What If I'm Wrong?

Of all the human aspirations, I think one that perennially ranks near the top is certainty. We like certain guidelines, rules, and outcomes. When we are faced with uncertainty -- which is most of the time -- the two general responses are fear and anxiety. Simply put, we prefer the known or possibly known to the definitely unknown.

Belief systems -- religious or otherwise -- are man-made abstractions that seek to provide a measure of certainty in areas that can never be known for certain. Sometimes we have a general idea of possible outcomes; at other times, it's an arbitrary shot in the dark! But we cling to these beliefs nonetheless because it's far better than the alternative -- admitting to ourselves and others that we really don't have a clue.

It is because beliefs do not rest on firm ground that one questions nags us: What if I'm wrong?

Many religious adherents refuse openly to admit that, like the rest of us, this question nags at their heart and soul. To do so would showcase a lack of faith and a lack of faith is often viewed as being the worst possible human frailty of all. Be that as it may, I have a hard time accepting that, even the most devout worshipper, doesn't pose this question a few times deep in the recesses of their being.

One of the reasons I think that Christians and other religious devotees wrestle with this ultimate question is that they seem to suffer from the same anxiety-based conditions, phobias and disorders as the rest of us. Being a Christian does mean a person is a picture of supreme mental health. If you disagree with this assertion, then would you mind explaining to me why there is a large industry centered around Christian mental health services?

Taoists, like any other identified group, wrestle with this same question too, but I submit that the personal repercussions probably are not as severe because we admit up front that we aren't certain of anything! So, the only way we can be entirely wrong is if everything IS certain and we've simply ignored the writing on the wall.

The primary reason this one question so dogs us is that we don't want to find out at our last breath that we've wasted this ephemeral life following the wrong path or barking up the wrong tree. Unless a person believes in the concept of reincarnation, a wrong answer means that we've blown it and there are no do overs.

For the religious, the fear is that each will arrive at the pearly gates to find a sign that reads, "Nobody is here, you idiot!" For the Taoist or atheist, the fear is that each will arrive at the pearly gates to find a sign that reads, "The non-religious line forms over there" and that line leads to the basement.