Almost every day, I hear believers thank a deity for some happy circumstance or coincidence. The fact that they got the job that they wanted, or that parking spot, or a reduction on some bill, is evidence of divine assistance.
Possibly.
At one time, I too saw little evidences of my god all around me. I tabulated a number of such things when convincing myself to move out to Utah twenty years ago.
But I have been out of the faith now for a decade. The interesting thing is that just as many happy coincidences happen to me now as ever did. In reality, every person, regardless of faith status, gets their share of good and bad happenstance.
I now see all of that dot-connecting as a desire for meaning. It may be great that I got that job... but if GOD got me that job, then I am significant. I matter. I am seen.
But, that kind of meaning is exterior... and as with all such forms that give one a sense of worth, that route is fleeting.
Friends and family, jobs and money... even gods... can only serve as a band-aid. Eventually, alone with your own thoughts, you have to create your worth and meaning.
This sort of thinking reminds me of an old joke. It went something like this. A man was being flooded out of his house and climbed on his rough. A fellow in a rowboat came along and asked him if he needed help but the man said he was waiting for God to help him. Later the police airboat pulled up and told him to climb down but the man said he was waiting for God to help him. With water now ankle deep on his roof, a helicopter flew in and told him to clip on. He sent up a note saying he was waiting for his God to help. The water continued to rise and he drowned. Standing at the God's throne, he asked God why He hadn't saved him. God says, "What do you mean? I sent you a rowboat, an airboat and a helicopter!"
ReplyDeleteI often wonder how many things have happened in my life that I have pegged as good fortune or coincidence have been the doings of a higher power and I just was too blind to realize it. But it could very well be as you say too, just random occurrences.
As I told an atheist friend of mine, someday we will both know the truth, however, if I am wrong, there will be no repercussions. If my atheist friend is wrong, the repercussions could be horrible.
Why would the repercussions need to be horrible?
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