Merry FAKmas

Unfortunately, religion will probably always exist. Even if we're to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there is no God, there'll be some unreasonable character who will doubt the proof based on faith. Tis all a matter of faith after all. How I detest that as a pillar of argument!

Religion thrives for various reasons but probably most strongly because humans - even the dumbest ones - search for answers to questions for which there are no answers. What is the meaning of life? What is the point of all of this if we're only to die and go nowhere else? Why should Ibe good if there's no one to answer to in the ‘next life' because there is no‘ next life'? How could something so bad happen to someone so good?

The list goes on and on. I've heard all presented as ‘reasons' for subscribing to religion or, at the very least, the belief in God. It's human nature - people don't like the reality that there is no light at theend of the tunnel, there is no tunnel, and there is no light. People don't want to accept that the show's over when the show's over. Bad things happen to good people. No, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus but there will be plenty of Visa and MasterCard bills in January.

The church - any church - fears reason because reason is what negates that which supports its argument of being. Maybe instead of fighting so hard to interfere with the advance of science and progress, the church should simply modernize its marketing plan as a ‘fictional escape from reality' because as Hollywood and Disney World have proven: fantasy is a profitable business. Perhaps religion should jump on the consumerism/tourism band wagon. Vatican Land for instance where kids can ride the Pope's train, buy Pope hats instead of mouse ears, pose for pics in front of the life-sized Pope-mobile, eat ice cream in the shape of a cross, and queue for hours for the most popular ride: Journey through the Fires of Hell. It'd be Vatican Land's answer to Space Mountain. Upon departure, visitors could sign the Great Big Holy Book and enter a contest to have Easter breakfast with the crusty little creepy old dude in the funny shoes.

Intellectual atheist scientists take their kids to Disney World to indulge in a world they very well know not to be real. These samelogical minds flock to films based purely on fiction. They're able to separate real life from fantasy without it interfering in their daily work. No one fears Mickey Mouse will strike them dead if they fail to visit him annually to spend lots of money on his overpriced food and merchandise to decorate the kids' rooms in all Disney. No physicist leaps out a window on the 40^th floor of a skyscraper fully expecting to float or land safely on one's feet because some character in a film viewed over the weekend defied the laws of gravity and lived happily ever after.

People visit character-based amusement parks and engage with Mickey, Minnie, and friends in the moment as an escape from the reality outside the gates. When the holiday ends, no one starts praying to Pluto (the dog, not the ex-planet) or giving thanks to Piglet for this ham they are about to receive. Some may leave a horror film slightly frightened by a particular scene and may not want to be alone in a dark room soon after, but then the logical mind kicks in and assures the person that it was just a film and monsters don't really live in your closet waiting to spring to life when you turn off the lights and go to bed. No one's asking Dumbo to run the country. We had that for 8 years and see where we are as a result?