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I am an agnostic. I definitely cannot say for certain that I do not believe in one supreme religious being, but I also DEFINITELY can never be sure of one's existence. My faith is science, logic, and research.
The only concepts that make sense to me are every action having an equal and opposite reaction, cyclical natures of almost everything, Yin and Yang, and Karma. The bell curve concept was originally used to display the fact that most people are of AVERAGE intelligence. I think that this can be applied to almost every human trait or skill. By thinking this way and observing a world that runs on money in this recession/depression, the bell curve seems to explain the fact that most people are of average morality. Most people do not do true good deeds willingly. They either follow a church or their own consciences.
Doing really good things for people seems to be true philanthropy for some, but most of the time it's just people trying to con their way to "Heaven", keep themselves out of "Hell", or get a selfish high from knowing that one has personally ensured happiness for a group of people. A lot of these people that run some of the biggest charities and non-profits seem to be RUTHLESS business-people as well. You're either raising enough to give yourself the basics of water, food, and shelter, and give every last cent you can to whatever group of unfortunates you're raising money for, or you earn a fair bit yourself. There are not that many gray areas any more.
There are people that do bad things like murder and get out of prison in about 5 years. Because of the TOTALLY USELESS drug war, this country lets out its truly violent (just plain damn evil) criminals to re-offend and re-offend. That's part of the cyclical game that is law enforcement. In many areas they keep arresting the same people over and over.
Also, research shows that ten percent of humans are borderline to full-on sociopaths. This means that as long as they're getting what they want, they have no empathy for anyone else. When they stop getting what they want, they leave enormous destruction in their wake in the form of all sorts of crimes and unethical behaviors.
Additionally, about ten percent of the population are severe alcoholics or drug fiends. They leave a wake of crime but primarily just hurt their own families.
Then, there's the ten percent of humanity that's homosexual. Most people tolerate it but still make very crude jokes about it. Then there are the fundamentalist groups that exist simply to inform gays that they're going to "hell". Then there's also the people that think having gay friends makes them hip. Very few heterosexual men are actual friends to gay men. Mostly they're just barely tolerant but bigoted behind the scenes. Why does anyone think that gays have the highest suicide rate of any other group in America??? Their own parents often disown them for goddsakes.
Then there are the thieves. The average person steals (usually little unethical shortcuts) when they have an opportunity. I'm talking about if it's a really juicy opportunity. About ten percent of major department store merchandise is shoplifted in the U.S. A lot of people do it for the thrill not even the need.
I guess my final idea that I want to put out there is that everyone is out for themselves in the end (and their closest friends and family members). Hardly anyone goes out of their way just to help other people. There is always a different motive or sense of arrogance.
What really made me write this essay is the fact that my local newspaper seems to not have enough space for the crimes in my area that it reports daily. My county was the third hardest hit by foreclosures in the country. Money rules our survival today. If you take away someone's ability to be comfortable financially, you're liable to meet a whole new person in the same body. I'll admit it. I would do some pretty messed-up things for big money if I knew that I wouldn't be arrested.
Last thing I want to say: No person is completely good. Everything is a gray area. If you screw with someone's family and friends, be prepared for revenge, however cruel. After all, humans are just animals that can talk, and most talk is useless anyway. So, you know how THEY (don't get me started) want you to be a defensive driver, I'm a defensive person. I'm not going to trust you because you smile and shake my hand. That is earned over a fairly long period. So be real people. If everyone knew that most people are out for themselves, and lived like they did, we could live in a much more logical world.