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Source of the screen-shot, that video : Advertising Atheism ( YouTube, no dates, obviously some years ago).
Present post is a comment essentially inspired by the content of the ad (as seen on the screen-shot) which appeared on a bus, somewhere, couple of years ago, in Ottawa or Toronto, Canada. I stumbled upon the video.
Rob Buchman, author of «Can we be good without God ». Why not : «Can we be good or bad, with or without a hat?». Or «with or without a million bucks?». Whatever.
Rob Buchman, who appears in the video, is the author of « Can we be good without God» :-)) J’ai un léger fourire chaque fois que je lis le titre.
I haven’t read the book, however. Just the title. So I’ll comment only the title.. (What would you do?)
The answer to the title is obviously «yes». As in, for instance: «Yes, and you can also be good (or bad) without (or with) a million bucks, or just a hat, or a hammer, a toothpick, a cargo of gold, or your mother-in-law (for those who are not yet mgtow).»
Fine, ok, let’s say there’s probably no God (which, btw, could also mean there’s probably one), as the advertisement proclaims (but why advertise it?..). Anyway. At all event, I suggest to the advertiser to take action right now: have a good drink, then go on holydays vacation — and don’t forget to take happiness pills with you in case the humanist in you would need a little boost: never have faith, not even in naught. Enjoy your life. No preaching required.
No preaching required..
Maybe should you..
Maybe, dear advertiser, I could suggest you prolong the enjoyment, not wasting your time anymore preaching the total absence of nothing, trying to convert people to your no-creed creed like an inverted imam who failed the madrassa, or like an inverted talmudic nerd who failed in a similar context, and now is preaching the no-creed creed in quest for disciples in order, maybe, maybe, to comfort the deepest unavowed doubts, or troubling concepts he could still carry, or like a kid who’s just discovered that some intellectual concepts are like bubble-gum and can be chewed on to extract their crude aspartamic sugary flavor, and blow bubbles before spitting out the now tasteless lump.
Or probably the Divine simply wants to teach you that It is omnipresent and can be a very merry fellow without showing off. Nothing to write the whole nation about, really. Or maybe so? So I salute the scribe. I always salute the scribe, implicitly or explicitly. Scribes are a mysterious species. Rendez-vous in ten thousand years.
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Nietszche wrote, in the 1880s, in The Gay Science : «God is dead…». “Gay Science”, as in “Joyful Science”, for instance, or “Joyful Wisdom”, or something similar: Nietszche had nothing in common with any of the contemporary googloid colorful letters LGBTQetc. And so do I.
As for that nietszchean «God is dead» just mentioned, atheists usually love it.
They’re enamoured with that short and solemn three-word sentence by one of the major philosophers of the last two centuries or so. Game over, they think. Magic Guillotine. They “forget” too often to quote the rest of the sentence which in no way has anything joyful, or final, or atheistic-leaning or proclaiming. Stories have an apparent ending only in movies, novels, etc. — and we often know it, and we’re not fooled. Real stories prolong themselves, — in a way, they’re unending.
God has been murdered, actually, says Nietszche, and logically, to me, Dieu being omnipresent, there’s probably blood everywhere (just look around to check).
At all events, Nietszche wrote in his book, Joyful Wisdom:
« God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.
« How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?
« What was holiest, and mightiest, of all that the world has yet owned, has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us?
« What water is there for us to clean ourselves?
« What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? — [ Gay Pride Celebrations, maybe? MeToo false accusation bacchanals? Public Scapegoating and tragic celebrations (literally : “tragedies”)? Public trials of feminist-abortionists (lots of blood, murder and pedocide there to answer for, it seems)? Many scapegoats, guilty or not, to come? (Between the two brackets, these are Loup’s suggestions, not Nietszche’s)]
« Is not the greatness of this deed [the murder of God] too great for us?
« Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?»
— Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Section 125, tr. Walter Kaufmann
As for the blood of God, just look around the world — and, or, follow the timeline since the writing of The Gay Science published in 1882. Blood everywhere. Red tsunami growing. Is there a link? As for the exponential growth of the red tsunami, I think so.
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The immemorial question is always the same old one to me, question born with the human spirit, seed sowed in it by the Divine : “Why is there something instead of nothing?” (As in “wake up” or “question more“)
On a depth and quality scale, atheism is far, very, very far down, climbing down far under any of the answers human beings may have received through time when the immemorial question grows and starts poking their mind and spirit, originating from the deepest reach of their psyche — that realm, deep, deep down, the chaitya purusha, the sanctuary, not the human soul but the divine one, the light one, the sweet one, the immortal one (Aurobindo’s «psychic», that which gives birth to what he calls «psychic being», the divine child, the divine born, in this world).
We must emphasize that to any question asked on anything, there’s always an answer in a form or an other. The dividing line between a prayer and a question, I said it elsewhere, is sometimes very thin indeed, and it’s a blessing. Observe.
So I wonder : Does atheism really ask questions?.. Or does it know how to ask questions? Apparently not, methinks. Or is atheism afraid of any answer? It seems to me, although I could be partially wrong. But maybe it could partly explain why the arguments of atheists are so often shallow, almost kid stuff, often funny.
Actually, atheism appears to me as one of the most sterile of all creeds. Ice Age.
But let’s stop worrying about it. Anyway. As the ad suggests. At least for the moment (hopefully, for ever).
And let’s keep enjoying inner life and the so-called “outer” one. As I was doing, anyway, before I stumbled upon the ad.
Dieu est partout. He’s not dead. That idea is a grim fairy tale: we walked away from Dieu et on s’est raconté des histoires à dormir debout, souvent terriblement sanglantes, c’est tout. We love drama.
Ou alors, si Dieu est mort, serait-il mort de rire? Which would mean he’s alive, well, kicking and, at times, probably roaring with laughters. Probably.
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-30-
Where’s all the water gone ? After more than 10,000 years of agriculture ..
Électrodes et Carnet de Notes 
An excerpt from another:
As you know, in the bible, Jesus Christ said I am the truth, the way, and the life. I pondered upon this. I didn’t just say, okay, now I know. I read, thought, and often placed the bible away for months or even years. One pastor whom I have come to respect, for his honesty shows in that he will not soft shoe, but speaks plainly (He also has businesses so he doesn’t rely on donations.), shared that doubt is a person. I pondered upon that. When I didn’t get it, I left it alone.
One time, while cycling, I remembered the passage above, that our Lord is the truth, the way, and the life. For some time, I had been pondering upon time and the material world. I used to ponder and research this stuff. I realized that all materials return to energy. I also realized that everything we see and don’t see (i.e. energy, light, and even dark matter) is made of the same stuff, starting from point one*: one things makes everything else. Not only did this make sense to me, but I could follow the logic trail, things in life also demonstrating this reality. Then, I researched this and discovered others: scientists and a pastor also realized this. So, in my unlearned state, I realized something without research, then found those who have researched, even some making it their lifetime endeavors, finding out the same answers. This made me realize understanding was coming to me somehow, but not of my own making. At least, not entirely. [Oh, and what does energy go back to…?]
Now, there was something else I realized, with time. Cause and effect. In order to have effects, there have to be causes. But you can’t go backwards forever. In other words, there has to be an original cause. A starting point if you will. And time: that has to have a starting point. You can’t have forever befores. In order to have afters, there must be a starting point, and scientists look at the big bang as the starting point, some realizing time began with this. Many scientists understand that time has something to do with movement. Without movement, there is no time. Time is created. So, Who created time? And what I came to understand, as best as I can, is He Who exists outside time and space, time being a created thing, isn’t dependent on time. There is no before or afters outside time and space. And in the bible, even in the Ten Commandments movie, the story explained that our Father said I Am. Not was. Not will be. Am. Meaning always now, as best as I understand.
I remember one teenager asked who created god. But I explained, you can’t do that. Because there has to be a beginning. There must be One Who has no beginning. If we don’t have One Who has no beginning or end, then there never could be anything and nothing would exist at all. That can tear the mind up thinking about, so I realize, like the size of the universe, the mind can’t grasp everything.
All along the way, I was seeing things that were all telling me something. And I realized if doubt is a person (I think this refers to the one who rebelled against our Father first.), then truth is a person. You see, nothing exists if it wasn’t created. Only our Father. Only God. And the very first thing He did was speak the Word into existence, everything created through the Word, which pastors will explain is Jesus Christ.
So when the bible and pastor share that He is the way to the Father, I understand that, as best as I can. And Paul, in the bible, also shared that He never preached anything save our Lord and Savior and what He did for us. And as I’ve shared elsewhere, we’re all born in sin due to Adam and Eve’s fall (But we all would have sinned originally given the same opportunity.), but living in sin, we come to realize, if we’re searching, that we are sinners, unable to stop sinning completely, except our Lord has already taken the punishment for us. And if we believe He did this and accept the truth, then we are saved.
Now, you ask a great question. Of course, I have to say, I don’t know. I too have met people who are not Christians but live good lives. One Jewish person, Nate Shiransky, explained it this way to his people: Look. Don’t argue with the Christians. When Jesus Christ comes, we can always ask Him if he came before. So, they believe in the Savior, but they believe He hasn’t come into the world yet. I would wish to believe, if they are sincere, then they would be saved as well.
I also remember a pastor who explained that there are Christians in the world and don’t know they are Christians. I thought: wow. There are people living by God’s laws written in their hearts, meaning they love what is right and don’t sin, or do the best they can in not sinning, striving to do good as best they understand. And what of those who’ve lived without knowing? Of course, we could discuss every possible issue out there. People dying in childbirth. People dying before able to speak and hear. And what of those who can’t hear or those born into villages that are warlike, so they never find out? All these scenarios and more can be considered. I don’t know.
But is it possible, if a person is truly searching, that they will find? Perhaps, they came to know our Lord and Savior without realization, but perhaps later or on their deathbed, they come to realize? I also remember, in the bible, where our Lord and Savior went into the underworld (If I understand this correctly.) and brought up many. How would I know if someone dies, having never known Jesus Christ, and He talks with them after they die, and they are saved? They always wanted to know the truth. Always wanted what is good and true. But they never had the book information. So, what if He came to them after they died, or on their deathbed? Could He do this for a Muslim, a Confucian, or others, if they were truly searching and wanting to know? Good questions.
Yes, I do believe that believing in Christ is the only way. But remember, you and I are not the Father. We only have a smidgen of information. But the bible is clear on this. And what of those who do have the information? Who do have the opportunity to know? Who are communicating with other Christians? Don’t they have a better opportunity to accept? Before they die? What is in their hearts?
I think we can use information any way we want. And again, this is for the readers. I would encourage them to seek for themselves. If they like anything written here, I hope it’s because they see it for themselves, but if they see something else I haven’t considered, to share. However, regarding creation, a beginning, that truth is a person, and the rest, many years and contemplation. And many things I realized (Like cells never could have self-evolved.), not looking for religious significance, I then realized was in the bible. And many things just came while cycling, fishing, doing chores, or just being in the right place at the right time, hearing a comment that suddenly made sense.
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As you say : « And many things just came while cycling, fishing, doing chores, or just being in the right place at the right time, hearing a comment that suddenly made sense. »
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Yes, for how did I come to realize that I was created, that I exist, and that there must be purpose for life. At a very early age, having not as yet gone to church, having heard very little in the way of creation except from other children in the streets (All I remember is some kids saying God created the world. And yet, having never heard about our Father, I agreed.), I suddenly realized I exist, then wanted to know how I came to exist and who could tell me. This started years of concern and searching. I believe the same reason I came to realize also had answers. Listening to others, working, having experiences, and reading literature (including the bible), things came together. *For some people, they “see” very early in life, and for others, time and experiences. But I now realize, after all the readings and experiences, I knew back then but didn’t realize. The world is filled with disinformation and distractions. But I think all of this serves a purpose.
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Believe me, I don’t give a shit of these atheists and you shouldn’t either.
God
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Maybe, but I won’t shut up to please you, and it’s your fault, btw : know what you want.
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You ought to explain this., Bon ok. l’anglais c’est bien beau mais passons aux choses sérieuses : ne t’es-tu jamais demandé le rapport entre l’athéisme et le féminisme? You bet! Sont liés comme la marde pi une porcherie.
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Doncques, .. (En passant, je te réponds dans la langue dans laquelle TU écris.)
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C’est vrai qu’à l’écrit on ne voit pas toujours quand c’est de l’humour. Je mettrai un ”smiley” la prochaine fois.
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