Wow, you're an atheist! Really? Swear to God? Have you ever been in a foxhole? I don't get people barging in here and proclaiming their devotion to Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Islam, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Mormonism, Jainism, ad nauseam et vomitus in excelsis, so how come you have bug up your bum, mate?
I rejected all religion when I was 10 years old, but I just turned 60, and if I didn't have some theological opinion by now, I believe that would be manifest evidence that I just hadn't been paying any attention to life these past 50 years. I imagine that may make me something of a deist, if I bothered to research what deism is, but I have no affinity for labels and isms; these are for the weak minded. In any case, the assurance that at my age there are fewer days ahead than behind certainly has some influence on my perspective.
There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know, so why fret about it. -Robert A. Heinlein
All too soon.
So why should I have any interest in what you believe, or whether you believe nothing at all, since you don't know any more than I know? At age 60 I am nearer my God to thee if there is one, and I have my own thoughts on the matter. By definition, science can never tell us what existed a split second before time began, so why not have a comforting story about it? What the hell is so bad about believing in a loving Creator who wants all of us to live in peace?
At the same time, I have no objection to the proposition that She gets good and pissed off at us, the pinnacle of Her Creation, and that She can be wrathful, vengeful and just plain cranky; we surely give Her just cause.
And really, whether there is a Supreme Being is not even an interesting question, since treating all people with compassion and justice is itself a societal good that can be derived empirically.
Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. -Marcus Aurelius 2:11
That is how I endeavor to live. I am not belittling your beliefs or the lack thereof; I am an equal opportunity tormentor of proselytes of all stripes. Believe anything you want, just put a sock in it.
But when you make your prayer, go into your private room, and, shutting the door, say a prayer to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. -Matthew 6:6
And from those who have no Father to pray to, the rest of us have reason to expect even more discretion. If there is anything more obnoxious than an assertive true believer, it must be an assertive true unbeliever.
And that is my sermon for this Sabbath. Vade in pacem, shalom aleichem, assalamu alaikum, namaste, aloha, end of file.
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