Those ‘A’ words ……
Sooner or later, assuming you’re not a hermit, you’ll find yourself in a ‘discussion’ involving religion. Usually, I keep a low profile as my views on the subject are not main stream and can at times prove ‘awkward’. But if pressed I will respond. All too often my efforts elicit, “Oh, now we understand, you’re an atheist.” No offence is taken, but nevertheless it ‘bugs me’. Why? Well it ‘ain’t true’ and it’s based on flawed logic! To wit: I do not accept ‘Scriptures’ as proof that God exists, ipso facto, I am an atheist. I rarely retort as any explanation is futile and undoubtedly irrelevant. But anyway……
I realize that billions accept ‘Scriptures’ as proof that God exists. I have no idea what atheists accept as proof that God does not exist. Some of us, I’m one, accept neither premise and call themselves agnostics, at best, a vague ‘religious category’.
Agnostics believe that the existence of God cannot be confirmed or denied, and it is futile to try. Stop! But there’s more to some of us than just that. For instance, I believe that the miracles that surround us daily give credibility to the existence of a Creator. An acorn to an oak! A maggot to a fly! A birth! The mathematical exactness of our solar system! Could these miraculous events be mere happenstance? Not a chance! Is what happens daily around ‘here’ part of a ‘Plan’? Don’t have a clue! Etc: etc: etc:
Do I consider myself religious? Very much so! Like most, I am held in awe by the wonders of the Universe. My questions are the same, “Where in the hell did all this stuff come from and what’s it doing here?” That’s the ‘seed question’ from which all religion springs, mine, if we can call it that, is no different. My belief does not have a ‘Good Book’, a ‘Spiritual Leader’, or even a ‘Name’. It offers no answers to those nagging questions, ‘what am I doing here’, ‘how did I get here’, and ‘where am I going’. Hey, whatever, it works for me? Could this be the reason I’m its only adherent? Ya think!
Though the answers still elude me, the effort I’ve put into delving into the ‘Great Mystery’ has not been for naught. Even at seventy-two the tenacity to ‘know’ and the possible ‘glory’ of success keeps my outlook young and my quest alive. Of one thing I am dead certain: I am truly grateful to whatever ‘Power’ put me here and gave me the miracle of and the wherewithal to ‘wonder’, to ‘imagine’ and to ‘reason’. These abilities make each of us separate and special from all the other creatures on this earth. So please remember that not accepting ‘Scripture’ doesn’t make anyone an atheist, just different, like me for instance. Let’s be more careful how we use those ‘A’ words, eh. Thanks.