Meditation 25
A Personal Perspective
by Rev Shawn Weekly
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I have been reading the articles, meditations, responses, and whatnot on your site for approximately two weeks now, and I have come to the realization that I am perhaps a perfect example of Apathetic Agnosticism. I will explain, and also expound on my own views as a simple human amongst the rank and file of believer and non-believer.
I was attracted to this site at first by the warning, which simply stated that if your beliefs were strong enough, you may be offended. Being as how I have no beliefs one way or the other, I figured what the hell, and dove right in. I made the assumption that this was probably a hoax site, and was surprised by the apparent intelligence of most of the folks that wrote the various articles I read. Most have went far beyond what I would call a mild interest in the religious belief system in there search for truth, or in an effort to debunk an attempt to convert them. The point of it all is, why? If you truly believe what you think you believe, why dig so deeply? Why worry what other people think, or say, or write? The whole basis of apathy is to not care. So what if someone says that our eyes are closed to the fact that God is to infinite for our meager minds to comprehend. Isn't that the point? He is either to immense, grandiose, awesome, whatever, or just non-existent. Either way, who gives a rip?
Now, as for morality, and one's wish to do good things, I have read several articles on the notion that a well tuned society requires laws and moral citizens to remain well tuned and running. I can agree. But, we do not need a God or Gods to tell us what we should or should not do. Almost every human has inside him the notion of what is right and wrong. Who put that notion there, how it got there, I don't know, and I don't really care. I know that murder is wrong, that stealing is wrong, that to cheat on one's spouse in wrong, and not because of what I read in a book or what some man or woman telling me every Saturday or Sunday. I just know, and I have no reason to believe that the belief was put there by a higher power. I know how I would feel if someone were to wrong me, and I do not want to be the cause of that. We do all have to live on this planet for some time together, and I see no reason to make my existence harder by pissing on the people around me. So, on that note, maybe it isn't a belief in what is right or wrong, but more a matter of what is going to get me and mine through the rest of "this" life and into the next one, or lack thereof, with the least amount of stress and hardship. Perhaps that sounds lazy, I think when I read it that it does, but I don't care. I am lazy at times, perhaps if there is an all powerful God, He made me that way. Of course, I could be just tired and bitter. Whatever.
I would also welcome feedback and comments in discussion to this article. I may or may not reply, as I really don't care what most folks think of me anyway.
Shawn Weekly