I have to wonder sometimes whether any of us still have the time or energy for other things than dealing with survival, with the fear leaders all over the world seem to be leading us into. Everyone seems to feel, to varying degrees, as though it were all on the verge of collapse, the whole Western Civilization thing, I mean. Which of course the fundamentalists, of all stripes, really dream for. It is the war they have been dreaming of for milleniums, this idea of imolation in the service of rapture, to go to their "just reward" and take the rest of us to hell. What, you think that is hyperbole? These monsters really do believe that they are destined to bring about the "last days," though I can't say I haven't wished it were at least their last days.

But lets take at least a little time to look at something else for a change, at what might be possible for us to all do in this life, instead of being so anxious for the next one. If we are to do any justice to the lives we've been gifted, what is wrong with doing it right here, right now? Consider art, consider kindness, consider compassion. Hell, consider consideration.

When was the last time you said "thank you" to someone for a little kindness? Nothing big, maybe they held a door for you, maybe they said thank you for something you did. It doesn't matter. What matters is, did you pass the gift onward? Otherwise, it just flops around like a fish out of water, and you have to admit, that's not such a pretty sight, is it?

If you are reading this right now, then let me say "Thank You" for staying with me thus far. And, thank you for being willing to temporarily practice hopefullness instead of fearfullness. Yes, I know, its not easy, I don't pretend it is. I have known much fear in my life, and still do from time to time. So I don't talk this way like I'm some kind of guru or teacher, but as a freind. Its hard in this life, but thats usually because, in some way, we are each alone. It only gets easier when we allow others into our hearts. We cannot really do this thing alone, nor were we ever meant to.

The cure for fundamentalism is to stop fearing the future. It is the fear of the future that drives people to fall back into orthodoxy, to give their free will over to a formula, a deep and nearly impermeable mind trap. If we can just follow the formula, all will be well. One only has to look at the current religious wars around the globe, including right here in the good-old-USA, to see examples. Some of the worst, in fact.

But lets face it - the past cannot save us, the formulas - Islamic, Christian, Judaic, Hindu, whatever - cannot prevent the future from arriving, just as it does every day. Running away from the future just makes its arrival that much more difficult to deal with. Sure, its not predictable, and sure, it can often be messy and scary. But the past, well, its just past, and that is so, well, tedious, and boring, and frankly, it didn't really work the first time, now, did it?

So look beyond the fear that the fundamentalists would have you succumb to, look beyond the veil of lies and deciet being practiced by the so-called leaders. They've sold their souls for thirty pieces of greed. Why should you?