Tuesday, 15 July 2014
An infinity of gods
Most people think there is just one god but we know many gods have sustained humans throughout time. We have counted ten thousand or so but it could be a lot more—we have no idea how many there were before our recorded history.
But counting gods can't give us the answer. Because we cannot count the gods that have yet to be invented or the gods that have yet to reveal themselves to us. How many could be in this category? Millions? Trillions? It is conceivably unlimited—there could be an INFINITE number of gods.
If you imagine there is only a handful of gods, you may think choosing one is a fair bet. But if there is an infinite number of gods, it is infinitely UNLIKELY that you have chosen the correct one, especially given that they all have the same amount of existential evidence—none.
However many gods there are, it is impossible that they are all real but quite possible that they are all invented.
Choosing the real god(s) out of an infinite number of possibilities (most of which you are unaware of) is an impossible task. Maybe that is why people don't choose a god, they just go along with whatever mum and dad believe in.
Saturday, 5 July 2014
How we know Jesus
Exactly the same process was used to write the Gospels. Everything we know about Jesus is as reliable as this image.
Thursday, 3 July 2014
The end of religion?
People sometimes ask me if I would like to see the end of
all religion across the planet. I say it depends.
It depends on what these religions would be replaced with. There
is no guarantee they will be replaced with reason, tolerance and universal observance
of human rights. They could all too
easily be replaced with something even worse. We must never forget the law of
unintended consequences…
In any case, the elimination of all religion is a fanciful
objective. Some people do seem to need the reassurance of a powerful, imaginary
friend who is looking out for them. Maybe it will always be so.
But there is a more limited objective that I would subscribe
to. I would like everyone to see their
religion in context—to understand it is one of 22 major religions today and one
of thousands of religions throughout human history. I would like them to
understand there is no more reason to believe their religion is true than any
other religion.
I would like to see every believer have a little more humility.
And whenever they feel compelled by their religion to harm another person, I
would like them to stop and remember that humility. Should I harm this person
for a god that may not be real?
The answer should always be “No”.
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About Me
- Nildogma
- As a 20-year-old I was insatiably curious about the world and passionate about rejecting superstitions and all kinds of false beliefs. I still am today. Sometimes when people believe things that are not true, it make little or no difference but sometimes the consequences can be disastrous and deadly. Now, I do what I can to help people improve their thinking skills, especially in how they impinge on core beliefs, such as cultural values and religious beliefs. I have an active Facebook page for which I create memes and write articles almost daily. I also engage people in on-line debates. You can find me here: https://www.facebook.com/bill.flavell.1 I lecture at universities around the world and present or debate at public meetings. I also, draw on my management consultancy background to help freethought groups, almost anywhere in the world, to get organised, develop strategy and improve their media and presentation skills. If you would like me to present at your university or for your church group or freethought group, please contact me.
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