On God and LogicsteemCreated with Sketch.

in #religion6 years ago (edited)

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I've written a few things lately about revolution. In case you haven't read them, I argued that a massive international revolutionary movement is about to begin. I believe that this movement is going to be successful, and that this movement will reshape our world significantly. I believe the old power structures, the powers which have been ruling the world for ages, are going to be utterly destroyed and that the old way of doing things, the way of intimidation and violence, is going to be replaced with a new way of doing things, one of peaceful communication and collaboration.

In my previous articles I didn't mention that second bit, the part about the revolution being successful and about a new age of peace. Instead, I only argued that revolution is coming, and in making my case I tried to rely only on empirical evidence. I tried to make a logical case that the conditions for a revolution are already here, and that it is only a matter of time before one starts.

Some people rightly commented, however, that my predictions are, and this is putting it kindly, mere speculation. That, even if there are many warning signs, and even if there are revolutionary movements taking place in various locales around the world, there is no evidence that such movements will become a united international one.

So this is what I want to discuss. I want to admit, firstly, that the evidence I presented so far is not fully sufficient to justify the claims I made. However, I still stand by my claims, and I want to discuss my reasons.

But before I present those reasons, I want to ask this question: What should a rational person do with religious experience? A sudden and unexpected encounter with the divine presents a unique challenge to the rational mind, and for me this is a serious problem, because I had one. I have discussed my religious experience a few times now, you can read about it here if you're interested, but the purpose in this article is not to review that experience. Instead I want to describe my reaction to it. I want to describe how I reconciled God and Logic.

As for myself, I never doubted my experience. The experience I had was the most real thing that has ever happened to me. My situation reminds me somewhat of Plato's allegory of the cave. For the first time in my life I went out of the cave and saw the sun, and it was beautiful. The real problem for me, as in the allegory, has been in telling others about what I saw. My problem is from without.

So the question for me was not how to reconcile my experience with reality, the question was, how do I discuss these things with others without sounding like a crazy person. Because at first, especially in the weeks immediately following this experience, I probably came off sounding like a crazy person quite a lot. I had to calm myself down a bit.

My answer, the answer I hope, is to try to discuss these things rationally and calmly. Even if some of what I believe is not empirically verifiable, I still try to emphasize that everything I have to say is rational. I remain completely open to discussion and debate about these things, and whenever possible, I try to use empirical evidence to support my claims. Hence the not quite fully supported articles about a coming revolution.

After all, if the things I was shown are real and really are happening or are about to happen, then there should be evidence to support them, and there is. There is supporting evidence everywhere. Many of the things I was shown are occurring already.

My hope is that by presenting my case rationally, people will be more open to considering it. It will be useful to them if they will consider it. It will be both useful and uplifting. Useful because it will prepare them for all the things that are about to unfold on the earth, and uplifting because this is actually good and uplifting news that I am bringing.

Most of all, people will benefit by hearing this news because it will give them hope and it will help them endure in the difficult times ahead.

You see, I was shown that a movement is about to sweep the earth. I was shown that a movement of people is about to arise, and that it will be a movement for good. It will be a movement dedicated to peace and brotherly love. It will be a movement of people who care about others and who care about taking care of each other first. I was shown that this movement is going to sweep the world, and that it will not be stopped nor will it be defeated.

I was also shown, however, that as this movement rises there will be a great force that rises against it. There will be armies, I was shown, of people who serve the current rulers, and these armies will fight against the people who have risen up as champions of peace. I was shown that an incredible and horrible battle will take place between them. I was shown that during this time, during the fighting, there will be incredible suffering everywhere. I saw famine and shortages of food in many places. I saw that many would be killed in wars and battles fought on the streets of cities all over the world including in the West. I saw incredible suffering everywhere.

But then, finally, I was shown what would come afterwards. I was shown that when this battle is finally over, then peace would reign on earth forevermore. All evil will have been destroyed, and from this time forward earth will be an abundant and peaceful garden, just as it was in the beginning. Then everyone will have plenty, and no one will lack for anything. When all these things are completed, peace and love will finally rule.

I was shown these things and much more, and I was told to warn people that these things are about to happen. So, in trying to warn people of these things, I sometimes write articles about revolution. In these articles I warn people that a revolution is coming, I warn people that the revolution is not going to be fun, but I also point out that a revolution has to happen. I point out that our world actually is being ruled by a bunch of very evil people, and I point out that these evil people are not going to stop doing evil until and unless a revolution happens.

I point all these things out, and I point to real world evidence for these things wherever I can. But sometimes the evidence doesn't quite justify my claims. I apologize for that. As you now know, my claims come from my wholehearted belief which is not empirically verifiable. Nevertheless, I consider it my duty to warn people of what I was shown. Even if I don't have the evidence at hand.

Finally, regarding God and Logic, I ask you this, Is any of this really illogical? Isn't it better and more logical to have peace? Isn't it better if we all work together to take care of each other? Isn't it better if we love our neighbor as ourselves? Isn't this actually more logical?

It may be the case that religion, official religions that is, have misconstrued, misunderstood, and misused the revelations of God all throughout history. That may be. But the message of God itself is not at odds with logic at all. There is no need to reconcile God and logic. God and logic are one.

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I think what you call God people call a great many things. Your perspective is based on monotheism - more than likely Judeo-Christian/Muslim ideologies, known as "the big 3." To me, as an atheist, that's not wrong or right. It's personal.
I myself have experienced things that I can not describe. From my perspective, it is similar to my ancestors who gave thunder a god because they didn't understand the concept behind weather patterns. I don't know what causes or caused my experiences. For instance, if trauma can be inherited, why not memories? Could my experience of ghosts be scientifically explained as a genetically passed down memory? I don't know. But I personally find it much more fascinating to say that I don't know than to offer these experiences to an already formed concept. Science to me is not the antithesis of magic but rather the research of it.

As for the idea of having to back up concepts like worldwide revolution or your personal religious feelings, it depends on what you're saying. If you're saying "I know this for a fact, you need to accept it," then you should have to back it up. But if you're saying "I really hope and feel deep within myself that people will rise," all I would say is great! And I hope that your hope manifests itself in actions to support that idea.
As for gods, as long as you don't demand that anyone prescribe to your ideology, I say it is everyone's right to believe in any deity or deities they like. Again, what you call god, someone else might call the great spirit or what have you. I might even call it the as-of-yet-undiscovered science :)
Ultimately, why look for reasons to argue when no damage is being done? The only thing I caution myself and others over is to not let hope become a blind optimism that keeps us from fighting and actively working to create the future we dream of.

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