Neal's Workshop

Governments and Gods have a lot in common: we pray for things and the government bestows upon us in kind.

If you've seen Bruce Almighty, you'll remember what happened when Bruce allowed everyone to get what they were praying for. It was a complete disaster. Government behaves similarly: it allocates resources to those praying the loudest and most often. As the government acquiesces to the needs of its citizens, things progressively get more convoluted, backwards and screwed up. The Holy Government can fix the wrongs of the world. At least, that is what individuals appear to believe.

The faith people place in the government is eerily similar to the faith people place in God.

If God exists, is good, knows all and is all-powerful, we certainly aren't seeing the positive benefits. Yet the world continues to believe.

The government exists, isn't all-powerful, tries and fails at knowing all, and repeatedly demonstrates that it is not benevolent. Yet society still believes. Why? What would it take for you to give up on Government? What would it take for you to give up on God?

Regarding both, why accept the unproveable - the arguably false - the myths of humanity - as de facto truth? We should begin with the assumption that nothing is true: the onus is on us to prove the merits of Government - to prove the existence of God.

Only after proving these things should we believe.

There is a reason such similarities exist. With Gods and Governments, the damnable point is faith.

Faith is a dangerous thing.