RELIGION ENGENDERS FEAR HATRED AND DEATH
On this minor planet, our humanity unites us, our religion divides us. All my life, I have watched people die in the name of God, Muslim, Jew, and Christian amongst others. Even within religions, divisions cause bitter conflict, Catholic against Protestant in Northern Ireland, Sunni against Shiite in Iraq for example.
Like most British people, I am a secular person, agnostic rather than heathen. I believe in a higher intelligence, but cannot subscribe fully to the teachings of the Churches, whom I find increasingly irrelevent and self absorbed. Jesus brought a fresh approach to religion, and his teachings were radically different to the Old Testament idea of God. He was a man of his time, yet today, Churches are apparently stuck in a time warp, their ideas set in concrete, unable to provide meaningful spiritual leadership for the modern, more complex world. If there is a God, he gave us a brain, and must surely expect us to use it. Yet those who are religious are expected to put reasonable questions to one side, and just have totally blind faith in a book that was written by mortal men who disagree with each other, and was in any case written long after the event. Even in this age of television and scientific investigation, look how the controveries over the deaths of Kennedy and Princess Diana spawn many alternative myths.
Over the next few weeks, I intend to put on this weblog some ideas which are designed not to persuade anyone, but to make them think a little more deeply. starting with a question posed by Epicurus in 300 BC (ie he predates Christianity)
IS YOUR GOD ABLE TO PREVENT EVIL?
IF NOT, HE IS NOT OMNIPOTENT.
IS GOD WILLING TO PREVENT EVIL?
IF NOT, HE IS MALEVOLENT.
IF GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE TO PREVENT EVIL,
WHY DOES EVIL EXIST?
IF GOD IS UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO PREVENT EVIL,
THEN HE IS NOT A GOD.
........................
The foolish believe in religion.
The wise know religion to be false.
Those who seek to rule know religion to be useful.
More to follow. Your comments welcome
Dave Cathy
I agree that religon devides us because we are too stuborn, selfish and fearfull that we might hear or see something ( different than us ) that we would have to agree with. God forbid!
God did indead gave me and you a brain - and expects us to use it. He was also wise enough to understand the need for variety. How dull would it be if each of us - thought the same thought day in and day out - no change - always the exact same thought. We\'d most likely still have the tower of Bable.
Is my God able to prevent Evil? Yes - but he chooses not to - giving US the CHOICE to use the brains he gave us.
Willing to prevent Evil? No. Again He\'s given US the magnificant gift of CHOICE.
Why does EVIL exist? Bcause there are some very sick puppies out there. I don\'t know I\'m not God.
Who should I lissen to? Or who should I follow? Epicurus or Jesus ? In some minds they were both just another philosopher. Then again in another thousand years or two - both you and I may be thought of as a great philosopher = a specialest of philosophy - living and thinking toward a particular philosophey - being calm and rational under all cercomstances.
Mucho Hugs!
~Michele