Before I get into my usual eloquent rant tonight, I just wanted to point out the title and how my birthday just happens to fall on the release this year. I have been a Star Wars fan since before I remember. I would pretend to be sick in grade school so my mom would let me stay home and I'd watch almost the entire trilogy each time (lying, Return was my favorite and most watched!) I collected cards, dolls, figures, micro machines, lightsabers, and even a Wicket plush toy! A nerd before nerds were internet cool. So... yay!
A few months ago I went to church with the family. I believe it was Easter. I've discussed my atheism a tidbit, but I think my ma usually thinks that I am "searching" and some other mumbo jumbo. Well, my wife (who is christian) pointed out to my mom at this church service that I am pretty deep into this "evil" atheism stuff. At that point my mom and dad wanted to know how I thought the universe and this and that came to be. My mom also asked me to "make my own dirt." At some point I discussed the multi-universe and how it could be possible some beings so advanced in science accidentally created our universe. The triggered a scoff from my father and then a "you've been watching Star Wars too much."
I'm an easy going guy and enjoy a good debate, especially when I win. I just was a little uneasy with that being sprung on me like that. I feel like I should care less about it being in a church, but if many others around heard the convo that might have gotten a little rough. The church was already suffering controversy from a long time pastor that even I looked up to at one point or another. I looked around expecting a "they let damn atheist in here now. This church is going to hell!"
Really I have gotten a mixed bag of responses from my atheism. Parents like I said think I'm just lost and will come back, and point out I'm an agnostic. My co-workers have debated me for years, they think I'm a good guy and will come around eventually, and that I'm an agnostic. My wife understands I think agnostic is a dumb word and thinks I'm evil... Hey, if the devil and Jesus haven't killed each other after a couple thousand years, I think we'll be just fine!
I've got theories and like to come up with different goofy scenarios for our existence, with or without god(s). One I talk about a lot is the bible being a historic novel. Written by potentially one or many others, much like with movies today where there is the same characters throughout but created by different people, much like Star Wars, Star Trek, Bond, and Harry Potter. It seems like people think that at some point in history we started to create out of the desire just to entertain, but before that point everything was truth based. I am willing to admit that Jesus could be an actual real person. He could have been at a lot of the locations with the people mentioned. He could have done many of the actions described and been just like what was written, but people lie, even in those days. You have a book about sin and the horrible things that people do, well except for the people that wrote it. They had no agenda. They only told the truth. They weren't creative people. They only wrote non-fiction and factual information. They didn't write poetically with metaphors and say things but mean other things. They aren't hard to understand. They were as clear on all they were trying to say.
The bible is a collection of stories written long ago to entertain. Someone turned them into truth and began to judge and control people with them. What better way to keep people in line than to convince them that some being is watching them and won't just say "tsk, tsk," he fucking throws you in a lake of fire for all eternity and watches you burn. "Jimmy don't touch the cookies, and remember God is watching and will fuck you up if you don't listen." Little Jimmy has imagination and does not want to get fucked up...
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