That seems to me to be the essential question for humans. If we have any distinguishing characteristic as a species it seems to be the blessing and curse of symbolic thought and that capability culminates in theology. We believe in something, or some idea, that is the guidestar of our everyday life. How we shape our days and ourselves. We all have our personal pantheons.
The God of Love, perhaps, or the God of Money or the God of Power (perennial favorites.) The God of Organic Agriculture, or the God of Efficiency. The God of Global Dominance or of Manifest Destiny, of Time is Money, or of the Perfect Beach. The God of Please Don't Let Me Die Alone or the God of A Possible Future or the God of National Security or any kind of Security. The God of Poetry or the God of Horses (two of my faves) or the God of Climate Change or the God of Perfect Nihilism.
Maybe it's good not to serve gods that you don't believe in just because everyone else does. If you do Zen, maybe you can be free of gods for a few minutes, but then you're right back in the middle of it the moment you uncross your legs. So, to know who the gods you serve actually are, at the very least, that seems to be a good idea. But who can say?
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