Agnostic

Time as we know and experience it, only goes in one direction. That means each day we are getting closer and closer to the end of our lives. That is not meant to be dark. Rather the opposite! We need to live each and every day to the fullest amount possible. Some take comfort in tales of an afterlife. Not me. I think it is best to operate and live as if this is it. How can somebody live a good moral life without religion or some kind of belief in a higher power? 

Easy, through kindness and compassion. I'm not saying there is no God. I don't know. There could be. I like to think this is the only shot at life I get. Being good to others and ourselves is important for making the world a better place. This is self-evident. I better make my little  time here worthwhile. What I will leave here is my legacy. I will certainly live on in the memories of others, the good I tried to do as well as the bad stuff I've done.  I'm okay with that. Hopefully, the good will far outweigh the bad. If I'm wrong about an afterlife, great! Would the all powerful, all knowing and all loving creator of the universe condemn me for nor being sure? I don't think so. I'm not sure I can begin to imagine a being so powerful to create a universe or multi-verse. If you can, wow... just wow! Deep time, endless galaxies, black holes, countless stars and planets are just some of the phenomena that makes the guy we hear about as God so implausible for me. Distant, separate, sometimes genocidal and dualistic does not sound like the creator of the universe / multi-verse. Any god that requires me to create an "other" I simply cannot accept. I'm not demonizing and dehumanizing anybody. Different is good. That's how I learn more and grow. Mystery makes life all the more worthwhile.  

As Matt the bartender once said, "We don't even know the right questions to ask." I'm not attacking anyone's faith or beliefs. I'm just asking questions. I think we can do what we feel gets us best through this difficult thing called life. If that's a relationship with Jesus, Mohammed, God or gods even, I say go for it! All of the world's religions have positive things to offer. I like to learn about all of them as well as from Atheists. All have insight to truth on one level or another. Perhaps at some point, it all comes together. When it did  for Buddha, he just threw his head back and laughed at the simple clarity of it all. I read that somewhere and think it's pretty cool. I think I can be agnostic and Buddhist at the same time. How do we know stuff? We learn stories or narratives. Religion and science are two narratives, two ways of understanding. 

I see science and religion as two very different things. Science relies on evidence and the known  while religion relies on faith and the unknown. For me, they don't mix well. Creationism? Please! Science has no way (at present) to prove or disprove the existence of God or gods. That's why I'm an agnostic. I'll refrain from attacking the beliefs of my friends, family members and so many others. There is too much focus on differences already. What makes us all similar?  If you want to learn more about the atheist / agnostic perspective look up Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens. Even if you a person of faith, I'd invite you to give a listen. See what they have to say. A part of living is the sheer mystery of it all. There is one notable exception I'm aware of science and religion being in harmony. 

I really like, Michael Dowd. Check him out as well. He does a good a job blending science and religion. If such a thing is even possible. His central idea, as I understand it, is believe in reality and accept it. That's kind of hard to argue with.  He can explain it much better than I can. So follow the link. It will be well worth it. I'm still trying to get my head around it. 

In any event, live for each other and for today! Heaven may or may not be real. The only thing we are 100% sure of is our mortality. While you are studying the possibility of an afterlife, don't forget to live this one.