Ok. I know. Yes, you’re probably right. No, it’s a bad topic. Sex, politics, and religion… Right. Ok.
Now that we’re both clear about how the topic is taboo and shouldn’t be discussed, watch me discuss it.
It’s cool to say “oh, I believe in a Power or a Being greater than myself” because then you can admit to belief in god without all those pesky sexist or patriarchal nuances that come along with saying you’re a Christian. And anyway, as lots of Christians will readily tell you, Christians have been persecuted (nevermind the fact that they seem to often be doing a lot of persecuting, themselves… maybe that has to do with turning the other cheek, who knows) and it gets you off a lot of hooks if you say you aren’t a Christian. People will make fewer assumptions about you and if you say you believe in a higher power it makes you sound like you’ve actually given it some thought. Nice try fooling people, but if you actually had given it some sincere thought it wouldn’t be necessary to confidently put faith in such unclear terms.
So let me address my comments to people who believe in a Power or a Being that gives Life Purpose or Meaning.
There is no celestial teapot. (I used to think highly of Richard Dawkins and have long since come to the conclusion that he comes across like a pedantic, argumentative twit – probably because that’s how he’s decided to make his money – and he’s put himself forward as a poster child of the atheist movement but unfortunately for Mr. Dawkins, one of the tenets of atheism is to think for yourself. We don’t need no stinkin poster child. Regardless, I’ll still quote him in this case.)
Your life has no more meaning than what you give it. If you believe in something greater than yourself, you must admit that the aspect of “greater” is a subjective quality. Therefore it’s only yourself that can attribute this quality to things. And you choose to attribute it to something you can’t even see in an attempt at shirking responsibility for giving your own life direction. It’s ok to admit you don’t know and some people have managed to phrase not having a purpose in life quite beautifully. “I’m a leaf on the wind, see how I fly.”
Sure, tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I’m blind and the evidence for a higher power is all around me. Just look at the complicated world around us. Look at math, the laws of physics, and the evolutionary process. You’re just a puddle saying “I believe in a power greater than myself because this hole was made for me. It fits me so well!” Of course it does. You’re a puddle. We’re an adaptable species. Have you wondered why we’re the only life forms we know about? Probably because it’s hard to get all the conditions just right to support life. But here we are. And we’re left to think “wow, so complicated.” Of course it’s complicated! If it weren’t it wouldn’t support life! And look at how common a lack of life is! Just because we’re rare doesn’t mean we’re impossible. We’re a mistake. We’re not even a mistake because there was no one to intend anything else.
But no, you don’t have any imaginary friends. There’s no celestial parent in the sky who cares about you, even if you think of it less as an anthropomorphized god and more like a ball of light or a fairy or a nebulous cloud of one-ness. There’s no one who’s going to give your life any more meaning than you do.
And that’s a beautiful thing.