind the traditions and customs related to your religion.
Each human individual adds to God’s physical strength. If you tell me that God has more power and strength, I would believe it, but only partially because of human physicality. If you say that God has more powers than all humanity, I would have some reservations because today we are saving lives from natural disasters by understanding storm paths. I am not saying that God does not protect us or has no reasons to destroy us, but human beings can save and kill with intentions as well. So, does God have more power than humanity? Spiritually, maybe, but physically, even God relies on human beings.
Today’s news suggests that in the near future, we will harvest human organs from pigs through genetic advancements. This will undoubtedly provoke religious protests based on traditional ethics. My question to them would be: ask the loved one whose child’s life depends on a transplant but cannot find a suitable organ.
Each one of us carries a part of God’s power, whether we believe in God or not. With that power, we have already been helped by God. Remember the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” So, the human is helping themselves while simultaneously helping God to exist physically.
God has blessed us with this power to reciprocate and serve ourselves during our mortal lives. When you want more, you have to put in the effort to get more. Just as you can’t wish your way to bigger muscle mass—you have to work hard for it. Praying has its place, but only after you have done your share of hard work. Some are lucky to be born in favorable circumstances, and others are given opportunities, but for most, personal effort is a must.
Why God helps some and not others is something I don’t know, so I put it in my “I don’t know” basket and continue living and reciprocating in my way, whether I fit the mold of regular religions or not. I feel comfortable in my skin and have no fear of God because I believe God is not to be feared. I believe the real worship of God is practical prayers—doing God’s work as a duty and reciprocation on equal footing, which means helping humanity as a whole.
When people live together, if they all reciprocate, the household is peaceful. But if they start to use or dominate each other, things naturally fall apart. Then why do we think that just praying to God without helping humanity is enough? God’s help depends on the physical efforts of human individuals during their lives, preventing the world from becoming a ghost town. If you worship God but do nothing for humanity, your worship is an impotent act of spirituality. God’s work is not done without the physicality of human beings. The real meaningful life is during our living years, where we are useful to God. If you are useful and reciprocating, you have nothing to fear. Heaven or hell is unknown, so sacrificing this life or living in fear and stress is like putting all your eggs in one basket, playing into the hands of the powerful in this world.