Posted on 11/27/2005 6:32:15 AM PST by machman
Morning Edition, November 21, 2005 ·
I believe that there is no God. I'm beyond Atheism. Atheism is not believing in God. Not believing in God is easy -- you can't prove a negative, so there's no work to do. You can't prove that there isn't an elephant inside the trunk of my car. You sure? How about now? Maybe he was just hiding before. Check again. Did I mention that my personal heartfelt definition of the word "elephant" includes mystery, order, goodness, love and a spare tire?
So, anyone with a love for truth outside of herself has to start with no belief in God and then look for evidence of God. She needs to search for some objective evidence of a supernatural power. All the people I write e-mails to often are still stuck at this searching stage. The Atheism part is easy.
But, this "This I Believe" thing seems to demand something more personal, some leap of faith that helps one see life's big picture, some rules to live by. So, I'm saying, "This I believe: I believe there is no God."
Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day.
Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.
Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. But all obscenity is less insulting than, "How I was brought up and my imaginary friend means more to me than anything you can ever say or do." So, believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something.
Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.
Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have.
Nope. He doesn't. People need to stop equating religion with conservatism.
Because we typically give Him credit for the good things that happen to us. It simply follows by extension.
If God did not exist, we would have to invent Him. --
Voltaire
QFT
If you don't worship God, you worship something. Power, sex, buying stuff, intoxication, and of course your remarkable self. And all of these things will disappoint you.
Actually he's not. Showtime had Penn and Teller's show on for a season or so called Bull----. It was absolutely hilarious and dispelled most of the liberal myths (i.e. recycling, second hand smoke, etc.). It is quite unfortunate, for him, however that he believes as he does when it comes to God.
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The fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God."
Psalms 14:1
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Typical PBS garbage.
I thank God that I no longer have to pay into their filth.
DEFUND these jerks.
A truly vacuous article from a truly fatuous philosopher. Your tax dollars at work.
It sure is easy for him to believe this now that he is healthy, happy, and life is good. But what will happen to his attitude if he gets cancer? Or his loved ones get ill?
Maybe better: A truly fatuous article from a truly vacuous philosopher.
Yes they are biased, but I'd rather listen to informative bias than ignorant tabloid balance. FOX, I'm talking to you.
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Praise GOD that...
LOVE is the only reality and...
GOD is LOVE.
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Uh ... let's not be too hasty on that one ...
Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good
Believing there IS a god means you can be forgiven by Grace alone. THAT is Divine.
... believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something.
Unfortunately, no, it doesn't. But have fun.
Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.
Probably the most specious gibberish in this self-indulgent spew. Believing there IS a god means the world's suffering takes place with his knowledge and without his intervention. That's called Free Will. The suffering is the result of MAN'S inadequacies, not God's. And there's no indication whatever that MAN is likely to change; the only thing redeeming him is God's love. Without that, there is NO possiblity of less suffering in the future. In fact, there is little hope of us ever changing anything except the tools we use to kill each other.
Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have.
No believing in god means you have forfeited the life beyond for the life temporal. It also makes you so empty you feel compelled to write such self-absorbed drivel, as if anyone would be interested in your personal views on god.
I hope Jello is a comfort for you in Hell.
[All the above addressed to the author, not the poster.]
Well, he was called a chump and an idiot for lacking awareness of the gifts and help he has received from God. Any god, not just the capitalized one.
Yeah, the first ammendment is a good thing.
After a little research, I see he considers himself a Libertarian. I guess it was all that anti-Bush, anti-war speak that thru me off.
Thanx for the correction
By what conceit does it even matter if you understand why God makes things happen the way they do? We are curious, sure. But the fact that life does not unfold according to our desires is not that surprising. We are, after all, not God but his children. Just be happy that you have been given the gift of life. It sure beats the alternative.
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