The Freak Show

Religious people think God is watching from above. If that is true, I hope he is enjoying the freak show they are putting on for him.

Because what a performance. Billions of people running around claiming to know what God wants, what he likes, what offends him, who he approves of and, most impressively, what he thinks about everybody else's private business. They speak on his behalf with an extraordinary degree of confidence. Not bad for people who have never actually received a reply.

I find the whole arrangement fascinating. Some people spend their lives worrying about pleasing an invisible audience, while others use that same invisible audience to excuse their behavior, impose their rules and pass judgment on anyone who doesn't follow the script. Having God on your side is a very convenient way of winning an argument without having to make one.

And the contradictions are everywhere. Love thy neighbor, but only if your neighbor behaves. Forgive others, but keep a list of their sins. Preach compassion, then turn around and make somebody else's existence a personal offense. All while insisting that the moral high ground belongs to them.

If I were the one watching this production, I wouldn't know whether to laugh or ask for my money back.

The irony is that humanity doesn't need an imaginary audience to behave badly. We manage quite well on our own. But introducing God into the equation seems to give certain people a remarkable sense of authority, as though ordinary human judgment isn't quite enough unless it comes with a celestial endorsement.

So, if somebody is up there watching, I hope the entertainment is worth it. There is no shortage of material, no shortage of performers, and certainly no shortage of people convinced they are playing the leading role.

As for me, I'll stay in my seat. I have no intention of auditioning.