An Atheist Journey - Part IV
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007 |
Watch the Atheist Journey Part IV on YouTube Published May 8, 2007. |
I’d like to begin by withdrawing my original statement in which I say that God does not exist. The fact that we cannot disprove the existence of God aside, the statement kills any potential for dialogue.
And now, I’d like to put a new statement on record. I do not know if a God exist, but am fully backed by the scientific community when I say “There is zero evidence to suggest His existence.” It is my belief that until scientific evidence to the contrary is brought forward, belief in any God is an absurd proposition.
I realise that the average Christian requires a lot of explaining on what constitutes as scientific evidence, but am limited in time, and even more so in the Christian attention span towards matters of science - a fact evident in the misguided Christian understanding of evolution.
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.
Can’t wrap your head around the science? That’s okay. Let’s try a mathematical approach.
Consider Bertrand Russell’s statement that “Given the number of conflicting [religious] views on offer, every believer should expect damnation on mere probabilistic grounds.”
Hundreds of religions profess to be the truth. Most are based on ancient scripture, and all on faith. All such religions have an equal stab at validity, but only one can indeed be, for all are mutually exclusive. What are your chances of going to paradise, even if all believers of your faith are deemed worthy of salvation? Statistically, slim to none.
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 at large. On a grand scale, religion is the root of much evil. I urge you to consider the difference between ‘it makes me feel good’ and ‘it’s good for humanity’. 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 religious choices of those directly involved affect the whole world.
“It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, how ever satisfying and reassuring” (Carl Sagan). Let’s leave our egos at the door step of the 14th century. We’re as special as the koala bear, the aardvark, or the platypus, 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 in our universe.