Goodness without god is not only possible, but remarkably probable. I'd like to think that my goodness is increasing with each day that I'm able to release my death-grip on the alternative idea that goodness is founded in a god or a specific ideology. I think when I am able to be good without gods that I am more human, more forgiving, more understanding of my own short-comings and by extension more loving toward my fellow man. Less-rigid feels much more healthy.
Unraveling my story oh so very slowly, I'm coming to an awareness. I had a massive, no over-statement, defense built up around this idea of no god. I think that a very simple observation is appropriate: why such a defense?
The short answer: 'Cause subconsciously I knew there was no god.
The road was long and hard to come to this awareness. I'll be unwinding over a life time all the tendrils of xenophobia, escapism, denial, and cognitive dissonance surrounding my self-blindness. Evolutionary factors are clearly evident. Goodness without god was a very unsafe proposition in the context of my environment. Group think. Coercion to not think of the obvious is now something I am able to see with more clearness. Back then (10 or 15 years ago), well you'd never got me to agree with you that I had a massive amount of denial going on.
Take the fear-reactions of modern jihadist (those that cannot let go of their god, which by my old thinking was not even close to the true god). The reaction toward the encroachment of modern values of civilities are driving their fundamental definition of their duty to follow god's requisite stance against such "evils". Yes this issue seems to be a black and white one. Goodness and humane treatment all head down a slippery slope when dogma takes precedence of our common morality.
The awareness of how non-good their defensive mechanisms play out in real life might undo their whole subconscious frame work of who they are in particular; undoubtedly their personal survival would be at stake. Unbelief more accurately non-belief, is not tolerated in their environment. Why the defense? Maybe simple, but evident to those looking in from a non-committed position to Islam.
So as impossible as it might be for the most committed expendable agent of the Islamist system to relax and allow goodness without god to arise . . . know that underscoring that inability is the high likelihood of a deep, quaking insecurity. The meaner, more antagonistic, more extreme, perhaps the less resolute! Goodness may arise at some point and the false assumptions be relaxed. I may hope.
Does modern civilization exist because of gods or in spite of gods? Right now with personal fears of man's delusional ability for self destruction, I surely hope the answer lies in the "in spite of gods". How many gods have deluded us over the last millenniums? I can think of a few.
A subjective personal experience: my goodness is increasing without the tainting influences of gods and religion. This may be a scientifically verifiable statement to some extent even today . . . . but the chances of it becoming accepted as such are slim when over 65% of the USA population holds to the belief that Satan is a real personage. Hopefully not so deluded to cast ISIS in the Satan mold, and nuke god's enemies!
Forget belief in God being an even more deeply held belief in the American mind. Or how solid is this belief? Unwillingness to come to terms might be more evidence of the opposite being true: no gods exist. Is the fear being cast by our own shadows? These realities are self-created realities . . . maybe in a modern time and age, we may relax, get honest, and do some growing up and maturing. Are we afraid of goodness? Possibly we fear our personal freedom to be good and do good.
Goodness without gods takes courage, although perhaps less effort than the alternative. It might be just this easy.
Unraveling my story oh so very slowly, I'm coming to an awareness. I had a massive, no over-statement, defense built up around this idea of no god. I think that a very simple observation is appropriate: why such a defense?
The short answer: 'Cause subconsciously I knew there was no god.
The road was long and hard to come to this awareness. I'll be unwinding over a life time all the tendrils of xenophobia, escapism, denial, and cognitive dissonance surrounding my self-blindness. Evolutionary factors are clearly evident. Goodness without god was a very unsafe proposition in the context of my environment. Group think. Coercion to not think of the obvious is now something I am able to see with more clearness. Back then (10 or 15 years ago), well you'd never got me to agree with you that I had a massive amount of denial going on.
Take the fear-reactions of modern jihadist (those that cannot let go of their god, which by my old thinking was not even close to the true god). The reaction toward the encroachment of modern values of civilities are driving their fundamental definition of their duty to follow god's requisite stance against such "evils". Yes this issue seems to be a black and white one. Goodness and humane treatment all head down a slippery slope when dogma takes precedence of our common morality.
The awareness of how non-good their defensive mechanisms play out in real life might undo their whole subconscious frame work of who they are in particular; undoubtedly their personal survival would be at stake. Unbelief more accurately non-belief, is not tolerated in their environment. Why the defense? Maybe simple, but evident to those looking in from a non-committed position to Islam.
So as impossible as it might be for the most committed expendable agent of the Islamist system to relax and allow goodness without god to arise . . . know that underscoring that inability is the high likelihood of a deep, quaking insecurity. The meaner, more antagonistic, more extreme, perhaps the less resolute! Goodness may arise at some point and the false assumptions be relaxed. I may hope.
Does modern civilization exist because of gods or in spite of gods? Right now with personal fears of man's delusional ability for self destruction, I surely hope the answer lies in the "in spite of gods". How many gods have deluded us over the last millenniums? I can think of a few.
A subjective personal experience: my goodness is increasing without the tainting influences of gods and religion. This may be a scientifically verifiable statement to some extent even today . . . . but the chances of it becoming accepted as such are slim when over 65% of the USA population holds to the belief that Satan is a real personage. Hopefully not so deluded to cast ISIS in the Satan mold, and nuke god's enemies!
Forget belief in God being an even more deeply held belief in the American mind. Or how solid is this belief? Unwillingness to come to terms might be more evidence of the opposite being true: no gods exist. Is the fear being cast by our own shadows? These realities are self-created realities . . . maybe in a modern time and age, we may relax, get honest, and do some growing up and maturing. Are we afraid of goodness? Possibly we fear our personal freedom to be good and do good.
Goodness without gods takes courage, although perhaps less effort than the alternative. It might be just this easy.
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