Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Hope For Monsters

While the concept of god is somewhat reasonable (how did everything get here?), it's clearly artificial, and varies from culture to culture. How unorthodox one's views are in the matter is generally a pretty good indication of how independently and critically one thinks (or fails to). Shersonally, i have long thought that any god that's judgmental and punitive, such as those of 'conservative' christian sects, is a monster, and anyone who believes in and worships such a god is too, to the extent it colors their thinking and behavior.

This has caused and continues to cause me great consternation. Although i'm inclined to hate such sheeple, i'm not inclined to wish them suffering, for unlike them, i don't believe humans possess free will, and thus shouldn't be punished for 'bad' behavior (being held accountable is another matter). I don't want anyone to burn in hell for eternity.

I don't even wish to see such sheeple dead, because humans are capable of radical change, at least sometimes. A great example of this is Megan Phelps Roper, a woman who was raised in a very cultish christian fundamentalist church which became famous for it's hatred and intolerance. She gradually changed and left her church. In this 15 minute TED talk, she briefly explains how and why, and what she learned from it. I think it's well worth a listen.

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