Is there a god, or not?
I have been thinging a bit about God, and why so many people believe, or don't believe in God. I personally believe in God. I admit I have no "hard facts" that conclusively prove the existence of God, but in some instances I can see no other explanation. I'll let science disprove me.
My first thought came to me while watching one of those documentaries I love so much on the science channel. I hear often on these documentaries about the theory of the "big bang". It seems to me that scientists have all but accepted this theory as fact. Well lets look at the "big bang" which I will refer to as BB from now on. What caused the BB? Where did all the matter in the universe come from? Did this matter just spring into existence out of nothingness with the BB or was it slowly created by the BB? Was there alot of what I call dead matter with no energy and the BB gave it the energy and started the process of galaxy formation, and if so how did the BB happen if there is no energy in the dead matter? It seems to me that it is at least as plausible for God to have created the universe as it is that all the matter and energy in the universe just sprang into existence with a BB that nobody knows how it happened. I mean was there just nothing, and then BANG, there is everything? There must be something that caused the BB.
My second thoughts were on what is called the spirit or soul or consiousness. How does science explain the spirit? I have a really hard time believing that What makes up me is just a bunch of chemical and electrical impulses in my brain. I have had a few experiences that I could only call spiritual experiences. I don't for a second believe that my consiousness will expire with this fragile body that houses it. Science has yet to explain the soul.
I believe that one of the biggest reasons that people deny the existence of God comes from a (maybe subconsious) thought that if there is no God, then there is no heaven or hell. If there is no heaven or hell, then there is no real reason to worry about sin. There is no reason to worry about anything but personal gratification. If god doesn't exist then it's alright to cheat on my spouse, steal the pensions of thousands of old folks, etc....
I'm not trying to pass moral judgement on anyone. I try not to judge someone at all, until I know them quite well. I'm just saying that just because science or religion hasn't proven the existence of God with hard facts doesn't mean that Gods' existence has been disproven. Everyone has the right to believe what they want. There are just too many things that go on unexplained by science.
My cuz Josh said: "Belief and Faith = Bad." I believe in God. I have faith that someday I'll know the truth. In my opinion Josh is all wrong on this point. Belief and Faith are not at all bad. Even in a religious context. It pisses me off when people bad mouth religion or God because of what people have done in the name of either. It almost pisses me off as much as it does when someone does something bad in the name of God or religion. Bush is a fucking bastard in my opinion for using God as one of his excuses to fight a war. Bush has no scruples. He can use God in a sentence where he is blatantly lying. Some people read books that are completely biased against one religion or another and then laugh at people that believe in that religion. Thats the actions of an asshole in my opinion. Anyway I am getting off topic. People say "Prove that God exists." I say "Prove he doesn't exist." There are alot of thing on this magical world that just can't be explained. At least not yet. Does that mean they don't exist? NO! I believe that love exists, yet I cannot prove it.
posted by Vernarial @ 10:41 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Isn't that like Bush saying that its up to Iraq to prove that it DOESN'T have WMDs? When Iraq couldn't prove that it had nothing, Bush acted on the faith that it did. Look at the harm that's come from it. Look at the injustice that's come from it. I hope no harm or injustice comes to you as a result of faith based on the absence of proof that nothing exists. I have no doubt Vern that you could live the rest of your life having faith in God while really living a fulfilling life. I, on the other hand, choose to live a fulfilling life free of assumptions about anything. I'd argue that this is a more hopeful approach to life.
I don't think anyone could ever disprove that god exists. There will always be the unknown. There will always be the unknown that the faithful can point to and say, "See, the only explanation must be god."
I believe that just because we can't conceptualize something existing without a creator doesn't mean that there was a creator. The only conclusion we can come to is that our intelligence is limited. We can see only so much. The question "what caused the big bang" is a biased question. It assumes that there was something that caused it, but we just don't know what it is. In the short term, science could explain what ignited it, but in the longer term, what caused that thing to cause the ignition?? And what caused that? There is no end to the questions. Even if god existed, wouldn't we ask where he came from? Who made him? We would never be satisfied not knowing everything.
I took an astronomy class and learned that the most up to date scientific understanding of the big bang is that it was followed by an expanding universe, which might eventually slow down and start contracting. Sooner or later something called a "big crunch" would occur, which would either mean the end of everything, or, as most agree, be followed by another big bang. The big bang, big crunch cycle would continue forever. No beginning or end could ever be identified, in other words--the universe would be infinite.
We see signs of infinite/the cycle all around us...in the shape of a circle...this is the predominate shape of the universe and its myriad galaxies, stars, planets, etc. If anything, this speaks to something other than a single beginning to all things and a single planner of that beginning. This understanding should affect our beliefs and morals than assumptions like, "if it exists, it must have been made by something." Furthermore, we humans are a bit cocky to think that whatever might have made something was in any way shape or form like us. We just learn how to flush poo down a drain or catch flight with our man-made contraptions and we proclaim that the entire universe exists because of someone that looks and acts much like us.
Your questions:
1) What caused the big bang?
Where did all the matter in the universe come from?
Scientist have pretty detailed answers for these questions--ranging from pretty factual/scientific, to purely theoretical, but look into it and you'll see.
2) How does science explain the spirit/soul/consciousness?
Just because you refuse to believe that a human being could only consist of chemicals and other matter, as well as electrical impulses doesn't mean that there must be a soul. Basically, we're extremely complicated organisms. We shouldn't believe that something exists (soul) just because we can't fully grasp the complexity of what does exist (the human body/mind).
I don't believe in god but I am a moral person. I would not cheat on my spouse because I would love her, and I would also understand that she is just like me, and I would feel bad if she was hurt...her pain would be my pain. The understanding that we are all in this together...you could say that we are all running around blind, making mistakes, feeling pain, finding comfort and pleasure in each other...but we're all pretty clueless relatively speaking...this understanding fosters emmense sympathy for fellow human beings...we see ourselves as largely innocent...we find that our greatest hope for being happy is in being courageous, living energetically, and especially helping each other..giving to each other. This is what morality can be based on, this "all in it together" thing. Not some "mind fuck" called faith, in which we metaphorically stare up out of our cages hoping that some day we will be let free. I don't need an imaginary friend or parent (god) to feel secure. I don't need to imagine a heaven or a hell to behave.
You said that belief and faith are not at all bad. I say, tell that to the people who drank the poisoned punch. Tell that to those who keep expecting some divine UFO to arrive and take away the chosen ones. Tell that to the Branch Davidians. How about Terrorists? What about the millions of people each day who live in guilt and fear of punishment because they "fornicated"? What about the millions of women throughout history who lived their lives as sex-slaves and slaves to their families because they were fulfilling their roles in accordance with their faith? You may say that these are extreme cases, or that the evil which occured cannot be blamed on faith, but I disagree. Faith--the shutting down of the mind--is to blame for allowing these people and others to throw away their lives.
Vern, I'm ranting and arguing so strongly because my uncles, aunts, mom, sister, cousins, and so many others let this thing called faith control their lives, and I don't believe that this is benefiting them. anyway, thanks for the good blog. More later, I'm sure.
Done.
I can't think of less antagonizing ways to make my point than, say, "I hope that no harm or injustice comes to you..." or, "I, on the other hand, ...", or whatever. Ok, maybe I could make things less direct or personal, but then the point might not really be heard if its made mildly. I want to antagonize in a way. Call me cocky or a jack ass or whatever, but I would compare my moral argument against faith to the moral argument people made against slavery back in the 1600s. This thing (slavery or faith) is bad. Slavery kept people in physical bondage, and faith keeps people in mental/emotional bondage. I would compare my argument against the lies told by religion to the arguments against the lies told by the Bush administration regarding WMDs. Religion specializes in a propaganda--something that convinces the average recipient to believe something without proof, by using emotional maninipulative tactics...etc. This all seems antagonizing because people take their faith very seriously/personally. They also take tradition very seriously/personally. Maybe I'm demonstrating a complete lack of tact by debating such sensitive issues with family, but, if family understands that I'm trying to have an academic/objective debate, then they they might take up the debate for fun. Because in the end, this discussion won't make a difference in our lifes...its just a hobby to pass the time..to stimulate the brain cells...its like a game..its better than watching "the wheel of fortune".
Of course there's a God.
I don't believe the comparison between Faith and Slavery is a valid one at all. For 1 Faith is not forced on people while slavery is. And the comparison between the lies told by Bush and lies told by religion is not a good comparison either. Bush has been proven wrong, while physical proof that there is or isn't a god is impossible at this time.
Sometimes there need to be an antagonist in a debate. I think it's better to discuss these things with family than with strangers. I just don't believe that faith is such a nefarious thing. There are billions of people on this earth that live everyday of their lives with a faith of one type or another. Most of them are at heart very good people. So how is faith really hurting them? By giving them a little hope in their future? By giving them something to believe in? I don't find these things bad at all. In some ways I find them beneficial. Without hope, some people would just sit down and die.
I am interested in the myriad ways in which we are slaves apart from direct physical control by someone else. We are slaves of our emotions, passions, states of mind, societal norms/ethics that we adopt as our own, the rules and principles that we adhere to... If our morals are so rigid that they prevent us from experiencing much of the pleasures and joys of life, and especially if those morals obstruct free thought and due consideration, then they are a form of slavery.
Good points...this is the best argument against my position about faith so far. Doesn't it give people hope? Doesn't it give people something to live for? Doesn't it serve the good more than the bad? The answers to these questions could mean the end to my rant against Faith... I'll take up this tangent of the debate in a seperate blog hopefully soon.
cool, I used the word "myriad"!
Post a Comment
<< Home