Consider the Possibilities
I think people are much more moderate than we would be led to believe by the media and other typical sources of information. As pointed out frequently by Atheist Revolution, it’s unsettling that we seem to have made a hard shift towards theocracy in the U.S lately particularly on the “right”. But even on the “left” there seems to be more than just a nod towards religion, as if neglecting that support would spell doom. I used to call myself a Republican (and a Baptist), but now I find that these types of labels are not only misleading, but are woefully indequate in describing my values and beliefs. Just because I was “born that way” doesn’t mean that it’s the way things really are.
Atheists are frequently characterized as having ZERO belief in a ”higher” power… by definition. I guess if I had to rate my degree of belief on a scale from 0 to 100 (0 = atheist, 100 = completely devout), I am currently around a 1. I reserve that last tick of uncertainty for the general wonder of the universe and the mechanism that brought it into existence (wow, huh?). What I reject completely is the notion of an active, personal deity that observes, responds, directs or cares about us mammals. So, does that make me more of an agnostic? That just seems to be a cop out… but am I “allowed” to be an atheist even though I can’t explain the origin of the universe? There is quite a bit to explore on this topic, and it may be that this blog is more for me than the rest of the world, but maybe it will be my catharsis.
As I sit writing this, listening to Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major shuffle in after Sara Bareilles “Love Song” on iTunes, enjoying my iced tea, thinking about where we are in human history, it makes me a little melancholy. Of the six billion of us wandering the planet now, the majority of us spend time paying homage to myths and superstition, and yet there are so many worthy pursuits outside of organized religion. Use your money to feed the hungry, not build garish mega-churches. Use your energy to do something for the people you love that makes them happy and builds stronger relationships. Use your time enriching your mind and body, not learning ancient, contradictory, bizarre stories about early man and his paranoias and primitive explanations of the world.
Get outside yourself and learn about the people that are around you, not just in your backyard or your place of worship… we have more in common than you think, and it’s not your “God”. Please don’t spend time trying to convince me that you know “the way”. I am not one to try to change anyone’s mind, but if you find that your mind is changing, then I’m glad you paused for a minute to a least consider the possibilities.
And the people replied…