Let me just prefaces this post by saying that these are my views, opinions, and biases. I accept all points of view, so please accept mine :)
As you may or may not know, I am in school to become a counselor. And, as you may or may not know, I am not the biggest supporter of religion. I often have discussions with my older sister about religion and her's and my beliefs. It has always been fairly difficult for me to explain to her exactly WHY I do not follow a god. The only things that I am able to tell her (or anyone) are:
1. I am my own god (Nikki loves that one).
2. My actions/choices create my destiny...no one else's.
3. Accountability in life is one of the best virtues.
4. I cannot blame or ask forgiveness for anything I have done on/from anyone else - or a god for that matter.
5. The major problem with christianity is the notion of forgiveness from God. A statutory rapist who is also a strict catholic may be granted forgiveness from a priest and feel better about the situation. But, guess who is not okay...that 5 year old boy.
6. Whether or not you believe in creationism or evolution they both take some level of belief as neither are absolutes.
Speaking of number 5, that is where my recent counseling educational background comes into this discussion. People need counseling. People also need to believe in something. For most that something is some sort of religion. The following passage is from one of my text books:
"Both religion and counseling help people ponder questions of 'Who am I?' and "What is the meaning of my life?' At their best, both counseling and religion are able to foster healing through an exploration of self by learning to accept oneself; by giving to others; by forgiving others and oneself; by admitting hurts and resentments; by dealing with guilt; and by learning to let go of self-destructive patterns of thinking, feeling and acting...However there are religious leaders who have reacted negatively to counseling as a secular force, and psychotherapists who have reacted negatively to religion describing it as a defense mechanism or as a form of denial."
After reading this paragraph I felt a little closer to describing my non-beliefs in a higher power. I never really thought of counseling as a contrasting view point to religion (you know like science or being agnostic or aetheist), but maybe that is the church that I belong to...the Church of Counseling. I mean I do often see religion as a defense mechanism and as a form of denial. But does that mean that I wont be able to counsel devout christians?
I believe in the power of people. I believe that I have achieved all things outlined above without counseling or religion. The bottom line is people need help being the best person that they can be. And whether that comes with believing in God, believing in counseling, or believing in both...it's a win/win situation when one can honestly say that they ARE a good person.
1 comment:
Hello Kristin and all,
Here's my two bits on this intractable debate. Hope you and others can appreciate my efforts to provide a key to a true solution for humanity's seemingly never-ending cycle of struggle and despair.
Analyzing the Creator Debate
Did you ever consider that atheism arose because certain people saw that religious characterizations about the nature of an omnipotent "God" were seriously flawed and then concluded that religion and the Creator were the same things? This is the exact same conclusion at the base of religious beliefs; namely that the Creator and religion are inseparable. Consequently, both atheists and religious followers are arguing over a flawed assumption without considering that other possibilities negate the common core conclusion of both groups. These arguments are actually over religion and whether it represents a reliable model of reality. The answer to this question is of course not. Religion is not only flawed, it is purposely deceptive! Though atheists are certainly sincere in their conclusions, the fact remains that they and religious followers are locked in a debate that cannot be won by either side because both base their positions upon whether the same flawed premise is the truth. In order for this debate to conclude with a truthful answer, a greater level of discernment is required.
One apt clarifying question is, if someone tells lies about you, does that negate you or make you a liar or a lie? Certainly, the image cast about you would be a false one, but that is their image, not the real you. Consequently, faulty religious assertions about the Creator of this universe do not negate the existence of a Creator. Considering the possibility that this universe is not by chance leaves the door open to how it arose, which leads us to seek what could have created and maintained it. Since neither religion nor science has yet adequately answered this question, it is safe to conclude that those who argue about the Creator based on either are most certainly wrong about one or more aspects. Therefore, another point of view and additional knowledge are required.
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