Big Brother God always watches... and they like it?

The religious mind once again astounds and tickles my cerebral cortex. Most anyone who knows me understands that I hold the belief that people are hypocrites; it’s almost woven into our DNA. Evolution weeds out the bad genes and propagates the good/ beneficial ones which help the next generation survive even better than the previous; with that logic being a hypocrite must be good for the benefit of the gene propagation of your particular genealogy.

An over simplified proof would be the concept of survival of the fittest; the notion explains that those who are stronger (given their environment) will succeed and beat out the weakest however, although we as humans follow this general outline we are also tribal creatures. Those who are strongest cannot possibly survive long without the aid of the weaker elements of the tribe. So while we are both trying to fight for survival by beating out the weaker competition, we are also forced to work with the weaker others and utilize them to propagate our own lineage. Thus we must also help our direct competitors survive if we, as the stronger variance in the tribe, are also going to survive. This is hypocritical of “nature;” humanity is forced to create a balance with those which we are obviously more adept than even though since single celled organism began multiplying “we” would fight to withhold nutrients, hogging resources and hindering the growth around “us.” Being a hypocrite must then be an evolved talent, since obviously we grew to become multi-celled organisms an eventually homo-sapiens based on the need to survive as the fittest but also in a communal nature with weaker elements of the tribe.

The religious, regardless of their dislike/ distrust of the evolutionary process, exhibit this hypocritical biological trait in the most interesting and illustrated way. Although it may seem like a hidden feature of the religious mentality, it’s almost so blatant it’s easy to miss.  

In “1984” George Orwell describe a society where “big-brother” was always watching to make sure you were not breaking rules or causing mischief. This was not only a fantastic dystopian novel; it also seemed a pretty good compass for future technological advances as well as infringements on our liberties. But let’s take the basic element of the story, regardless of the plot line, the idea was fear of always being watched. Staunch religious also tend, more than not, to be Republicans according to a recent gallop poll:

We can all agree, regardless of political affiliation or even religious constitution, that having big brother always watching is not good. This is why Orwell’s novel is such a huge success, it appeals to the fear that we all share. However, the religious are devout to the idea of a supreme big brother, an all seeing all knowing eye in the sky that discerns intimate details about each and every one of us; YHWH should translate directly in “Ultimate Big Brother.”  How religious/ republicans can be so drawn into dogma that they would actually like, and even appreciate or desire the deity’s presence looming over all of us making sure we don’t go all “Sodom and Gomorrah,” is frightening and in stark contrast to the human fear of their always being watched by someone. I will grant them this; it’s their god who is watching and not a government watchdog. However what is the idea of god and religion other than a type of government body with rules, agendas, punishments and taxes (tithes). God is the president, the prime minister, the king and sovereign. He is the judicial system, the legislature and executive system, god is a form of government that the religious mind, hypocritical to humanities fear of big brother, gains pleasure and happiness from knowing it watches their every move.

The religious mind is so memorized by this particular government watch dog; they actually distrust those who do not believe in the deity because they know atheists do not feel as though there is a presence judging their daily righteousness. In a recent study here it was shown that theists tend to distrust atheists because of “the belief that people behave better if they feel that God is watching them.” How come with this belief in the god-vernment watchdog being a good thing, do they also fear the government (that they so whole heartedly defend, pray to god to bless and even hold the delusion is the most respected in the world for its structure and freedoms) watching over them? Why is it that they want the uber-powerful one who punished his followers, at one time, for an unjust offense such as eating shell fish, to watch over them; but the government that they support, help shape and even participate in daily is dangerous if they are capable of watching us with the same omnipresent eye? How come they don’t believe that people will behave better if they all Seeing Eye of Uncle Sam watches the same way that the jealous god they can’t influence does?

I agree with them, government should not be watching our every move on cameras and databases at all times of our lives. However, I would hate it just as much, if not more, if a being that I had no direct contact with and no possible way to influence were to be keeping tabs on whether I choose to eat a crab or not. I am a hypocrite, just like you…but I am at least in sync with logic. I want to help others, but want to also be self-sufficient and never need help, I think family is important even though I do not talk to mine at all…I am a hypocrite, but choosing one watchdog over another and getting happy over it sounds like a mental disability, I hope “nature” gets rid of this variance of my tribe because they confuse the fuck out of me.