Blank Canvas

I read Kurt Vonnegut's "A Man Without A Country" cover to cover last night. Rarely have I engaged in such pointed but light conversation through a book. If ever I could rattle around in the mind of another, my choice would have to be Kurt Vonnegut.

If you don't know, Kurt Vonnegut is the honorary president of the American Humanist Association. I myself did not know this until reading his book. He defines humanism as: "Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead."

Why can't all religions and/or moral contexts be so simple? The perspective of humanism to me is this refreshingly blank canvas that one can build their life around. I hated paint-by-numbers as a kid. Organized religions are paint-by-numbers. Free-thinking is a blank canvas.