I post this today to give you all some food for thought. Am I an atheist? No I am not. But like sfor o many people, the strength of my faith varies rather ike a radio signal on a windy day: sometimes the signal is strong; sometimes it is weaker. In short, I vacillate. Why? Because one is forced to make up one’s mind on a concept we simply know next to nothing about.
Religion is nothing more than faith. Faith is nothing more than belief. Belief is nothing more than hope, when it is all boiled down.
There is much to be said for the idea that religions are man-made constructs of the rich and powerful to control the poor and weak – the masses. There is also much to be said for the idea that religions have been thought up to give people hope for a better life in the Hereafter, when they have suffered from poverty, ill health, hard work and misery in this life. In fact, perhaps they have been thought up as a way to appease and assuage troubled souls.
But there is a third option between belief and disbelief in an omnipotent, omniscient, all-caring, merciful, and compassionate God. And that is a god who neither knows nor cares what we do, what we eat, whom we love, and with whom we make love. Our understanding of God appears always to be based on anthropomorphism, namely the ascription to God of human qualities, the qualities of knowing and caring and beneficence. It is perfectly possible that God does indeed exist, but as a Being who does not share our human qualities and characteristics. It is possible that God is a powerful force which has brought the world into existence and just lets us get on with living life as best we can.
That there might well not be an Afterlife is indicated in the Christian faith itself. In the Book of Common Prayer, in the burial service, it states the following: “we therefore commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.”
Please notice the use of the word ‘hope’ of resurrection and eternal life. There is no certainty about it. That hope could well be vain.
As I said, just some food for thought. – © Mark Alexander
