A Verdict that demands Evidence . . .

I saw something interesting today on Facebook.  One of my friends had posted a photograph (some of you might be familiar with it - I wasn't) of The Holy Bible on one side - and a Spiderman Comic on the other.  Under each shot was the tag line more or less stating that each one was taken as the evidence for belief in its main protagonist.  On the face of it it was quite funny, but it also smacks square in the eye those who maybe cling to the Bible as their life Oracle.  At first glance I kind of thought 'Yeah, that's totally ridiculous'.  Deeper analysis however, poses some deeper questions.

One of these players is clearly a fictional character, the other is believed by many to be a real sentient being who created the place and is one day going to reclaim ownership.  Yet both documents scream in silence, with no power or effect.  They just sit there on the tabletop, unless of course we endue them with a little more.  Maybe that's obvious; the whole thing is intended to be a joke, but let's not make any bones here - any digs at holy scripture is bound to rattle a few religious cages.

The question of man's origins is one which will fascinate and challenge us until Doomsday - and I don't think these arguments will ever stop, even in the face of what one might claim as 'irrefutable evidence' one way or the other.  It gets to a point in which belief, dogma, whatever you would wish to call it, become so ingrained, that acceptance of anything else becomes almost unthinkable - as it would challenge the very core of our culture.  Hence there are conspiracy theories in abundance - covering just about everything.  So if alien life was in contact with us, would it enhance societal breakdown?  Or just bring us together like one big happy family?  I sometimes wonder if the first instance might be the greater risk.  The world is largely in a mess, but it kind of works in a perverse kind of way.  To throw in a massive change to that mix now, could possibly drive us over the edge.

Anyone can claim to have written a holy book, an oracle that will bring peace and harmony to all - if they believe it, that is.  And herein lies the problem.  Our capacity to accept or reject an argument is what decides whether a far reaching soul message is the real deal or just a load of old hokem.  Spiderman = hokem.  The Bible = The Word of God.  Nothing within the image in question can say if this is the case.  It is a photograph of two items of printed material, and one has no merit over the other.
Unless we decide otherwise that is.  Like I have stated before - a man's belief system is largely his own business and those who slip into dangerous fundamentalism can only perpetuate more hatred and confusion.  And then on the other hand, each man/woman is responsible for their own action.  The Bible says something about us 'working out or own salvation in fear and trembling'.  That kind of suggests to me 'it's your call pal, but if you get it wrong then you're really gonna be screwed'.

So who knows for certain - if they're screwed or not?