Why atheism? Because this:
is more mysterious, interesting and uplifting than this:
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Life is so much more interesting out here in the real world. It gets more interesting all the time.
There is an unprovable assertion derived from bronze and iron age ideas about how the world works. It is that this universe is the only one, that it was made by a god, and that this god cares where you are on Sunday morning, who you slept with the night before, whether the “F”word ever escapes your lips, and cares about any number of other things that are uncannily similar to the personal behavior preferences of the religious humans in your area. This god was so sure you’d screw up that two thousand years before you were born he committed suicide and killed his own son at the same time to make up for your mistakes. (Or he didn’t. Insert your favorite religious mythology here.)
There is also an unprovable assertion derived from 21st century ideas about how the world works. It is that the universe is one of many, a bubble in a foam of universes. That each of these universes is different in fundamental ways than this one. That these other universes themselves might be a mere millimeter away or closer, traveling in the correct dimension. That there may be life in these other places and so we might have someone new to meet! That there may exist great, ultra thin membranes of articulated mathematics upon which we and all other denizens of this multiverse reside.
Why would I want to buy into the god idea? It’s founded on ideas which are thousands of years out of date, which aren’t even wrong, by todays standards, and which serve only one purpose. That purpose is to enable those who buy into the idea to look down on those who do not.
That last statement’s not entirely fair, and I’ll tell you why in a later post this week.
Ideas based in real, modern science are so much more mysterious, interesting and empowering than the ancient ideas, which are virtually useless most of the time.
What do you think?
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The real mystery is inside, not outside.
“Nosce te ipsum” – Know thyself
Yeah. Workin’ on that.
I agree the first picture is far more interesting than the later.
Just as a Van Gogh is more interesting than a 3 year old’s finger painting
As you say, contemporary ideas and scientific discoveries are far more mysterious and interesting on the whole….
However, I guess this is not everyone’s cup of tea, and, moreover, science does not promise hope of eternal life, which is the bread-and-butter of religion.
I think people who are most likely to really engage with scientific thinking and mystery are those who have a realistic perspective of humanity in the universe, i.e. that we’re not the centre of everything.