There are lots of people who take on "Pascal's Wager". What this is, is wanting to believe in a God, only to find out in the end that there is no god, rather than not believing in a God, and finding out there is.
Now, My s-i-l is one of these people. I don't subscribe to this. I believe in a deity for the simple fact that I don't necessarily think creation is all by accident, but careful organization. Now, a deity could have initiated "The Big Bang" to begin this 'careful organization'...or it could all just be coincidence (I, personally don't believe it to be coincidence, but I DO believe in the Big Bang, only because there is too much evidence to support).
Now, I think it's ridiculous to believe in a God "just in case". That's like believing in the boogie-man...just in case. I think that one should believe in a God because, they believe in a God...they believe that there is some other Spirit, Higher Power, whatever out there to help you; that initiated the universe, whatever, not simply to believe "just in case". I personally see this as a cop-out and a little insulting (at least I would be if I were a deity).
I also don't think atheists are wrong to not believe, and if there happens to be a deity, I don't believe this deity would be so superficial as to punish someone for not believing in them...especially with no absolute, concrete proof. I think that to believe just because you were told something leaves you naive. That's called "blind faith" and what happens when the blind leads the blind...people tend to get lost.
I believe in a deity because I've had experience with it. Not a deity that I was told to believe in, a deity who called me herself. I didn't go to a church and asked which deity to worship; I didn't ask random people who I need to worship, which God...nor do I believe in any "just in case".
My Goddess came to me, I didn't go looking for her. THAT'S how I came to believe there is some higher being out there, bigger than myself. No book told me she existed, I heard her name, I researched it and discovered her through my own searches. I've prayed, talked, communed and experienced her.
I don't understand how one can believe in a deity, just in case they're really there.
Ma’iingan
I think its ridiculous too but there are a lot of scare tactics in the Abrahamic religions, or at least there are now... there are so many things you do wrong and go to hell for if you are a Catholic and believe what the pope says. I think people deserve the freedom to make their own choices over their bodies and beliefs. I think tactics such as this really bring out the ocd in people that probably need a diagnosis. Trust me I have ocd. ;) Do you know any good books on Dianic Wicca you could recommend there is only that z budapest I've ever heard of but there must be more.
ReplyDeleteMy s-i-l has a lot of problems with the church now that she has had...well, we'll just say some internal family problems, and has discovered the flaws in the belief system. However, just because she doesn't hold on to the beliefs wholeheartedly anymore, she STILL believes in God, merely for the sake of "believing"...just in case.
ReplyDeleteI personally just can't understand how something like that works. You can't believe because you believe? You have to believe because you don't want there to end up being a real "hell" and end up going if you don't happen to believe? I think that' pretty naive.
I thank you for your comment.