Hope and Realism

Though I don't have a problem talking to atheists or agnostics because there was a time when I was around 13 or 14 that I was at the very least an agnostic if not at times an atheist, I sometimes wonder how one can be an avowed atheist and not just commit suicide because of it.

I remember being somewhere between 18 and 23 and wanting a definitive answer in regard to the meaning of life. I started by asking myself if I would choose to stay alive in a world without a God and kindness and meaning. And when I realized that if that was how I had to look at the world I would definitely choose suicide. Because life without meaning was no life at all so death was preferable to this outcome. So, at that time I chose to take the 10% of me that had doubts about the universe and sacrifice that to my survival. So, I did. Over time the 10% was perfectly happy because I relegated it to critical thinking which allowed me to rationally debate anything as a free thinker. This made me very happy.

But, my God-daughter and her husband are visiting and he is a college educated Atheist. And something he said today made me think. What he said was: "All these Christians that think Jesus is going to come and rescue them and their children in about 40 years or less. How can they deal with global warming and all the effects if they believe Jesus is going to come save them? Though I believe in Jesus I personally don't think he is going to come down from heaven and save us en masse. I experience Jesus all the time and have conversations with him. But, it isn't about him coming and saving the world he comes to each one daily and salvation is a very personal and individual thing. It is not a group thing in my experience at all and won't be for most people.

So, thinking Jesus is going to save everyone all at once is completely unrealistic. But who am I to say to people, "The whole group thing isn't going to happen!" It isn't my place to tell people that but it is my experience. Salvation, Enlightenment, whatever you want to name it or call it is extremely individual and some might say a very lonely experience. But, it is completely necessary to get there. There is a saying, "You come into the world alone and you go out alone." This is the essence of what it is to be a human being. If you live long enough you will watch while one by one everyone you loved while growing up dies. Then if you are lucky your kids and younger friends will still be with you at the end. But even then you will face your maker alone just like you came in.

So, there is hope and there is realism and hopefully you have both in your lives because without both life isn't really worth living at all.