A slight deviation from my usual work. I tried to have a conversation with an agnostic friend about what she thinks of religion. Her response was that religion is a placebo to help cope with loss.
Bull? I thought so.
But then I began to try and think of the world as she would have to see it. If there's no God and no afterlife, then we're nothing more that animals. I described this sentiment to her, and I don't think she was very pleased. Which, of course, is a contradiction, because there's no other way to look at it. She changed the subject and didn't want to talk about it anymore. Figures
Still, it gave me the idea for the following piece. I'm no writer, but I like it. It's kinda satirical. Please, read and critique or comment here.
Poor Animal
11 comments:
It's always interesting to have discussions with people who think that way - it always strengthens my testimony too. A world without God/gospel just doesn't make sense. I liked your writing - very to the point. Pretty sure that would stop a lot of people in their tracks, even for just a moment.
Jeff often tells people that the reason he converted was because he was raised agnostic too, and there just wasn't anything "there", if that makes sense. Like, it was just so void. I think he likes having something to believe in. And for me, if this is a placebo, bring me more!! :) This reminds me of on the simpsons, when they are freaking out about the japanese flu (i think) and start eating bees as a placebo. PS - i'm wiped out from work so i am going to read your link later. sorry!
Good stuff. I just cant see thinking that all you are is an animal. Why even bother with ethics? Nothing you do will have any lasting effect. As soon as you're gone it's over and when the people who knew you are dead there will be nothing left of you.
Yuck!
I know! i really don't understand how you can think that there is nothing beyond this life, cause there would be no point to live, no goal to have that will keep you going through out your life! what sadness it must bring to those who do think and believe that. there is nothing there, just emptiness..
this is off topic (sort of) but i once met someone in high school whose theory was that we are the only real thing in the world. Everything else you see is something that your mind made up for you. I was like, okay, that's great, except I would have a million dollars and lots of friends and not have to cook and... yeah i couldn't understand how he believed that.
Here Ben, this reminds me of you.
Clickie!
Just to back up a step -- I thought "agnostic" meant that you don't know, and you recognize that you don't know. That is, you're niether accepting or denying (like me!) What your friend sounds more like is an atheist.
I, for one, could go for reincarnation. I want to be a whale and a dog and a bat and a lion, etc. (Though I guess if I'm a human now, my next step [if I was well-behaved] would be hamburger.)
But really, we are animals. We shouldn't forget that. (Animals have souls too, ya know!) We eat other animals, we sweat, we bleed, we lactate, etc. That's animal.
Good writing Ben, you have a knack. Seriously.
I would hope that even if there was no afterlife, people would be good to each other for its own sake. That's a jig I have a problem with -- always doing things just for the brownie points. There are a lot of kind, ethical atheists, I'm sure.
Thanks everyone for the comments!
To update on the situation, my friend, (who has now decided that she's atheist) did not want to discuss the subject further. It's been hit or miss, really. As you may also notice on my Deviant Art page, not many people have chosen to comment on it.
Anyway, to address your comments Carrie, good point. Animals have souls as well. The soul is the major point. The idea that there is no afterlife is to say that there is no such thing as a 'soul'. In terms of an agnostic/atheist outlook, we are animals period. In terms of a religious outlook, we are spirits residing within an organism built very much like that of an animal's. Our heritage (that of being sons and daughters of God) make us unique, and above the mortal body we currently possess.
So, in terms of humans being animals, our bodies are similar, but our spirits are far different.
yeah, i was thinking your friend was more atheist myself.
I am NOT puzzled as to if there is a God or not. I know there is. And yes, there is a plan. What puzzles me is how so many people can get here from the world where they were spirits, come all this way, (that is quite a trip, right?) to this beautiful place where we have so much to be grateful for, and then NOT GET IT. You can look at so much around you that testifies of God and his goodness to us.
I remember a young girl on the UTA some years ago, and I wondered how she could become so confused. She not only didn't believe in God but she had such awful ideas about her own body.
There was no love in her, not even for herself. It was pretty sad.
What I think, is that people like that won't find a punishment anywhere, ever, that is worse than their own realization of what could have been. And they threw it all away. That pain they will suffer, when they realize it will be awful. It will be a personal pain that is difficult to imagine.
The second thing people need to GET, is that the atonement is powerful, enough to heal ALL, and its FREE to those who DESIRE it. Pretty cool huh?
AND it is free to ALL, not just the LDS. Am I right about that?
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