We are all born with different assets and liabilities

To the editor:

I always thought I’d write a book someday, and recently an editor suggested I begin by writing a premise and a detailed outline. However, I had to look up “premise” to find an applicable definition — which is: “to set forth beforehand as an introduction or a postulate” — which I assume means to write a brief description of the subject matter.

Over the years, I’ve sent many letters to the local newspaper that attempted to explain a sensible idea, advice, or something about human life or how the world works. But it took several weeks or months to finish most of them because I would re-write them each morning until the letter was as good as I could get it. It became a years-long process of discovering what makes sense to me personally, in spite of what I’d been taught, or what is “true” to other people.

Due to a youthful hopelessness and confusion caused by alcoholism, I developed a compelling desire to know where we came from, and why are we here, which later included questions about life and living, birth control, free will, and individual responsibility, all of which were complicated by religion. Blind faith was never my strong suit, but I did have a “born-again” type of faith in God for a year or so — after a spiritual experience in my mid-20s helped me get sober. Even so, I eventually lost faith in religion, but I maintained my sobriety — which was the sensible thing to do.

As the years passed, I expected to eventually become an anti-religious atheist. But among the college courses of interest I took in later years, a 101 class in sociology opened my eyes to the important role that religion plays as a “cultural glue” that contributes to a common morality, which enables the people of a nation to live together peacefully.

I now see religion as a cultural institution that introduces us to spirituality. Spirituality is a higher state of mind that results from mental and emotional maturity.

Our cultural institutions — including religion, economics, education, and the government — are actually what provide the “blessings” we attribute to the goodness of God. In other words, our culture provides the necessities of life through our use of reason and the bounties of nature.

Physical survival is our first priority, followed by our personal peace of mind, which is what makes human life worth living. At age 79, I’m beginning to appreciate the presence of intelligence in the physical laws and the emotions of life. In a sense, intelligence and emotion are the fundamental “ingredients” of existence.

I’m no longer against religion, and I believe the so called “Original Sin” of mankind is the ignorance of being born a “blank slate,” which is overcome by individuals through the experience of human life. We are all born with different assets and liabilities, and we must find our own way to rise above religious dogma and use our own minds to guide us in our daily life.

The use of reason is the way to “salvation,” which will eventually be attained by all human beings — one individual at a time.

Art Carney

Wasilla