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| http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=dark-energy-confirmed |
I do like clever people. The idea of clever people, those people at the furthest reaches of human consciousness. The ones that shine a torch into the unknown or the unconsidered and illuminate.
Heaven is for people who are afraid of the dark. Do I fear death? Yes I think so. The process of dying that is not death itself.
My eldest (we’ll call him #1) on considering what death was (am I a bad dad for asking?) said “you get put in the ground and you stay there forever”. That’s my boy – almost as simple as Mr Hawking. But not quite.
It’s the forever bit that troubles and amuses. In #1’s mind when you die you get put in the ground and, it seems, just lie there with soil pushed up against your eyes, watching the worms pass by for all eternity. A fate worse than death in my mind - rather dull. But curious isn’t it that #1 just can’t imagine not being. There is that sweet obliviousness to his own mortality.
If I am to be truly honest, do I really think when I die, I die, I cease to exist? I can’t accept any form of religion. But i don't want to accept that there won’t be a next chapter. Want being the important word. I feel an after or next life can't be so but , BUT how can I non-exist, cease, stop? Keats the poet, spoke a lot of the ephemeral nature of beauty, that beauty cannot exist without temporality. I get that. I accept death is the foil that sets life off. But is this really it?... “I think therefore I am”. The opposite "I am therefore I think" almost seems to be the religious and #1's point of view....um... i can't focus my thoughts about death. Let's just go smell the daisies. What's the score in the football?
Heaven is for people who are afraid of the dark. Do I fear death? Yes I think so. The process of dying that is not death itself.
My eldest (we’ll call him #1) on considering what death was (am I a bad dad for asking?) said “you get put in the ground and you stay there forever”. That’s my boy – almost as simple as Mr Hawking. But not quite.
It’s the forever bit that troubles and amuses. In #1’s mind when you die you get put in the ground and, it seems, just lie there with soil pushed up against your eyes, watching the worms pass by for all eternity. A fate worse than death in my mind - rather dull. But curious isn’t it that #1 just can’t imagine not being. There is that sweet obliviousness to his own mortality.
If I am to be truly honest, do I really think when I die, I die, I cease to exist? I can’t accept any form of religion. But i don't want to accept that there won’t be a next chapter. Want being the important word. I feel an after or next life can't be so but , BUT how can I non-exist, cease, stop? Keats the poet, spoke a lot of the ephemeral nature of beauty, that beauty cannot exist without temporality. I get that. I accept death is the foil that sets life off. But is this really it?... “I think therefore I am”. The opposite "I am therefore I think" almost seems to be the religious and #1's point of view....um... i can't focus my thoughts about death. Let's just go smell the daisies. What's the score in the football?
4 comments:
It's a common strawman that all religious people believe have a 16th century conception of the afterlife, or believe an the afterlife at all. Likewise that they claim the world is 4000 years old, or that Noah built an ark. It seems to be the one area where sweeping generalisations are acceptable, which is ironic given the hardcore rationalism of atheist chic.
Many of the Christians I know downplay the life after death aspect. The point of religion for them is to live as Christ and to see him in others. It’s these people that hand out the free soup, not the militant atheists.
Over the last 48 hours i have been sweating over this blog entry. It sounded just a bit uniocular (i made that word up, cool eh?)
I am forever ocillating (i didn't make that word up) between militant athiesm and live and let be - if it makes 'em happy and makes them good people let it be...
I get uncomfortable 'dissing religion then get equally uncomfortable not being as committed to my athesism as e.g. Christians are to Christianity...
and in my weakest moments I wonder,... no, be honest Ben, ... I fantisise that there is some sort of intelligent design.
Some of my best friends are Christians.
Yes but then again - http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/Home_Page.html
Brilliant.
Author's note i retracted the more militant aspects of the piece out of fear of anyone on a mission from God to smite his enemies.
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