Howardism: A World Without God

Side Note

I was a little concerned when I was dropping religion that somehow I would find my life empty and have a longing that could never be assuage. I didn't find it. And I was surprised. I didn't feel the lack of God in my life.

—Colin McGin

Imagine

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

—John Lennon

A World Without God

I'm in a rambling mood, so hang on, as I'm afraid this ride may get a bit bumpy…

In an interview in Wired magazine, Sam Harris discussed what a world without God might be. He said:

There would be a religion of reason. We would have realized the rational means to maximize human happiness. We may all agree that we want to have a Sabbath that we take really seriously – a lot more seriously than most religious people take it. But it would be a rational decision, and it would not be just because it's in the Bible. We would be able to invoke the power of poetry and ritual and silent contemplation and all the variables of happiness so that we could exploit them. Call it prayer, but we would have prayer without bullshit.

The interviewer, Gary Wolf, then commented:

I do call it prayer. Here is the atheist prayer: that our reason will subjugate our superstition, that our intelligence will check our illusions, that we will be able to hold at bay the evil temptation of faith.

I'm not convinced that the world will be better when we all "give up on God". I do think the world will be better when we accept more rationality in our personal philosophy, but the current tensions of war and terrorism isn't fueled by God. It is always about greed, revenge and bad foreign policies. You know, the staples of human nature.

I mean, do you really think that America wouldn't be spreading a war into Iraq if there wasn't oil to loot?

Still, I find atheists fascinating. I finished listening to a series of interviews by Bill Moyers in his PBS program, Faith and Reason. In it, he interviewed people on all sides of the spectrum. However, I found the atheists and the agnostics to be far more enlightening. This is due, I think, to each person having to develop their own meaning for life, instead of accepting a pat answer handed to them by another.

I remember John Lennon had a song along these lines. Growing up, I remember a particular preaching in church that mentioned that song directly, and noted that the lines, "Imagine all the people / Living for today" was an emblem for people living in sin, and not looking towards or planning the future as they should. And that living for current pleasures will just bring displeasure from God at the future judgement day.

Now that I've studied a great deal of Buddhism, I now know where Lennon got such a concept of "living for today," and there is something going for it.

For living in the moment is not necessarily an abandonment into hedonism and debauchery. It is about the contentment that comes from getting rid of greed and desire. I don't feel like preaching the gospel of Buddhism right now, but I think there is some good thoughts to integrate into your own personal philosophy.


	Our Ego, Who art Projected in Heaven What is Quality? Meaningless Evolution The Teleological Proof of God The Mystery of the Mind Dialog on Plato's Eugenics Rhapsody on a Theme of T.H. Huxley Does Religion Own Morality I'm So Open Jung, a Tarot Deck and a Pile of Clouds Read other entries in Philosophy...	Side Note I was a little concerned when I was dropping religion that somehow I would find my life empty and have a longing that could never be assuage. I didn't find it. And I was surprised. I didn't feel the lack of God in my life. —Colin McGin Imagine Imagine there's no Heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one —John Lennon A World Without God I'm in a rambling mood, so hang on, as I'm afraid this ride may get a bit bumpy… In an interview in Wired magazine, Sam Harris discussed what a world without God might be. He said: There would be a religion of reason. We would have realized the rational means to maximize human happiness. We may all agree that we want to have a Sabbath that we take really seriously – a lot more seriously than most religious people take it. But it would be a rational decision, and it would not be just because it's in the Bible. We would be able to invoke the power of poetry and ritual and silent contemplation and all the variables of happiness so that we could exploit them. Call it prayer, but we would have prayer without bullshit. The interviewer, Gary Wolf, then commented: I do call it prayer. Here is the atheist prayer: that our reason will subjugate our superstition, that our intelligence will check our illusions, that we will be able to hold at bay the evil temptation of faith. I'm not convinced that the world will be better when we all "give up on God". I do think the world will be better when we accept more rationality in our personal philosophy, but the current tensions of war and terrorism isn't fueled by God. It is always about greed, revenge and bad foreign policies. You know, the staples of human nature. I mean, do you really think that America wouldn't be spreading a war into Iraq if there wasn't oil to loot? Still, I find atheists fascinating. I finished listening to a series of interviews by Bill Moyers in his PBS program, Faith and Reason. In it, he interviewed people on all sides of the spectrum. However, I found the atheists and the agnostics to be far more enlightening. This is due, I think, to each person having to develop their own meaning for life, instead of accepting a pat answer handed to them by another. I remember John Lennon had a song along these lines. Growing up, I remember a particular preaching in church that mentioned that song directly, and noted that the lines, "Imagine all the people / Living for today" was an emblem for people living in sin, and not looking towards or planning the future as they should. And that living for current pleasures will just bring displeasure from God at the future judgement day. Now that I've studied a great deal of Buddhism, I now know where Lennon got such a concept of "living for today," and there is something going for it. For living in the moment is not necessarily an abandonment into hedonism and debauchery. It is about the contentment that comes from getting rid of greed and desire. I don't feel like preaching the gospel of Buddhism right now, but I think there is some good thoughts to integrate into your own personal philosophy.
	2006, Howard Abrams Some rights reserved	Originally written on 30 October 2006. Updated on 2 November 2006.