All dogmas and governmental systems that are invented are to benefit a particular group of people. I will agree that blind faith is a natural part of living, but life as an art form cannot be so naïve: for those who simply follow any institution without reasoning are just that—a collective of naïve and nonchalant people without minds of their own. The church masters have them on strings. I, on the other hand, am an intelligent being, although the only thing that stands above me is ignorance. That is to say that the things of which I am unaware are more powerful than I am. It is true that knowledge is power and that ignorance weakens one. Ignorance is a thing of great value for those monolithic and sometimes despotic religious institutions. Their foundation is based on the skillful manipulation of the mysterious. Since ignorance is an exotic element we must expect some to make assumptions of its nature. God is a myth, a superstitious idea the church officials invented in order to accommodate their ignorance: hence the phrase, “God works in mysterious ways.” Alas! God is ignorance—simply a name for the unknown. Plainly put, it is an ignorant thing to do to revere an unknown figure as if it is a thing of reality. I'd rather believe in facts instead of fallacies. Substantial knowledge makes more sense than faith in what only “God” knows. This is a world of cause & effect, action & reaction—not a world of what ifs. It makes more sense to live in the "it" (meaning the world as it is) than to dwell on the "what if" (i.e. what would Jesus do?). I, personally, believe in things that are faithful, such as the nature that made me and keeps me living, along with the grace that comes from having a kind heart. I find that God is as real as Noël and the tooth fairy.
It would be more fitting for the world to refer to such an invention as the God fairy. The world is governed by mathematics and not God. Time and space are what make all events in the world possible. They are the obvious components that symbiotically contribute to the evolution of life. What one may call fate can easily be referred to as an accident by another. It is unfortunate that our minds are so wrongly occupied by the ignorance of the matters nearly impossible to explain. To say that God, in all of His infinite wisdom, has done something of which we do not know the reason is no different from saying that Ignorance, in all of Its misguidance, has set us up for failure once again. Ignorance or God matter nothing because eventually all things work out to someone's advantage. Time and space equal movement; God is missing from this equation—He is uninvolved. Observe the clock and the environment and take into account that no matter how many hours it strikes the environment remains intact: but let mankind govern the world and it will create good and evil. The goods and the evils that befall us all are the fruits of our own works. Life is far from being unfair—it simply is as we live it; but let the record show throughout history that humans are unfair towards one another.
Jesus Christ is to deism what Martin Luther King is to human rights as what the unnamed rebel of Tienanmen Square is to freedom. It is not that those people necessarily defined a way of life, but they are iconic figures who represent those things for which they were not afraid to give their lives. In times of distress, the people are always in dire need of a leader—a leader who can strongly stir up emotions. Apparently, the people’s minds are easy to manipulate and nearly anyone who claims to be divine can be venerated. Anyone can perform “miracles” so long as he/she knows and understands the mechanisms and functions of an entity. The work of a hypnotist is marvelous to a non-hypnotist as that of a magician’s to his audience: ignorance is sweet bliss; there is no need to question the source because the people find the illusion to be so impeccable. I have to say that I am ignorant as to whether deism is a fact or not, nevertheless I feel obliged to offend the idea based on what is taught the followers in contrast to what takes place globally regarding God.
Figuratively speaking, zero (0) needs one (1) just as much as a reflection needs its host: for nothingness is nothing alone, likewise the one by itself is nearly meaningless. Therefore one completes the other as they gain definition through each other: a reality through a fallacy, light through darkness, movement through stagnancy, and so on. A zero has no sense of autonomy, no trace of accomplishments: the zero is the thing that never was, the thing that is not, and so it is too the thing that never will be. Such is the concept of the zero; such is the concept of the professed god. We would not have gotten the chance to recognize ignorance if it had not been for knowledge, or confusion if not for reason.
It is not up to me to claim as a fact that the world was created by a God or that it was not because I do not know. I cannot convince a staunch believer without facts that there is no God any more than he can convince me with the lack of evidence that there is such a thing. We are caught in the middle of the uncertainties of superstitions (Creationism & Intelligent Design) and theories (Static Universe & the Big Bang). In an environment of ignorance there is always ground for suggestions. I neither believe in nor deny the thing I do not know. What I am certain of is that I do not have faith in any of the gods worshipped by the world. I do not need the gods of man to define my world as I am able to be as optimistic as a believer.
“There are no facts, only interpretations.”—Friedrich Nietzsche. The religious leaders assert that nature has an architect as they look to the thing that has no name and so decide to call what is over their heads God. A sad thing to do! Nevertheless, I assume that by doing this they give themselves the chance to touch what is both invisible and intangible, so to speak. I realize that the world is mind and that the sober (natural) things I do are of my own will. But I do wonder why the system of things had to be what it is. Such an enigma that the only explanation for it is that it is that it is. It seems as though the pleasures of life must come with a lot of suffering, and maybe hell is the only home for man: for through hardship creation begins. But I digress. Life, with all of its beauty, comes with much disgust and ridicule, it leaves in me an unpleasant feeling sometimes, and so I just wish I could vomit life sometimes.
Blaine, if you truly believe all that you have written, then you must be very careful in the steps you take because God will not be mocked. I trust you have read John 3.16 in the Bible and know that Jesus died even for you.
#2 by EdRoberts, Feb 3, 2008
I do not know if there is a God or not; no one does.
I do know, however, that the ignorance of the author here, is staggering. One should not write on a subject about which you know too little; you only end up sounding the fool to readers who have more than a simplistic understanding of the subject.
#3 by Christopher, Feb 3, 2008
It's not unusual now, or at anytime in the history of the Christian faith, to be see this type of assault. I can easily dismiss this by saying I'm not the Christian written about here, nor do I know any, personally. I do believe that God works in wondrous and mysterious ways, perhaps even through evolution. I do not know (nor do I care to try) what God looks like, how He operates, or what He likes for breakfast.
I do know this - people will write drivel, often times rising from a place of fear and insecurity. Corporations are happy to publish incendiary drivel, thinking they can make a buck. I see Stanza and their folks working on Triond fit that bill. Too bad, I thought it had promise.
Yes, that's me, a Christian, being judgmental. And I will back up my judgment by not participating, reading, or recommending Triond or other Stanza, Ltd products.
#4 by Fred, Feb 4, 2008
I’m not Christian or particularly religious just skimming through this drivel makes me annoyed. A two page rant about what boils down to a personal choice this person has other serious issues.
#5 by louie jerome, Feb 5, 2008
You are entitled to your own opinion...free speech and all that, but you are not entitled to berate and mock other people and their views, religious, or otherwise.
#Christopher You too are entitled to your own view but under the same right of free speech, you are not entitled to stop others saying what they think and feel. You say that this is 'drivel' then you react by blaming Stanza Ltd and Triond for publishing it.
I choose to keep my own religious views private, but I for one cheer for the lack of censorship shown here by Triond! Everyone has a right to an opinion, whether you agree with it, or not.
#6 by Virginia, Feb 5, 2008
Blaine,
God gave us all an opinion and the right to express it.
I am an intelligent person and a Christian. Take it from me and learn something about what God really is and what he actually means to the individual, not the 'Church'. You might be pleasantly surprised.
#7 by oniovo lee, Feb 6, 2008
we truly believe machines and all other things didnt just fall from the sky,they were created, but till date i find it shocking to know that some humans still doubt how they came into existence,there is God whether we choose to believe or not, and the extremely joyful thing about God is that he gives enough time for blasphemous people to turn from their ways, when that time is up and the individual chooses not to repent....so sorry!!!! there would be a heavenly reaction to the earthly human error!!1
#8 by Paul, Mar 3, 2008
So much of what youwrote is so well sai. I only found the last lines of your vomiting to be an area that I would have hoped you could have stomached. It\'s the burden of man to work through difficult problems around him/her. Don\'t let this religion \"thing\" get to you. We understand your frustration.
I found this edited version of your article an improvement:
God as Ignorance
by Blaine Dhu, Feb 2, 2008
An analytical look into the superstitious and selfish aspects of the God idea.
How do you tell a child who deeply believes in Christmas that Santa Claus does not come from the North Pole but all from the sheer imagination of his parents? Likewise how do you tell a Christian that much of what he or she has learned is not necessarily that relevant and is sadly futile information? The word God has been used throughout time by mankind as an advocate of his selfish desires, and the devil was created as a way to take on a guilt trip the members of a society who refuse to comply with the norm: the religious leaders clearly take advantage of simplicity.
The invasion of the Jews in the land of the Canaanites is no different from that of the English refugees who migrated to the Americas and forced the indigenous people out of their territory. These two invasions were no different from each other in that those who carried them out were both oppressed groups and they also believed that their murders were justified because they, after all, killed in the name of God. And since God was with them, who could be against them? The idea of religion is obviously an insidious philosophy.
When it comes to moral matters no one knows for sure what is wrong and what is right in most cases. I have realized in life that many restrictions stem from one\'s superiority complex and superstitions. The same type of people feel it necessary to keep a leash on others, and they even burden you with some rules I find to be irrational. Everything is done arbitrarily, and it seems inappropriate to me that one should be so obtrusive on others with his or her views on how life should be lived.
The person of logic believes in intelligence and the concrete order of things, whereas the Christian lives with the blind faith in some imagined entity. Certainly, blind faith or perseverance has its own advantage, particularly in the time of adversity; nevertheless intelligence prevails always and never (to my knowledge) a miracle. Life is a maze, full of endless chances; it is a thing of many possibilities--the God of the Christian, no matter how bitter or content this believer is, or any other believer\'s God, has no power over me.
The reason for this iconoclastic position is due to the unproven state of God. It is hard to simply dismiss the fact that Christ died twenty centuries ago and that none have heard from Him since. However, the churches love to push the idea of that loving and almighty Overseer as a means to, what formerly was, pacify the native inhabitants of Africa and America. Nevertheless, they seem to be more about business because the Word is such routine work.
It disturbs me to see so many people flock to the churches--, after all the scandals that have been perpetuated by the priests and the popes starting with the patriarch of the Catholic Church, Constantine the Great, to this present deplorable day. No matter how much wrong the people may see, not too many have the courage to break away from the congregation because they are so used to their practice of tradition. That is to say that since their dear parents raised them to go to a certain church they still continue to feel compelled to go even though some do not fully believe they need to be there. However, to satisfy the tradition they continue to attend the masses.
This insinuated loyalty is implemented through the use of fear, brutality, and even guilt. I find it to be a crying shame that something that is said to be of the utmost good for the human soul must utilize such negative components in order to keep hold of its members. I also feel that it is all enough to cause one to hate their God. Sadly, it is those same negative components that bind those members to their religion. Those people become dependent of their church officials after they are lectured on how insignificant they are, and the church masters all thrive on such activity. They are all tainted.
The few religions of which I know--the ones dealing specifically with a Christian theme, arose in periods of ache, starting with Christianity itself to Calvinism, and from that to the Mormons, to name a few. It seems that the need for something better necessitates these religions. The need for hope, the need for constructive gathering, along with the desperate need for wealth as well all lead to the delusion of the calling from some omnipotent God. Unfortunately though, they do not even know the Being that summoned them, and that is why there are various doctrines because those ones who got the call decided as their hearts told them. They simply did what seemed right to them as they walked about spreading confusion repeatedly.
Life is an art form. Each person creates his or her own philosophy as it fits him or her. All dogmas and governmental systems that are invented are to benefit a particular group of people. I will agree that blind faith is a natural part of living, but life as an art form cannot be so naïve: for those who simply follow any institution without reasoning are just that-a collective of naïve and nonchalant people without minds of their own. The church masters have them on strings.
I, on the other hand, am an intelligent being, although the only thing that stands above me is ignorance. That is to say that the things of which I am unaware are more powerful than I am. It is true that knowledge is power and that ignorance weakens one. Ignorance is a thing of great value for those monolithic and sometimes despotic religious institutions. Their foundation is based on the skillful manipulation of the mysterious.
Since ignorance is an exotic element we must expect some to make assumptions of its nature. God is a myth, a superstitious idea the church officials invented in order to accommodate their ignorance: hence the phrase, “God works in mysterious ways.” Alas! God is ignorance-simply a name for the unknown . Plainly put, it is an ignorant thing to do to revere an unknown figure as if it is a thing of reality. I\'d rather believe in facts instead of fallacies. Substantial knowledge makes more sense than faith in what only “God” knows. This is a world of cause & effect, action & reaction-not a world of what ifs. It makes more sense to live in the \"it\" (meaning the world as it is) than to dwell on the \"what if\" (i.e. what would Jesus do?). I, personally, believe in things that are faithful, such as the nature that made me and keeps me living along with the grace that comes from having a kind heart. I find that God is as real as Noël and the tooth fairy. It would be more fitting for the world to refer to such an invention as the God fairy.
The world is governed by mathematics and not God. Time and space are what make all events in the world possible. They are the obvious components that symbiotically contribute to the evolution of life. What one may call fate can easily be referred to as an accident by another. It is unfortunate that our minds are so wrongly occupied by the ignorance of the matters nearly impossible to explain. To say that God, in all of His infinite wisdom, has done something of which we do not know the reason is no different from saying that Ignorance, in all of Its misguidance, has set us up for failure once again. Ignorance or God matter nothing because eventually all things work out to someone\'s advantage. Time and space equal movement; God is missing from this equation-He is uninvolved.
The religious leaders assert that nature has an architect as they look to the thing that has no name and so decide to call what is over their heads God. A sad thing to do! Nevertheless, I assume that by doing this they give themselves the chance to touch what is both invisible and intangible,
#9 by EdRoberts, Mar 21, 2008
Paul:
Ahem, as a general rule, comments should not be longer that the article to which they speak. However, I did wade through yours...
You are absolutely correct: there is no "proof" of God. However, there can be no doubt that there is no proof that there is no God. Unless one can determine what was on the other side of the Big Bang, it is absurd to claim as fact, either position.
The actual question is: Is there life after death? Myself, I rather hope that there is. Unfortunately, I consider the odds to be rather slim.
You said, "When it comes to moral matters no one knows for sure what is wrong and what is right..." I can only say that if you have trouble determining what is "moral," regardless of religion, you certainly have 'issues'.
My final comment is that one makes a mistake if one equates religion with God in the argument over His existence.
#10 by European Pagan, Apr 15, 2008
God is a prick in the old testament
#11 by db, Apr 19, 2008
The issue of God or no God is a perplexing question to many people. As can be seen from the comments, some people tend to get very upset if they feel their belief system is under attack. While I have distanced myself from any organized religion, some people derive a real meaning from their faith, and if it works for you, great. db
#12 by g-livn22, Jul 3, 2008
im 22years young and i am happy to say that i am finally growing up in a genration that seems to get it... religion has and will allways be a bussiness and is there for no purpose other than 2 create that withc doesnt naturally exist that is iggnorance and the smae idealism in a mass group ...hope we can all on day see how stupid it is to worship a false idol ...187 on jesus hahaha
#13 by mahoney, Jul 23, 2008
\"Time and space are what make all events in the world possible.\" - so what or who makes time and space possible??
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Funny that, this book from centuries ago already answered these questions!
PS And if God is God, do you really suppose that we might be able to understand everything He does?
#14 by Matt, Aug 26, 2008
One of your quotes is "The world is governed by mathematics and not God" while the other is "Life is an art form". Seems contrary to me. To say that the world is soley based on mathematics is a "belief" because you can not concretely prove this, yet we are expected to take this statement for fact. Yet sadly in mathematics there is no place literally for the human heart. There is no place for love. for creativity. for giving an accepting forgiveness. In mathematics there is no passion to create a song that swells the heart. We are continually shown that everything has not been discovered or answered or cured yet we think we can conclusively answer for everything.
Ironically there has never been a tribe of people at their discovery that were atheistic. People who live close to creation see a Creator. No doubt superstition digs its claws into all religion, but that is of man's doing not Gods.
Maybe God doesn't exist, but I would hate to be held captive to such a dreadful and hopeless thought that there is not an Infinite Being that is purely Good. What a sad existence we would all share in that.
