Sunday, July 26, 2015

Tim Costello's talk to Sunday Assembly



I'm good with all the live better, help often, stuff that Tim seemed to agree with. That's great and I thank him for it. However he messed up by finishing off with a mini sermon. He gave some points for why he believes, and for me, that went down like a lead balloon. Tim believes because: 1- because the universe is big. (Seriously? It is not evidence that there must be a god, it certainly points in no way to his specific version.) 2- because he has joy in his life. ( pardon me while I use an expletive. FFS that takes the cake, because we don't have his god we can't have joy? our joy is deficient?). I was still happy to here him talk, he is a good speaker. Interesting that Katie was his neighbor at one time, and an ex member of his church. I think Tim fundamentally misunderstood the audience.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Year without God ... And then?

Now for the sequel to Ryan Bell's "Year without God" . 

Perhaps the previous year was more of a year of exploration of whether or not there be a god? Maybe it was largely a year without the trappings of "God"? I suspect that this year might be the first actual year without God in the sense that Ryan's ( tentative) conclusion is that he does not think that there is a god. 

It seems that the reaction from some christians, especially seventh day Adventist christians is laced with much more vitriol than him merely daring to question their belief set. An article in an official sda publication "Adventist Review" seem to me to be very condescending, ignorant and maybe even arrogant . The author seems hobbled by dogma , all his points contra Ryan  are underlined / accented with bible texts. 

For me, my year of questioning, discovering, thinking my way out of religious belief was interesting, invigorating and scary. 'Twas the year after that was my worst. The sense of loss etc, as Ryan said (in the last part of the video connected to his "Year without god article here"  ) - this, I found very depressing, my year after god was gut wrenchingly awful. It has improved for me. My five years an atheist - only in the last year has it really sunk in on all levels. The right thing intellectuals , emotionally etc. For me, the world  as it is, without magic imaginary beings ie authentic. I think it is past time for at least the aspects of some religions that lead to harm - to be at an end.

I suspect that Ryan's  year without "God" 
has just begun.