Hello everyone. I'm an artist and writer and someone who is interested in community. I've been listening to a lot of Dan Dennett on youtube and find his argument that if secularists want to end the more harmful excesses of religion we have to provide institutions that do the things that religion is good at.
My view of religion is that God created me to not believe in Him, and in my conversations with Him, He has Informed me through his Utter Silence that I am doing my job by not believing in him. That further, He does not require me to believe in him. That this is not necessary in order for Him to fulfill the Covenant between Him and His Unbelievers. Only certain of my fellow human beings object to my skepticism, and that it would be better for everyone if I were not harsh in my judgements of them. Nor should the believer be harsh in their judgement of me. For who is worthier of their kindness than someone like me who, by their lights, is as blind to the greater glories of his fellow man as well as the Face of God. Who, further, has been anointed by God in this role as some kind of cosmic fool who will surely be proven to be wrong and why? Because He has withheld the Gift of Faith from me.
In my folly I say that morality is the measure of benefits conveyed to living especially conscious creatures and that is the objective measure of its worth rather than the putative pronouncements of a God I do not believe in.
In my arrogance, for which I will be forgiven even as any parent forgives the squallings of an infant that rouses them from their rest, I believe that God is Irrelevant. Why? Because regardless that He exists or no my task is still to be a moral human being. I reject the doctrine that tells me I can't have moral obligations and duties to my fellow human beings and even other living creatures if I don't believe in God.
I reject the doctrine that I should not honor the believer even if I do not share their beliefs. To anyone who says they'd pray for me my answer would be even though I don't believe prayer causes divine intercession I do believe that they are sharing some of the most sacred and important moments of their life with me by praying for me, and of course I'm honored when someone does that.
That's all for now.
Vincent
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