Which ironically applies to either side, depending on the arguer.
The Christian ideal is such a pleasant and comforting one. At least, in a perfect world free of extremists it is. There is an all powerful being who routinely intervenes in the world and stirs things up. His touch breaks the rules of physics and logic and this is how we know him, when he is outside of reason, of rational thought.
He can step into any situation and fix it, in spite of how bad the situation really is. It doesn't matter, he can do anything, even change peoples minds, hearts, attitudes, etc. He picks sides, but somehow he makes everything work out so everyone is happy. Or, if they're not happy, then they are in rebellion anyway so it's their problem.
This being answers to nobody and does whatever he wants, whenever he wants and it's always the right thing. He has a master plan that cannot be thrown off course because he already knew how it could go wrong and corrected for it before it even got there.
He is incredibly concerned with the intimate details of your life and will not hesitate to get involved should you step out of line or need to learn some lesson. He loves those who have no love, holds those who are not held and guides those without direction. He is perfect in every way and wants to be your friend!
What an amazing idea! It's almost like he made us in such a precise imperfection that he would compliment us in just the exact ways that we needed. He just happens to be all the things we wish we could be, but aren't. Or he designed it to work that way. Either way. Cool.
You could also look at it another way...
There is no being, only you and biology. You exist because life exists and eventually turned into you. The world follows certain rules and laws that govern everything by the same standard, but judge nothing. These rules and laws have NEVER actually been broken, in spite of the many claims that never seem to be claimed the same way twice.
Your problems are your own. You can enlist the help of your friends, or you can deal with them yourself. Other's attitudes must be tolerated, ignored or forcibly changed, but only in as much as they will allow. Wishful thinking gets you little more than disappointment. If people don't like the outcome of an event, they can accept it or fight to change it, but their opinion is just as valid as yours.
You define your own life's course and plan. You do what you want to do and you alone are responsible for the consequences of your actions. Nobody judges your thoughts, or your motives in a way that holds you accountable. You get to be you and no one has the authority to tell you otherwise.
The world is full of trillions of variables that affect every individual. Some are born to shit parents, others amazing parents. Some are born poor, others rich. Some people have charming personalities, others are socially awkward. All these variables lead to different outcomes that are impossible to predict. Some have no love, others have no one to hold them, while more still wander aimlessly through life just hoping to maintain the status quo.
We are imperfect and incapable of attaining perfection. We bumble through life until we die and we make the most out of it. Relationships come and go, loved ones are born and die, some genes pass on, some never fully mature. Humans project what they want for themselves onto others, they imagine superbeings that compliment them perfectly without ever actually observing them with any natural method.
The point is this. Rational answers never run out, so there is no need to call on a god. Not understanding is not that same as missing an answer. And since God is not included under "rational answers" then at what point is it ok to pick an irrational answer to a problem? What sort of thinking is that?
Why not instead accept that some questions don't have answers. You shouldn't fill in the blank with whatever you feel is right when you can't know the right answer. It's better to follow what you do know until you reach a conclusion than try to jump ahead and make one up that suits you.
2 comments:
Good post. For a long time I was afraid of the non-theistic outlook because it seemed so grave and dark. But now it gives me relief.
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