i believe... today
Jun. 5th, 2007 12:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tirsdenWarning: For mature readers only.
i believe... today
This declaration is inspired by watching several productions by Richard Dawkins, an atheist who I think is extremely intelligent. Much thanks to the deviantART AtheistsClub for leading me to him, and some of the following text may look familiar if you saw my rant-comment on a recent club journal. Anyways, I don't agree with everything Richard Dawkins says, but that's what makes me an individual. As I watched several of Dawkins' videos, I found myself thinking about my current belief set, what I do and do not believe, and how I've gotten where I am today... and that what I believe today may not be what I'll believe in the future. Honestly though, I think I'm getting to a point where I've figured out a lot of things to their end result... but that could be a dangerous assumption as well. I am skeptical of pretty much everything, especially my own thoughts, so hopefully I'm doing a good job of keeping myself in check and clear of the dangers of turning off my power to think for myself.
And as I was thinking all this I thought... y'know, I should write this down. So I did. And I'd like to share, because if people keep their beliefs or the reasons for those beliefs hidden, others won't get to learn from their experience. So here ya go, these are the main points of what I believe at this current moment:
I do not believe in god. I used to, but that was mostly the product of brainwashing by my parents. I've been through some truly horrible things and I would not wish those things on even my worst enemy, and I'm most certainly not a "perfect, loving" god, I'm just human. So a "perfect, loving" god letting me go through those things in my life... dude, that's not perfect or loving at all. It's pointless, and actually quite evil. If I bother to care, I would say that what I believe most closely resembles Descartes' theory that the world is an illusion controlled by a malevolent being of some sort that is using us all in some twisted experiment. That theory goes a long way in explaining why there's so much suffering in the world, and why bad things tend to happen to good people, while bad people get great rewards. It doesn't stand up so well to the advances we've made in science on a grander scale, however, unless the malevolent critter-in-charge planned for that. So I'll just default to "I'm a Discordian, w00t!" and freely admit that I know absolutely nothing... I just believe some stuff.
I believe Christianity is dangerous and actually quite evil. Because this is the only major religion I have experienced personally, I do not extend this thought to religion as a whole, as that would be an unfair blanket statement (even if it might be true, and Dawkins has a very strong case for that). From my own experiences, the worst people I have ever known personally have all been self-proclaimed Christians. Perhaps those specific people view their religion as some sort of get-out-of-jail-free card and use god's forgiveness as an excuse to behave abominably. I don't know... I just know I want nothing to do with them. The few Christians I've met who have been better people actually have beliefs that go directly against the fundamental rules of the religion. The high level of corruption among the fundamentalist Christians I've known is one of the main reasons I fled the religious scene as soon as I realized I'd been brainwashed into it. Also, the disturbing trend for brainwashing in that environment is the tombstone on the grave of Christianity to me.
I believe in ghosts. I've seen a couple odd things in my life, although in reality those things aren't very solid evidences. I am intrigued by the paranormal world, and at the same time scared of it... because I feel fear sometimes, in strange places, for no apparent reason... other than it's probably something beyond the world of the living as we understand it. I have absolutely no clue what's supposed to happen to us when we die... but yes... I do believe in ghosts.
I believe abortion is murder. Ethically. I am saddened by how money has influenced that argument, and how biased the media is thanks to the currency flowing around on the pro-abortion end. I am also saddened that the religious right has helped people not believe abortion is murder... by mixing their faulty beliefs into the argument. They get hung up on the god end and piss people off who don't believe in god. You don't need to believe in god to understand the concept of murder. Especially when abortion doctors take things to such extreme lengths like Partial-Birth-Abortion. They shoot themselves in the foot on the whole "when does life begin" argument when they're stabbing scissors into the skull of an almost-completely delivered baby. Graphic, yes, but that's what this madness has come to... and I'm so very glad that procedure is finally coming under fire.
I do not believe in evolution. I think it is an interesting idea, and a great background for fictional works. I do believe in natural selection, but the leaps that evolution asks for are too great and I have not been impressed at all with the supposed evidences supporting evolutionist claims. I would really like to see those gaps filled, so that the theory could become fact if it is fact at all. I'd like to see more scientists challenge evolution itself, by presenting other theories or trying to look at current scientific knowledge without assuming evolution is true. By assuming evolution is, even in part, surely fact, I think many scientists have clouded their minds as badly as a religious person does when they give their soul to a higher power and shut off the ability to think on their own.
I believe gay people are absolutely normal. I don't really care whether being gay is genetic or not, but I do believe it is something a person has a right to be if they want. I believe it could be genetic, but I'm not a geneticist so it is silly for me to state something as fact that I do not know for sure. On the flip side, perhaps everybody has the potential to be gay and some people just resist the temptation or don't care for it. I wish that those who consider homosexuality as vile would learn the simple idea that there is so much hatred and evil in this world, if two people can find it in their hearts to love each other, that is beautiful and should be cherished.
I believe I would change any of these beliefs if I were presented with convincing evidence that I was wrong. I used to be a fundamental Christian, and honestly, I'm glad I'm not that person anymore. That person would not have changed her beliefs for anything... or so she thought. Meanwhile, I'm doing what I can to survive in this crazy world, and I can only ever be me... but I want to be the best me I can. I have my limits, but I know them and I am not afraid to admit them, nor do I flat-out assume that those limits can't be conquered... but I do need to be realistic when it comes to my disabilities. I have talents and I wish to use them as best I can, and if I can make someone smile or laugh or think or maybe even cry (but not in a hurtful way), I have done something on this planet and that is all I could ever hope to do.
So... what do you believe?
----------------
This will also be posted to DA. I used LJ for spellcheck and figured, eh, I'll just leave it up here.
The videos I mentioned in the text:
Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath - unedited and unused interview that is very philosophical (translation: big werdz) but omgz watch teh theologian waffle!!!
The Root of All Evil? Part 1: The God Delusion.
The Root of All Evil? Part 2: The Virus of Faith.
Note that the videos are pretty long...
i believe... today
This declaration is inspired by watching several productions by Richard Dawkins, an atheist who I think is extremely intelligent. Much thanks to the deviantART AtheistsClub for leading me to him, and some of the following text may look familiar if you saw my rant-comment on a recent club journal. Anyways, I don't agree with everything Richard Dawkins says, but that's what makes me an individual. As I watched several of Dawkins' videos, I found myself thinking about my current belief set, what I do and do not believe, and how I've gotten where I am today... and that what I believe today may not be what I'll believe in the future. Honestly though, I think I'm getting to a point where I've figured out a lot of things to their end result... but that could be a dangerous assumption as well. I am skeptical of pretty much everything, especially my own thoughts, so hopefully I'm doing a good job of keeping myself in check and clear of the dangers of turning off my power to think for myself.
And as I was thinking all this I thought... y'know, I should write this down. So I did. And I'd like to share, because if people keep their beliefs or the reasons for those beliefs hidden, others won't get to learn from their experience. So here ya go, these are the main points of what I believe at this current moment:
I do not believe in god. I used to, but that was mostly the product of brainwashing by my parents. I've been through some truly horrible things and I would not wish those things on even my worst enemy, and I'm most certainly not a "perfect, loving" god, I'm just human. So a "perfect, loving" god letting me go through those things in my life... dude, that's not perfect or loving at all. It's pointless, and actually quite evil. If I bother to care, I would say that what I believe most closely resembles Descartes' theory that the world is an illusion controlled by a malevolent being of some sort that is using us all in some twisted experiment. That theory goes a long way in explaining why there's so much suffering in the world, and why bad things tend to happen to good people, while bad people get great rewards. It doesn't stand up so well to the advances we've made in science on a grander scale, however, unless the malevolent critter-in-charge planned for that. So I'll just default to "I'm a Discordian, w00t!" and freely admit that I know absolutely nothing... I just believe some stuff.
I believe Christianity is dangerous and actually quite evil. Because this is the only major religion I have experienced personally, I do not extend this thought to religion as a whole, as that would be an unfair blanket statement (even if it might be true, and Dawkins has a very strong case for that). From my own experiences, the worst people I have ever known personally have all been self-proclaimed Christians. Perhaps those specific people view their religion as some sort of get-out-of-jail-free card and use god's forgiveness as an excuse to behave abominably. I don't know... I just know I want nothing to do with them. The few Christians I've met who have been better people actually have beliefs that go directly against the fundamental rules of the religion. The high level of corruption among the fundamentalist Christians I've known is one of the main reasons I fled the religious scene as soon as I realized I'd been brainwashed into it. Also, the disturbing trend for brainwashing in that environment is the tombstone on the grave of Christianity to me.
I believe in ghosts. I've seen a couple odd things in my life, although in reality those things aren't very solid evidences. I am intrigued by the paranormal world, and at the same time scared of it... because I feel fear sometimes, in strange places, for no apparent reason... other than it's probably something beyond the world of the living as we understand it. I have absolutely no clue what's supposed to happen to us when we die... but yes... I do believe in ghosts.
I believe abortion is murder. Ethically. I am saddened by how money has influenced that argument, and how biased the media is thanks to the currency flowing around on the pro-abortion end. I am also saddened that the religious right has helped people not believe abortion is murder... by mixing their faulty beliefs into the argument. They get hung up on the god end and piss people off who don't believe in god. You don't need to believe in god to understand the concept of murder. Especially when abortion doctors take things to such extreme lengths like Partial-Birth-Abortion. They shoot themselves in the foot on the whole "when does life begin" argument when they're stabbing scissors into the skull of an almost-completely delivered baby. Graphic, yes, but that's what this madness has come to... and I'm so very glad that procedure is finally coming under fire.
I do not believe in evolution. I think it is an interesting idea, and a great background for fictional works. I do believe in natural selection, but the leaps that evolution asks for are too great and I have not been impressed at all with the supposed evidences supporting evolutionist claims. I would really like to see those gaps filled, so that the theory could become fact if it is fact at all. I'd like to see more scientists challenge evolution itself, by presenting other theories or trying to look at current scientific knowledge without assuming evolution is true. By assuming evolution is, even in part, surely fact, I think many scientists have clouded their minds as badly as a religious person does when they give their soul to a higher power and shut off the ability to think on their own.
I believe gay people are absolutely normal. I don't really care whether being gay is genetic or not, but I do believe it is something a person has a right to be if they want. I believe it could be genetic, but I'm not a geneticist so it is silly for me to state something as fact that I do not know for sure. On the flip side, perhaps everybody has the potential to be gay and some people just resist the temptation or don't care for it. I wish that those who consider homosexuality as vile would learn the simple idea that there is so much hatred and evil in this world, if two people can find it in their hearts to love each other, that is beautiful and should be cherished.
I believe I would change any of these beliefs if I were presented with convincing evidence that I was wrong. I used to be a fundamental Christian, and honestly, I'm glad I'm not that person anymore. That person would not have changed her beliefs for anything... or so she thought. Meanwhile, I'm doing what I can to survive in this crazy world, and I can only ever be me... but I want to be the best me I can. I have my limits, but I know them and I am not afraid to admit them, nor do I flat-out assume that those limits can't be conquered... but I do need to be realistic when it comes to my disabilities. I have talents and I wish to use them as best I can, and if I can make someone smile or laugh or think or maybe even cry (but not in a hurtful way), I have done something on this planet and that is all I could ever hope to do.
So... what do you believe?
----------------
This will also be posted to DA. I used LJ for spellcheck and figured, eh, I'll just leave it up here.
The videos I mentioned in the text:
Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath - unedited and unused interview that is very philosophical (translation: big werdz) but omgz watch teh theologian waffle!!!
The Root of All Evil? Part 1: The God Delusion.
The Root of All Evil? Part 2: The Virus of Faith.
Note that the videos are pretty long...
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no subject
Date: Jun. 14th, 2007 06:53 pm (UTC)I was surprised to read "I do not believe in evolution." But maybe I need to read up more on the theory. Maybe it over-emphasizes the idea that environment shapes the organism.
Another Internet friend of mine has written something very similar to this: "From my own experiences, the worst people I have ever known personally have all been self-proclaimed Christians." It is true that the foundation of Christianity is that it welcomes all people, even the worst sinners. Perhaps it is this feature of the religion that attracts "evil-doers." I don't feel any evil at all in the members of the church I belong to. The perception of evil probably is something that varies from place to place.
no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2007 11:47 am (UTC)LOL I've semi-argued my evolution stance several times on the DA version of this... and I have found some possible hypocracies in my own beliefs in that regard, plus I know that a lot of the things I learned about evolution were tainted from a religious perspective. However, as I understand it, evolution is still theory, not proved-beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt fact. And when people get angry and blow steam when I say I don't believe in it... that just makes me all the more skeptical. (The DA version has some of that steam-blowing in the comment threads.)
Ahwell lol life goes on. And I'm hungry. xD