Inheritance of Crowns for Ghosts

From ostensibly meaningful annual summaries packaged and delivered by apps and services to ostensibly hallowed ceremonies that eulogize the demonstrably alive by celebrating... celebrity,

we memorialize the trivial and mercenary as though after everything is said and everything is done... what will matter is how we wrought our lives

for colossally meaningless

victories.

Inheritance of Crowns for Ghosts

If the 'prize' of 'good work' is a crown bestowed in the eternal beyond, how likely is such 'prize' motivating good-doing: today?

*

If the 'reward' of 'a life lived righteously' is immortal bliss in a life after death, how likely is such 'reward' influencing everybody's conduct: right now?

*

If the 'honor' of 'believing doctrines' is salvation from damnation hereafter, how likely is such 'honor' animating a categorical disavowal of lies and liars: really?

*

Please.

Dissemblers who wear testified beliefs with self-righteous pride, from head coverings to jewelry to body paint, are plainly: performers.

*

Or am I wrong? 

Perhaps this is unfair at best and callous at worst?

Because

*

all the benefit of all the doubt, unconditional trust, and every pound of good faith ever exacted,

must be bled as white as marble before a single believer is denied the selfsame generosity and grace, dissemblers and performers deny

anybody - anytime - for any glib or brittle reason whatsoever?

*

Speaking of moral panic,

or simply: bogeymen,

invoked to justify disproportionate hostility.

*

As if the imperiling of a solitary follower is tantamount to an imminent massacre of every nation everywhere. As if the challenging of a sole belief is analogous to an incipient apocalypse. As if the truth itself is terrifyingly besieged at this very moment.

*

Or am I wrong?

Perhaps this is hyperbolic at best and vicious at worst?

Because

*

addressing vaporous battles as overwrought pearl-clutching, smears the piety of dissemblers and performers?

Seriously?

*

This is: imposture working as intended,

no?

*

Where anything and everything is a costume, be it professed good-doing or witnessed faith or triumphs claimed in the name of merit.

*

Surely what motivates and influences and animates the kind of performative conceit that would perfume a mercenary and venal interest as a kind of unimpeachable honesty,

must be neither feebly nor gleefully pooh-poohed as a harmlessly ungovernable feature of, gee how lazily exculpatory: being human.

After all,

*

our inheritance is what we leave behind, when being demonstrably alive or not neither justifies nor excuses why we are what we are, here and after life.

More

It's laughably outrageous, isn't it? The multitude of indulgent inducements to be good. The extravagant incentivizing, if you will. Notwithstanding, the smug nonsense that anyone believes any of it.

Good-doers know better. (Of course.) Wrong-doers know better. (Duh.) 

So what is it all for?

If not 'acts' that equivalize vanity with merit?

Which is to say, imposture, celebrated

with prizes and rewards and honors, here and after life,

no?

M