Rantings of Newt

Less rant, more deep thought

Scott talked about spirituality in his blog today. And like him I struggle to define just what it is I believe. When religious friends dismiss me as an atheist it's hard to explain to them that I do believe in a higher power but that power is bigger than all of us, it's bigger than their idea of god, it's bigger than our minds can even comprehend. I live in wondrous awe of nature and the universe. But how do you explain that? Some people say, "So you do believe in God" and I try to tell them that no, what I believe in is far bigger, and a whole lot less 'Hands on' than their god. They believe in a god that somehow gets personal with them, takes them in his hands and guides them, has a plan for them and a promised garden of Eden after this life. I don't agree with that. I am not that selfish and self-centered to really believe that of all the vastness out there I somehow matter. That is probably putting it a tad harshly, but I'm not sure how else to say it.

Don’t get me wrong. In terms of the lives we lead we do matter. We matter very much to the other people that touch our lives. But in the big scheme of things, as a universal whole, we matter not. When the time comes that mankind destroys itself, the earth, so long as we don’t blow it up, will continue to make it’s year long trip around the sun. And life will go on. It won’t be in a form we recognize, but nature will find a way. Life will continue. Like the flowers that come up in the pavement cracks, life will abound.

Personally I believe religion is the cause of so many of the problems here on earth. When religion is front and center advancement stops and the Dark Ages reign. Stem Cell research is a perfect example. Coo Coo Bananas won’t support it. It’s better to toss an embryo in the trash than it is to find a cure for cancer and other diseases. It’s twisted thinking from a twisted and warped mind.

The flower children had it right. Live with the land, commune with nature, be a free spirit, think. We would be a far more peaceful place if more people developed a respect for the greater good, the bigger picture. Instead of assuming they can destroy this planet now because Eden awaits them when they die.

posted by Newt @ 9:12 AM