As the Scripture has it “Faith without works is dead, being alone.” Unlike the causes of global warming, events in America and worldwide seem to be leading to nuclear Armageddon whether by accident or design is beyond dispute. The lack of virtuous leadership throughout the world is self-evident and would seem to guarantee such a thing. But one of the reasons I like Al Sharpton, as I have mentioned in the past, is with Sharpton what you see is what you get. He is an outright and unabashed opportunistic scoundrel of the first water. But he is so open about it, flaunting it, he provides comic relief from the gloom and doom of the pretenders of virtue and sincerity and I can depend on him for a good laugh. Al is the in-your-face pickpocket that tells you he is going to pick your pocket and makes no apologies for doing so.

Al Gore is a totally different kind of person than Al Sharpton. In Gore’s case he is going to pick your pocket without advance warning. I find Al Sharpton a really likable and funny fellow, and I find Al Gore a likable romantic. But Gore does not believe he is a pickpocket, and because of his stature in society as Emerson warned people like Al Gore though they be pickpockets are acceptable due to the very hypocrisy that enables people of good manners to escape coming to blows with one another. Unlike Sharpton, when Gore leaves the room people do not count their spoons. Not because there is no less need of counting your spoons, but because of his position in polite society. And despite rumors it is not true Al Gore told me he opposed my idea for “Muslim Repellant” in spray cans because it would contribute to global warming.

Now it would be exciting should it come to Al Gore and Fred Thompson facing each other in a campaign for the Presidency. While the odds now would be greatly against such a thing, I would not be surprised at it happening. Given so many unfavorable candidates on both sides is a factor, and beyond that here is how I believe such a thing could come about, especially if either can offer a guarantee of secure borders, bringing the troops home, and convince us they will put the interests of America and Americans above that of other nations.

Given the dirtiest, most corrupt and inept administration in America’s history just how likely is it an equally dirty and corrupt Congress is going to follow through forcing the truth out of Bush and his cronies knowing they dare only go so far and no further lest their own evil be exposed. Anyone checking the Vegas odds on this? The Warren and 9/11 Commissions, so many committees and hearings with no one of high authority ever being held accountable for lies and ineptitude, there isn’t anything We the People can put our trust in when it comes to our Triune Federal Dictatorship. What we can depend on is politicians will lie to protect themselves and each other, all will do what they consider to be in their best interest not that of America or We the People.

Admittedly I place no hope in politicians, let alone faith. But I do admit to having hope in a hereafter where I will rejoin my loved ones and friends. However, during all my years of theological studies, the years I spent in the ministry, once I started to allow the legitimate questions of life and death, the two greatest mysteries of all admittance to my thinking it all came down to a simple “I don’t know.” And while I may think it is easier to believe than not to believe, to observe so much suffering and misery of so many millions today and throughout human history does not commend anything like benevolent deities in charge, but quite the contrary. Despite all the “prophets” and writings, all the monuments of stone I don’t know if there is any meaning to life, I don’t know if there is any hereafter, but I do know we all die. And it is this more than even geography which accounted for the longevity of the ancient Egyptian culture; the preparation for one’s certain death and planning for an afterlife. And while world religions continue to work on the same principle, religion continues to be a source of conflict and even barbarous cruelty due to the various cultures that lack the ancient Egyptian cohesiveness. No one doubts, for example, the barbarians of Islam will ever leave off the killing of each other let alone those of other religious beliefs.

What sensible people do know is anyone claiming to speak for God has to be suspect at best. And anyone following such people has to be equally suspect. Those with my background in theology and the churches invariably face the fact of so much hypocrisy abounding in order to make religious institutions work. It can honestly be said that without countenancing some degree of hypocrisy no church could possibly survive. And what is true of Christianity is no less true of the other religions of the world. And what is true of religion is equally true of politics.

I have written at length about the benefits of Christianity once it became a civilized religion as opposed to that of Islam. No civilized person born in America with our Christian heritage and culture would trade places with someone born in Iraq or Iran, any more than an educated person would trade places with an illiterate one. But problems arise when either religion or politics become so hypocritically corrupt and powerful as to threaten the existence of a nation. Every social structure, every personal relationship must engage in some degree of hypocrisy else, as Thoreau pointed out, we would all come to blows. It is when such civilized hypocrisy, often in the form of polite manners, becomes outright barbarism institutions and relationships are set on a course of calamity; it is here where America faces the threat of some kind of Nuremberg Tribunal for our nation as did Germany and Japan should Congress find itself emasculated by the depth of its own corruption from being able to hold a corrupt White House accountable.

Our planet still holds many mysteries, and I delight in meditating on and speculating about our solar system, a never-ending source of intriguing mystery. That our earth and solar system continues to be such places of mystery our galaxy is beyond my capacity to either know or even imagine. I look at our Milky Way in rapt awe, but without comprehension. The unimaginable vastness of our universe with its unimaginable mysteries is far beyond my comprehension.

While we humans seem hardwired with an instinct to believe as evidenced by the universality of prayer, especially in extremis, and the various religions throughout history I give no credence to those that speak of God or a hereafter as though they had certain knowledge of these, least of all those that speak of such things as though they enjoyed a monopoly on the subjects. I hope to rejoin loved ones and friends in a hereafter, but it remains a hope rather than certain knowledge. I delight in stories of the supernatural and UFOs, in studying the various mythologies and legends, I enjoy the wonder of the pyramids and Sphinx, stories of Atlantis and so much more.

But when religion and politics become the systematic organization of hatreds they have left off the mere civilized hypocrisies and superstitions that enable us to socialize and cope with life. And while I hope to rejoin loved ones and friends in a hereafter where there will be no evil, is it any more than just hope that America is going to survive the liars and hypocrites whose only interests are to continue making religion and politics systematic organizations of hatreds?

Sam Clemens had good reason for declaring death to be the only pure and unalloyed gift of God. There is good reason for believing love to be a curse since it is inevitably betrayed by death or infidelity. But we humans are not just physical beings, we are spiritual beings as well; and in the end we live by hope which some misconstrue as “faith.” Because of this “fire of life” we carry about in our mortal bodies I live in hope of many things but I have faith in none, least of all in poor mortals like myself. However, being human I will continue to love and hope, but not being a fool I will also continue to advocate for our Second Amendment and keep my powder dry.