I've
touched on this in the past but it always seem to come back at me: "I know God exists because I can feel his
presence in my life." Are you sure
it's not just indigestion? Seriously
though, come on people. This
"proof" has got to be the biggest copout of them all. How convenient for you that the proof you
have for the existence of God is something only you can know. "But
you could have a relationship with him too if you just had faith." Oh really? So all I have to do is forget
about all the evidence that points to the inexistence God and just believe he exists? I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. If I did who is to say that the feeling I
have isn't something else?
"Feeling" God or having a "relationship" with him
doesn't prove anything. That feeling you
have is probably something else. In
fact, it might indeed be related to your faith but most likely due to the fact
that you no longer allow doubt an uncertainty in your life. Imagine how it feels when you already know
how something is going to turn out in your favor. There's no worry, fear, or doubt. You know that everything is going to work out
nicely. So you can just kick back and
let it happen. It's a good feeling is it
not? Probably a feeling or relief and
confidence. I would bet it's the same
type of feeling those who have a "relationship with God" have. At least something similar to it. So you're not proving anything, not even to
yourself. Only that through turning a
blind eye to the facts and willfully remaining ignorant to the evidence you can
feel good about yourself. If I were in
that position I don't think I could feel good about it at all. It's like knowing something bad is happening
and allowing it anyway.
I'd like to share a story that
was written by Sam Harris:
"I recently spent an afternoon on the
northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, atop the mount where Jesus is believed
to have preached his most famous sermon. It was an infernally hot day, and the
sanctuary was crowded with Christian pilgrims from many continents. Some gathered
silently in the shade, while others staggered in the noonday sun, taking
photographs.
As I sat and gazed upon the surrounding hills gently sloping to an
inland sea, a feeling of peace came over me. It soon grew to a blissful
stillness that silenced my thoughts. In an instant, the sense of being a
separate self-an “I” or a “me”-vanished. Everything was as it had been-the
cloudless sky, the pilgrims clutching their bottles of water-but I no longer
felt like I was separate from the scene, peering out at the world from behind
my eyes. Only the world remained.
The experience lasted just a few moments, but returned many times as I
gazed out over the land where Jesus is believed to have walked, gathered his
apostles, and worked many of his miracles. If I were a Christian, I would
undoubtedly interpret this experience in Christian terms. I might believe that
I had glimpsed the oneness of God, or felt the descent of the Holy Spirit. But
I am not a Christian. If I were a Hindu, I might talk about “Brahman,” the eternal
Self, of which all individual minds are thought to be a mere modification. But
I am not a Hindu. If I were a Buddhist, I might talk about the “dharmakaya of
emptiness” in which all apparent things manifest. But I am not a Buddhist.
As someone who is simply making his best effort to be a rational human
being, I am very slow to draw metaphysical conclusions from experiences of this
sort. The truth is, I experience what I would call the “selflessness of
consciousness” rather often, wherever I happen to meditate-be it in a Buddhist
monastery, a Hindu temple, or while having my teeth cleaned. Consequently, the
fact that I also had this experience at a Christian holy site does not lend an
ounce of credibility to the doctrine of Christianity."
For
those of you who read the debate I shared in my last blog post this will be
familiar to you. While I'm sure I could
probably think of a similar event in my life that gave me such feelings it's
just easier to use this example. It just
goes to show that just because you think you feel some "divine
presence" that doesn't mean you have a relationship with God. It just means you had a moment (or moments)
of clarity and peace for some reason or another. That's it.
So please, those of you of the religious persuasion, stop trying to counter
my arguments with some crazy story about how you have a relationship with
God. It's both annoying and a bit
delusional. You're making yourself look
bad. What this world really needs if for
you to question that feeling and investigate it. Find out what it really is that's making you
feel that way. Then realize that it's
most likely not God and start affecting change in the world to better it. Trust me, religion is not the answer.
I'd like to take
this time to invite you all to check out my Facebook page. If you're a fan of my blog and you have a Facebook
account please stop by and like it. I don’t
have near the amount of "likes" as I'd like to see. You can find it here:
P.S. – Please feel
free to comment anytime. I'd like this
blog to be more of an open forum rather than a rant.
I welcome all your comments, concerns, and complaints. So don't be shy. Contribute!
Since believers cannot obtain affirmation that their hoped for after life is real during this existance, they must always seek such support by any otherr means that they can find. Usually, this need manifests itself in efforts at proselytizing/coercing/legislating "belief" (or at least verbal agreement) on the part of as many others as possible. I suppose that interpreting otherwise innocuous physical and/or emotional experiences as "the presence of God" works almost as well.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right. The easiest way for them to affirm their belief is to constantly affirm their belief. It's kind of along the lines of the fact that if you constantly tell a specific lie eventually you, too, will believe that lie. The same is true with physical/emotional experiences. If you're constantly being told or believe, yourself, that those experiences are God then you will most surely affirm that it is.
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