Is The Answer in The
Stars?
A not so cranky
opinion on
Cranky Opinion Saturday
The following is the opinion of a
cranky old man with the attention span of a gnat. With that in mind, feel free to think and
then express your own opinion. Please,
just be respectful of all opinionators (it’s a word now!) who respond to this post.
It seems to
me, that people the world around are becoming less religious. I know that is true in this country. Well I don’t “know” but it seems that
Catholic schools are closing, I believe church attendance of all denominations
is down and I just know less and less regular church goers than I remember in
years past.
I am not a
regular church attender. I tried for the
most part to give my children the church experience, but a religious
preference was never strongly pressed on them.
I do
appreciate the church. It is a wonderful
place to go, especially in times of celebration or distress. I love a church wedding, and a funeral needs
the touch of some religious base and a man of God. I thank all the people who support and keep
the church alive, and yes, I do feel guilty for relying on the church some
times, while not helping maintain it throughout the year.
So, I am a
Christian, and admit to not being a good Christian.
There was a
TV show a few years back that I only remember the promo. In it a Priest confesses to another
Priest.
“There are just some things about our
faith where I have my doubts.”
“Well what is important is the core
of our belief. Christ died for our sins, he was resurrected and then went to
heaven to sit at the right hand of God the father.
What is the part of our faith that troubles you?”
“That part.”
I think that
is me. I am not positive in my faith,
but I do believe in a supreme creator, and I believe that creator is inherently
good. What his plans are, why we even
exist is beyond my ability to comprehend.
So, I am a
doubter, but not an Atheist.
There is a
rise in Atheism these days.
Why?
Yes, science
can explain so many things, but can it ever explain everything without
eventually looking for a miraculous source?
“Only
Slightly Confused” whose blog is “Mumblings” recently had a post on the night
sky.
I haven’t
really seen a proper night sky in years.
A sky where you looked at billions of stars from a million light years
away. Where you pointed out
constellations, and watched shooting stars.
Smog and light pollution has blocked our view of this spectacular
display in many areas of the world.
I think this
is why we have a rise in Atheism.
Without the night sky to put our world, our life, in perspective, it is
easy to think that as a species we are bigger than we are. We can ultimately have all the answers to
life, science can explain everything and all life is just a matter of chance.
Maybe.
But, if we
could just look out at the sky every night without the man-made filter of smog
and bright lights, as used to be common, we would be humbled. I believe there would be more belief in a
supreme creator, and a humbler world would be a much better place.
The preceding was the opinion of a
cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.
That's a tough one. I think church going is down because lives are busier then ever. If we slowed down we might not only attend church or religious destination but take time out to see the stars.
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem to be any decrease in church-goings in our area.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between believing God exists and believing that everything is exactly as it is described in a holy book. I guess that is deism. You don't hear about people being desists, though.
ReplyDeleteEveryone seems to be sure of one position. Either atheism or else the world exactly as laid out in one of those books.
I'm not as confident.
I'm not sure either way. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. I'm even less confident about any of it than I used to be.
Church going always seems to increase when there is some type of tragedy or event that causes one to think of mortality. After Sept 11, churches were filled to capacity and beyond then as the weeks went by, slowly but surely attendance returned to relatively normal numbers.
ReplyDeleteI like to think of this scripture when I'm contemplating the magnitude of God Psalm 74:16-17 NIV The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth, you made both summer and winter.
I like to imagine and think that every star in the sky that we see and those we don't see, he hung at his command.
I truly believe God exists. What I have trouble with is trusting he knows what is best for me and that he is for me and not against me. I'm always waiting for the "other foot to drop" when in reality his faithfulness towards me and my family is beyond anything I can understand, comprehend, or imagine.
betty
I am an agnostic. I'd call myself an atheist, but you never know...
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, more and more people are turning away from church and assorted religions because of the atrocities committed against children in care, and even children not in care, for example altar boys abused by priests etc. I quit going to confirmation classes because I didn't like the way the pastor was looking at us kids.
ReplyDeleteSome point to the stars and other earth-like planets, and thus the likely existence of other sentient creatures, as proof against faith. That's okay, i'm still going to go to church as long as there's one around for me to attend.
ReplyDeleteIt's normal to have doubts. I always find it interesting that kids drift away from the church once they go to college and are on their own. The minute they have a baby? Most go back, if only to get the baby baptized. I think seeing the miracle of life is part of it.
ReplyDeleteHi Cranky,
ReplyDeleteThe church is generally hypocritical. I've been to Rome and seen the wealth in Vatican City and I was tempted to go to confession for the first time since 1976 and tell the poor priest who took my confession that I think the Catholic church should confess to their sins of greed, child abuse and hypocrisy before trying to forgive my (by comparison) minor misdemeanours over the years.
I am driven by science and part of me tells me that if God did really exist then he wouldn't constantly test us by allowing things like war and famine to prevail.
It's an inner struggle because ultimately, if I am proven wrong, I will face God on the Day of Judgement and probably end up in Purgatory for writing this very comment.
And as a Catholic I fell guilty about that.
But at least I'm not a Scientologist! David Miscavige is on his way to Room 101 as I write!
:o)
Cheers
PM
Today many people still confuse "church" with "religion", or belief in God. It's more IMO about living the way Jesus told us to live than it is about going to a building and sitting calmly for an hour a week. I'm personally a believer, a Christian, but I rarely go to a church building to worship. Like your equation of seeing all the stars up there and knowing there is a God, I just look at a sunrise or a sunset and feel the same. And "life"...who but God could make that? Yes they can clone things, but clones always begin with another a living cell, a God-created LIVING cell. I'm not evangelical about my faith. I believe. I've seen too many "coincidences" to believe in coincidences. Others can make up their own mind. I don't give weekly to an organized denomination, but I do give every month to a charity who does work to help others that I feel God would approve of. And I help others personally in ways that I can. That's my definition of religion, and I'm sticking with it. :)
ReplyDeleteRegarding the stars and the part of the universe we can see...Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking have written some very readable books that give another take on it's existence. The lack of a 'grand design' actually gives me comfort...I like the idea that someday in the not distant future my atoms will join the blend that is the earth. We are all iterations of carbon.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Mike
I'm spiritual and not a church goer. I believe in God, but it's a private matter between me and Him. That's my religion.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
You make a good point. We don't feel that insignificance anymore when looking at the night sky for much of the grandeur is now blurred thanks to progress.
ReplyDeleteI fear I have fallen into the category, "I'd rather believe and be wrong than not believe and be wrong." Not terribly devout nor convincing but pretty much where I am.
You know I've been at Bryce Canyon this week. It's an official "Dark Sky" spot (or whatever those sorts of special dark places are called). We camped nearby and before turning in Tue. night I glanced up at the sky -- and spent the next few minutes marveling at the heavens. Wow!
ReplyDeleteThere's a big difference between being a Christian and being 'religious'. God can't be found in a building but I do believe he can be found in the stars, and the mountains, the rivers, the trees......and within ourselves. You've been thinking about this for a while haven't you?
ReplyDeleteAn interesting post. I was raised a Catholic but these days I don't belong to any religion. Most religions were created by Iron-Age people who didn't know where the sun went at night. I consider myself a spiritual person but I just can't find solace in organized religions. I will admit that I have issues with people who call themselves Christians while openly doing things Jesus would not have approved of, if the words attributed to Him are even faintly true. I doubt atheism is increasing because of pollution, but I do feel awed when I'm on a ship at sea and I stare up at the night sky.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a religious person, but it's hard to believe that all the detailed inner processes that keep plants and animals alive happened at random.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of the same thoughts as you do. Personally, I have no problem with Jesus...but some of his fans really scare me.
ReplyDeleteI've been a practicing christian for 30+ years. Notice the word, "practicing". I've had my share of doubts - almost lost my faith, when my son died. I just wasn't feeling that "peace" everyone kept telling me I would be feeling - of course, they had never lost a child before. I no longer sweat, what I don't understand. I do have FAITH, all of it will be revealed to me in the end.
ReplyDelete