What If…?
by Stephen Foster
In discussing religion, the Bible, and origins, we speculate about things we cannot definitively determine as factual; yet live in a world wherein there are actual, definitive experiences.
Let’s speculate about the world we know by playing a “what if” game.
What if the apparently increasing frequency and intensity of violent weather and earthquakes is an actuality; as opposed to merely a provincial and chronologically limited perception?
What if the seeming increase in violent crime and the apparent disintegration of positive community, moral, or ethical values is a worldwide reality; and actually symptomatic of something?
What if the love of money is indeed the root of all (kinds of) evil; while the economic system that depends on this “love” is the only one that “works”?
What if the daily commercial demonizing of ideological adversaries by well paid corporate media spokespersons, analysts, pundits, correspondents, and “contributors” is having a balkanizing and corrosive effect on society; such that, given the “right” circumstances, intra-societal violence—even warfare—could very easily (again) erupt in the industrialized West, as it has elsewhere?
What if the aforementioned spokespersons, analysts, pundits, correspondents, contributors, and “anchors” were largely 
of the identical religious training, affiliation, and persuasion; though clearly of widely varying political ideologies?
What if malevolent, terroristic elements of the international community were to acquire nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons (of mass destruction), or the technology or capacity to develop and/or otherwise ”control” them; not to mention if there were an ascension to power of the more belligerent and jingoistic elements in the nation states who already have such weaponry?
What if those with a religious motivation or agenda—who seek to obtain political and legislative power for the expressed purpose of (democratically) imposing particular religious beliefs on a Western industrialized society—get it?
What if the U.S. constitutional First Amendment guarantees of freedom of religion were ever circumvented on the grounds that individual states are not bound by federal congressional restrictions?
What are the chances that none of this happens, is real, or is true?
What if any of this happens, or is real, or true? What are we to do then? What’s next? Would this not be worthwhile speculating about?
