Don’t Waste Time on Lesser Beauties

I really hope you read this even though it is quite long, I think it is very important. After a year or so of debating and researching the Logic/Reason vs. God debate, I’ve come to a profound realization. I’ve started to become uninterested in the debate, not because it’s uninteresting, in fact it’s very interesting and entertaining, but because I’m getting bored with these people. They always have the same arguments, they always present the same “evidence”(even though it’s always refuted, but they won’t take the time to do a little research to find that out), and they’re just plain childish. I’ve gone from getting angry and annoyed with these people, to just plainly laughing at them. Although it is very agitating that they will completely ignore science, and embrace their bed-time-story-fairy-tale delusion.

I’ve come to a time where all I really care about is the science. I simply dismiss these people as I would a person who claims they were abducted by aliens. In fact I think that we should all do this. If we keep arguing with them, fighting with them, giving them attention, all we’re doing is giving them a status, making them feel like what they have to say on science/morality is important, when in reality it’s not. If you choose to live your life delusional, ignorant of the beauty of science of the real world, then that is your choice and I fully support your freedom to do so. But don’t come up to someone saying they they’re wrong because they don’t believe in a heavenly sky daddy. What is important is the truth, and the truth can only come through with science. If we don’t abandon these childlike beliefs, then we are doomed as a species.

Here is an example: When a star starts to die, it goes through many stages. During these stages almost all of the elements we see are formed. Then finally when the star explodes into the cosmic fireworks we call Supernovas, it spews it cosmological guts into space. 5 billion years ago a star near our place in the Milky Way exploded. Allowing the dust of elements to form a new star (our sun) and all the planets we see. That star 5 billion years ago was kind enough to die, giving us the elements we needed for life to start approximately 4 billion years ago. In fact scientists have found an asteroid from deep space that landed on earth, containing amino acids, the basic building blocks of proteins, which in turn are the basic building blocks of life. The basic building blocks of life are being created out there in the universe. We are in fact star dust; we are a way for the cosmos to know itself. Now if you think the story of Jesus dying for sins you haven’t even committed yet is more interesting than that, then please don’t have children. I want to share one of my favorite quotes from a Theoretical Physicist named Lawrence Krauss “Forget Jesus, a star died so you could be here.”

Science is such a beautiful thing. To be able to explain how we came to be here, where all the matter in the universe came from, how something CAN come from nothing, because nothing really is something, is a gift that we should cherish. I want to go to school to study Quantum Physics, because this field will help me learn about how the universe really works. It’s almost poetic now that I think about it: I want to dedicate my life to helping to explain the universe and how it works, and the universe has returned the favor by helping me get past delusions, and opening my eyes to the beauty of life and science. So I will no longer debate with religious people, unless provoked, because I see it as pointless. It’s like telling a child that candy is in reality bad for them, yet they continue to eat it because it taste and feels good and ignore the truth. Plus I love the look on their face when I tell them that space and time are subjective, and that space and time warp the faster you travel: where is that in your bible?

In conclusion I would just like to say that there are always going to be people who ignore the truth because their delusions feel good. But we cannot take these principles seriously. Love your family, be kind and respect each other, and use your precious short time on this wonderful spec of a planet in a vast universe to learn as much as you can. Remain skeptical about anything you’re told, because only through skepticism will the truth reveal itself. Watch out God, science is coming.

A Cosmic Connection

Just wanted to share a thought that I know no one will read. I’m sitting in the library at Ocean County College, facing a window that overlooks the whole campus. As I look out I can’t help but come to the conclusion of how beautiful this world really is. As I’m watching other students walk to their next destinations, I can’t help but wonder if they realize how closely connected they really are to each other. I see a girl sitting under a tree, and I question whether or not she knows how closely related she is to that very tree. These are two organisms that have the same chemical make-up, so close to each other, yet unaware about the truth. I see a young girl waiting for her boyfriend to meet her. When he approaches her she blushes with a smile and kisses him. I wonder if they know that they are exactly the same, so close to each other, so equal to each other.

I see students walking together to where ever they are going. It’s amazing that because of our evolved brains that we can create social groups like these. We like to be around people who we can find things in common with, and stray away from people who we feel are different. If we would only take a minute to think about the fact that we are all connected. I see a young kid sitting on a bench beneath a tree. In the tree there is a small bird sitting on a branch observing its surroundings, maybe thinking the same thing I am. If the young guy only knew how connect him and the bird really were, do you think it would change his mind on reality? What would students think about the world if they knew that they were relatives of the grass they are walking on?

We as a society have let unimportant things rule our lives. We come to think that sex, money, cell phones and IPads, or any other materialistic things are what matters. If we could only take a few minutes out of our day, to stop and look around at our wonderful reality, maybe we would think differently. I think that it’s a mistake to think that we are the center of the universe. We are no more important than the grass we walk on, or tree we sit under. We are all made of the same chemicals; we are all made of DNA. We have been given this opportunity to flourish in this goldilocks zone that our pale blue dot is in; we must take advantage of that. People often make the mistake of assuming that this world is here for them. To me that thought is offensive to the reality of the world. We have all come from the universe, and when we die we will all return to the universe.

To summarize a lecture from the particle physicist Brian Cox, the energy level of every electron in the known universe is directly affected by every other electron in the universe. To think that an electron that is part of your body is connected to an electron galaxies away is just astonishing. To think that this world was “created” for us, that someone is looking out for us, is a backwards step in the search for the truth. To cloud the true beauty of the world with thoughts of significance and importance is ludicrous. These thoughts are directly related to the evolution of our brain, they don’t really exist. This doesn’t mean that we can’t take advantage of this trait. I think that we must love each other, we must respect each other, because if we really think about it, really look into it, we are all equal, we are all the same. I think that this world is beautiful and we need to stop and admire it once in a while. In the end this is how I feel… I don’t need a deity, I have this beautiful world, and I have the universe.

A Night of Realization with my Father

So I was sitting next to my father in the hospital last night, watching Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design show while he slept. The episode was about the meaning of life. The episode ended with the conclusion that reality, and the meaning of life, is subjective to each individual. It really got me thinking about my own meaning to life. I had an early religious upbringing, and eventually grew out of it. I grew out of it by the process of realization that there was no body looking out for me, nobody was answering my prayers. Through this experience, there were people who really were looking out for me; my family. My parents raised me to be kind, gentle, and caring for others. I try hard every day to keep an open mind about the world. Every day I learn more about life and it makes me a better person.

My meaning for life, the meaning that I have created for myself, is far better than any meaning I could have ever been given. I love my family, I love my friends, I take care of those who I love, I strive to know more about the world than I knew the day before, I want to help others understand the beauty of science, the world, and the universe. These traits, among others, are what make my life meaningful. I want to make a difference, if not in the world then in the lives of a few. When I make someone I don’t know smile, when I make them feel happy and show them kindness, it makes me feel better about my life. I’m pursuing a career in science because only through science will we make our lives better. Watching my father fight through pancreatitis last year and win, and this current surgery, inspires me. It inspires me to strive to make a contribution to this world; so that I may help save another individual’s loved one.

I don’t need special stories about the world, or about the so-called true meaning for life, to make my life meaningful. I’ve learned over the past few years that what is true around us, family, friends, love, is much more beautiful than anything else. I think it’s a shame that we can’t put our differences aside, and reassess what is truly important in our lives. Our religions, our race, our sexual orientation, all don’t matter we’re on our death bed, reviewing our lives and what we did in our short time on this beautiful planet. When it all comes down to it, I make my own meaning for my life, I make my own destiny, and only I have the power to control it. I don’t know if anyone will read this, I don’t expect anybody to. But if you do read this, think about what truly matters in your life. Where does the meaning of your life come from?

(This is from a while ago but I wanted to share it)

Recent Introspection of my Cluttered Mind

Recent Introspection of my Cluttered Mind

                    It seems that, because of my blasphemy towards a deity, the deity in question decided this evening to punish me by taking down my internet, preventing me from playing an online game to my own satisfaction. Powerful one isn’t he? I’ve decided to write a blog instead, to make up for time while my internet sorts its self out, or while the deity plans his next sabotagery; perhaps hide one sock so I may not complete a pair? You evil man you. I’ve had a lot on my mind recently with my father slowly recovering from a long battle against his own body, my feelings towards my own incompetence in regards to my knowledge on politics, and my amplified hatred for religion. Where should we start?

August 10^th 2012 will mark one year since my father has been ill. It feels like only yesterday that I got the call that he was in the emergency room. My deep feelings of despondency still feel just as real to me as they did on the first day. The first 3 weeks of his illness, my already futile life seemed even more aimless; I just wanted to see my father’s smile one more time. The day when the doctors told me that he’s going to be okay and seeing his eyes open after a three-week coma, I had a feeling of enlightenment that could only be described as divine. It was a long and hard recovery for months after his discharge. With him in and out of hospitals with complications, moans of agony, and seeing him struggle to overcome his gamble with death, gave rise to many sleepless nights and bouts of severe depression. After his most recent surgery, it looks like it may be over with. He’s on his way to a full recovery, and only having to watch what he eats, which is a fine trade for beating his disease.

People handle these devastating catastrophes differently. My father’s girlfriend, who I care for very much, has taken the religious route after this spine-chilling event. This isn’t a view-point that I share, but it doesn’t change how I feel about this wonderful woman who makes my father very happy; his happiness is all that matters. I prefer to take the opposite direction, asking the question, “Why would a loving creator, who cares so deeply about me, attempt, unsuccessfully at that, to take my dear father away from me?” If it was, as some would say, to challenge my faith, than I can only assume that he is a twisted sadomasochistic individual. I personally choose not to believe that God decided to spare my father, because why would he put him in the situation in the first place. It seems to me that science and hundreds of years of human achievement in medicine are what truly saved my father. Thank you.

With the upcoming presidential election, I can only ask myself one question; which political party truly cares about my interest. My father is always watching the news, particularly MSNBC, and is always trying to teach me something about what’s going on in the world of politics. When I meet someone who has a particular view towards politics, I feel handicapped when it comes to debating with them. I do wish to learn more about this subject, so I may discover where my beliefs truly fall. However, I know for sure that I do not want a Mor(m)on in the white house. I do believe that every president has some sort of financial agenda behind their term. But I hope that I will be able, before the upcoming election, to distinguish which party I accede with.

My hatred and contempt for religion has been heightened quite a bit in the recent months. I have had many sessions of religious discourse that left me even more disgusted than before the conversation. I have been called offensive, rude, and blind; the first two I agree with and encourage, as they are my rights and duty in the face of bogus prospectuses and false promises. Being offended does not merit silence on the offensive subject. I have been told to keep my thoughts/feelings towards sensitive subjects to myself, which galvanized even more proselytizing of my message; religion gets no special treatment. In every debate I seem to get into, the topic of prayer always comes up. Individuals constantly say that I just have to pray, have faith, and all the evidence I need will become conspicuous. The mere fact that a person believes that their prayers will be answered (they are usually prayers about financial troubles, occupational promotions, or even saving a loved one) by their deity, shows what kind of atrocious and heinous person their God is. Why would a deity care so much about your state of living, when there are millions of children starving, diseased, and sentenced to their own deaths before the age of 6 in this world. What makes you more important than them? Religion makes normally moral people do awful and wicked things. What makes a person believe that the genital mutilation of a perfectly innocent newborn is what a loving and caring God would want? It is alarming to know that 41% of the population of this country actually believes in the story of Adam and Eve. So it is my mission to speak out against religious ignorance whenever I see it infesting itself into daily events. Religion is my enemy, as I am its.

*If you find any grammatical errors, please let me know so I may fix them, I’m not aiming for perfect college easy format.*

For Goodness Faiths

This is my very first blog I’ve ever written, so I hope to hear alot of feedback from some readers. As I was growing up, during my kindergarden through third grade school years, I was a believer in God. I attended Christian Private school for the first four academic years. I didn’t know how everything happened, how this world came to be, but I believed what I was told. I believed the creation story, of Adam and Eve, the seven days, and the Serpent. I prayed before each meal, despite how much my dad hated it because it made the food cold. I never really questioned anything, but all of that changed once I got into Public school for my fourth grade year. I know this sounds like an autobiography but stick with me my topic is coming.

As my school years progressed I started to lose my faith. I was made fun of constantly for being over weight, always depressed. I prayed every day for the ridicule and humiliation at my expense to dissipate, but nothing ever happened. I didn’t know why nothing was happening, but it sure wasn’t helping my faith. As years went by it became apparent to me, there was no God. Why would he let such a horrible thing happen to a child? Maybe it was to test my faith, like the moral behind the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac in the bible (because that sounds real loving). So that leaves me to where I am now, a 20 year old Atheist, on the search for the truth, through science, philosophy, or any other method I might encounter.

I apologize if I made you sleep during all the boring backround information, but here is my topic. I want to know why faith is important to an individual. It could be faith in any deity, any super natural being. Faith by dictionary standerds is a belief without any evidence. So if there is no evidence for what you believe to be true, why believe in it? I think that this world is beautiful, I love all plants and animals. But I know how they came to be, through evolution and natural selection. How do I know that, because there is proof, tens of thousands of fossils showing the progression of species through time. There hasn’t been once piece of evidence for the creation story. There seems to be just as much evidence for God’s existence, as there is for Santa Clause, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. From a philosophical stand point, we can never disprove 100% the existance of God, nor could we prove it (and religious people are not doing very good at convincing us). The most we can do is present the evidence for evolution, and hope that the rational minded people of the world will make the right decision.

But why, since there is obvious proof for evolution, do people choose to remain so ignorant about the origins of life when the information is right under their noses? All they have to do is search for it. From a psycological stand point, maybe it’s because people need a meaning to their lives. It’s not a very good feeling knowing that your only purpose in life is to survive and reproduce.I kind of like that idea, I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the whole idea of heaven and naked angels flying around, there are some people I really would not like to see naked. So maybe Religion is just a crutch for some people, maybe they don’t know anything else but what they were indoctrinated to believe in as children. All I can say is that the truth, through evolution, is much more beautiful to me.

So this being my first blog, I kind of ranted alittle bit. But I would love to get a feel for the community here so please comment if you can. There will be plenty more articles to come on religion. I want to end every article with a quote, so here is my favorite.

“Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful, without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?” ~ Douglas Adams

Thank you and God bless.