My Letter

I’m gonna write a letter saying “all letters are inspired by God.” Some other people will also surely write letters of their own.

We will keep them around for 300 years, then someone somewhere else, like Putin, will edit them into a book and claim these are the letters I was talking about in my letter. The letters will span hundreds of years and 40 different authors, but the recipients will just keep insisting this compilation is holy.

It won’t matter to most that there are obvious contractions because they will be able to prove any point they want because of the diversity of the authors and genres of literature in our letters.

This would still not be horrible if people kept perspective, but some will take it a step further and insist that everyone believes their assessment of the letters. They will insist on their methodology and their theology. They will then begin to force their interpretation of our letters into their politics and how they choose their friends.

They will make the assumption that “we are right and God is on our side,” so they will murder and exterminate and enslave and steal land, believing God told them to and promised it to them. They will demonize anyone that disagrees with them and use fear to control their followers.

They will gather in buildings and claim God told them to because of vague statements they pulled from our letters. This will help them control the indoctrination of their followers. They will teach them to ignore science and reason and other authors except the ones they can personally control.

Even though this system traumatizes people, they will continue to march forward preserving their delusions and ignoring the well being of followers, and even of their leaders. When people start to think for themselves, they will shame and ostracize them to further abuse people’s need for connection.

It’s a sad story. Maybe I shouldn’t write that letter. Maybe I shouldn’t do anything that would be misunderstood or misinterpreted by people with wrong intentions.

My hope is that somewhere in this process, maybe sooner than later, some of the people will stand up to those in power and think for themselves and examine their beliefs and practices and believe what they want. Maybe they’ll realize they are subsidizing abuse and stand up for the marginalized.

Maybe I will write a different letter that ruffles a few feathers and tells them not to fall in love with a book or a building or a belief system. Maybe I’ll talk about love and compassion and things that matter and let them discover God for themselves.

I’ll let you know,

Be where you are,
Be who you are,

Karl Forehand

https://www.amazon.com/Out-Into-Desert-Thriving-Organized/dp/1957007230