I am lying under the covers in my
bed at boarding school. It’s after lights out and technically I shouldn't be
typing on my phone at all, but seeing as how I feel liberated and inspired at
this precise moment, I consider it acceptable to be bending the rules.
I often have become depressed
while pondering about an afterlife and its conflict with logic and science. I
was raised a devout Catholic and up until the age of 13 I never had room to
consider alternative possibilities. As far as I can gather, the powerful minds
of free thinkers have had a problem with religion since the beginning of time.
It makes sense, really. Most
people are used to being told what to do and merely accept the 'truth' that is
presented to them. The negative incentive of hell is a frightening thought and
it is much easier for the layman to simply adopt the religion of choice in
their environment.
Free thinkers and scientists have
trouble with this as we are able to rationalize and understand most aspects of
our lives. Thinking logically, the concept of an afterlife sounds absurd. An
undetectable 'energy' from the body is taken into an inconceivable place that
has no beginning or end. It simply sounds like a ridiculous ploy devised to
keep medieval people happy, hard-working and (most importantly) obedient.
I do not deny the existence of
God. My logic tells me that there can be no other possible explanation for the
existence of the universe other than an invisible, all powerful and ever living
being or material that possesses infinite cognitive ability.
The only problem I have is not
what created us, but what happens when we cease to exist. It seems logical that
we do just that... cease. It would probably be the simplest and most functional
solution. However, if one has spent a hard life toiling under the weight of the
world, then this is not such an appealing end. The thought of eternal life and
happiness is much more comforting and also practical on a global scale as it
would generally allow for a society that works harder and obeys the laws so
that they can be rewarded when they die.
There is then the issue that if
everything we are told about God, heaven and hell is true, then anyone who did
not believe will be damned to suffer for eternity. This makes a belief in God
and eternal life rather a necessity, like a type of life insurance - the 'after-life
insurance'. But, living one's life doubting and unsure of what to believe does
not sound like a healthy way to go about one's short existence. To be happy, I
think the simple solution is to leave all of these matters alone and live a
good, balanced life. This is not only as an insurance policy for atheists, but
rather a route to general happiness.
When praying for something (say,
that you will pass an exam) you are bringing this goal into your consciousness
and focusing on what you want to achieve. This is not to say that God is not
answering our prayers, but maybe it is illustrating that he uses this
incredible world he has made and the unique people in it to answer our prayers.
So I continue to lie in bed,
pondering my consciousness, my reality and my inevitable death. Most of all I
ponder what will happen after. I guess the question I really need to ask is:
"Am I satisfied with ceasing to exist?" Perhaps the reason I have doubts is to guide
me to find a truth that will give me a renewed faith. I want to believe in God
and everything written in the bible, I would be happier with the eventual
outcome, but I think that I am struggling through a process we all must
eventually experience, where we fully understand our own insignificance and
then through intense mental stress emerge with the realisation of our potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment