‘… a short interlude.’
To my friends and family whom are not on the path of atheism.
I’ve chosen this pathway a long time ago and have not wavered. Over the years my choice has been steadily reinforced, but the only major shift that took place recently is my new found need to openly talk about my position on the issue.
For the time being, I can’t keep quiet. In having done so thus far, I felt like I’ve found a way to escape my own psychological prison, but have spent the days staying in it so no one finds out that I broke free. You see, I didn’t want to alert anyone of my escape and have the authorities after me. So, I stayed in my cell long after I dug a tunnel out of it. That’s no way to live… I think you’ll agree.
I will not assault you with my ideas. My wish is to voice my opinions, and do so for the benefit of those interested in listening to the scientific message. Most days, I’ll welcome debates and discussion in any form.
Do not insult my intelligence by trying to convert me. Lay out the arguments for your beliefs as they apply to you and your perception of reality, not how you think they should apply to me.
Understand that my stance is based on a life time of gathering evidence.
If tomorrow we both see what can only be describe as an angel, I still won’t be a God fearing Christian. Seeing an angel would ultimately be one piece of potential evidence that angels exist, and while angels are commonly associated with God, that link is strictly mythical. By ultimately proving that angels exist, we may have a piece of evidence that God exists - if we can scientifically link the dependent association of angels with God.
This is what it boils down to: The theory I will subscribe to will be the one with hardest evidence. At this point, there is exactly zero scientific evidence for God, and a lot of evidence for theories which exclude Him. The amount of proof required to sway me on the God issue will be tremendous, and likely cannot be collected over centuries, yet in my life time alone.
Sure, there are many things that science cannot yet explain, but to credit God as the answer to these mysteries is to build a God of gaps. Convictions based on faith alone are irresponsible, and in many cases dangerous. They provide fertile ground for the spread of human rights violations, oppression, disease, and mass irrational behaviour.
I’ll still attend church for select cultural and social reasons. In doing so, I’ll be expressing personal and emotional support for those I care about most. To confuse such occasions with a search for a personal God would be a mistake.
Should we find ourselves together at mealtime, I’ll hold my peace through any prayer you may wish to voice - be it at your, or my table. Each of us has many places where our opinions are sought with interest, and I need not resort to imposing mine where such is not the case. As long we both can agree on this much, we’ll get along just fine.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:47
[...] Web Design, and Life « The (Confused) Scientist ‘ … a short interlude.’ [...]
April 30th, 2007 at 2:11
I wish I could get all my thoughts straight on the subject of god and religion. I’m an athiast myself however I also believe that athism isn’t for everyone. Believing in religion or god can serve a purpose. So I can’t disregard religion completely for those who can benefit from it.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:00
Spirituality has many advantages, but it does not make Yahweh any more real than Zeus or Apollo. Positive psychological effects can be gained through physicians telling their terminally ill patients that they need not worry, and that the patient is on the way to recovery. While comforting, would anyone disagree that in doing so, a crime had taken place?
Wishful thinking in an environment where others maintain their own wishful delusions is likely to undo the human race as we know it. Every ‘good book’ encourages the killing of infidels, and faith in the word of scripture is considered a virtue, not a vice. A handful of individuals willing to follow the Koran or Bible down to the last verse are increasingly becoming a threat to nations, and not just their immediate neighbours. It’s hard to imagine that in 50 years anyone wishing to get their hands on nuclear weapons will be unable to do so. The technology will be nearly common knowledge.
Am I lumping in the moderate religious followers with extremists? No. The simple fact is that moderate religious communities are fertile ground for extremists. Moderate religion teaches that faith is a virtue, and with that misinformation in hand the only stretch towards religious extremism is that of believing the holy texts in their entirety.
Until we all can agree that religious faith is a vice, the continued advancements of our species beyond the 21st century is statistically improbable.
May 1st, 2007 at 0:32
So many people think that god = religion. This is not the case. God is an idea. Religion is an idea of god and they build of it. Here are 2 scenarios.
1. Think about what god could be: Supreme power, supreme control, All powerful, always watching, ect.
2. Now think about how religion feeds into this: Must repent sins to god, God’s will determines a persons afterlife, The pope is a hand of god, Jesus Christ was the son of god.
The idea of god is imaginery. You and you alone can decide if god exists and if his powers are real. However the idea of religion takes the idea of god a step further. What would god want you to do? Tried to setup boundaries on a imaginery idea like god is easy to do but it’s when people try to follow those rules and interpret those ideas is when you run into problems.
Only the original writers knew the intent of their writings and if it’s a strong religion the original writers aren’t around to ask their meanings.
This to me is why I believe the idea of religion is a good idea to some people especially if it is properly executed. You can use serve a message as long as it the right message.
May 1st, 2007 at 1:06
Dictionary.com defines a religion as ‘a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.’
When using the word ‘religion’, I’m referring to organised religion, not the belief of one man. The majority of organised religion has a central God or Gods, but not all belief in a God requires subscription to organised religion. I for one do not know any individuals whom openly believe in a deity, and do not consider themselves religious. This - I hope - will help clear up any misconceptions about what I’m referring to and why, when I use the term ‘religion’.
Religion is a bit like communism: okay in theory, and maybe even successful in very small, and select pockets walled off from the reality of the world. On a large scale, religion is the root of much, much evil. I urge all to consider the difference between ‘it makes me feel good’ and ‘it’s good for the world’. These two statements are a world apart, and for me they bring to mind the Prisoner’s Dilemma: two factions making the best individual choice are left with an equilibrium where both sides are worse off. Unlike the Prisoner’s Dilemma, the choices of those directly involved affect everyone and by nature always will.
May 1st, 2007 at 1:35
you cannot outwit or outthink or out science faith. Faith is believing in something without seeing it.
I dont see the wind, I just see its effects…I believe in it.
Im not arguing with you…but not having faith or a hope in a higher order leaves me personally void inside..because then all the shitty things I have endured in my life were random events and there is no control…and thats crappy.
That is why folks choose to believe. Its hard and tricky and there is alot of ’science’ against it, as well as some science for it..
it’s all where you stand I suppose , as well as what you need in order to function properly every day.
May 1st, 2007 at 15:47
I think it is a major understatement to say that “faith is believing without seeing”. There are plethora of examples for things we cannot see, but exist. Gravity, the human consciousness, and many other ‘forces’ are not to be seen, yet evidence exists to prove that they indeed are.
Religious faith is based on believing in the face of evidence to the contrary. It’s time the world opens its eyes to the fact that religion has potential to fulfill an emotional craving, but is not in any shape, form, or interpretation, proof of a personal God. We need to fill our spirits without believing in mythology that is dangerous when imposed into reality.
Let’s leave our egos at the door step of 14th century thinking. We’re as special as the koala bear, the platypus, or the aardvark, plus the self awareness. Do not seek spirituality in the myths of the past, or in the blue skies above. Seek it within you, for that is the only place it has the potential to exist in the realm of reality of our universe.
May 1st, 2007 at 23:00
thats quite the aggressive stance my friend.
can you measure hope? Is there science for it? Do you place all of your hope and desire and dreams and everything else in science because its proof of life? We are so up there in tech and science..yet we still cant explain the spark of life.
Whered it come from? How does it transfer from body to body…
what makes us…us?
I will be stopping here. I am a firm believer in science…but theres no science that will tell me about the moment of my death and how I must prepare for that moment.
I worry about that. Its a concern..and not something I shoose to ignore. No..I dont believe that once we are dead..that is it.
Our souls/spirits/essences are too resilient. Of course..since you are a man of science..you dont believe in a soul..theres no proof of it whatsoever. *shrug*