Kevin's Watch

I respect all religions. And I think that's a great feat by me. I'm respecting an organization that's telling me I'm going to burn for all eternity. Sure, they're also saying "become Born Again", but, folks, I'm going to die an atheist. Because I do not submit to their doctrine, I deserve an afterlife of eternal torment? And yet I still respect this organization. It takes a lot of self control not to spit back at it, honestly.

Make no mistake, there are many good Christians. But if all the Christians in the world molded into one, I think that collective being would look down on me, condescend to me.

I find no need at all for religion, personally, as I can attain happiness through easier, more pleasurable measures. And that, my friends, is what's most important to me: happiness. I've heard the saying "get a life" before, and I think that whoever says that in all earnestness must be a very narrow-minded person. One person's waste of time might be another's happiness.

I'll admit that religion works not just for some people but for most people on the planet. I can see why. It's easy. It gives all the answers to the questions of the universe. It gives place and purpose and assurance of afterlife.

It's not that I don't have that. It's that I don't want that. I don't want answers to life. I don't want an afterlife. That may sound crazy, but I want whatever will truly happen to just happen. I’m not going to think about it. To me, having high hopes for a wondrous afterlife I don't even know exists is nuts. I’m simply here, and that’s the only real fact I know. Investing in anything else feels like unnecessary emotional baggage.

Lord Foul:

Yes! A groveler! I mean, oh! Thanks!

LF wrote:I find no need at all for religion, personally, as I can attain happiness through easier, more pleasurable measures. And that, my friends, is what's most important to me: happiness. I've heard the saying "get a life" before, and I think that whoever says that in all earnestness must be a very narrow-minded person. One person's waste of time might be another's happiness.

I totally agree but for me, at least, it's important to have a focal point of faith--I don't care what you call it, God, a doorknob or patting ourselves on the back for creating this cool concept of life/reality, whatever it is. So I can't be an atheist-I do believe in an afterlife of my OWN choosing. I ain't done yet!

LF also wrote:I'll admit that religion works not just for some people but for most people on the planet. I can see why. It's easy. It gives all the answers to the questions of the universe.

"It's not that easy."

For you or me maybe, but for tons of Christians it is just that easy. For them, it does give all the answers. Tells how everything is created, where everything is going. "God created the universe, there will be an apocalypse, we'll all be judged, and we'll live together in either hell or heaven for eternity, etc." It was the world's way of explaining things before science was able to.

Heh, and danlo, don't get me wrong. I'm not done yet either, but I'm just open to the possibility that, in the end, it may not be up to us when we're done or not.

It goes beyond science too... "There are more things in life that are dreamt of in your philosophies, Horatio."

Maybe life has a meaning beyond our thoughts, or maybe there's no meaning and we're just thinking too much about it! I have no way of knowing which is which. I wish I could believe in either one.