I’m eventually going to have to admit to myself that I am an
atheist. It is not an easy admission. I grew up believing in god. I liked the
concept of a god. It was very comforting and reassuring. In my senior year in
high school I took a course and the question of god’s existence came up.
Several fellow students discussed why they do not believe in god. They had
perfectly good reasons, too good, to be honest. Anyway, over the following days
I thought about that discussion, and I realized that in my own thoughts I had
never bothered to challenge the concept of a god, I had merely accepted what I
had been told.
The simple reality is; there is no evidence that there is a
god. In fact, there is evidence that the world’s various concepts of god have
been man-made for psychological reasons. There is more evidence that the planet
has been visited by extraterrestrial beings than there is evidence of a god.
So, if logic is correctly applied, more people should believe in
extraterrestrial visits, than in god.
I write about this now because I heard some very moving, contemporary
religious music this morning. For a moment it made me wonder if the music were
perhaps god speaking to me, calling me to believe, calling me back. Then, a few
minutes later, I realized that the feelings were just my mind being captured by
the music, and since it was religious music, I equated the sensation to god.
Some atheists are critical of believers; they call them ignorant
and unenlightened. I envy believers. I wish I were one of them again. I never
could have imagined that my sense of logical thinking would make me turn away
from years of religious teachings. It makes me realize that I am capable of pragmatic
analytical thought, and it also makes me sad.
Personally heather I think it's more your ability to see things from a different perspective and as well to keep an open mind, that which should not make you sad but grateful. Religion is all based on faith as such it cannot be proved or disproved, its why it can survive and why its always questioned(and might I add why there are so many different religions). Personally I believe in anything that will help people get hope and keep good morals and be productive. I just hate when its used for an excuse for war, repression or prejudice. The world would be a better place if more people were more open. PS the aliens have totally landed, it was us and it was on mars.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteIt gives me a sense of self-confidence that I am open-minded and can think logically. What makes me sad is that these characteristics have taken god from my life.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like that class discussion felt a little like the day you discovered that there was no Santa Claus. It seems as though you still haven't quite put it to rest emotionally. I think any theist who really thinks about the basic idea of god, and is honest with themselves, has got have some doubts. My grandfather was a Methodist minister but yet I never seemed to take to religion. I don't know why. My sister is very religious.
Hey Allen, are both of your parents religious or did you have something akin to my experience of my mother being somewhat religious and my father not being much at all. It sounds like if that was the case your grandfather wasn't probably not too happy about it.
ReplyDelete