Updated: 03/15/05
CHAPTER 37
YOU MAY FIND IT ENLIGHTENING TO NOTE
WHAT I HAVE NOT SAID.
I have not said there is no God. I said there is no Religious Creator God or Maker God as described to us by the Catholic Church, Baptist Church, Muslim religion, Jewish religion, or any other church, religion or holy book (of which I am aware). Since there is no known scientific need, physical reason, or moral necessity for this type of a religious God, I hold to my conclusions. Until there are new facts to indicate a need, necessity, or a reason for such a religious God, or until there is some type of scientific fact that tends to prove the existence of such a religious God, I must be faithful to the brain given me. I must be faithful to honesty and to the Clear Thinking philosophy. I must honestly doubt any statement or claim not based on facts. Utilizing the Clear Thinking philosophy, one must honestly conclude that there is no fact, need, reason or moral necessity for this kind of a religious God, as the religions now define the term, "God.”
If
there were some other kind of non-religious God, how would we then define the
term “God?” No one knows, no one can guess, no one can agree. No one can even
imagine what kind of definition would encompass the term "Non-Religious
God.” Some have tried by using the concepts and terms of, “First Force” or
“Nature” and some have even suggested, “Life” or “Evolution.” Religion seems to
have wasted all the unlikely definitions. Best of all, since there is no such
thing as a religious God, no one worries about any other type of God. We are
here and that is all we really know about the subject.
I
have not said there are no unusual happenings in this world. There are many
happenings for which we do not yet have an explanation. But there must be a
natural cause and effect for all happenings, no matter what that cause, or what
the effect of that cause may be. Otherwise, All science is folly and useless. A
Just God would not and could not arbitrarily and randomly tinker with the daily
affairs of man, upset his scientific endeavors, reduce nature to a plaything
and steal the effect of some exact cause. Contrary to religious belief, God is
not a thief. He does not use miracles to steal the effects of any cause.
I
have not said there are no truths, or true stories, or histories in the holy
books of the world. I said there is no Revelation of truth, no true revelation
from a God in them. Some of the stories maybe true and did happen. What is
untrue in these books is attributing to some God or Devil, the ordering of
these events and the intervention of some God or Devil into these events.
I
have not said there was no flood or catastrophe upon which the story about Noah
hinges. I have not said there was no large boat that may have been used twelve
thousand or more years ago to save some people and animals during what seems to
have been a worldwide catastrophe. I said the story as written and understood
is false. I said the story is unscientific and could not have happened as
written, explained or generally understood.
I
have not said the earth did not appear to stand still (described as the sun
standing still). I said the earth did not stand still at the Request of a
Jewish General who wanted the extra time and sunlight to kill as many of his
enemies as possible. Several ancient myths (histories) describe a time when the
sun didn't rise or didn't set for many extra hours. This was also a time of
terrible catastrophes upon earth and seems to coincide with the ancient tales
of the time in which a wall of water washed over the earth. This could have
been the last time the poles slipped. Such a slippage would indeed cause the
sun to appear still for some and the oceans to form continent-consuming waves.
Much of our ancient coal beds were thus formed from dumped debris in ancient
times.
I
have not said there is no conscious knowledge of ourselves after death. I said,
I sincerely hope there is, but I have little proof of it that will yet convince
me. My hope is based on research into reincarnation type happenings and the
natural concept of justice that is observable in all of Nature. Common sense
and scientific knowledge says No! I guess I might know for sure later. I do not
mind waiting - and waiting.
I
have not said Believers cannot think at all. I said Believers cannot think
logically and honestly in those areas where belief has become more important
than the facts and truth of the matter. Believers cannot reach honest and
logical conclusions when they accept some mistaken authority as being more
truthful than the moral and scientific facts of the matter.
I
have not said that otherwise intelligent people of high IQs believe all the
doctrines and claims of their religion. I said there are some intelligent
people who believe their religious leaders have proven or justified the beliefs
and doctrines of their church. What I said was those of high IQs in the various
religions need to rethink their beliefs in the light of Honesty and Clear
Thinking as shown in this presentation of the HONEST MAN'S PHILOSOPHY. I
said these people have probably never thought much about their beliefs and they
need to. There is no room in the life of intelligent people for accepting as
true these myths, fables and falsehoods. There are too many facts with which to
deal without worrying about, or believing in, these fictions and myths. If you
don't believe, you don't have to obey.
I
have not said everyone who honestly thinks will, or should, arrive at the same
conclusions at which I have arrived. I said they should learn to honestly doubt
and honestly think so they can find out if what I say is the truth. They should
also honestly doubt so they can find out if what their holy books and religious
leaders say is true. They must do the same for their politicians.
I
have not said you should agree with me. My concern is that you clearly
Understand what I have said. I am not concerned with whether you agree with me
or not. Once you understand what I have said, your reaction becomes your
choice.
I
have not said there are no other intelligent or super beings in the universe.
The scientific evidence speaks more in favor of other intelligence than it does
against it. I said there is no evidence of supernatural beings in the universe
that are made up out of spirit-stuff, who can interject themselves between
cause and effect, who work miracles without using nature and nature's
"laws.” If it can be done, or
is done, it is natural and performed by natural means.
I
have not said this earth has not been visited by other intelligent beings. They
may well have visited earth and in so doing passed themselves off, or been
accepted, as angels or gods. Some may still be here. I do not mock what I do
not know.
I
have not said Clear Thinking can automatically solve all of the pressing and
distressing problems in the world. I said Clear Thinking is the best philosophy
with which to seek solutions to our problems. Clear Thinking is the only honest
philosophy, the only philosophy that deals with the facts and does not mess
with hearsay, gossip, beliefs, testimonies, voices in their head, visions,
revelations the unbelievable and prophecy.
I
have not said there is no value in private prayer. I said a just God will not,
cannot and does not answer the begging pleas of the self-deluded believers.
Prayer may indeed have some advantage, psychologically, to a person in about
the same degree, as does the practice of meditation or writing a diary. Such a
quiet time may be the only time one steps outside of his daily routine and
evaluates the events and attitudes of the past and present. I do, however, wish
you to be honest with yourself and call your time spent "in your
head" as meditation instead of the misunderstood term and concept called
prayer. Prayer cannot direct God’s activity, nor can it change God's mind!
Another
item about prayer is if there is something out there answering prayers, I would
like to ask, Who is it? In addition, I would like to ask why? Since a Just God
would not answer prayer, just who is trying to get on our good side? What if
you had a choice to follow the true God who did Not answer prayer (give you
something for nothing) or follow the Ones who do answer your prayers and
perform "miracles?” What if the ones who answer prayer have the emblem of
the "winged serpent" on their chest? Might this not be that
Anti-Christ - or something? Worry over that “bone” for a while!
I
have not said the account of creation in Genesis is not true. What I said is
the account in Genesis, as it is presently written and interpreted, is not
true. The account in the first part of Genesis is a condensation of a
condensation of a condensation of a condensation. That means the early Scientific
accounts of the Sumerians were edited, reedited, taken out of context,
important details left out and later presented as religious statements by later
civilizations. These stories were originally written down by the Sumerians as
scientific statements and the explanations for how earth came to be like it is.
They claimed this information was dictated to them by intelligent beings that
the Sumerians said came from the sky in airships.
The
early accounts of the formation of earth in the Sumerian tablets were their
scientific statements, not religious statements. Their scientific statements
and conclusions, are being reaffirmed daily by our own scientific discoveries.
As science degenerated down through the ages, religion took over and
substituted their own definitions for the earlier scientific terms. Thus
confused, the terms translated by later civilizations and religions, missed the
whole scientific points of the information given by the Sumerians about the
Transformation of earth. If one reverted to the original accounts, the terms
translated God or Gods would be translated as planet or planets with specific
names for each planet named after some of the sky people, who were later,
called Gods by the religions. "Ring of lights (or hammered out string of
pearls)" was finally translated as "heaven,” but it should be
translated as "asteroid belt.”
The
term Gods, or Elohim in Hebrew, translates a word in Sumerian that meant
"Sky People.” Their earthly name was given as, "Lofty Ones,” or
"Sky People.” These terms were later translated as Lords or Gods.
TIME OUT FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.
In
the Forward, I said the author (me) took what you and he already knew, or could
find out and applied some honest logical thought to it. I did not base my
honest logic on information to which you may not have access. I would be very
surprised if more than one out of a thousand had read any modern translations
of the Sumerian tablets. Some may be familiar with the Babylonian, Akkadian or
Chaldean texts, but these are simply corrupted condensed translations and
versions of the earlier Sumerian scientific records, which they say they
received from the "Lofty Ones,” or "Sky People.”
In
order to understand ancient languages, one must realize that language develops
and is based on what a people already know, not what they may find out about in
the future. In order to communicate, the people had to give names to
everything. The names often came from the attributes of that which was being
named. An owl, for instance, might be called a "night flying rat catcher,”
"Whoo bird,” "horned night flyer,” "swivel necked bird,” or
"big-eyed bird.” If we understood the phrase "horned night
flyer," we would translate it as "owl.” If we didn't understand, we
might translate it as "bat,” or even as "devil or demon.” So the
whole meaning of the writing would be changed. This in turn would change other
things in the writings.
After
they named things, they learned to remember and pass information onto others,
so they develop writing. Early writing seems always to be pictorial. If a
writer wished to pass on the idea that someone had "lofty thoughts,” he
might draw an eagle over the wrinkled brow of a man.
Thus,
written language passes from primitive pictures to a type of short hand picture
and finally to a stylized version with the original picture totally hidden. The
Sumerian records on clay tablets (of which there are thousands still
untranslated) had progressed in writing until one or two symbols represented
what it would take us several phrases to say. Thus, a simple seal, or very
small tablet can record an extensive amount of information in the Sumerian
writings. So, by way of illustration, translate this into our words. (TGIF >
USA. FBI & FAA - =.) That is, "Thank God it is Friday in the United
States of America. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal
Aeronautical Administration are not the same."
In
addition to that problem, there is the problem of idioms, that is, phrases that
have nothing linguistically to do with the subject under discussion. We write
about business and say, "That guy is so clever with his business, he could
steal home." Six thousand years later, how would that be translated into
another language? Is he good, bad, a thief, or what?
To
translate from a complicated, abbreviated symbolic writing into a more specific
phonetically written language, takes a great deal of additional explanatory
details. One seal may take a whole page to translate. The earlier translators
tried to condense their own explanations and ended up losing the real
identifying characteristics of words like planets, heaven, god, gods, snake,
lord, lords, etc. These words had conversational meanings and they also had
specific scientific meanings and characteristics. (If I say, Big Bang, the scientists
will interpret it in one way. A race car driver will see it in a different
light and a fireworks maker will see it in still another manner.)
Today,
we apply our own theological definitions to words that had specific scientific
definitions in the Sumerian writings. Large portions of the first five books of
the Hebrew Old Testament came from the later condensed versions of these
Sumerian writings. To understand what much of the Hebrew Testament really says,
one must look to the original source of the tales and accounts. That original
source is found in the Sumerian writings, some of which are just recently being
translated.
To
better understand the stories and records in the Old Testament, one should
read: THE 12th PLANET, by Zecharia Sitchin, Book One of the Earth
Chronicles. There are seven or so more volumes. You need only read the first
one to understand the major concepts presented by Dr. Sitchin from these
Sumerians writings.
I
am not asserting that the Sumerian records are true or correct. They may or may
not be true. The position of Dr. Sitchin seems to be that the records do have a
great deal of truth and true science and history in them. What I am saying is,
much of the Old Testament is simply a rewrite and condensation of these
accounts. The Jewish Old Testament has given these accounts a religious context
and meaning, while the Sumerians claimed they recorded them as scientific and
historical accounts. Whether the accounts are true or false, they are Not
religious accounts and do not deal with religion in their original Sumerian
editions. Now back to the subject.
I
have not said becoming a Clear Thinker is easy. It is not! I said becoming a
Clear Thinker is worth the price. It will change your life for the better. The
rewards far outstrip the emotional and mental energy necessary to put reality
and belief into proper perspective. Besides, there is no greater or cleaner
feeling than to know you can be honest in your thinking and research. Honesty
has a Very, Very high value once it becomes yours. The dishonest and the
religious believers will never know that wonderful clean feeling. To believers,
dishonesty is necessary in order to defend and extend the claims and promises
of their religion and beliefs.
The
greatest obstacle to Clear Thinking is the emotions. By and large the emotions
are controlled more by believing, than by thinking (my studied opinion). The
religious songs you grew up with, the old habits of attending church, the
reading of the Bible, reading inspirational books and literature, the hearing
of sermons, all exert a great deal of pressure on the mind (emotions).
Religion
is like the pit viper that hypnotizes the bird into inactivity of the mind and
body until the viper is close enough to gobble up the little bird. Did you know,
You Are The Bird?
For
a while, if you make a decision to be a Clear Thinker instead of being a
believer, waves of nostalgia will wash over you when you hear one of the old
songs on the radio, or hear the appeal of the evangelists. Your thinking mind knows
the truth about the matter, but your emotions will say - "Ah! What's the
harm?" Then is when you must see the viper and know the bird is not only
you, but the bird is also your children, your friends and your loved ones. You
need to remember, this whole nation is the bird. The viper wants you. The viper
hates Honest research and Honest Clear Thinking! Honesty is your protection
from the viper.
After
you have gone through this a few times, your emotions will be reeducated to
react according to the honest thinking that your mind is doing. It is also good
if you can find a friend who is also an Honest Thinker. One way to find others
like you is to suggest this book to them. After that, the rest is easy enough.
You will have found a friend (or not a friend). In addition, I suggest you
reread this book from time to time. You will discover new truths each time you
read it.
I
have not said everyone should leave the church or stay in it. I said those who
learn to be Clear Thinkers and do stay in the church should seek to bring the
activities of the church into harmony with the needs and realities of the world
around them. They should try to change the doctrines and rules of their church
that crush the desires and development of people who wish to be honest. And
above all, they should teach their children the truth about the things around
them. Children should be taught early to rightly divide the true from the
false, the real from the imaginary. They should be taught they are responsible
for their own mistakes.
For
those of you who choose to stay in the church, it would be a service to your
minister and the congregation to see that he gets and reads a copy of this
book. You may soon notice a great change in his sermons and in his service to
the church members. You may find he becomes a bit more tolerant and helpful to
his congregation. He may become a bit more Honest.
Also,
you may soon hear sermons preached against this philosophy of Clear Thinking
(by those who haven't read the book). When you do, you may wish to reconsider
your membership, because the choice IS between Thinking or Believing. The
choice is between Honesty or Dishonesty.
I
have not said all Clear Thinkers will, or should, seek to have the same goals,
accomplish the same ends, mount a crusade, or engage in public debate. Every
person is an individual, has specific abilities and talents and each one
arrives at the truth of Clear Thinking from different and varying
circumstances.
Among
Clear Thinkers, there are many different emphases on life and on what one
should do in society. Some are political or economical activists. That is, they
are trying to do something constructive in a legal way about our present day
problems and immoral laws. Others work through the educational system to make
education live up to its responsibility to educate our children by teaching
them to think, find the facts and communicate. (Learning to communicate
includes learning the language of science, math, music and other important
disciplines.) Others work through the religious system, trying to get the
churches to do some of the necessary services to our underprivileged and needy.
Some seek to undo the harm that has been done to our children. Some do what the
average good citizen would do. They live their own lives, raise their own
children and tend to their own business.
Then
there are those like me who are trying to tell others about the Clear Thinking
philosophy. We are sometimes called "Trouble Making Atheists.” That is to say,
we try to explain Atheism or Clear Thinking. We try to explain the value and
principles of Honest Clear Thinking. I guess you could call that trouble making
if you were wrapped up in propagating a lie. They hate it when the light of
Clear Thinking and truth is shown on their pet schemes for making money and
deceiving people. Well, I guess "trouble making" is the correct term
- from their prospective.
The
Clear Thinking philosophy is tolerant. It does not try to use force or public
pressure to present itself. It appeals to facts and reason alone. It doesn't
burn crosses, boycott businesses, or break windows. It leaves that up to the
morality of the believers and their love for doing the Will of God, which the
worshipers proclaim. The Clear Thinking philosophy accepts people regardless of
their former political, religious or ethnic background. We become brothers and
sisters with the same last name (Clear Thinkers), or “CT” for short. Add CT to
your e-mail and see what happens.
There
is a place for everyone who is a Clear Thinker. We do not have a bishop or even
a clearinghouse that could give us assignments or pass along important
information, or tell us things that we could be doing. But we do have eyes,
ears and a brain. Just type “Atheism” into your search engine. We can see where
each of us can do the most good and then we can figure out a way to do it.
Some
of you will wish to continue thinking or studying about the philosophy
presented in this book. Others of you will be in the position of standing in a
neutral zone, caught between believing and thinking. Make no mistake about it.
Be honest with yourself. The choice is between Honest Thinking or Dishonest
Believing. Neither I, nor anyone else can, or should, do your thinking for you,
or be your authority. My hope is you will become your own authority, doing your
own thinking and your own investigation.
I
have not said this book is the best presentation of the Clear Thinking
philosophy. I said this book is my presentation of this philosophy. This book
is simply an overview of the basic concepts with some applications of the HONEST
MAN'S PHILOSOPHY, which I call Clear Thinking. Many have written better and
with more detail about this philosophy than have I. My attempt has been to
simplify, clarify and amplify Clear Thinking for you.
Some
will say this book is not philosophy because it does not use the big and
nebulous words so often used by philosophers. (Be thankful I didn't.) They will
say it is too clear and simple to be philosophy. (It is harder to write clearly
than it is to write nebulously.) They will say it isn't philosophy because it
does not present a whole unified system. This is not Guessology. This is
philosophy and deals only with what we can know for sure. Some will say it
isn't philosophy because there are no footnotes in the book. (I put most of
that information in the text.)
Some
will say it isn't philosophy because I have not given sources for some of my
observations and conclusions. There was no need to do so, because those things
came from my own interpretation and thinking about the myths and tales of the
ancient writings. My opinion is not important, so feel free to use your own
ideas and opinions about these myths and tales. However, none of the Philosophy
in this book is dependent upon those tales, or on my opinion. The HONEST
MAN'S PHILOSOPHY is irrefutable, confident and well defended by its
honesty, scholarship and truth. It doesn't need supports, crutches, wings or
aid. This philosophy stands on its own bottom.
Some
will say too many important questions have not been dealt with, or answered,
like, “Where did we come from and where are we going?” I could Guess! But where
would that take us? No one knows for sure the answers to those kinds of
questions! Yet, millions of people and hundreds of religious clergy say they do
know all of the answers. Do they? Where do they get their information? From a
holy book? From their heads? From revelations? From visions? From religious
textbooks? Why do their answers always contradict one another? And they also
contradict the facts of science? Why can they never agree about what is on the
mind of God? No One Knows! Why should I burden you with my guesses? If you
wish, you may fill in the gaps and blanks with your own guesses. Your guess
maybe as good as mine. Besides, it is good to have some mysteries in our life
and try to solve them in our own mind.
The
Clear Thought Philosophy is simply thinking, being honest and accepting no
authority until you check the facts for yourself. The key to this philosophy is
to use some honest doubt, do a little research and a lot of Clear Thinking. If
you put honest thinking into practice, you Are a Clear Thinker (or Atheist,)
like it or not.
I
used the term Atheism in this book, because first, I wanted you to know what
the book is about. Then, I wanted to show that the term "Atheism" is
Not descriptive of the Clear Thinking Philosophy, falsely called Atheism. I
also used it for its shock effect. Some people will be amazed when they pick it
up. They will simply have to read it. I used the term Atheism for its curiosity
value. Many people would like to know what an Atheist is, what his position is
and how he could possibly rationalize the position, "There is no
God." That is, there is no God such as the holy books and religions
describe.
However,
this book is actually about Honest Clear Thinking. There is really no such
thing as "Atheism" as described by the dictionaries and religious
works. I do not care if you call me an Atheist. I really am not an Atheist
since there is no such thing. You can call me anything you like, but I am an
Honest Clear Thinker!
I
have not said all Clear Thinkers will or should call themselves, Atheists. I
detest the fact the religions and governments apply the term
"Atheists" to those who have learned and are learning to be Honest
Clear Thinkers.
Now,
it doesn't matter to me what you call yourself. You can call yourself, a Clear
Thinker, an Agnostic, a Deist, an Atheist, a Rationalist, a Free Thinker, a
Humanist, a Secularist, or anything else. You might just wish to call yourself,
Free! How about a Justinian? Put any nametag on it you wish. The rose will
always smell just as sweet and look exactly like a rose no matter what you call
it. So, just be an Honest Clear Thinker.
I
have not said all Clear Thinkers will agree on all subjects. There are always
facts available to one person that are not available to others. Personal
experience is full of facts for you to which I have not been privy. I have
personal experiences that demonstrated facts to me that you may never
encounter. But the beauty of it is, you can teach me from your experience and I
can teach you from mine.
I
have not said, nor claimed, that I have all the answers. In fact, some of you
may be disappointed I have not dealt with more subjects. I have Opinions on
many topics, but I do not claim my opinions are the only truth, or that they
are a revelation of the truth. I have heard no voices in my head, nor seen
things that others have not seen. I have spared you most of my opinions. (You
are welcome.)
I
would like to say a word to those, who after reading this book are still
believers and who still plan to conduct their lives following and believing one
of the religious faiths.
First,
thank you for reading this book. At least you now know what a Clear Thinker is.
You also know so-called Atheists are not evil or devils. You have learned your
faith is a matter of where you were born, what your parents believed and where
and when you have lived. If you were born in China or India, or Africa, you
would likely have a different faith or belief and defend it as vigorously as
you do your present belief or faith. Faith and belief are not just a matter of
choice. They are much more a matter of chance. The only real choice you have is
to do your own thinking, or let someone else do the thinking for you. Think
about it.
For you who choose to remain religious, my hope is, you will follow the best teachings of your religion and set aside those harmful teachings that would make you prejudiced against those who are not of your faith. Set aside those teachings that would steal your ability to think honestly from you and your children. Follow the best teaching ever presented and you can sleep well at night knowing you are the best person you can be. That is,
WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERS DO TO
YOU!
I
have no big quarrel with you who remain religious. I only ask that you allow
freedom to those other people who wish to use their Natural brains to think for
themselves. It is true; thinking for yourself can cause some people to come up
with unusual and different ideas. That is good.
In
my case, I developed the Clear Thinking philosophy from studying the Bible and
history before I even knew what real Atheism was. I read no Atheistic books
until I was already a Clear Thinker. Indeed, I thought I was the Lone Ranger
and I didn't even know a Tonto. We are talking L-O-N-E-L-Y here!
Imagine
my surprise and relief when I found out millions of other people had held and
do hold the Clear Thinking philosophy as their guide for life. I was absolutely
delighted when I read "The Age of Reason" by Thomas Paine for
the first time. I discovered Robert G. Ingersoll. He was recognized by his
peers as the best speaker and writer of the English language during his time.
You should check out some of his books.
One
of the best books on the subject was written by Jean Meslier, a French Catholic
priest who lived from 1678 to 1733. He left his book and his "LAST WILL
AND TESTAMENT" to friends after his death. They were published
secretly some years later and then translated into English. In my opinion, it
remains one of the best books on the subject, provided one reads the unedited
version. Some libraries still have the book (Superstition in All Ages by
the Truth Seeker Press). It is worth anyone's time to read it regardless of
your religious preference.
I
discovered many other scholarly writers, some of whom had to publish their
books in England, France or Germany. Then they had to be slipped into this
country due to the religious censorship in the USA. Others were published or
republished by the Truth Seeker Press, which is no longer publishing books
since Mr. Johnson, the owner died. It has fallen on hard times. I do
understand, it is now under new leadership and may resume publishing some
needed and excellent books on Atheism and Free Thought.
I
began to read the original biographies of great leaders and movers of society
and found large portions of them were called Deists, Atheists or Free Thinkers.
Then I began to read about the institutions of education, health and science. I
found Atheists had started a great portion of them.
Here
is a quote from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., about Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519) in the "Medical and Health Annual" for 1989, page 108. It
is titled: (I quote.)
[LEONARDO'S ADVICE: TRUTH BEFORE TRADITION.
There
were two great characteristics in Leonardo's work. First, in the field of human
anatomy as in other areas of endeavor, he believed in basing his studies on fact
rather than on authority. He gave the world some excellent advice: If you find
from your own experience that something is a fact, and if it contradicts what
some authority has written, you must abandon the authority and base your
reasoning on your own discovery of the truth. He was much criticized for this
stand; many so-called wise men said that his ideas of anatomy could not
possibly be true because some authority, some "mysticus" of the
Middle Ages, had written down (out of his own imaginings, no doubt) that things
were quite different. Leonardo cared little for the opinions of these people,
however, and he expressed his opinion of them very pointedly: "I care no
more for the wind that issues from their mouths than I do for that which issues
from the hinder parts."] (End of quote.)
Leonardo
was a Clear Thinker of the first order. If you wish to be a Clear Thinker and
would like to know what kind of company you will be in after death (if there be
such) you should read the life of Leonardo, Florence Nightingale, Voltaire,
Edison, Tesla and don't forget Lincoln, Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas
Jefferson among thousands of others.
If
you decide to be an Honest Clear Thinker, you will be in some of the best
company ever produced in this world. There is great need for the Truth of the
Clear Thinking philosophy in our world today. You could be the one who can make
something happen - right now. You could be the one who will cause people to
Think. We need to get to work before it is too late for our country and our
world.
I
thought seriously of starting a newsletter for all of those who are interested.
In the newsletter, you could tell what you have been doing and you could read
what other Clear Thinkers are accomplishing. From time to time one of us could
have inside information about laws that are about to be passed, or about
efforts to do some good work if several could get together to do it. There are
many of you who may live in the same town, or even on the same street, but you
do not know each other. A newsletter and this book could bring people together
who are of like minds and live in the same area. Information on books
available, meeting places and times could have a wider distribution. Even some
ministers may wish to keep up with what is happening within the area of Clear
Thought.
(Since
this was written [1989], a new field has opened up in the area of
communications. The Internet and the World Wide Web has penetrated the horizon
of the world like the rising sun. I found many good web sites. One is the
Atheist Daily Briefing at http://www.atheistlaw.org/. To get on the
excellent daily report of the Atheist News Service, e-mail (publiswrites@knology.net)
or type in “Atheist News Service” in your search engine for their web site. I
found the American Atheist on the Internet. Type in “American Atheist” and you
will find their web site. I started my own web site and you may find it by
typing in: “www.fred.net/tds/blaylock/webcopy” on your search engine or browser.)
I
am working on a bumper sticker, which will have no words on it. Instead, there
will just be a picture of the Snake, which stands for wisdom, knowledge and
thinking. When you see one of these bumper stickers, you will know you have a
friend of like mind who lives honestly, works for justice, loves truth and
loves his country. If you can't find one, then have one made. By the Snake, (of
Knowledge and Wisdom) we can identify ourselves. Stick it in your back window,
or on your bumper and find some like-minded friends. You will be glad you did.
Help me get the Honest Man’s Philosophy to
others so everyone may have their own copy.
THANK
YOU FOR READING THIS BOOK!
NOW RECOMMEND IT!
If
you have read the HONEST MAN'S PHILOSOPHY up to this point, you are to
be congratulated as a thoughtful, honest and courageous person. If you will
read this book a second time, you are to be congratulated as an,
HONEST CLEAR THINKER.
I
apologize for repeating myself in several places. It was necessary since some
will skip through the book and will need certain specific information and ideas
with that particular chapter.
There
are many places in the Honest Man's Philosophy where the author has made
statements about the past, about biblical history, about ancient history and
about the formation of the Bible and the early church. I didn't give you a
battery of footnotes because they would have spoiled the continuity of the book
and diverted your attention away from the main theme of this Book.
The
main theme of this book is that you have a choice between honest doubt and
dishonest belief. You have a choice between thinking or not thinking. You have
a choice of following what some authority says is true, or of doing your own
research, using your own mind and reaching your own honest conclusions.
There
is not a normal honest person over sixteen years old who is not capable of
doing just that - if they find the right starting point. The right starting point
is "zero.” Do not assume that there is a god, a purpose or anything else.
Then, and only then, can you ask the correct and honest questions. That is,
"Is there a purpose or not? Is there a god or not? Is there a meaning or
not?" Honesty forces a person to doubt, to think, to evaluate and finally,
to arrive at conclusions that are honest and in harmony with the facts, with
wholesome morality and with the truth of the matter.
Whether
my conclusion, interpretation and opinion differs from yours on ancient
history, the formation of the Christian church, on the formation of the Bible,
on the contents of the Bible, on the cruel history of the early and even the
modern church, it is totally irrelevant. My opinion is based on my studies. I
have found the teaching from the church about the formation of the early church
and the formation of the Bible to be totally false. The church denies their
Mithraic roots by every means possible. Yet, all non-Christian sources plainly
prove those Mithraic roots of the early church. Since I have not confined
myself only to those things taught in the university and seminary textbooks, I
sometimes bring some hidden information to you that makes for a different
opinion than the accepted cultural or religious one. I assure you my opinion is
taken from a wide source of investigations. I may be wrong in some things and I
am always looking for the latest information and discoveries. My position is
ever ready to change in light of new facts and new discoveries.
I
could have burdened you with a barrage of books, authors, texts, translations,
interpretations, quotes and sources. I did not do this for several reasons.
First, I wanted you to read the book. Many people will be interested in this
topic, but if they see volumes of footnotes, references and numbers throughout
the book, they may just lay it aside. Many people think to themselves, "I
am not a scholar on this subject. I am sure I will not be able to understand
what it says."
Second,
for you, I tried to keep it simple. I tried to get you to Think. I tried to
give you the scope of things without bogging down in a myriad of proofs,
analysis, authorities and quotes. Every subject I brushed on in this book is
available to you in any good library, bookstore or on Internet web sites. I left
tons of things out of this book in order to keep it to a quickly readable size.
I
have not meant to offend any particular person's belief or religion. I have
meant to offend them all. If I have overlooked your religion and belief, I
apologize. Belief is the most terrible and destructive thing a person can do to
himself, his family, his community, his state, his nation and his world. My
friends, it is time to put away the childishness of belief and become Honest
Clear Thinkers. Don't forget, you can Think and Grow to be happy and useful.
This
book is not written to make you believe anything I have said. Rather, it is
written to help you Honestly Doubt what I say and everything else that you have
believed about religion, politics and what have you. This book is written to
make you Think. It is written to give you a new starting point in life. You are
being “reborn.” Myths do not become reality because you believe them. I have
offered little to no proofs of many things I have written. But, I have offered
you Common Sense and Honest Clear Thinking so You can find out what is true and
what is false. If you are interested, overwhelming proof is available on the
Internet and in any good public library.
Now the best of health and
life to you!
THAT'S
ALL FOLKS.
By
the way, I have not said that once you read this book you are through with it.
This book and this philosophy are like the "Tar Baby" in one of Joel Chandler
Harris' Uncle Remus' stories. The more you fight it, the more you are stuck in
the wisdom and truth of it. Once you read it, nothing can remain the same. What
I am saying is (as far as your life is concerned) this is just,