During a normal lifetime most people encounter what I will call pretenders or mythical beings/creatures and we first accept them as real or actual. As we grow older we discard them one by one when we decide they are not real or actual.
For instance, there's the tooth fairy whose reality we at first accept because our parents tell us there is one, and we find money where our tooth was last night. Then we begin to doubt when we catch our parents in the act, or we notice that the kids with wealthy parents seem to have a much more generous tooth fairy or our older sibling lets the cat out of the bag.
Then there's the Easter bunny which we believe in because there's a basket full of goodies on Easter morning and our parents act surprised and the yard is full of eggs. We start to doubt the reality of the Easter bunny when we become old enough to realize that a bunny would not be able to put together a goodie basket and bunnys don't lay decorated, hard-boiled eggs.
Maybe the next to go is Santa Clause whose reality is evidenced by the gifts that we asked for in the letter appearing on Christmas morning and the milk and cookies have been consumed. But, we start to doubt when we become old enough to realize that one guy can't make a worldwide trip to everyone's house in one night and reindeer really can't fly and Santa is much too fat to ever make it down the chimney.
I believe the last great pretender is the god of the religion your parents schooled you to believe in or the god of the religion you chose for yourself when you became older. I don't know what evidence you claim for his/her existence. If it's because a book says so, then where's the evidence that the book is correct. If it's because your religious leader says so, then where and how did they get that information. If you say it's because you want to believe in him/her, then you don't really believe but instead you "hope" that he/she exists. If you think he/she exists because so many other people profess to believe he/she exists, then this is not an acceptable answer because many people professing to believe something does not make it so.
The only reasons I can come up with for adult people to profess belief in a benign, all-powerful, personal god are as follows:
1.) They are afraid of punishment after they die or even during their lifetime.
2.) They have the false idea that good morals can only be obtained by this belief.
3.) They think it's the only way to gain acceptance in society or their circle of friends.
4.) They want someone to tell them what is right rather than decide for themselves.
5.) They have been so brainwashed by society or their parents that they can no longer reason for themselves.
6.) They believe they have had an epiphany or spiritual experience that revealed this to them.
7.) They are hypocrites or have an ulterior motive and are lying about it to themselves and/or others.
8.) They so much want the fellowship that church provides that they will say they believe something based on faith alone.
What should I add to this list?
[this is good] I agree with most of the above but I think there is a God ,but he's alot more loving and open minded then portrayed by most religions.I have no idea what is going to happen after I die but I sure don't think I am going to hell nor anyone I know , including my Dadwho refuses to believe anything until it's proven,which is not a crime. I have a hard time getting my head around the fact that most christian religions say if you do not except Jesus as your Savior and believe he died for our sins then you are going to Hell!.... well ya know what, I did not ask to be brought into this world and I think it is just crazy that some great master of the world --(GOD) created this place and then said...ok I gave you life- now you have to worship me and do what I say or I will send you to the depths of hell if you don't....and oh yeah I am giving you freewill and physical and sexual needs but you have to try and curb those needs to fit into the mold I want you to be. Oh and here is an old book (bible) that is written by a bunch of people way after the time,the events talked about ,happened, and it waswritten by menwho interpreted it how they saw it.....You can use that to figure out what to do....it's all a bit much to take in....I do go to church sometimes because I like my Pastor and I am just interested in hearing what he has to say and I take from it what I want, but I cannot say I believe all that is talked about. I want to think there is a greater being up there in charge of this mess and that someday some sense will come out of it all....I also like to believe that our souls never die and that when we cross over ,we will be with all those that have gone before us and get to be with them forever.....I deal with dying people all the time and that way of thinking helps me deal with all the losses i see ,I hope it's true cause I'll have alot of friends on the other side waiting for me. :O) anyway, I love you Dad and I applaud you for being honest about what you believe and standing up for it,most people in this world are not that way I'm glad you're my Dad!
Posted by: tracy | 01/29/2010 at 09:01 AM
Hello..Most of this..is well founded. The extortive nature of doing something for fear of sanction..or want of validation..is crass indeed. The idea of the God we created..'in man's image' is, of course, what it is.
The energy of the infinite..is the same as anything else sensed. It is quantifiable. Just esoteric. I believe it may well be, in its removed nature, one of the most powerful of the senses. I further believe and am trying to learn..the capacity for man..when found..it may redefine infinity. For now time is all powerful and the only thing that truely changes. There are many subtexts and a zillion 'toys'. As we live in the 'finite', we may in growth, come to understand the gods we created.
Then there is feeling..then there is pure feeling in love..in accomplishment..in the dream and the doing..to create.
Peace Tony
Posted by: Cryin' for the Dyin' | 05/31/2010 at 06:32 PM