Confessions of a closet-atheist
I have always been curious to understand why God and religion hold such sway over all of humanity. I can’t fathom why so many of us believe in an omnipotent super-man/woman who supposedly controls us as if we were some puppets tethered to a string. God is truly mankind’s greatest invention and I have hence grappled with a variety of questions in my mind. Does belief in God make a person happier? Will blind faith help us handle the ups and downs of life with equanimity because everything happens due to His/Her will? Why have generations after generations of people so consumed this Kool-Aid of faith? Why do most people of one religion disbelieve in the Gods of other religions? Is there a far greater good to come out of people’s fear of an all-powerful mythical being even if one were to take into account all of the bloodshed and hatred caused by bigots? Will crime rates spiral if we all became atheistic? Will the people of 3000 A.D. laugh at us for our misplaced beliefs or will they continue to be beholden to the divine? Is God, after all, an invention out of necessity?
These are just some of the questions I cogitate upon ever so often. I don’t have the answers but I do know that there are others who invest far more time into this so that the rest of us can see the light. One such man is Richard Dawkins. If you are curious about how life started, I recommend reading “The Selfish Gene”; or you could even start with his essays archived on the internet. I, for one, can’t wait to read his latest book, “The God Delusion”. For now, I will stop preaching and just go back into my atheist-closet!
6 Comments so far
Leave a reply
for me,it boils down to faith.
in the bible,the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains…is really relevant for this generation.
alot of people got smarter and wiser,more educated, they began questioning many things that is not popped out many years ago
is it only when God proved something to you,then you will change your faith towards Him?
or is it because of ur great faith,God performed a miracle for you?
do you look at one verse of the bible,and misinterprete it and simply doubt God the rest of your life?
it is like watching a television…does it affect the show…when one of the pixel of the television is not working?…you still see the whole picture don’t you?
the bible is the most read book in the world,it either transform lives,or eitherwise,destroy lives…many misconceptions can be made by just reading,therefore we need to pray,for an answer of what it it really saying..
is really hard for a christian who has been living his life,believing there is God for 10years,and suddenly his life shatters becuase of something or someone who managed to prove otherwise.
what is going on his mind?”i have been fooled for 10yrs?”"who am i really living for?”"what am i suppose to do now?”
so what is faith to you?…
even as i’m writing to you this,you may have a lot of questions running in your mind now to counter-back at me.
i am not a perfect christian,i am not a pastor,i just happened to popped by into your blog through blogspot.
but after reading it,it really does speaks about the world today,and it does test me on my faith…
God sure explains a lot. Like how the Earth got here, despite a less than 1/10^10^123 probablility that the Universe as it exists (with life supporting planets) was created at random.
It’s a much simpler explination that something guided the creation of life. And Occam’s Razor tells us that the simplest explination is usualy right.
Dear Martin,
Thank you for your comments. I am neither a scientist nor a philosopher and am far from being a perfect man. But I definitely do see your point of view.
I do not doubt for a moment that the Bible is a much revered book. Surely, it prescribes a lot of good as do a lot of other religious texts. Whether it is Buddhism or Islam, I believe most religions have a code that suggests how one should base his or her life upon. But what is important is that we not treat every word as if they were the only truth. Any text should not imply: “Take it and you shall be saved. Doubt one word and you shall go to hell.” And if it does so, it is alright for you to ignore the parts that are impractical. You will still be a great human being and you ought to be loved by your friends and family.
Each of our minds is wonderfully complex and maybe faith can help you be strong. One’s life does not need to shatter because someone disproves something you passionately believe in. You can accept it and still do good. Always try to live an honest, good life and leave the world a better place than you found it. Because that, my friend, is the essence of life.
Warmest regards.
–
*Edited my previous comment so that it more accurately reflects my views
another grt post.. i m kindaa become fan of ur writing..
i agree that god is one of the greatest invention of mankind.
but again, science is yet to prove the absence of god, and god is still to proove his existence. so i gues we need to find our way from these two extrem tangents of life.
plz write more.. at least 1 a week..
i 9 u hv business of ur own… so i will wait…
Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I’ve been hard-pressed for time - busy with work and my folks have also come visiting.
Ritz,
Always a good topic to write a “few words” on.
Well here is my take on God and all that surrounds god.
God according to me is the faith and trust i put on someone or something. Thats it. And i feel you, martin. ken or for that matter me are all gods. Gods of a different type each of us. Because i trust myself and have faith in myself. I trust you. I may trust Martin or ken as well.
So thats as simple as i would like to keep it.