“I cannot conceive of a personal God who would directly influence the actions of individuals, or would directly sit in judgment on creatures of his own creation. I cannot do this in spite of the fact that mechanistic causality has, to a certain extent, been placed in doubt by modern science. My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of the highest importance — but for us, not for God.” – Albert Einstein

Being a self proclaimed non-believer (I hate labels, but I could say I am a pantheist or even an atheist, depending on the day and on which side of the bed I wake up on) I’ve always had the notion that believing in a omnipotent and omnipresent God, who will listen to our prayers and actually do things for us, was significantly easier than where I stand: If there ever was a higher force responsible for creating this world, this universe, it is long gone. We have been left to figure things out by ourselves a long, long time ago.

Let me clarify something: I was born and bred within a jewish family, mostly because of my mom. However, our culture was not focused in God at all, but on moral and ethical values, remembering our heritage and keeping it alive through some basing traditions. But mostly – and I know it sounds totally cheesy – being the best people we could be. Until my teenage years, the question of believing in God or not hadn’t even entered my mind… until one summer camp it did. 

I was always certain I did not believe in a personal God who was always there FOR us. I could always acknowledge the fact that there is something bigger than us, and then I reached the conclusion that it was nothing but Nature (Given the natural disasters happening around us nowadays, it would be pretty fair to say – Nature is pissed off!). Anyway, I’m digressing.

Another clarification: I totally respect other people’s beliefs, it is practically impossible to find someone who thinks and has the exact same beliefs as you do – and I say it is “almost” impossible, because people who are brainwashed, are bound to lose all individual opinions and embrace those imposed upon them. I do think a lot of people who suddenly “become” orthodox (within any religion), just repeat what someone tells them to believe, probably because they really need to believe in something, anything, and it gives them something to hold on to, and some hope. But there are also those people who think for themselves and, just as reached my almost atehist conclusion, reach a very different one. I sometimes envy these people.

Why am I envious you ask? Well, isn’t it easier to believe? To know why things are the way they are, and believe that there is someone watching over us? To have a certainty, a reason to have hope. I think it would make even the hardest moments in life, easier. But, as Carl Sagan wisely said: “It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring“.

As I said, I have no beef against anyone, no matter their religion, belief or disbelief. However, when I feel insulted, that’s when it starts becoming a problem. I tried to be as tolerant as I could be, I was. I’m not being very clear: I met someone who happened to believe blindly in God and religion. That’s fine. It is only a belief, is it not? Apparently not, I was not aware that God is not something we believe in or not: there is apparently a Right answer and a Wrong one. Yes, I WAS WRONG, he used to say, and I quote: “It’s not that I believe in God, I KNOW he exists, it’s a fact, it’s the truth, the rest is a lie”. So now I’m insulted twice: an ignorant and a liar. YAY ME!

Apparently, for those who believe in God, there is a reason to behave in a moral way (i.e, not steal, kill, lie, cheat…), you know, God can see you and he can punish you… whatever. So I guess we do not care about other people AT ALL right?. As Einstein said – and you cannot say he was ignorant – morality is important for humankind, not for God.

As we can see in everyday life, being Religious, whether it is Orthodox or conservative, does not mean we have strong morals. Being an atheist does not mean you are either… but you know what: I’d rather have a clear concious and be good to people and nature, than to clear my dirty mind with prayers to God in a Synagogue, Church, etc. and then go outside and be a crappy person, and ask for forgiveness once again. I don’t think that’s what is meant when they say we were created in the image and likeness of God.

Sorry if I rambled. If I did, kudos to you for reading this far!

And yes, I’m pissed off. This is a good way to vent.

I’ll finish this with a video by Edward Current, published by The Atheist Jew: