My mother taught me that anything small enough to fit into a pocketbook must be cheap, otherwise people would think of it as free. In love we torture ourselves waiting for the next petty favor, but we take the important things for granted. We prosecute marijuana dealers to the fullest extent of the law, but turn a blind eye to unlawful business that occurs on the scale of trillions of dollars.

The human mind fixates on the details which we believe we can more easily control, but perhaps too often and too soon we let the big picture go unnoticed to avoid feeling powerless.

Others fear that if no afterlife awaits us, humanity would be overcome with a type of intense and dangerous apathy. This is the same type of apathy that I would expect washes over those who believe that paradise awaits them no matter what they do after 'accepting' Jesus Christ as their own personal savior. The pinnacle of religious experience is reduced to ticking a box.

WILL YOU ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST, ESCAPE THE LICKING FLAMES OF HELL, AND LIVE ETERNALLY IN PARADISE?!

"Well, ya... I think I could come around to that."

Meanwhile in some parallel reality, I am the final prophet of god, and my corporeal father has told me that food additives are the source of all strife and misery. Suffer not the xanthan gum to desecrate your tasty snacks.Those who would profane their bodies by consuming the byproducts of a soulless and patriarchal industrial machine discredit god's greatest achievement. Those that adhere to strict dietary guidelines will grudgingly be allowed eternal life hereafter.

There is a backwards tribe calling themselves 'Christians' who brazenly defy my father's will. They happily contaminate their foods with sweeteners, thickeners, preservatives, and various other abominations. They must be educated in the ways of the lord, and made to eat the food that pleases him, in order to save their everlasting souls.

Immorality exists largely in the realm of fiction and puritanical fantasy, for few people reflect on their actions remarking, "I have behaved immorally," and then continue to behave in the same manner. No, the actions of others are immoral, whereas my action are justifiable.

The agents of Babylon are more accurately categorized as amoral - just following orders in a parlance. It is too bad then, that the order to love is never given. Of course, love is not a dignified use of federal dollars. We give patriotic orders - orders to drive through minefields to protect people who want us to leave from people who want us to die; orders to destabilize countries hunting for enemies that feed on instability. These are the orders, when followed unquestioningly, will instill pride in your sons whether you leave your body or mind in some desert or you make it home "safe" to slowly die suspended in a matrix of mundanity. Loving a friend can be more laborious than despising an enemy, so it is no surprise that the American commits the expedience of hatred.

Does the motherland do anything out of selflessness? She defends Israel like its entitled child who got caught cheating at school. Even she knows Israel has done something wrong, but if she doesn't make a scene in the principal's office her son will doubt her love and loyalty and be stunted developmentally. Again, the motives are not entirely selfless, but they are driven by the need to be appreciated.

An educated idiot came forward to reassure our adopted son, "The United States Congress will always stand by Israel and the United States Congress will never allow Israel to stand alone." Therefore, either Israel cannot commit wrongdoing, or the US would aid Israel in committing wrongdoing.  

Love, education, empathy, rationality - these are not causes worthy of federal expenditures.