Psyching Out God
By J.W. --
The tree of “Knowledge” had forbidden fruit, and maybe that fruit was God himself.
Image by Psychology Pictures via FlickrYou don’t look in the world for answers when God has given them to you. The greatest chance of solving a problem is to acknowledge it in the first place. The only known reality is ‘this world’, and that is good psychology. You should psych out God.
As a former completely deluded person -- I understand. Killing the concept of God is uncomfortable. I recently did the deed, and quickly began to see the consequences.
I realized I was carrying an agenda that was not my own. That agenda influenced my politics. It encouraged me to judge people by unreasonable standards. It promoted wading in guilt, and avoiding personal responsibility.
It is time to debunk the final Santa Clause. We all know Santa was invented. God was invented too. So what is Gods purpose?
God is a creative answer to the questions, "Why we are here?" "What is our purpose?" and "What is right?"
God has been improved throughout history.
First came many gods, but they were not consistent. Then came one God that would kill the unrighteous. People still preferred to pick a deferent god that fit their own qualities. Finally came God 3.0-- He brought something that no person could. He brought the eternal punishment of hell. Now you would be more than killed-- you would be tortured by burning forever.
Saying you need God because you are bad is fallacious. It's a cross between being “Ad Hominem” and “Red Herring”. Some people like Kirk Cameron push that we need Jesus to avoid hell. Why would you gamble on going to hell if you could just accept Christ? This line of thinking would have you buying insurance for alien abduction, and I bet it would be cheaper than 10% of your income. This argument also completely dodges the question-- is God real?
They will push a forced decision. This is another fallacy called a “False Dilemma ”. They say you have two choices which are heaven or hell. Its important to point out that hell is not proven, and there are an infinite number of possibilities when death occurs. Death could be oblivion, reincarnation, or hitching a ride with Xenu. Maybe you should ask yourself-- would a good god force you [against your will] to live forever?
I just listed three fallacies in the arguments presented by evangelists like Kirk. They are called fallacies, because they are persuasive, and they are not attached to reason. They would not be accepted by a professor at your local college. Imagine telling your professor he needs pass you because he is a bad person, and passing you would make him a good teacher. Sound silly?
It is... there is no reason to keep thinking like that.
People that once believed in Santa are not stupid. There is no need to feel foolish. The concept of God is much craftier than Santa. The concept of God solves some problems. Those problems must be confronted when you choose to kill God.
Now lets get back to the problems God is supposed to solve.
You may need to give yourself some purpose. You can do this by creating some goals, and doing your best to follow them. We choose the purpose for our life.
Virtues have been around for a long time, and are the parents of morality. You do not need God to recognize and cultivate virtues. In fact, you may find some of the “morals” you have been defending are not virtuous at all. Tolerance is a virtue.
There is no hell. Hell was invented to solve a problem. It was invented to convince people to follow an unreasonable God. The same unreasonable God that was suppose to solve some problems that science can now explain.
Set yourself free. The power of your imagination is the only thing keeping God real. I am willing to bet that you can create a better solution for your problems. I encourage you to do so.
The tree of “Knowledge” had forbidden fruit, and maybe that fruit was God himself.
Image by Psychology Pictures via FlickrAs a former completely deluded person -- I understand. Killing the concept of God is uncomfortable. I recently did the deed, and quickly began to see the consequences.
I realized I was carrying an agenda that was not my own. That agenda influenced my politics. It encouraged me to judge people by unreasonable standards. It promoted wading in guilt, and avoiding personal responsibility.
It is time to debunk the final Santa Clause. We all know Santa was invented. God was invented too. So what is Gods purpose?
God is a creative answer to the questions, "Why we are here?" "What is our purpose?" and "What is right?"
God has been improved throughout history.
First came many gods, but they were not consistent. Then came one God that would kill the unrighteous. People still preferred to pick a deferent god that fit their own qualities. Finally came God 3.0-- He brought something that no person could. He brought the eternal punishment of hell. Now you would be more than killed-- you would be tortured by burning forever.
Saying you need God because you are bad is fallacious. It's a cross between being “Ad Hominem” and “Red Herring”. Some people like Kirk Cameron push that we need Jesus to avoid hell. Why would you gamble on going to hell if you could just accept Christ? This line of thinking would have you buying insurance for alien abduction, and I bet it would be cheaper than 10% of your income. This argument also completely dodges the question-- is God real?
They will push a forced decision. This is another fallacy called a “False Dilemma ”. They say you have two choices which are heaven or hell. Its important to point out that hell is not proven, and there are an infinite number of possibilities when death occurs. Death could be oblivion, reincarnation, or hitching a ride with Xenu. Maybe you should ask yourself-- would a good god force you [against your will] to live forever?
I just listed three fallacies in the arguments presented by evangelists like Kirk. They are called fallacies, because they are persuasive, and they are not attached to reason. They would not be accepted by a professor at your local college. Imagine telling your professor he needs pass you because he is a bad person, and passing you would make him a good teacher. Sound silly?
It is... there is no reason to keep thinking like that.
People that once believed in Santa are not stupid. There is no need to feel foolish. The concept of God is much craftier than Santa. The concept of God solves some problems. Those problems must be confronted when you choose to kill God.
Now lets get back to the problems God is supposed to solve.
You may need to give yourself some purpose. You can do this by creating some goals, and doing your best to follow them. We choose the purpose for our life.
Virtues have been around for a long time, and are the parents of morality. You do not need God to recognize and cultivate virtues. In fact, you may find some of the “morals” you have been defending are not virtuous at all. Tolerance is a virtue.
There is no hell. Hell was invented to solve a problem. It was invented to convince people to follow an unreasonable God. The same unreasonable God that was suppose to solve some problems that science can now explain.
Set yourself free. The power of your imagination is the only thing keeping God real. I am willing to bet that you can create a better solution for your problems. I encourage you to do so.
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