Carpe Diem!

This morning as a result of a comment notification, I revisited a post that was written by a believer back in January 2018. Re-reading what he had written, the following phrase stood out to me:

… the atheist has to believe- that is, have faith in– the idea that there is no evidence proving God’s existence

Of course, I’ve seen this idea presented numerous times by Christians and even though it’s an extremely weak argument against atheism, it’s used again and again and again.

I started to write a response, but then decided to share what I would have written on my own blog.

In today’s vernacular, the word FAITH has come to be associated primarily with religion. However, there are other meanings, such as having confidence in something … or being loyal to a cause or person. So based on these meanings, of course an atheist can have faith — just not necessarily in the existence of any supernatural being.

And yes, atheists “believe.” We ALL believe. We believe we’re going to wake up each morning. We believe the earth will keep spinning. We believe Spring will bring flowers. The big difference is Christians take it a step further and say a “God” is behind everything that takes place — whereas an atheist accepts such activities as a natural part of LIFE.

My personal philosophy is that people can choose to “believe” anything they want. However, I do feel those who choose to believe in an invisible entity — created by humans “way-back-when” — are living a very restricted life in the hopes of “something better” when they die.

Atheists, on the other hand, tend to live by a much more realistic credo, which is often expressed as Carpe Diem!

 

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Image by Faby Green from Pixabay

If You Are A Christian …

Following is a comment I came across on another blog:

I experienced a slow and somewhat painful internal struggle to accept that I don’t believe in God anymore.

When I finally did, I felt free, like I could finally learn to accept who I was. (emphasis mine)

If you are a Christian and visiting this blog , I urge you to re-read the bolded part shown above because it is a great summation of why so many abandon Christianity.

Whether you realize it or not … or want to believe it … you are NOT your true self as a member of the Christian religion. You are a phony … a fake … a counterfeit. Sorry for the harsh words, but in actuality, you have allowed yourself to be molded and formed into an entirely different person than you were born to be.

You have become compliant, obedient, and “lamb-like” — all because of the words contained in a several thousand year old book, along with the urging and encouraging (and sometimes threats) of (often over-enthusiastic) Christian leaders (who themselves have been deceived).

You have abandoned your “real” life and taken on an imitation one. You have denied who you truly are … a human being with unlimited potential … to become someone who believes praying to and obeying an invisible entity makes you “special.”

There is no doubt this life can be hard. Many of us experience heartache, loss, disabilities, addictions, and so many other misfortunes. But turning to an unseen “God” for help is an exercise in futility. Not only will you never receive any sort of verbal support, but in many cases, nothing in your life will change. Far better to seek assistance from your fellow human beings who, in nearly all cases, are more than willing to offer guidance, love, strength, and understanding.*

As indicated in the referenced comment above, walking away from “the faith” is not an easy road. But as the individual stated, I felt free … I could finally learn to accept who I was. This, if nothing else, should give you pause as you reflect on who YOU really are.

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*Those that testify a god helped them are ignoring and/or rejecting the fact that pure human resolve and determination are the strongest incentives for change.

Neuroscience Explanations For ‘Spiritual’ Experiences – Part 1

For those who favor the verity of religious experience over the credibility of science.

Victoria NeuroNotes

Note:   People of faith who appoint themselves protectors of “true knowledge” may find this information disquieting.  From a personal perspective, I found it not only liberating but empowering. The Dalia Lama, who’s been working with neuroscientists at MIT , has given a thumbs up regarding this research I’m going to present here. He states that what has been discovered about the brain’s role in mystic, and religious experiences is illuminating.

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What Would You Do?

Sometime back, on the Finding Truth blog, one of the visitors directed a couple of rather intriguing questions to both believers and non-believers. With this person’s permission, I am publishing the questions here. As a Christian or as an Atheist, how would you answer them?

1. If everyone else you knew turned away and stopped believing what you believed, would you still believe?

2. Furthermore, if some of these same people treated you differently, harshly and excluded you because of your convictions, would you still believe?

I tend to think atheists would be less likely to change their thinking because they have generally done a thorough investigation of Christian claims and feel comfortable in their decision. However, if some irrefutable event occurred that strongly indicated God existed, what then? Would they be able to hold on to their “non-belief?” Especially if other non-believers became convinced of the validity of Christianity?

For Christians, the first question is especially pertinent. How many would be able to hold onto their convictions if everyone else stopped believing? I have a hunch many would say this wouldn’t matter — that they would continue to believe. But let’s be realistic. Facing banishment and ostracization from friends and family is not a walk in the park. And, as in the case of the atheists, if former believers were able to present undeniable evidence that Christianity was false, would this make a difference?

Think about it. What would you do?

Are You Ready for a Spiritual Awakening?

I have a granddaughter who has a very difficult time understanding/accepting that I no longer believe in the Christian god. She recently made the comment: “It really bothers me that you doubt him after raising your own children in a Christian home.” I suppose if I were her, it would be pretty hard for me to understand as well. Unfortunately, we live many miles apart so the opportunity to sit down and explain my many reasons is pretty much impossible.

I have often said to myself … if she would only read my book, a lot of her questions and concerns would be answered. But of course, she never will. Even though (as some Amazon reviewers have said), the book was not written to condemn or attack Christians, it does question many of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. And this is what raises the red flag.

Believers have been taught the same story for hundreds and hundreds of years by pastors, preachers, bishops, etc. who are simply repeating what they themselves have been taught by their pastors, preachers, bishops, etc., who have been taught by … and the cycle continues. To look beyond these teachings is discouraged, if not outright forbidden by some fundamentalist churches (it’s all from “Satan!”).

Yet many who have ventured beyond these restrictions have experienced a spiritual awakening. Not all turn away from the church, but many see their god in a new, and sometimes exciting, way. Others find that spirituality is not defined by attending church or following the teachings of a book written by people who lived in another time under vastly different circumstances. Still others begin to see life from a more “humanistic” perspective; that is, they believe humanity’s capacity for fulfillment comes through reason and scientific method rather than religion.

As for me, here is a quote from my book:

Once I opened my mental doorways and began thinking for myself instead of relying on the teachings of others, I began an exciting and rewarding personal journey with what I now call the “Universal Presence.”

In other words, my personal spiritual awakening resulted in a connection with something far beyond anything that we can know or comprehend.

An Indian philosopher (Jiddu Krishnamurti) once wrote: As long as you ask questions you are breaking through, but the moment you begin to accept, you are psychologically dead. So right through life don’t accept a thing, but inquire, investigate.