Is a belief in god important?

A philosopher John Gray doesn't think so. His position is that a belief in the existence of god is not necessary for either religious folks or atheists. He points to the fact that many religious groups, both poly theistic and mono theistic believe that it's more about the ritual and meditation than the actual belief in the existence of a creator or supreme being.

What it all comes down to in a genuine hope that there is something after this life. Am I hopeful that there is something after this? Not really, I feel like if I spend my time hoping that something good happens after I die that I waste my time HERE doing things to make my LIFE more fulfilling and happy. Rather than focus on what might be or 'could be'. I want to focus on what IS.

I was recently told that my disbelief in god is stemming from my anger towards god for some slight. This is wholly incorrect; I am not angry with god. It would be impossible for me to be angry with something that I don't believe exists. It would be much like being angry with the Easter Bunny for not giving me a chocolate rabbit and discounting it's existence because of it. That is just silly. I know that there isn't a giant bunny rabbit that delivers candy once a year, much like I know that there isn't a fat guy dressed in red that delivers presents to good children once a year. I'm not angry at him either. I just know that he isn't real, he is a story told to children to make their holidays more entertaining.

Then there is the crux of most believers arguments. Salvation. They want to believe in god because they want to be saved. It is natural to want to be spared the 'slings and arrows' of damnation or to be saved from pain and misery. Everyone wants to be comfortable and have a nice life. The believer focuses on the "all good, all knowing god" who according to their belief structure will 'save' them if they are good enough and follow all the rules. The fallacy to this belief is this: Even IF there is an all good, all knowing god, just because you do follow all the rules and do everything your beliefs tell you should, this could still be your fate: "Even if god is all powerful and all knowing, and powerful enough to save all the souls of the devout believer and of course is loving enough to do it, god still may NOT do it."

I choose to not believe and work to better my world as I can while I am in it. Spending time focusing on something that may or may not be there with no evidence that it does is not how I choose to live. I choose to live now.

Kid saw heaven? REALLY?!?!?

It truly amazes me, a kid says he has "been to Heaven, where everyone has wings" and of course that has to be real right? It couldn't have had ANYTHING to do with the fact that he was under general anesthesia while having his appendix removed? You can go here to see the video. 

 

Don't get me wrong, maybe he really did see heaven and maybe I am wrong to disbelieve the whole thing. What I find more likely than a little boy going to Heaven (He didn't die on the table like most people who claim "heaven visits" do) that his parents are pimping out the kid to sell his fathers 'conveniently written' book entitled "Heaven is for real". 

It truly makes me sad to see parent's selling their kids on T.V. just to sell a book or worse to be 'famous'. Parents like this need to be looked at harshly, not treated as heroes for 'proving God is real'. 

Everyone has wings? Really? wow, wonder what the Mormons, Jews and Muslims have to say about that?

An Evening interrupted

Last night, I was cuddling up on the couch with my wife to enjoy some prime time T.V. ( She is a huge NCIS fan). Just as the show was getting started, someone knocks on the door. Wouldn't you know it? It was the Missionaries! It seems some busy body (either my parents or hers) "sent them to check on us" I am guessing it was her father as he is the same guy that keeps telling every ward we move into where we live and all our contact information.

Being polite we let them come in, of course we kept the conversation away from anything to do with religion as much as possible. I really didn't feel like getting into a debate with two 19 year old kids that know NOTHING other than what they are taught at the MTC. I knew that conversation would have been completely fruitless and at best they would have left baffled, more than likely they would have left with "strengthened testimonies" since they would have survived an "encounter with an apostate".

We really tried hard to simply let them know that we are fine, have no issues and don't need any assistance from the Church, the missionaries and don't want to be 'fellow shipped back into the church'. They of course asked the obligatory questions about us: were we members, how long etc. they also asked if my son was baptized etc. I explained to them that No he wasn't baptized, blessed or ordained to any kind of priesthood calling (he's 12). the reasons for this are simple, I refuse to force my kid into mandatory membership in a church I not only disbelieve but vehemently oppose. I want him to make his own educated decisions when he is OLD enough to make that decision for himself. I then got the laugh of the evening -- They ASKED him how he felt about God. -- Let me paint this picture for you: he is in the kitchen playing a game on my laptop and the missionaries ask him "How do you feel about God?". Without missing a beat, my son shouts over his shoulder "God? Don't believe in fantasies" then goes back to his game. The shocked look on the missionaries faces was priceless, if I had a camera I would have taken a picture and posted it here. Their only response to him was "WHAA? but look at the computer you are sitting in front of." --  I know I was confused by this response too.

They then turned to me and asked me the same question. I looked at them straight faced and simply said, " Really, let's not go there. You don't want to start that debate right now." My wife started laughing and told the missionaries "He has made bishops question their faith, don't go there with him." the missionaries just sat there for a minute or so not saying anything. After a few seconds of dead silence one missionary looked at the clock on the living room wall and said " We better get going, curfew is almost up for us." They then stood up, shook hands with me and left.

It took a damn hour for them to leave, not that I was offended by their arrival, just annoyed. The bonus was, I have a DVR so my wife didn't have to miss her show. Well that and my son got to shock a missionary. Not a totally wasted evening, just an evening interrupted.

I do wonder though, how will they report this encounter to their mission president? Will it be, "former members, need no help" or will they tell the story of the encounter?

Sometime this year, my wife and I are going to request our names be removed from the membership roles. When that happens, I am expecting many more visits from missionaries, bishops etc.

When I do, I will let ya'll read that too.