Wednesday, December 19, 2007

avant-garde Axioms

So, I shall begin this blog with a description of my personal beliefs, because although I consider myself an atheist I feel that some of my thoughts concerning religion and humanity differ from the general perception of atheism.

In the majority of my history I was a Christian, and for the meaningful part of that existence I felt as if my life and decisions were significantly impacted by my relationship with God. Interestingly enough, I was led to atheism as I pursued this relationship's implications further and further. I never considered myself to have a great deal of faith, and greatly dislike the concept of "Christ as your personal Savior that you must only accept into your heart." Then and now I fervently maintain that one's action's should align with one's beliefs, if not, both are void of meaning. My own atheism is a consequence of the above statement, however that is a much longer story not fit for here.

Now, in regard for belief in God, a universal being, or a deity of any sort, I feel that all humans have a natural desire to avoid the true reality of the world in which they live. If this means explaining lightening as thunderbolts from an angry Zeus, or interpreting an abundance of rain as a sign of God's contentment, it matters not. I have come to this conclusion because when I believed in God, especially in retrospect, it seems to me that God was no more than an augmentation or addition to my conscience. Of course my initial acceptance of God's existence originated from my early upbringings, but later in life as I began to engage with God, I subconsciously formed an idea of what God wanted, what his plan was, and how I should live, based off a interpretation of the events surrounding my life and what I knew and was learning of God and religion at the time. Simply put, the events in my life were not really attributed to God, but only associated with God because I choose them to be.

In this way, God was more of a supplement to my being as was my imagination, my conscience, my selfishness, my desires, and my compassion. Belief in God is perhaps a distortion of genuine emotions because it restricts one from certain actions. For instance I made many incorrigible mistakes because I believed at one time that dating would conflict with what I felt my life in the context of Christianity should become.

Clearly belief in God affects actions: personal spirituality however is more or less inherently logical, at least to some extent- it is that very logic that brought me, as I strove closer and closer to God, to realize that He is mostly likely not there at all- the problem arises when the innate tendency to accredit meaning to coincidence, to allot our lives with meaning, meets community, forming standardized doctrine and official Religion. It is here that one finds atrocities such as the Holocaust, the Crusades, South African Apartheid, or any other indoctrinated bloodshed, in vividly prophetic context.

My point is to say that the concept of God is no more a result of human nature as the remainder of one's personality. It is foolish to think that believing anything can cause any change after one's death, in fact I would say that one who truly believes something would never need to mention their belief in it for their actions would be so inextricably bound with their thoughts that there would be no need for them to justify themselves. Religion is a result of the human emotions of fear and foolishness.

Thus result statements like this one, uttered by a completely moronic teacher I once had, "The way I see it, I might as well believe in God and do all that stuff, because... what is there to lose, either after I die and there is nothing, or after I die I get into heaven. Besides, I have nothing to lose by just 'believing.'" This statement is so devoid of logic and reason that it makes me sick to think of it.

Anyhow, there's a bit to think about. Cheers.

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