Belief
I know I've posted quite a lot about what I don't believe. But I don't think I've ever posted about what I do believe. I guess the reason is that I'm not entirely sure myself, but I think for the sake of generating a few comments I'll have a go at piecing it together.
Well, let's start off with a summary of where I stand on mainstream religion, and go on from there. Oh, by the way, if any of the following offends anyone, a) why are you offended? I have as much right to my beliefs as you have to yours, and b) why are you reading this then? No one is forcing you!
So. I am not a Christian. That much should be obvious from the general content of my journal. Why, I am sure I have described elsewhere, but suffice to say I became disillusioned with the general hypocrisy of the Christian Church and the underlying hypocrisy in the teachings of the church: You don't have to do anything to get to heaven except believe. Oh, now you believe you have to change who you are totally in order to not offend your god! Only people who believe go to heaven, everyone else burns in hell for all eternity! You get the picture?
I'm not a Muslim or Jew, for similar reasons. Buddhism is a bit too wishy-washy for me. I don't believe in re-incarnation, for one thing - which also rules out Hinduism. Some of the teachings of Buddha are good, just as some of the teachings of Jesus are good. But others I just can't get on with
Anything else? Damn, there are so many religions. Quite possibly what I do believe comes nicely within the doctrine of one or more of them, but there will probably be something in the teachings of that religion I disagree with.
Any way, as I said, this isn't about what I'm not, it's about what I am.
So, let's start with gods. Gods exist. This is, I think, demonstrable. But I do not believe they are "all powerful". I believe that, far from what the Judeo-Christian bible says, "Mankind created gods in his/her image".
Actually, the Christian theology of "territorial spirits" supports my theory to a certain extent. I believe, back in the ancient times, before science and understanding removed belief from people, that every family had it's own household gods. These gods were as real as the people concerned believed them to be. (See Genesis for my reference on this. The bible supports this theory.) Of course, the more people who believed in an individual god, the more powerful that god became.
This, of course, is the origin of the Judeo-Christian god. It was Abram's household god. As Abram's family grew, so the god became more powerful. Eventually, it became powerful enough to take on the other gods in the region, except two or three. The major rival to Jahweh being the Canaanite god of a place called Ekron.
It is interesting to note that the word Baal translates as Lord. The Lord Zebub of Ekron seems to have come to some sort of an arrangement with Jahweh, whereby the two of them become equal and opposite, dividing the world between them by mutual consent. This partnership successfully spread the belief in both of them across the globe!
So what happens when people stop believing in a god? Well, obviously, it dies. It looses all it's power and is extinguished when it's last believer dies. This is what happened to many of the ancient gods who are now relegated to the history books.
How does it work? How should I know? All I know is that gods demand worship. They feed on it. Stop worshipping them and they disappear.
There are spiritual things in this world. There are spirits. There are territorial gods of traffic lights. (Or haven't you noticed that in some towns the lights change to green for you while in others they go red as you approach!) Telepathy is real, I've proved it, despite not believing in it!
When we die? Nothing. There is no long sleep. No eternal blackness - eternal blackness implies a continuing conciousness to register the blackness). No dreaming, no heaven, no hell. This is all we have, this life, this brief spark of light. And yes, this is why I am so vehemently opposed to gun ownership and use. There is no hereafter. Killing someone extinguishes them from life forever. No reincarnation, no immortal spirit, no ghosts - ghosts are actually territorial spirits that have lost their believers and are struggling to keep some semblance of power.
Why do I believe the above? Because, to my logical mind, it makes best sense of the conflicting evidence.
Well, if you read that, thanks.
Don't be afraid to comment if you wish. I'm a big boy, I can take it. If you think I'm talking bullshit, please tell me why, rather than just saying that's bullshit.
On the other hand, if maybe I've given you food for thought, I'd like to hear that too...
Well, let's start off with a summary of where I stand on mainstream religion, and go on from there. Oh, by the way, if any of the following offends anyone, a) why are you offended? I have as much right to my beliefs as you have to yours, and b) why are you reading this then? No one is forcing you!
So. I am not a Christian. That much should be obvious from the general content of my journal. Why, I am sure I have described elsewhere, but suffice to say I became disillusioned with the general hypocrisy of the Christian Church and the underlying hypocrisy in the teachings of the church: You don't have to do anything to get to heaven except believe. Oh, now you believe you have to change who you are totally in order to not offend your god! Only people who believe go to heaven, everyone else burns in hell for all eternity! You get the picture?
I'm not a Muslim or Jew, for similar reasons. Buddhism is a bit too wishy-washy for me. I don't believe in re-incarnation, for one thing - which also rules out Hinduism. Some of the teachings of Buddha are good, just as some of the teachings of Jesus are good. But others I just can't get on with
Anything else? Damn, there are so many religions. Quite possibly what I do believe comes nicely within the doctrine of one or more of them, but there will probably be something in the teachings of that religion I disagree with.
Any way, as I said, this isn't about what I'm not, it's about what I am.
So, let's start with gods. Gods exist. This is, I think, demonstrable. But I do not believe they are "all powerful". I believe that, far from what the Judeo-Christian bible says, "Mankind created gods in his/her image".
Actually, the Christian theology of "territorial spirits" supports my theory to a certain extent. I believe, back in the ancient times, before science and understanding removed belief from people, that every family had it's own household gods. These gods were as real as the people concerned believed them to be. (See Genesis for my reference on this. The bible supports this theory.) Of course, the more people who believed in an individual god, the more powerful that god became.
This, of course, is the origin of the Judeo-Christian god. It was Abram's household god. As Abram's family grew, so the god became more powerful. Eventually, it became powerful enough to take on the other gods in the region, except two or three. The major rival to Jahweh being the Canaanite god of a place called Ekron.
It is interesting to note that the word Baal translates as Lord. The Lord Zebub of Ekron seems to have come to some sort of an arrangement with Jahweh, whereby the two of them become equal and opposite, dividing the world between them by mutual consent. This partnership successfully spread the belief in both of them across the globe!
So what happens when people stop believing in a god? Well, obviously, it dies. It looses all it's power and is extinguished when it's last believer dies. This is what happened to many of the ancient gods who are now relegated to the history books.
How does it work? How should I know? All I know is that gods demand worship. They feed on it. Stop worshipping them and they disappear.
There are spiritual things in this world. There are spirits. There are territorial gods of traffic lights. (Or haven't you noticed that in some towns the lights change to green for you while in others they go red as you approach!) Telepathy is real, I've proved it, despite not believing in it!
When we die? Nothing. There is no long sleep. No eternal blackness - eternal blackness implies a continuing conciousness to register the blackness). No dreaming, no heaven, no hell. This is all we have, this life, this brief spark of light. And yes, this is why I am so vehemently opposed to gun ownership and use. There is no hereafter. Killing someone extinguishes them from life forever. No reincarnation, no immortal spirit, no ghosts - ghosts are actually territorial spirits that have lost their believers and are struggling to keep some semblance of power.
Why do I believe the above? Because, to my logical mind, it makes best sense of the conflicting evidence.
Well, if you read that, thanks.
Don't be afraid to comment if you wish. I'm a big boy, I can take it. If you think I'm talking bullshit, please tell me why, rather than just saying that's bullshit.
On the other hand, if maybe I've given you food for thought, I'd like to hear that too...