Let's talk about God, for a moment

While on self-imposed exile from Words Matter, I'll occasionally rely on some other bloggers and people I respect to at least maintain an occasional presence around here. I hope that I remain a boil on the backside of the naysayers and crowd that would prefer that some of us sit down and shut up! We all know the types--the one's who love to sing their praises to God, guns and the Republican Party, while doing their damnest to shut down our right to express admiration for the things that we value.

From a fellow blogger and a writer I regularly read over at Living on Less, asfo_del.

God? Cannot Find Server

Look, there is no god. It's nothing but a fairy tale. Not that fairy tales don't have their place. Sometimes our illusions are all that stands between feeling like choking to death and getting through another moment of the day. Hell, most of the time. But it's just a story: a story that was invented by humans. Given all the mysteries of the universe which almost certainly are beyond the grasp of us stupid little humans, why should a story that we ourselves made up turn out to be an accurate explanation of all the unknowables that we can't begin to understand?

And if you tell me, well, how can you be sure that there is no god, how could you possibly know one way or the other, then I will say to you: you brought up the story, why don't you have to prove to me that it's true rather than me having to prove to you that it isn't? Your story is irrelevant to me. I could give a fuck-all if it's true or not, and without giving it another thought, I will just say flat out that it's not. If I told you that I sprouted wings today and flew over the Bayonne Bridge, wouldn't you say, well, I really don't believe you, what can you give me in the way of evidence, or even, failing evidence, some plausible explanation that would make your claim seem reasonable? And I would have nothing. I would have to say to you, you have to have faith, man, and you know what, if you don't have faith then shut up, you're an asshole. That's what religious doctrine tells us, essentially.

Some religious people are profoundly kind and compassionate human beings. They chose to accept something implausible, but meaningful to them, on faith. More power to them. But the harm that religious dogma has done over the centuries far outweighs the good, in my opinion, so why insist on looking for shreds of goodness in a shameless and harmful lie?

Staring emptiness in the face is not necessarily healthy for one's mental well being -- what does it leave one with to hang onto? -- but neither is filling one's head with untruths. Especially when those particular untruths are so relentlessly reinforced, everywhere you look, in fact, that they become unshakeable beliefs, stuck inside the skull like a wad of chewing gum. Apologies to those who might be offended.
[On the other hand, I don't think I've ever seen any apology, nor even an acknowledgement that non-believers might take offense, from the pro-god camp for any of their controversial statements.]