You’re an unbeliever, just like me. You doubt many sacred dogmas. Let me show you that almost everyone in the world is a skeptic — at least about other people’s religion.

Now when I watch that I have what some people might call “a religious experience.” The size and grandeur of the universe is almost beyond comprehension.

What baffles me is how people can see this magnificent universe and believe that, not only are we the only intelligent life forms to inhabit it, but that it was created especially for us. It blows my mind almost as much as comprehending the size of existence. I think Christopher Hitchens says something really relevant to this in the first minute of this short three minute clip; keep in mind the scale of the universe that you just saw in the other video:

NOW READ THE FOLLOWING WITH AN OPEN MIND!

Religion is an extremely touchy topic. Church members often become angry if anyone questions their supernatural dogmas. (Bertrand Russell said this is because they subconsciously sense that their beliefs are irrational.) So I try to avoid confrontations that can hurt feelings. Nearly everyone wants to be courteous.

But sometimes disputes can’t be avoided. If you think the spirit realm is imaginary, and if honesty makes you say so, you may find yourself under attack. It has happened to many doubters. Thomas Jefferson was called a “howling atheist.” Leo Tolstoy was called an “impious infidel.”

Well, if you wind up in a debate, my advice is: Try to be polite. Don’t let tempers flare, if you can help it. Appeal to your accuser’s intelligence.

I’ve hatched some questions you may find useful. They’re designed to show that church members, even the most ardent worshipers, are skeptics too – because they doubt every magical system except their own.

If a churchman berates you, perhaps you could reply like this:

* * *
You’re an unbeliever, just like me. You doubt many sacred dogmas. Let me show you:

— Millions of Hindus pray over statues of Shiva’s penis. Do you think there’s an invisible Shiva who wants his penis prayed over — or are you a skeptic?

— Mormons say that Jesus came to America after his resurrection. Do you agree — or are you a doubter?

— Florida’s Santeria worshipers sacrifice dogs, goats, chickens, etc., and toss their bodies into waterways. Do you think Santeria gods want animals killed — or are you skeptical?

— Muslim suicide bombers who blow themselves up in Israel are taught that “martyrs” go instantly to a paradise full of lovely female houri nymphs. Do you think the bombers now are in heaven with houris — or are you a doubter?

— Unification Church members think Jesus visited Master Moon and told him to convert all people as “Moonies.” Do you believe this sacred tenet of the Unification Church?

— Jehovah’s Witnesses say that, any day now, Satan will come out of the earth with an army of demons, and Jesus will come out of the sky with an army of angels, and the Battle of Armageddon will kill everyone on earth except Jehovah’s Witnesses. Do you believe this solemn teaching of their church?

— Aztecs skinned maidens and cut out human hearts for a feathered serpent god. What’s your stand on invisible feathered serpents? Aha! — just as I suspected, you don’t believe.

— Catholics are taught that the communion wafer and wine magically become the actual body and blood of Jesus during chants and bell-ringing. Do you believe in the “real presence” — or are you a disbeliever?

— Faith-healer Ernest Angley says he has the power, described in the Bible, to “discern spirits,” which enables him to see demons inside sick people, and see angels hovering at his revivals. Do you believe this religious assertion?

— The Bible says people who work on the sabbath must be killed: “Whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 31:15). Should we execute Sunday workers — or do you doubt this scripture?

— At a golden temple in West Virginia, saffron-robed worshipers think they’ll become one with Lord Krishna if they chant “Hare Krishna” enough. Do you agree — or do you doubt it?

— Members of the Heaven’s Gate commune said they could “shed their containers” (their bodies) and be transported to a UFO behind the Hale-Bopp Comet. Do you think they’re now on that UFO — or are you a skeptic?

— During the witch hunts, inquisitor priests tortured thousands of women into confessing that they blighted crops, had sex with Satan, etc. — then burned them for it. Do you think the church was right to enforce the Bible’s command, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18) — or do you doubt this scripture?

— Members of Spiritualist churches say they talk with the dead during their worship services. Do you think they actually communicate with spirits of deceased people?

— Millions of American Pentecostals spout “the unknown tongue,” a spontaneous outpouring of sounds. They say it’s the Holy Ghost, the third god of the Trinity, speaking through them. Do you believe this sacred tenet of many Americans?

— Scientologists say each human has a soul which is a “Thetan” that came from another planet. Do you believe their doctrine — or doubt it?

— Ancient Greeks thought a multitude of gods lived on Mt. Olympus — and some of today’s New Agers think invisible Lemurians live inside Mt. Shasta. What’s your position on mountain gods — belief or disbelief?

— In the mountains of West Virginia, some people obey Christ’s farewell command that true believers “shall take up serpents” (Mark 16:18). They pick up rattlers at church services. Do you believe this scripture, or not?

— India’s Thugs thought the many-armed goddess Kali wanted them to strangle human sacrifices. Do you think there’s an invisible goddess who wants people strangled — or are you a disbeliever?

— Tibet’s Buddhists say that when an old Lama dies, his spirit enters a baby boy who’s just being born somewhere. So they remain leaderless for a dozen years or more, then they find a boy who seems to have knowledge of the old Lama’s private life, and they annoint the boy as the new Lama (actually the old Lama in a new body). Do you think that dying Lamas fly into new babies, or not?

— In China in the 1850s, a Christian convert said God appeared to him, told him he was Jesus’ younger brother, and commanded him to “destroy demons.” He raised an army of believers who waged the Taiping Rebellion that killed 20 million people. Do you think he was Christ’s brother — or do you doubt it?

* * *
Etc., etc. You get the picture.

I’ll bet there isn’t a church member anywhere who doesn’t think all those supernatural beliefs are goofy — except for the one he believes.

You see, by going through a laundry list of theologies, I think you can establish that the average Christian doubts 99 percent of the world’s holy dogmas. But the 1 percent he believes is really no different than the rest. It’s a system of miraculous claims, without any reliable evidence to support it.

So, if we can show people that some sacred “truths” are nutty, maybe subconscious logic will seep through, and they’ll realize that if some magical beliefs are irrational, all may be.

This progression is rather like a scene in the poignant Peter de Vries novel, The Blood of the Lamb. A gushy woman compliments a Jew because “your people” reduced the many gods of polytheism to just one god. The man replies: “Which is just a step from the truth.”

Meanwhile, it’s encouraging to realize that almost everyone in the world is a skeptic — at least about other people’s religion.

(talk for Marshall University chapter,
Campus Freethought Alliance, Sept. 10, 1997)

Used with permission

By James A. Haught

http://englishatheist.org/indexz63.shtml

 

Sometimes it’s too late to say the thing you meant to say.

 

TOO LATE

 

Sometimes it’s too late to say the thing you meant to say – too late to say you are sorry or some kindness to repay. Too late to speak the loving words or lend the helping hand – to show appreciation or to give the gift you planned. Thus we pile up vain regrets that haunt the years ahead – memories of all the things we might have done or said. Save yourself the pain and take each opportunity – of doing all that is in your power for friends and family.

 

 Author Unknown

 

 

We smile and laugh less and cry and cringe more as the years slip by.

 

 

 

LIVING IN THE NOW!

You carry within you the seed of a fresh start and new beginning when you arrive on this plane. You must nourish this seedling with waters of love and wisdom. Most people take the game of life far too serious. The key to a successful and joy filled life is to build laughter and light heartedness into everything you do. We start life with enthusiasm and unbridled playfulness. This spontaneity soon makes way for gloom and fear. We become so absorbed in the game of life that we neglect to visit the place in our heart where the child in us still live and play. Our ego or false self is forever busy comparing our performance, the way we look and the outcomes we achieve with those around us. We perceive the world out there as our mirror. We personalise everything.

 

Most of us are exposed a world of duality early in our lives. We are brainwashed into believing that God are using some scoring system. There is a perception that He has so little to do that He sits around twenty-four hours a day checking up on our dedication and sin levels. There is an impression that the only way that we dare to be happy and spontaneous is when we do what God and society expect from us. Many of us fail more often than we succeed and “sin” more often than we would like to. We feel that it will be hypocritical to experience and project happiness and joy while we seem to perform far below the high-required standards set for us by God and society. 

We smile and laugh less and cry and cringe more as the years slip by. Many of us reach a stage where our child hardly ever emerges from his dungeon. The child in us can see, hear and feel our activities, but do not dare to make an appearance. This whole process is a trap and designed with control in mind. Many of us end up morbid robots. The system is so clever that it uses its current slaves (you and me) to breed the future slaves that they will then milk fo taxes and use as cannon fodder in their greed and ego driven wars. We must bring back the child in us if we want to enjoy our day-today activities, relationships and the work we do.

Are you fun to have around, is a question that you need to answer. Another question we need to answer is, “Do I want to win or would I rather make the project or relationship work to everybody’s advantage? Happiness is always a sign of a new beginning. Our perfect self is always happy while our false self seem to enjoy playing the role of a victim.

 

Rene

From my book – The Hidden Treasure Within

 

Lets’s see if we can learn something about the BLACK and WHITE issues from this amazing clip by Byron Katie.

Black or White – The Work of Byron Katie