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toward a clearer understanding of reality
the rev’s faves
The Age of Reason
Thomas Paine
Some Mistakes of Moses
Robert Ingersoll
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
The Demon Haunted World
Carl Sagan
Awareness
Thomas Paine
Some Mistakes of Moses
Robert Ingersoll
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
The Demon Haunted World
Carl Sagan
Awareness
Anthony deMello
Breaking the Spell
Daniel C. Dennett
Freethought Across the Centuries
Gerald A. Larue
The Sins of Scripture
John Spong
Jesus for the Non Religious
Daniel C. Dennett
Freethought Across the Centuries
Gerald A. Larue
The Sins of Scripture
John Spong
Jesus for the Non Religious
John Spong
Doubt
Jennifer Michael Hecht
The Atheist’s Way: Living Well Without Gods
Jennifer Michael Hecht
The Atheist’s Way: Living Well Without Gods
Eric Maisel
Atheist Universe
David Mills
Atheism: The Case Against God
George H. Smith
Natural Atheism
David Eller
David Mills
Atheism: The Case Against God
George H. Smith
Natural Atheism
David Eller
Atheist Manifesto
Michel Onfray
A History of God
Karen Armstrong
A History of God
Karen Armstrong
The Spiral Staircase
Karen Armstrong
The End of Faith
Sam Harris
Letter to a Christian Nation
Sam Harris
Ishmael
Daniel Quinn
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power
Joel Kramer & Diana Alstad
God is Not Great
Christopher Hitchens
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in God
The End of Faith
Sam Harris
Letter to a Christian Nation
Sam Harris
Ishmael
Daniel Quinn
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power
Joel Kramer & Diana Alstad
God is Not Great
Christopher Hitchens
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in God
Guy P. Harrison
Being Peace
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Miracle of Mindfulness
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Reason Driven Life
Robert Price
The Conquest of Happiness
Bertrand Russell
Ken’s Guide to the Bible
Ken Smith
Losing Faith in Faith
Dan Barker
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Miracle of Mindfulness
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Reason Driven Life
Robert Price
The Conquest of Happiness
Bertrand Russell
Ken’s Guide to the Bible
Ken Smith
Losing Faith in Faith
Dan Barker
Godless
Dan Barker
Pagan Christs
J.M. Robertson
Treatise on the Gods
H.L. Mencken
The Christ Conspiracy
Acharya S.
The Jesus Mysteries Was the original Jesus a Pagan God?
Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
The Road Less Traveled
Scott Peck
Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant
Edited by Preston Jones
Godless (age 12 and up)
Pete Hautman
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert M. Pirsig
How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science
Michael Shermer
Religion Explained
Pascal Boyer
The Hero’s Journey
Joseph Campbell
The True Believer
Eric Hoffer
Holy Horrors
James Haught
Pagan Christs
J.M. Robertson
Treatise on the Gods
H.L. Mencken
The Christ Conspiracy
Acharya S.
The Jesus Mysteries Was the original Jesus a Pagan God?
Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
The Road Less Traveled
Scott Peck
Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant
Edited by Preston Jones
Godless (age 12 and up)
Pete Hautman
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert M. Pirsig
How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science
Michael Shermer
Religion Explained
Pascal Boyer
The Hero’s Journey
Joseph Campbell
The True Believer
Eric Hoffer
Holy Horrors
James Haught
Crazy for God
Frank Schaeffer
Your Inner Fish
Neil Shubin
A Guide to the Good Life:
the ancient art of stoic joy
William B. Irvine
This is Water
David Foster Wallace
Nickel and Dimed
Barbara Ehrenreich
links to enlightenment
10 reasons christianity is toxic
10 reasons Christianity is toxic
1. Christianity is INHERENTLY DIVISIVE as believers are promised eternal bliss and nonbelievers eternal torture.
2. Christianity INDUCES UNWARRANTED GUILT AND FEAR by asserting that a Cosmic Judge watches one’s every move and knows one’s every thought.
3. Christianity OBSCURES TRUTH AND PROMOTES FALSEHOODS by diverting focus from the natural (real) to the supernatural (unreal).
4. Christianity DEBASES HUMANITY by condemning us as sinners worthy of eternal damnation.
5. Christianity BREEDS A FALSE SENSE OF IMPORTANCE by asserting that The King of the Universe knew each of us intimately before we were born, knows the numbers of hairs on our head, has a special plan for us, loves us, watches us, listens to our every word, desperately wants a personal relationship with us and even promises to give us anything we ask for (Mt 21.22).
6. Christianity’s assertion that the Devil is real ALLOWS FOR THE LITERAL DEMONIZING of others.
7. Christianity PROVIDES THE ULTIMATE JUSTIFICATION FOR EVILS of all kinds (such as the vilifying of homosexuals and the subjection of women).
8. Christianity’s THREAT OF HELL HARDENS HEARTS and causes others mental anguish.
9. Christianity PROVIDES COVER FOR ABUSES OF ALL KINDS as evidenced by thousands of sexual abuse cases in the last few years alone.
10. Christianity LEGITIMIZES FRAUD as evidenced by countless insincere televangelists and church leaders.
1. Christianity is INHERENTLY DIVISIVE as believers are promised eternal bliss and nonbelievers eternal torture.
2. Christianity INDUCES UNWARRANTED GUILT AND FEAR by asserting that a Cosmic Judge watches one’s every move and knows one’s every thought.
3. Christianity OBSCURES TRUTH AND PROMOTES FALSEHOODS by diverting focus from the natural (real) to the supernatural (unreal).
4. Christianity DEBASES HUMANITY by condemning us as sinners worthy of eternal damnation.
5. Christianity BREEDS A FALSE SENSE OF IMPORTANCE by asserting that The King of the Universe knew each of us intimately before we were born, knows the numbers of hairs on our head, has a special plan for us, loves us, watches us, listens to our every word, desperately wants a personal relationship with us and even promises to give us anything we ask for (Mt 21.22).
6. Christianity’s assertion that the Devil is real ALLOWS FOR THE LITERAL DEMONIZING of others.
7. Christianity PROVIDES THE ULTIMATE JUSTIFICATION FOR EVILS of all kinds (such as the vilifying of homosexuals and the subjection of women).
8. Christianity’s THREAT OF HELL HARDENS HEARTS and causes others mental anguish.
9. Christianity PROVIDES COVER FOR ABUSES OF ALL KINDS as evidenced by thousands of sexual abuse cases in the last few years alone.
10. Christianity LEGITIMIZES FRAUD as evidenced by countless insincere televangelists and church leaders.
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About Me
- john evans
- See evidence that strongly suggests that the Jesus of the bible was a character fabricated from Old Testament stories! jesusisamyth.blogspot.com
Many men without morals have attacked religion because it was contrary to their inclinations. Many wise men have despised it because it seemed to them ridiculous. Many persons have regarded it with indifference, because they have never felt its true disadvantages. But it is as a citizen that I attack it, because it seems to me harmful to the happiness of the state, hostile to the march of the mind of man, and contrary to sound morality, from which the interests of state policy can never be separated.
~ Baron d'Holbach
~ Baron d'Holbach
16 comments:
I find that somewhat depressing.
If I'm going to struggle through a bunch of obstacles, I sure want to be getting somewhere. Otherwise I'd rather just stay at home and not bother with it.
But isn’t it the truth? I mean, no matter what goal you may reach, it is just a resting point along the way (though it may very well be worthy of celebrating of course).
But there is no final destination. Just a continuous journey. The journey is the destination if you will. So I am reminded to savor every step as best I can. I appreciate the moment more knowing there is no place—no magical destination, no eternity of bliss. This moment is it.
One thing I've never understood is how you get meaning out of that. I mean, people say you're supposed to make your own meaning in life, but how? How do you really derive meaning from the meaninglessness that we are accidental and purposeless, with nowhere to go?
This is the best book I have read about making meaning--
The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods
by Eric Maisel
But to your question--
“How do you really derive meaning from the meaninglessness that we are accidental and purposeless, with nowhere to go?”
It is all about attitude. The point is life is as full of meaning as you want it to be. The loved ones in your life are meaningful are they not? The writing you do is meaningful to you, right? The fact that if the dice were rolled again that we wouldn’t be here is all the more reason to stand in awe and appreciation of the fact that you are here!
But even if you change your attitude...I mean, it means nothing. It's accidental, isn't it? Your attitude is chemical stuff in your brain which evolved by accident?
But even if you change your attitude...I mean, it means nothing. It's accidental, isn't it? Your attitude is chemical stuff in your brain which evolved by accident?
Accidental can be magical. Accidental meetings can turn into the deepest of friendships or the most passionate of love affairs. But I am not sure “accidental” is the right way to describe the universe. The word “accident” conjures up images of broken glass or spilled milk. The universe and our existence seems light years beyond such imagery to me. No, the evidence does not allow us to honestly say this was all planned by some giant invisible god-thing, but I prefer to think of it all as a mind-blowingly wondrous mystery rather than a mere accident.
And it DOES mean something. It means EVERYTHING. It does to me anyway.
For example, my 17 year old son and I went on a 3-4 mile run christmas morning. I was telling him how cool it would be if we trained for a marathon together and this would be the first training run. The marathon is almost a full year away so ther will be hundreds of runs over the course of the coming year to prepare for the “destination” or “goal” of the actual marathon. But as we ran I recalled the idea that THIS was it. The journey was the destination. THAT moment was as precious as any marathon. By being aware of that fact I was able to make time stand still in a way. To just be in the moment. To enjoy being with my son on a cold Christmas morning. Talking between heavy breathing and jumping over patches of snow and ice. Nothing more meaningful than that.
If it doesn't happen on purpose, isn't it by definition an accident?
Even if you'd prefer to call it a mind-blowing wondrous mystery, it's still by definition an accident.
Maybe. But I make my own meaning and it is more meaningful to me to think of it as “wondrous and mysterious” than merely “accidental”. I don’t think this is a descent into fantasy or delusion, as I am not claiming any knowledge not backed up by evidence, I just choose the more poetic way of seeing reality over the less poetic way.
"But I make my own meaning "
Isn't that relativism? And relativism self-refutes!
...and with that, I will be gone for a week. I'm going on a mission trip to Mexico. :)
Are you saying that you don’t determine what is meaningful to you?
If relativism clearly self-defeats why is there a debate about truth being relative or absolute?
Seems to me that truth can be defined as that which most closely aligns with reality. Since we filter reality through our limited senses we have a limited understanding of reality/truth. So though I can say with extreme confidence that I am sitting at my desk while typing this I cannot be “absolutely” sure I am not dreaming this or I am not myself a dream of some sort.
Because we are merely fallible humans, the “absolute” is technically beyond us. However in our daily affairs, it is quite reasonable to say things like it is absolutely true that I am sitting at my desk typing this.
The idea of “absolute truth” is like the ideas of “god” and invisible pink unicorns in that none of these can be proven to exist or not to exist.
"Are you saying that you don’t determine what is meaningful to you?"
Something might have meaning to me whereas someone else might not care so much about it - i.e. I love my cats, but a total stranger might just think, okay, that's just another cat - but that's much different from making my own meaning to life.
"If relativism clearly self-defeats why is there a debate about truth being relative or absolute?"
Because people do not follow their beliefs to their logical end.
Person 1: There is no absolute truth. (relativism)
Person 2: Is that absolutely true?
Argument end.
You say, “I love my cats, but a total stranger might just think, okay, that's just another cat - but that's much different from making my own meaning to life.”
How so? Any other words can be used in place of cats, including “my life”. YOU determine what is meaningful to YOU. How could it be any other way?
As to your “proof” that relativism is self defeating...Here is how I would say it...
Person 1(me): There is no evidence of absolute truth. (relativism)
Person 2(you): Is that absolutely true?
Person 1(me): I never said it was absolutely true. I said there was no evidence of it. Show me convincing evidence of it and I will change my stance.
Person 2(you): I can’t provide you such evidence. No one can. There is none.
Argument end.
If your belief consists of not believing that there is any truth, then perhaps you should reconsider your beliefs. If your belief itself isn't sure if it's right, then I'd say get a different belief in which you are certain!
And making up a meaning to life, and determining what is meaningful to you in said life are two different things. My entire life is meaningful because I was created and I was created with a purpose. However, the things in this life that have meaning to me are my family, my friends, etc who have meaning to me because of my relationships with them.
Truth is a funny thing. I wonder if we would be better off using the word reality instead of truth. For there is definitely (it seems) reality and then there is our different perceptions of that reality. You look at it and think your perception is correct and call it truth. I think my perception is correct and call it truth. We may both be wrong but reality remains. So instead of talking about truth, absolute truth, relative truth and so on we should maybe talk about reality and evidence that supports our understanding of reality.
I would say your life is meaningful not because you were created by some invisible cloud god but because YOU find it meaningful and OTHERS find it meaningful to them. You were not created for a purpose, you were born as a result of favorable biological conditions brought on by love and lust (hopefully). YOU decide your purpose. YOU are powerful, not some god. YOU are in charge of your life and YOU impact those around you. That power comes from your choices, your attitude, not some deity.
"Truth is a funny thing. I wonder if we would be better off using the word reality instead of truth. For there is definitely (it seems) reality and then there is our different perceptions of that reality. You look at it and think your perception is correct and call it truth. I think my perception is correct and call it truth. We may both be wrong but reality remains. So instead of talking about truth, absolute truth, relative truth and so on we should maybe talk about reality and evidence that supports our understanding of reality."
Makes sense to me. But then, that reality which really is real, is truth. So I'm not quite sure what the difference is.
"I would say your life is meaningful not because you were created by some invisible cloud god but because YOU find it meaningful and OTHERS find it meaningful to them."
I find it meaningful because I was formed by a God who cares about me and I find others meaningful because they were created by the same God. This is why I think all humans are intrinsically valuable. I might personally enjoy the company of my best friend more than that of a total stranger, but I would say that the total stranger is also meaningful because God created him.
"You were not created for a purpose, you were born as a result of favorable biological conditions brought on by love and lust (hopefully)."
That's rather depressing. I'm an accident.
"YOU decide your purpose. YOU are powerful, not some god. YOU are in charge of your life and YOU impact those around you. That power comes from your choices, your attitude, not some deity."
I have studied multiple worldviews and come to the conclusion that God is God and God is truth (reality, if you will.) I am in charge of my life, because God did not create me as a robot. I do impact those around me, because I choose to live my life in a Godly fashion and to love others as I love myself. It does come from my attitude and my choices, which is a conclusion which I have come to in the past year or so as I realized that I did actually have the power to choose my attitude and to choose the way i respond to things. Even when I'm frustrated, I can choose to smile. Even when I'm angry, I can choose to forgive. But the reason I do so is because I want to live my life as Jesus lived his while he was on the earth.
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