On the subject of God and religion
I find myself pondering religion and the meaning of God quite often these days. This has nothing to do with any fear of death, or my (somewhat) advancing age or any of that stuff. Believe me, I'll be ready to make that trip when my time comes. I am simply interested in how people use religion in their lives, and how much it has become an integral part of the political process -- which is a joke. Talk about a place where it should NOT be!
Where do I stand (don't judge me and I won't judge you)?
First, how do I see it all? I must honestly say that I am probably agnostic. That's the closest definition to what I feel, though it does not completely cover it (complex, like I said). I guess I would also align myself most closely with the American Indian beliefs -- many followers of Aboriginal religions, such as the many types of Native American Spirituality, do not regard their spiritual beliefs and practices as a "religion" in the way in which many Christians do. Their beliefs and practices form a integral and seamless part of their very being. There is plenty of stuff about that out there on the web, so 'nuff said on that here. Look it up.
P.S. I know there are some who believe that being an agnostic is cop out. I've heard it said that an agnostic is an atheist who is also a coward. I'll take that criticism under advisement. Hey, maybe you're right.
If you are absolutely certain, you absolutely scare me a little
The one thing that I believe is MOST dangerous in any religion is absolute certainty. It is that rock-solid "knowing" that causes people like Michele Bachman and that dolt Rick Perry to believe that God is talking to them inside their heads and telling them that stupid stuff about why we have hurricanes and earthquakes and all that drivel. They obviously have HUGE egos, and there are ONLY two reasons for them to be saying dopey things like that:
My bottom line: absolutely certainty (as opposed to absolute faith -- two drastically different concepts) in religion is always scary me. I will always believe that a little doubt is always healthy when you are dealing with things you CANNOT know for a fact.
Atheists are the root of all evil (not)
Here's an interesting truism:
Having take a course in logic back in college, here's what that says to me: your belief in religion or in God has NOTHING to do with whether or not you are a good person, or whether or not YOU are providing anything of value to the world and to your fellow human beings. What you actually DO down here is the only thing that factors into that.
I bring all that up because I am SICK AND TIRED of people blaming a lack of belief in God for the current state of our world. That is patent bullshit. Whether you like it or not, organized religion has been responsible for more deaths and bad things than anything else in the history of this planet, and there is no use arguing that point. It is a simple fact. This is not the fault of religion. This is the fault of PEOPLE acting (badly) in the name of religion.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster
Yes, I admit it: I am an avid follower of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (look it up), bless his Noodly Appendage. I just LOVE the way those guys put religious zealotry in its place. And don't for a second assume that they are skewering religion as a concept, or religious people. No, they are skewering STUPIDITY in the name of religion. Things like school districts eliminating the study of evolution from their curriculum and replacing it exclusively with Creationism. Yeah, sure, God made Adam and Eve in his own image and stuck them in a garden with a bunch of snakes. Please. Any sane person understands that this was a fable plain and simple. If you do believe we were created by a God, for crying out loud, you should be able to understand that evolution can STILL fit into that scenario. There is irrefutable evidence that evolution actually happened, peeps. Live with it.
What About That Bible?
I do not believe the bible is (literally) the word of God. I believe the bible is the word of God filtered through the hands, minds, and prejudices of men, and a primitive, ancient verion of men, no less. Far as I know and believe, God ain't actually doing the writing on His/Her Laptop (does God even NEED a laptop?? Probably not). That means that some men (the aforementioned folks who constantly warp these things) had a chance to "edit" the content, and steer it in the direction of their choosing. For more information on that, Google "Council of Nicaea ". That will give you a good handle on how all THAT crap went down (hint: God was not invited to the meetings).
And of course, the very fact that there are all sorts of religions and beliefs throughout the world is pretty compelling evidence that SOMEBODY has to be factually wrong, right? Everyone's religion can't be "the" religion, can it? Yeah, you can certainly believe what you wanna believe. But in the end I really have to doubt that there are 10-15 "Gods" up there arm wrestling with each other over who controls the Earth and its people after they die.
And no, I don't think I've become disillusioned about the concept of God at all. I simply believe that I have a right to believe what I want to believe, same as everyone else. And I do NOT think it is my place to make judgments over what OTHER people believe. And I have a VERY big problem with you if you think you are going to tell me what I should believe, or what God thinks I should do or believe. Newsflash: YOU HAVE NO CLUE. You only THINK you have a clue.
Do We Go On?
A human life is energy. Can energy continue or does it die along with our bodies? Do we have a soul that goes on to another place when we die? Are we reincarnated into this one? Is there a heaven and/or a hell?
Lots of tough questions there.
First of all, I really don't believe that energy ever dies. I believe that "thing" that makes us...us continues on in the universe in some fashion after our bodies cease functioning. That means that my Nicole is out there somewhere, her wonderful mind and beautiful personality are now a part of everything that is around us, earth, water, and sky. I hope that I will be able to find her somehow when my body gives out and my energy is also "out there". I cannot "know" this. I can only hope for it.
I am not so sure about the "soul" thing. I really am not sure what that even is, to be quite honest. And if anyone is going to tell me that animals cannot go to "heaven" because they do not have a "soul" or any of that clap-trap, I ain't buying. If you are going to tell me the aforemention energy IS a soul, I might buy into that. But that means, by definition, that my beloved pets will also be "out there" somehow. That's a little bit better, thank you. Who wants to be in a "heaven" without dogs and cats?? Shoot, I bet they even have self-cleaning litter boxes up there.
Reincarnation is more of a Buddhist belief. I don't know about that one, either. I cannot dismiss it out of hand, and I do very much like the concept of karma. I like the Dali Lama, too. One might, in fact, be able to bring this back to the "energy" argument in the end. If energy does NOT die, is it not possible that said energy might indeed be able to "attach" itself to another living thing in some way? That could be your reincarnation right there. Anyway, it's an interesting thought, in any case.
As for heaven and hell, I can't say that I believe in the concept, as it is explained in the Catholic religion. Sorry, but I am always going to feel that these two concepts were created by a bunch of ignorant savages so that they could control a bunch of other ignorant savages. I can almost hear them plotting it out: "If we make them think they are going to be punished after they die if they misbehave, they will be in control and we won't have to deal with them." Or something along those lines. That may sound harsh, but it's what I believe. It's a classic technique for controlling people, plain and simple.
Am I saying that religion is therefore bad? No!! It was always be people's warped view on religion and God that caused all the suffering. The pure "concept" of religion, especially Jesus Chris since I happen to know that one, is a good one. The message of Jesus is one of peace and love. But it's the PEOPLE who have taken all that good stuff and turned it into a reason to maim and kill. And yeah, this goes for the Muslin religion as well, and for many others.
Where do I stand (don't judge me and I won't judge you)?
First, how do I see it all? I must honestly say that I am probably agnostic. That's the closest definition to what I feel, though it does not completely cover it (complex, like I said). I guess I would also align myself most closely with the American Indian beliefs -- many followers of Aboriginal religions, such as the many types of Native American Spirituality, do not regard their spiritual beliefs and practices as a "religion" in the way in which many Christians do. Their beliefs and practices form a integral and seamless part of their very being. There is plenty of stuff about that out there on the web, so 'nuff said on that here. Look it up.
P.S. I know there are some who believe that being an agnostic is cop out. I've heard it said that an agnostic is an atheist who is also a coward. I'll take that criticism under advisement. Hey, maybe you're right.
If you are absolutely certain, you absolutely scare me a little
The one thing that I believe is MOST dangerous in any religion is absolute certainty. It is that rock-solid "knowing" that causes people like Michele Bachman and that dolt Rick Perry to believe that God is talking to them inside their heads and telling them that stupid stuff about why we have hurricanes and earthquakes and all that drivel. They obviously have HUGE egos, and there are ONLY two reasons for them to be saying dopey things like that:
- They are insane
- They are lying, don't believe it, and are only saying it to further their political careers
My bottom line: absolutely certainty (as opposed to absolute faith -- two drastically different concepts) in religion is always scary me. I will always believe that a little doubt is always healthy when you are dealing with things you CANNOT know for a fact.
Atheists are the root of all evil (not)
Here's an interesting truism:
I know people who are very religious and who believe in God. Some of them are total assholes who I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw them. Some of them are the best people I know and I would trust them with my grandson's life.
I know people who are athiests. Some of them are total assholes who I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw them. Some of them are the best people I know and I would trust them with my grandson's life.
Having take a course in logic back in college, here's what that says to me: your belief in religion or in God has NOTHING to do with whether or not you are a good person, or whether or not YOU are providing anything of value to the world and to your fellow human beings. What you actually DO down here is the only thing that factors into that.
I bring all that up because I am SICK AND TIRED of people blaming a lack of belief in God for the current state of our world. That is patent bullshit. Whether you like it or not, organized religion has been responsible for more deaths and bad things than anything else in the history of this planet, and there is no use arguing that point. It is a simple fact. This is not the fault of religion. This is the fault of PEOPLE acting (badly) in the name of religion.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster
Yes, I admit it: I am an avid follower of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (look it up), bless his Noodly Appendage. I just LOVE the way those guys put religious zealotry in its place. And don't for a second assume that they are skewering religion as a concept, or religious people. No, they are skewering STUPIDITY in the name of religion. Things like school districts eliminating the study of evolution from their curriculum and replacing it exclusively with Creationism. Yeah, sure, God made Adam and Eve in his own image and stuck them in a garden with a bunch of snakes. Please. Any sane person understands that this was a fable plain and simple. If you do believe we were created by a God, for crying out loud, you should be able to understand that evolution can STILL fit into that scenario. There is irrefutable evidence that evolution actually happened, peeps. Live with it.
What About That Bible?
I do not believe the bible is (literally) the word of God. I believe the bible is the word of God filtered through the hands, minds, and prejudices of men, and a primitive, ancient verion of men, no less. Far as I know and believe, God ain't actually doing the writing on His/Her Laptop (does God even NEED a laptop?? Probably not). That means that some men (the aforementioned folks who constantly warp these things) had a chance to "edit" the content, and steer it in the direction of their choosing. For more information on that, Google "Council of Nicaea ". That will give you a good handle on how all THAT crap went down (hint: God was not invited to the meetings).
And of course, the very fact that there are all sorts of religions and beliefs throughout the world is pretty compelling evidence that SOMEBODY has to be factually wrong, right? Everyone's religion can't be "the" religion, can it? Yeah, you can certainly believe what you wanna believe. But in the end I really have to doubt that there are 10-15 "Gods" up there arm wrestling with each other over who controls the Earth and its people after they die.
And no, I don't think I've become disillusioned about the concept of God at all. I simply believe that I have a right to believe what I want to believe, same as everyone else. And I do NOT think it is my place to make judgments over what OTHER people believe. And I have a VERY big problem with you if you think you are going to tell me what I should believe, or what God thinks I should do or believe. Newsflash: YOU HAVE NO CLUE. You only THINK you have a clue.
Do We Go On?
A human life is energy. Can energy continue or does it die along with our bodies? Do we have a soul that goes on to another place when we die? Are we reincarnated into this one? Is there a heaven and/or a hell?
Lots of tough questions there.
First of all, I really don't believe that energy ever dies. I believe that "thing" that makes us...us continues on in the universe in some fashion after our bodies cease functioning. That means that my Nicole is out there somewhere, her wonderful mind and beautiful personality are now a part of everything that is around us, earth, water, and sky. I hope that I will be able to find her somehow when my body gives out and my energy is also "out there". I cannot "know" this. I can only hope for it.
I am not so sure about the "soul" thing. I really am not sure what that even is, to be quite honest. And if anyone is going to tell me that animals cannot go to "heaven" because they do not have a "soul" or any of that clap-trap, I ain't buying. If you are going to tell me the aforemention energy IS a soul, I might buy into that. But that means, by definition, that my beloved pets will also be "out there" somehow. That's a little bit better, thank you. Who wants to be in a "heaven" without dogs and cats?? Shoot, I bet they even have self-cleaning litter boxes up there.
Reincarnation is more of a Buddhist belief. I don't know about that one, either. I cannot dismiss it out of hand, and I do very much like the concept of karma. I like the Dali Lama, too. One might, in fact, be able to bring this back to the "energy" argument in the end. If energy does NOT die, is it not possible that said energy might indeed be able to "attach" itself to another living thing in some way? That could be your reincarnation right there. Anyway, it's an interesting thought, in any case.
As for heaven and hell, I can't say that I believe in the concept, as it is explained in the Catholic religion. Sorry, but I am always going to feel that these two concepts were created by a bunch of ignorant savages so that they could control a bunch of other ignorant savages. I can almost hear them plotting it out: "If we make them think they are going to be punished after they die if they misbehave, they will be in control and we won't have to deal with them." Or something along those lines. That may sound harsh, but it's what I believe. It's a classic technique for controlling people, plain and simple.
Am I saying that religion is therefore bad? No!! It was always be people's warped view on religion and God that caused all the suffering. The pure "concept" of religion, especially Jesus Chris since I happen to know that one, is a good one. The message of Jesus is one of peace and love. But it's the PEOPLE who have taken all that good stuff and turned it into a reason to maim and kill. And yeah, this goes for the Muslin religion as well, and for many others.
posted by Nick Frese at 1:30 PM
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