So I recently stopped believing in God. Sort of. Pretty much.
It's no big deal. I may start believing again some time soon. I just feel that the question of whether or not there is a God is far less relevant than both the priests and Dawkinsites of the world would have us believe. I have other questions to explore about life, myself and the universe, and thinking about whether or not God exists was taking up too much of my thinking time. So I have withdrawn myself to a "meh" kind of position on the matter.
The reason I'm telling the internet this is that it's a convenient starting point to talk about how amazing the universe is. Because even as a meh-theist, I can fully understand why people believe in a God (largely because I did so for such a long time). The universe is so huge, and so wonderful, and so complicated, and so bemusing that it seems highly unlikely for it to have formed itself on it's own. It is difficult to process the world without thinking there was an intelligent mind behind it, without an all-powerful being that we can blame, and also thank.
This thanking thing is really important, to me anyway. So even though I now lack a specific being for me to thank, I'm going to put it out there anyway.
Thank you that I am conscious. Thank you that I was born into a human body with the capacity to think.
Thank you for the incredible body I have. Well, in my case the amazingness is mostly internal. But still. Thank you for the trillions of cells that perform immensely complicated chemical processes at mind-bending speed to ensure that this human being can exist.
Thank you that there is food, water, oxygen, warmth, and land space enough for me to survive. Thank you further that I have enough of it to live extremely comfortably. Let me never forget how lucky I am to essentially be able to eat at will.
Thank you that the human race was not wiped out with a meteor or solar flare or deadly disease or anything before I had the chance to be born.
Thank you that the planet Earth at the almost impossibly precise conditions necessary to harbour life.
Thank you that there is a star nearby which conveniently creates more heat and light than my entire species will ever need every hour. Thank you for all the stars, where the elements that make up me and the things I love were forged.
And thank you that the universe is just so damn beautiful to make conscious existence the miraculous opportunity that it is, even if it only lasts for a short while.
On a similar note, we as humans often fret about the meaning of life. We act as though there has to be some predetermined task for us to accomplish in order for conscious existence to be worth it. I disagree. The way I see it, life is even more exciting without a meaning that has been decided for us. We have been given the most miraculous thing on earth- thought- and we get to decide how we are going to make it matter. Even if we can't manage that (though I think we can), even if all we can do is exist selfishly, then at least someone was here at some point to look at the universe and think: "Goodness. How marvelous."
And, that is all. Sayronara. Live well, everyone.
(8) "Thank you for the universe,
The stars I'm seeing,
Thaaaaank you fooor my con-scious be-ing..."
It's no big deal. I may start believing again some time soon. I just feel that the question of whether or not there is a God is far less relevant than both the priests and Dawkinsites of the world would have us believe. I have other questions to explore about life, myself and the universe, and thinking about whether or not God exists was taking up too much of my thinking time. So I have withdrawn myself to a "meh" kind of position on the matter.
The reason I'm telling the internet this is that it's a convenient starting point to talk about how amazing the universe is. Because even as a meh-theist, I can fully understand why people believe in a God (largely because I did so for such a long time). The universe is so huge, and so wonderful, and so complicated, and so bemusing that it seems highly unlikely for it to have formed itself on it's own. It is difficult to process the world without thinking there was an intelligent mind behind it, without an all-powerful being that we can blame, and also thank.
This thanking thing is really important, to me anyway. So even though I now lack a specific being for me to thank, I'm going to put it out there anyway.
Thank you that I am conscious. Thank you that I was born into a human body with the capacity to think.
Thank you for the incredible body I have. Well, in my case the amazingness is mostly internal. But still. Thank you for the trillions of cells that perform immensely complicated chemical processes at mind-bending speed to ensure that this human being can exist.
Thank you that there is food, water, oxygen, warmth, and land space enough for me to survive. Thank you further that I have enough of it to live extremely comfortably. Let me never forget how lucky I am to essentially be able to eat at will.
Thank you that the human race was not wiped out with a meteor or solar flare or deadly disease or anything before I had the chance to be born.
Thank you that the planet Earth at the almost impossibly precise conditions necessary to harbour life.
Thank you that there is a star nearby which conveniently creates more heat and light than my entire species will ever need every hour. Thank you for all the stars, where the elements that make up me and the things I love were forged.
And thank you that the universe is just so damn beautiful to make conscious existence the miraculous opportunity that it is, even if it only lasts for a short while.
On a similar note, we as humans often fret about the meaning of life. We act as though there has to be some predetermined task for us to accomplish in order for conscious existence to be worth it. I disagree. The way I see it, life is even more exciting without a meaning that has been decided for us. We have been given the most miraculous thing on earth- thought- and we get to decide how we are going to make it matter. Even if we can't manage that (though I think we can), even if all we can do is exist selfishly, then at least someone was here at some point to look at the universe and think: "Goodness. How marvelous."
And, that is all. Sayronara. Live well, everyone.
(8) "Thank you for the universe,
The stars I'm seeing,
Thaaaaank you fooor my con-scious be-ing..."
No comments:
Post a Comment