I recently saw an old friend who greeted me with “Hi, atheist!”
That’s how I found out that he had been following my facebook posts and debates. I happened to have posted a lot of materials coming from skeptic and atheist websites to elicit questions and make my point. I didn’t consider myself an atheist though, but that greeting got me to thinking — was I slowly morphing into one?
Granted, I do enjoy the down-to-earth reasoning, thinking and questioning employed by atheists, and I can certainly relate to the issues as I have encountered the same in my own life journey. I also enjoy the company of atheist friends of both varieties – physical and FOOF (friends only on facebook). I just find it refreshing to converse openly and ask hard questions without tiptoeing around issues as I used to do with fellow believers and pastors, lest they think that I was already seriously considering heretic teachings and have turned to the dark side.
But if atheism is defined as ” the rejection of belief in the existence of deities“, I don’t think I’m quite there yet. So far, the atheism that I have seen is first and foremost, a rejection of the Christian deity (or the Christian definition of god as portrayed in the Bible). So far also, most of the atheists that I know who are actively espousing their non-belief come from some sort of Christian background. I do not know of any prominent atheist who started out as a muslim, a jew, a hindu, or a druid.
Because of this, most atheists speak out on issues that involve rejecting the Christian god and Christianity. Once that is done, this disbelief in god is expanded in a less hostile fashion to other religions (Islam is probably next in line in terms of getting atheist flak).
However, just because an atheist has written off the existence of the Christian god does not automatically mean that there is no god of any sort. What is “god” after all, but just a word people use to represent and define some unknown higher power? People have tried to define this god by using words such as creator, source, omniscient and omnipotent. They have tried to characterize this god by attributes such as loving, kind, just, merciful, and so on. But these are just words, and I believe in the possibility of a being that exists beyond these words.
There is a lovely zen saying that goes, “When the sage points to the moon, the idiot looks at the finger.” The words and concepts we have for god are just parts of the finger pointing to something possibly out there, possibly greater than ourselves. I cannot explain it other than saying that there is a feeling, an inner sense of something more profound than words can express.
When Christians and atheists fight over doctrines and belief systems, it is like watching them fight over the pointing finger. It is briefly amusing and I won’t deny deriving a bit of satisfaction seeing my former belief questioned. However, this can’t go on forever. If we keep fighting over the finger, we will never get to see the moon.
So I would like both sides to step back and reflect a little. For the theists (of whatever stripe), ask yourselves if the god you believe in could ever be accurately described in ancient texts — and open your mind to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, you have put your god inside a box too small to contain him, or her, or it.
For the atheists, ask yourselves whether it is possible to have a being higher than yourself. This being does not necessarily have to love you, nor listen to your prayers, nor conform to ANY concept of god that we currently have. If you think about the universe and what we yet don’t know about it, you’d have to at least consider the possibility of such a being, else you would be as close-minded as the fundamentalist you so despise.
I believe in a middle ground, a place of mutual respect, where acceptance triumphs over bigotry, and where love triumphs over fear. After all, if we humans don’t get our act together, who will do it for us?
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Photo credits: Lego Art by WildFire
This article also appears in zenbananas.com
My full response can be found here: http://thesemindforgedmanacles.wordpress.com/2012…
"For the atheists, ask yourselves whether it is possible to have a being higher than yourself. This being does not necessarily have to love you, nor listen to your prayers, nor conform to ANY concept of god that we currently have. If you think about the universe and what we yet don’t know about it, you’d have to at least consider the possibility of such a being, else you would be as close-minded as the fundamentalist you so despise."
BS.
You could at least explain why you think so. It is so easy to say BS under the cloak of anonymity mr or ms kapanaligsawala.
So until you explain, BS rin comment mo.
Well, I don't know about the original commenter, but here's how I see it.
If a being is out there but is intangible in every possible manner we could observe things — beyond an "inner feeling" that varies in strength, depending on the person– this being seems neither godly nor with purpose.
If there is a higher being (more advanced than us? Capable of more than us as a species?) that doesn't abide by what the average gods do (rule/create/love/demand love/punish the wicked/control the forces of nature) then would this being be not supernatural and just be another living thing?
But there is no moon.
Hello middle grounder! I acknowledge the possibility that you propose, it's just that I feel indifferent toward the possibility. Religion and god/s don't matter in the life I lead. The religious and religious institutions concern me, however, when they try to force their beliefs on all, to our detriment.
I am assuming that the "higher" being you're referring to is some sort of divinity since you put it in such terms. But suppose it were alien kind? Now that's interesting. What makes it a "higher" being than humans? Can it fly? Does it have super strength? X-ray vision? I'm just pointing out here the need to define what is "higher", and also questioning our tendency to construct this "higher" being. Perhaps it is part of man's need to rationalize and account for his existence, and all creation? The "higher" being construct is an easier way out, although yes, a possibility. If the "higher" being were an alien race, I fancy calling them that prepares our mindset for subjugation. If you get what I mean.
No need to pin it down to the divine or a "being". I dislike that term "higher" being, to be honest. Whether the user intends or not, the word's connotation gives it a "personality" depending on what religion you're coming from (regardless of whether you have divested yourself of it or not). The creative force of the universe might as well be a non-entity. What if it's just a wave or burst of impersonal energy?
I am assuming that the "higher" being you're referring to is some sort of divinity since you put it in such terms.
Well yes, it's god in some sense, but not as traditionally understood in the Christian sense. Try reading Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Like if there were a god, this is the kind of god that sort of makes sense for me. A bit of disclaimer: I'm not sure if the book is really a divine conversation or if it's all made up by the author. Nevertheless, the concept of 'god' presented there makes more sense to me than the traditional reward/punishment or salvation/hell variety.
Aliens – I'm open to that as well. But I'm not referring to those when I speak of a higher being. I really mean like a creator being of some sort.
What if it's a wave or burst of impersonal energy? Why not? Now, can we tap into that energy? That would be awesome. 😀
Thank you for speaking my mind, my good sir! As an eighteen year old who studies in a Catholic university, it's really hard to find someone with the same belief and similar ideologies.
Post scriptum: I'm kind of new here at this website and so far I'm loving it. I can't believe that such organization exists! Please forgive my annoying enthusiasm but it's just so refreshing to see that not all Filipinos are conservative theists.
Faith in the Philippines, RESTORED 🙂
"it's just so refreshing to see that not all Filipinos are conservative theists."
You bet 🙂