The rise of agnosticism and atheism in the world.

I am a religious person.  I go to church - but not too often.  I justify this slackness to myself as due to my lifestyle in my later years - ie continually moving around in a motorhome visiting relatives, dealing with declining health, etc.  I pay tithing, make charitable contributions and try to deal fairly with those with whom I come in contact.  But, enough about me.  This is about the human condition.  (Maybe I should include an lol here.)

Frankly, I get a little peeved at times when unbelievers push their way into my comfort zone by suing the city or county or whoever about a religious activity or symbol that somehow offends them.  Like a Christmas tree or whatever.  It seems to me that these unbelievers are as much a pest with their evangelical efforts as the most zealous of any Christian missionary.

I recently read where the internet is becoming the de facto church for all such non believers - atheists, agnostics and humanists.  It seems that they are using various web sites to hold their meetings and testify to one another about their faith in  godlessness much the same way believers do about their faith in God. To coin a phrase, go figure.

All this research (not much really) reminded me of an assignment my high school senior class received from Miss Mary Lane, our English teacher and my Home Room Teacher.  We were required to write an essay on the subject: "Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone".  Now this was long before the Andy Griffin Show ever existed - in fact there were very few TVs in our town and those that were tended to be found in bars where we were never allowed.  But Miss Lane in giving instructions said that we were free to interpret the assignment in the broadest terms our little minds could conjure up.  You can go to the bible and take a religious tack or you can go the other way and posit that of course man cannot live by bread alone, that he must have peanut butter.  But whatever way you take, it must be at least 1000 words and it must be on my desk by next Wednesday - - or maybe it was 500 words and Friday, my memory fails me on these small matters.

In any case, I turned in my paper.  I don't remember my grade and, of course the mighty work has long since crumbled to dust, but I do remember the gist of the essay being quasi religious but somewhat agnostic in tone.  After putting forth what I felt sure were wonderful, logical arguments, I ended the piece by stating that, "if not given something to worship, humanity will create something to worship".  Looking back now from more than three quarters of a century, I can say that this is probably the most profound thought I have ever had.  Sad commentary on my philosophical insights I have to admit.