I just want to throw this out there and see what I get back. I had a very insightful experience today that I want to share. I was listening to a new podcast that I found from HowStuffWorks called "Things you missed in history class--How Thomas Jefferson's bible worked" (great podcast by the way). Well, I guess I really missed this in history class because I had no idea Jefferson wrote his own bible. I will pick up on the flip.
The background of the presentation explained Jefferson's strong advocacy for the separation of church and state, and how that was driven by his own religious beliefs. Then they gave some thoughts on Deism, this unknown religion to yours truly. This part cut right to the heart of me because I felt like they were explaining my own beliefs that are built by nothing more than personal observations and experiences.
I am almost 29 years old, and I have had a tough time with the whole idea of religion. I have never really felt comfortable in a church growing up, and as I got older, I found myself questioning a lot of messages the few churches I have attended were selling. I have always had issues believing that the bible, or any other holy book, was the word of God because it's very clear to me that it is another human being's (just like me) interpretation. We as people have always tried to explain the unexplainable, and in my mind religion in general is the human's way of exercising that instinct. Early scientists were convinced there were only four scientific elements: Earth, water, fire, and air. But now that we understand a bit more about the universe, those thoughts are obsolete. Moreover, the bible (especially) has been translated more times than you can count, so its authenticity has to be questioned by a reasonable person such as myself.
I also have a very difficult time dealing with the fact that there are about 6 billion people in the world, and every part of the planet believes in a different God, a different way to worship that God, and even the largest religions have so many branches within that I am left with one great question: Who is right??? We all can't be right, so it's not hard to imagine Matt Stone and Trey Parker being correct that "The Mormons are right; they are the only ones going to heaven". While I have always wondered about Jesus Christ being the son of God, born from the Virgin Mary, and how scientifically impossible that whole story is, I still feel Christ is definitely a person of strong morale values that is worthy of worship.
Serving in the military and being very conscious of the fact that I may have to kill another human being is another topic that makes me think. What is the difference of killing another one of God's creations in the name of country (orders given by another human being) vs. killing in cold blood without the whole declaration of war by Congress? Lions kill and eat gazelles, eagles kill and eat fish, people kill and eat pigs--how is any of this different in God's judgment?
But at the same time, I still find it very hard to believe that we are here only by coincidence. I have an equally hard time believing that we are exactly 93,000,000 miles from the sun; a distance that gives our planet a life-inhabiting 10-110 degrees temperature, while it provides us with equal parts night and day as it orbits the sun to even out the share of its light caused by the earth's 7.5 degree tilt. To me, this cannot be only a coincidence; some superhuman being knew exactly what he/she/it was doing.
I have a strong belief that there is a God, and he knew that by creating an environment with life competing for resources that there would be the violence and death as a result of fighting for those resources. With this understanding, God is in no position to say that one is worthy of an afterlife in heaven while another is stricken to an eternity in hell. Therefore I don't believe in the latter because it doesn't make sense. But I also have a very tough time contemplating a moment where one second I am here, and the next instant I cease to exist. Although this may be the most difficult to justify, I do believe there is an afterlife.
Very surprising to me, these thoughts are not completely original. Obviously there are many non-believers, but I have never encountered anyone that shared my same beliefs. I was thrown back to hear that Jefferson felt almost exactly the same way I do. Listening to this podcast was crazy because it really felt like they had been following me around with a tape recorder and gathering my many conversations I have had with those that will listen. I don't really know where I am going with this now, but I just wanted to take a minute to share. Thanks for reading.
iTunes is great!