I was reading an email from someone on a diabetes email list I belong to and something she said just made me want to explode. Since theological discussions are frowned on on this list, I'm posting it here (and besides, I've threatened to do it often enough, I should follow thru on the threat).
She said that she thinks that God gave her epilipesy. This blows my mind. What kind of God GIVES you a disease? If God is a god of mercy and goodness, then why would he give you something like epilepsy? Or, as David Attenborough said "My response is that when Creationists talk about God creating every individual species as a separate act, they always instance hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and beautiful things. But I tend to think instead of a parasitic worm that is boring through the eye of a boy sitting on the bank of a river in West Africa, [a worm] that's going to make him blind. And [I ask them], 'Are you telling me that the God you believe in, who you also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for each one of us individually, are you saying that God created this worm that can live in no other way than in an innocent child's eyeball? Because that doesn't seem to me to coincide with a God who's full of mercy."
That right there pretty much sums up why I don't think there is such a thing as God. I don't know how to explain it any better. I was going to try to get all rational and Darwinic and give long examples of why (including Sister Joanne, who told me, when I was six, mind, that I was going to hell because I wasn't a Catholic - yeah, way to convert someone, there, Sister.) , but that's pretty much it. I don't believe in God. I don't even feel the need to justify it. If you do, great. I don't think less of people who do, I just don't understand it. Kind of like I don't understand homophobia. I understand the meaning of the words, but I don't understand the action.
So there you have it. I can't even muster up a long dissertation on the subject. I just. don't. believe. End of story.
12 comments:
Amen.
Nope, me either.
One of the gazillion nice things about the internet is that I'm finding all these other atheist mamas out there. Nice to know I'm not alone.
You always make me think.
Julia,
I respect your views on the world. I would however like to say that you can't dis-believe in God because someone else has it wrong. My .02, for what it is worth, on the worm is this...God created snakes and Satan was originally an angel but in Genesis Satan disguised himself as a snake. This does not mean God created this particular snake to be evil nor did he create any of his creatures to be evil. There are more forces at work in the world other than just God. I personally believe that some of the illnesses and hardships that are rampant come along at the doing of our free will and our need to play God. I in no way believe God gave the diseases my family deals with to us but I do believe that He will carry us through them. You are a very interesting, intelligent, wonderful woman. I understand to believe or not to believe is a very personal thing and I only wish for you happiness and peace in your life and in your soul.
I don't believe there's a Satan, either. I don't think there's any kind of supernatural, all powerful being out there, good or evil. *shrug*
Julia,
God does not cause bad things to happen. He allows bad things to happen.
God loves everyone enough to let them make their own decisions. He gives everyone free will. You have used the free will He gave you to reject Him. I'm not saying that in a bad way. I'm just trying to show that God is not demanding or mean.
God is watching over us and letting us live our lives and make our mistakes and then make the same mistakes again. The atrocities in this world (murder, rape, etc.) are of our own making. The atrocities were not created by God. We were.
I am not trying to preach to you. Just trying to show you another point of view.
I respect that you posted how you feel.
I am terrible at apologetics and evangelism, which is why I left Campus Crusade for Christ at the beginning of this year (well, that and a few other reasons). I know that this one comment is not going to persuade you to give up a life-long non-belief in God, but since I know you are a fan of reading, I am going to suggest a book to you: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. He kind of breaks down the whole Good v. Evil thing. Gave me something to think about at least.
I don't believe in an omnipotent god either.
It seems possible to me (not necessarily likely, but possible) that the world is home to mysteries beyond my current understanding, and that such mysteries may include creative and/or destructive forces of some kind. But I reject the notion that any of those forces are all-powerful, for the reasons Julia cites.
It also seems possible to me that the world is simply a swirling soup of competing genes and various cycles of nature.
Either way, my personal search for meaning and spirituality has nothing to do with a deity.
Well, I'll still pray for you. In fact, I may do a whole Rosary.
-J.
I'm not trying to be facetious, Joke, but why? It won't change my mind - I hope that's not your intention.
I don't know what I believe - I'm one of those people who are out there just living life.
I have a hard time believing, but am scared not to. I question things way too much - I'm a person who needs to see things to believe it. I have a hard time believing that one book should dictate to everyone how they should live, what they should believe and how they should think. I can't do it.
I'm a hypocrit because we celebrate Christmas and Easter - yet not for the religious reasons that one should. It's all about Santa and the Easter Bunny around here. I was never baptized, my kids were not baptized and I don't feel comfortable doing it - why do something just to make others happy - why do something that you don't necessarily believe in?
Yet, I still have that niggling thought in the back of my mind "What if I'm wrong?".
I don't know what to think anymore - so for the most part, I don't put too much mental effort into it.
I may get jumped on for this one, but the theories behind the Da Vinci Code I found myself being able to accept more than Christianity itself. It just seemed to make more sense to me.
jb - I think it's easier TO believe. It seems like it's giving up some control of your life to believe there's a god somewhere who has some control over things.
I guess when I die, I'll find out. If there is a god and a heaven, I'll be fine with hearing "I told you so."
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