As we think, so we become.

Beliefs are the thoughts and convictions that we generally hold to be true, they are ideas without substance having no actual proof or evidence. Beliefs may contribute to or hinder our development and understanding of the world, and who we are.

People used to believe the earth was flat, but today we know it’s round from testimony and scientific consensus, or you maybe you have flown and seen the curvature of the Earth. The erroneous belief was replaced by acquired or direct knowledge, therefore we no longer have to believe because we know. But so many were so attached to that particular belief, it took hundreds of years to let go of that belief and even today some some still cling to it.

The greatest sacrifice humanity has made
is that of giving up
intelligence for belief

Religion

Beliefs about, God and the supernatural forces of the universe contain a great deal of inference or wishful thinking dressed as testimony, but there is no actual scientifically verifiable truth. Most of us wonder at the enormity of the universe and how it may have been created, often believing that it was created by some God or god like being. Everyone has their own concept of God which is healthy to the point when many require everyone else to believe in their concept to validate their belief and this factor breaks societies.

The greatest problem for humanity is that no one knows.
But the greatest hangup is that people feel the need to know and
invent bullshit beliefs about the unknown and unknowable making them narcissistic.
The cost is counted in our suffering.

Many believe in the Christian Bible and the Koran, and there is a mass consensus to them being true, however close examination of the bible and its roots seems to cause more doubts than beliefs. Many believe in other Gods, Deities, religions and rationales from which they build their lives and the most prevalent of all beliefs is that “might is right” or that “the greatest power should prevail” and are responsible for our current global predicament.

“I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

Now consider, have you met God? If so, then well done, you have direct knowledge and hopefully a positive relationship that makes both you and God happier. God either exists or does not as there is no scientific proof of God. But God represents some nice, desirable ideals, like freedom from suffering and it’s said the Ten Commandments came from God or some Godly inspiration. Note these existed as commandments long before Christianity emerged. However philosophically, they represent a formula for world peace, and really if we were all more tolerant and respectful, the world would be a much nicer place.

“Fools pretend to be followers of this or that spiritual giant, and although they may be without power, endeavour to teach humanity to believe blindly.
Believe what? To believe blindly is to degenerate the human soul. Be an atheist, if you want, but do not believe in anything unquestioningly. Why degrade the soul to the level of animals? You not only hurt yourselves thereby, but you injure society, and make danger for those, that come after you. Stand up and reason out, having no blind faith.
Religion is a question of being and becoming, not of believing. This is religion, and when you have attained to that, you have religion. Before that you are no better than the animals.” ~ Swami Vivekananda

In Business

The share broker went out with the belief that he was going to make a killing (good profits). The investor set out with the belief he could make some money by investing. The two meet, the broker shapes the investors beliefs and they do business. The broker has made a killing, he runs off with the investors money and later lands in jail for fraud, the investor looses – such is the danger of belief.

Educated people are well aware of the process by which beliefs form, yet they often cling to their beliefs, and sometimes act on those beliefs against their own self-interest. In Anna Rowley’s Leadership Theory, she states “You want your beliefs to change. It’s proof that you are keeping your eyes open, living fully, and welcoming everything that the world and people around you can teach you.” This means that peoples’ beliefs should evolve as they gain new experiences.

Time to Abolish Belief:

I know I am alive, I don’t have to believe that, in fact believing this is a waste of time and energy. I know God, therefore I don’t have to believe in God.

We only have beliefs because we are unstable in our own self knowledge. All those people who go out with the intention of converting you to their faith (beliefs) only do so because they are unstable in their own self knowledge and it is only by having everyone else believing as they do that they will feel secure. Therefore I see attachment to any belief as a mental illness – you either know or your do not know.

Do you believe in aliens or life on other planets? The odds are in the light of scientific knowledge that life on other planets is possible, I am open to the possibility or probability that there is, but believing is nonsense.

Buddha taught “take my ideas and try them out, and if they work for you, use them” he never said believe in me, create a religion in my name or follow me. Jesus said much the same thing and belief was never a factor in the teachings of the great masters.

“Belief is bullshitting yourself about something you do not know” ~ Sadhguru

Lets replace I believe with ‘I think’.

Its time to dispense with belief, replace it with direct knowledge or a degree of possibility or probability as belief at the end of the day is simply a thought which is often given so much power that it destroys.

Please note that in order to not believe and accept an idea as potential, one must also suspend disbelief as the two same forces can be equal and cancel each other out.

Public domain images.

 

 

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