It started out as a good idea.

Absolutely everything, no matter how imposing its actual appearance is, started out from scratch. The world’s religions have thousands of followers each, but they all began as the philosophy of one individual.

Some guy, thousands of years ago, starts pondering about human behavior, realizes how mean people are towards one another, and concludes that there should be a method so that they can be happy.  So he starts planning, develops a series of rules, starts preaching them, people start following him, he puts up with mockery and stoning, and finally, if he’s lucky, one thousands years later his idea becomes, officially, a religion.

Why include a god and a paradise? Because people won’t do the effort of behaving, unless they’re given something in exchange. And the best one could offer in those days was an ideal world where nothing but pleasure exists.

Well then, our hypothetical prophet is a good and sincere person, but this doesn’t mean all his followers are. There is always an ambitious character who interprets the teacher’s words in his convenience and charges for them. A pair of bad elements is hard to find among hundreds, and the worst part is, if you don’t take it out in time, rot begins to spread. At the end, idealists become minority.

Religion, the idea in itself, is a good thing, but large institutions are always corrupt. Those in high positions are in control, control means power, and power is never enough. Since ancient times, there have been cases where people look for consoling and answers, and they’re sold placebos at exorbitant prices. And what about the inquisition? Nobles who were found guilty of witchcraft, in addition of being executed, were fined, their belongings were transferred to the church. Couldn’t they be more obvious? Despite being an atheist, I say it’s shameful to manipulate people’s faith.

If you, the reader, are a believer, I suggest you doubt people a little more. The gods may be perfect, but humanity is defective.

Are you being put on the road towards illumination, or are they just putting you on?

León Manuel Real Esponda