RE: Hello, New atheist having a meltdown
September 22, 2018 at 5:10 am
(This post was last modified: September 22, 2018 at 5:11 am by BrianSoddingBoru4.)
Sounds like a rough road you've had, Dragon (welcome to the forum, btw). Can't really give you much advice, as I never went through anything similar.
But even though it was (clearly) painful for you, you might consider that the evolution you've had is one of maturation. You've - albeit slowly and painfully - rejected the myths on which you were raised.
Here's a story that my brother-in-law (a Reform rabbi) likes to tell. It may help make your new atheist clothes fit better:
*****
A rabbi tells his class at Hebrew school that God created everything in the world to be appreciated, as everything is here to teach us lessons.
One clever student asks, 'What lessons can we learn from atheists? Why did God create them?'
The rabbi responds, 'God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of all - the meaning of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, or cares for the world, he is not doing it because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that God commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his acts are based on an inner sense of morality. And look at the kindness he can bestow upon others simply because he feels it to be right.
'This means,' the rabbit continued, 'that when someone reaches out to you for help, you should never say, "I pray that God will help you." ' Instead, for the moment, you should become an atheist, imagine that there is no God to help and say, "I will help you." '
*****
Boru
But even though it was (clearly) painful for you, you might consider that the evolution you've had is one of maturation. You've - albeit slowly and painfully - rejected the myths on which you were raised.
Here's a story that my brother-in-law (a Reform rabbi) likes to tell. It may help make your new atheist clothes fit better:
*****
A rabbi tells his class at Hebrew school that God created everything in the world to be appreciated, as everything is here to teach us lessons.
One clever student asks, 'What lessons can we learn from atheists? Why did God create them?'
The rabbi responds, 'God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of all - the meaning of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, or cares for the world, he is not doing it because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that God commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his acts are based on an inner sense of morality. And look at the kindness he can bestow upon others simply because he feels it to be right.
'This means,' the rabbit continued, 'that when someone reaches out to you for help, you should never say, "I pray that God will help you." ' Instead, for the moment, you should become an atheist, imagine that there is no God to help and say, "I will help you." '
*****
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
