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Post by rachelk on Feb 25, 2018 13:42:36 GMT -6
I am loving the latest atheism thread on BLB, very thoughtful and articulate. I thought I could start this one here so as not to drag it out forever. So, I've read comments and discussion from atheists, agnostics and Christians on the blog, but not a ton from other folks who might be engaging with non-traditional ideas of God-or-not. I have to say,I dont believe in the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent sky dude either. I am liking Michio Kaku's description of a single point of energy from which the big bang may have expanded. I put this post on fundamentalism, as I think maybe it speaks to the opposite of that, which is kind of a mythopoetic understanding of cultural narrative. Thanks, Sally!
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Post by maidmarian555 on Feb 25, 2018 16:11:44 GMT -6
I love the idea that we're all comprised of atoms that existed when the Big Bang occurred. That we're basically made of the universe and when we die, our atoms go back to the universe. It's amazing. Humans are amazing, and unique and beautiful. We are so lucky to exist the way that we do. I don't care about an afterlife, nor am I bothered about whether my consciousness continues. It's not important. I'm not important. Not with regards to whether the atoms that collided and made me me are concerned anyway. What matters is the now and how I live my life today I guess. The millions of chance events that lead to my existence will never be replicated. Why do I need to preserve myself in some sort of heaven? I'm amazing just the way I am, just now.
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Post by maidmarian555 on Feb 25, 2018 16:19:37 GMT -6
The other thing I would like to add is that many religions (certainly in my experience) have a solid base in narcissism. My mother wants to believe that she is 'chosen' by God because she's super important. She thinks the Rapture is coming and only she and her fellow Jesus-nut friends will be saved. The rest of us aren't important enough to be saved. We've not made enough arbitrary sacrifices in order for it to be fair that we're saved. Not that her 'sacrifices' are actually hard for her. She doesn't cut her hair and wears long skirts because she likes to. It just so happens that doing that results in being one of the 'chosen'. She hasn't had to work hard at being special at all.
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Post by butternubs on Feb 27, 2018 18:23:19 GMT -6
Atoms. Star dust. The 1st law of thermodynamics doesn’t exactly state that matter cannot ever be created or destroyed, it’s a bit more complicated than that, but I’m willing to go with Neil DeGrasse Tyson on the idea that we are all just stardust and we go back to being stardust when it’s all over. That’s all the comfort inducing magical thinking that I desire.
I find it interesting that so many myths (and religious myths) started with men being formed from clay or dust by the gods (or not). OT god formed man from dust on the ground. For the ancient Greeks it was Prometheus who formed men from clay. Other traditions who held that man was formed from the earth (dust/clay/dirt) are the Maori, Chinese, Hindu, Yorubi, Incans, Mayans, Egyptians, etc.
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