Truth vs. Wishful Thinking

The 20th and 21st centuries have seen an unprecedented explosion in human knowledge. Whether it was the discovery of our cosmos or the discovery of ourselves, there is no doubt that human ingenuity and old fashioned, blood, sweat, tears and luck has given us more knowledge about ourselves and our place in the universe than any other time in human history.
We have had great minds discover such things as penicillin, DNA, and the beginnings of our universe. We have created robots and rockets that can not only get to other planets but explore them. We have unlocked the natural makeup of our own genetic coding, cloned living creatures in a Petri dish, discovered millions of fossils of strange and fantastic creatures that once ruled the Earth. And furthermore we have discovered the bones of our earliest humanoid ancestors that give us an insight to our very own history.

So why are there still people who believe that Adam and Eve were created by God out of dirt and clay? Why are there still people that think Noah really built a boat big enough to save two of every animal on Earth? Why do people still think that praying will bring about a miraculous intervention by the divine? There can only be one response: wishful thinking.

Given all of the remarkable discoveries we have seen, there is no doubt that the world created by the bible is shrinking. We understand, for instance, that the world is indeed not flat. That people indeed do inhabit the other side of the world, that the moon is in fact spherical, that the Earth revolves around the sun and that man is a descendant of an ancestor that also spore the ape.

The evidence for the natural world around us screams out against the prevailing religious views that permeate our lives. So why do the pious continue to ignore the obvious? From my own interactions with friends and family the answer is simple, because it makes them feel better. People want so much to escape from their unavoidable death, so much in fact that they are willing to brain wash themselves into believing there is a way out, a cosmic "get out of jail" card. As a non-believer myself, I wish to see my family and friends in good health and spirits long after I pass away. The idea of heaven intrigues me and I do wish it were true, but I would be denying the evidence. There is no reason to believe that we fly to a cosmic resort (or to a prison camp filled with eternal torture and fire) after our bodies and minds disintegrate into time.

I too understand the ‘want’ for things to be different; for there to be justice handed out to evil doers and for good people to be rewarded. These things would make me feel better no doubt, but it’s just not being honest. I chose to have truth over my innate desire to defy death. And I believe, more than people of faith would like to admit, that there are a significant number of doubters in their ranks that know they are playing mind games with themselves. My advise to them is don't be ashamed.

When believers find out I am Atheist or when I hear radio programs or TV media talk about us pesky Atheists, I often hear things like they are ‘selfish’ and 'elitist'. That they are arrogant and want to deny God because it is too inconvenient for them. These accusations confuse me as I feel like none of these things apply to any non-believer I know. I don't feel like I am the center of the universe, that I have a divine plan just for me. That I have a hidden purpose- ordained since the beginning of time. I certainly don't feel elitist and I can tell you that being a non-believer is not 'convenient' in any way. Instead, I believe that I am the lucky winner in the game of cosmic survival. I belong to a long line of ancestors who successfully adapted to their environment and passed on their genetic code to me so that I may continue the lineage into the next generation. There is nothing more humbling than to know I am, in the grand scheme of things, a speck in the universal wind. I don't feel more enlightened than anyone, I simply feel like I am on the right side of a lopsided argument.

To continue believing in the biblical world is to admit ignorance. In this day and age of knowledge and discovery, there are no excuses for not knowing the realities of our universe, our world and ourselves. If half the amount of time was invested learning science instead of biblical teachings, we would all discover a world of wonder that goes far beyond the one described in scripture. So to coin a Christian saying, “seek the truth and yee shall find it!” Begin your search now and discover wonder beyond wonder. Good luck and light’s speed.

Your Friend and Fellow Human