Toward Omega

From my observations, the facts about reality are far more in favor of atheism then the vast majority of theist views. However, where i strongly disagree with others atheists is what that means for living things.

One outlook I often here espoused is the “Rejoice in your moments!” . Pop open the champagne!! Carpe Diem!! But its not so easy to “carpe diem” when there is laundry to do , over 8 hours of work, dishes, and most importantly for most people is that we have meager funds available even after work to do anything!!

Here is one example of this, in the commencement speech here by British media personality Tim Minchin ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoEezZD71sc&t=11s ). Mr. Minchin states the cold facts of reality (we live, grow old, die) but then mentions its not that bad! We can rejoice! Drink wine!! Make love!!

Now i dont disagree with him on the cold facts but from there i think he is highly delusional.

After all if we take the “live every moment like its your last” to its logical conclusion we inevitably end up with a maddening glob of hedonistic nihilism. (Personally i am not opposed to a degree of hedonistic pleasures but not the nihilistic aspect ).

Further, since most people-billions in fact-have to live very meager and brutal lives, the confrontation of the meaningless existence/carpe diem outlook would lead to anger and uprisings . As the famous quote from Karl Marx goes: “religion is the opium of the masses”.

Or the other famous quote from Voltaire: “There is no God, but don’t tell that to my servant, lest he murder me at night“.

Fortunately for Voltaire and Minchin, the lower classes do have theism, not to mention at least booze or various other opiates that can be afforded. Though booze and many of the others eventually backfire…so really God is what is often all thats left.

As for me, booze hasnt worked too well in the last decade . Hedonistic delights are tempting but i wary of the knife fights that it entails either figuratively or even literally.

So rather than the overly simplistic ,unrealistic platitudes from Minchin and others, its time to go for a more sophisticated atheist approach: post theism in fact. In one way I see it as a more ideal civilization where even the non wealthy can enjoy their time in the sun; where life can be truly enjoyed . And yet even that leaves the “god shaped hole” aspect of the self-that being the part of us that even a comfortable life leaves something missing, the connection within us to ultimate reality and not to mention the grief and compassion from beings that came before us. Our parents, our friends that may have gone under less then ideal circumstances.

But this post theism will not be easy at all. In fact it may be all but impossible or even lead to more problems. Nonetheless it is often better to face the risks of doing something versus living with the way it is and doing nothing at all.

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Yes it is great that we are no longer at the mercy of some sky being who could send us to some eternal pit if we dont behave to its liking. When I became an atheist in my early twenties there was definitely relief from being unshackled from some crazy rules by the sky being.

Yet over the last 30 years since then i became more aware of some brutal facts: we are born, we enjoy some good moments, we endure some tough moments, then we die, and then we are gone.

I for one can’t just go back to harkening the sky being to take care of things. I hold no grudge to the non existent sky being (though I think we could use some help now and then)-but once that mask for reality comes off, the illusion just wont work again.