Religion is for the masses, not individuals

I was pleased to find my Spectrum article, “Making the Case For Primordial Logic” (Frontiersman, June 14, 2009) on your Web site, but surprised there was only one on-line comment that referred to it.

It was a really humorous comment and probably reflects the opinion of most readers, including my favorite cousin and a good friend who agreed the article was impressive, but they still couldn’t understand it.

Evidently, I tried to cram 10 pounds of philosophical substance (some people use a different term) into a 5-pound bag, but even so, I suspect a few poor souls got the gist of what I’m talking about. Hopefully, they will pursue the matter and come up with their own understanding of how the universe and human life came into being.

Religion will always be a part of human culture because most people are content with the religion of their birth, however, when religious beliefs are undermined by honest doubt, it leads to a troubled life, such as my own alcoholism, loneliness, and a mid-life crisis.

In getting sober, I learned the value of self-honesty and then the introspective aspects of loneliness taught me to deal with the realities of life. I eventually achieved peace of mind, but only after I abandoned my religious beliefs and replaced my concept of God with an understanding of the power and principles of primordial logic. I now have a “religious” belief of my own that makes sense to me.

At the risk of being presumptuous, I believe organized religion provides the basic concepts needed to attain a higher level of spirituality, however, world religions minister to the masses, whereas the attainment of spiritual progress can only be achieved on an individual basis. In other words, spiritual progress requires individuals to rise above the aspirations, as well as the limitations of organized religion.

Art Carney is a resident of Wasilla.