Why Do We Wait for the Next Life?
The Politics of Religious Fantasies
In our fantasies, humans long for a different world. They crave safety, security, having all their needs met, and feeling loved. Yet, we struggle to share, care and love one another in this life. Even those closest to us can become estranged and hated.
The belief in the next life, a better life, one that we must earn, is understandable, but I contend it has also allowed us to put off making THIS life better. THIS is all we’ve got and yet we squander it with bad politics, greed, and selfishness. All the while, we choose to breed and give birth to one generation after another even though we fail to leave behind a better world.
So during this time in America of great political divide, here’s another way of looking at things.
I’m not left or right.
I’m Far Out, way in the future, looking beyond to the next of the next generations.
In my head, I’m living without ANY borders, free to roam wherever I choose. And so are you.
The question is no longer whether the next war is the answer because there are no more wars. We’ve learned to solve problems productively.
I’m not a woman, caucasian, or an American. I’m a human being and so are you.
None of the economic systems we have today are relevant any longer.
Money has become obsolete along with hunger and poverty.
Creative thinkers are the new rock stars.
Change is relished.
Everyone has what they need.
The standards of success have shifted from bigger is better to quality and inventing things that last an entire lifetime.
Planned obsolescence has gone by the wayside and trash is no longer the legacy we leave our children.
I have more free time to pursue an intellectual and creative life.
Children are brought into this world with great love and respect.
Nature is where we feed our souls and music and art are the way we express ourselves.
We are what our myths, legends, and religions told us we should be, peaceful and empathetic.
Hope is abundant because as we stand on the cusp of what is we are wildly excited about what is to come.
Why must we wait for the next life?
Because it’s easier. Creating a better world, here and now, is a lot of hard work. We’ll never solve all of our problems, but there is so much room for achievable and measurable improvement. The future is the gift we give our offspring. We may never find out if there’s a NEXT life, but I ask you, what might we accomplish if we were able to focus our attention on THIS life?
Think about it!
Teresa is an author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
