The Old Man in the Sky -- Writer's Poke #182

Empty your mind of all thought and belief.

Do you believe in God?

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against the idea of God. In fact, I would side with Albert Einstein and Carl Sagan, who believed that we have no way of knowing whether God exists or not, but to make the leap of faith and live as though He does is highly illogical. In no other realm are people allowed to make such illogical leaps of faith. Rather than giving in and believing, why not withhold judgement and live a life of curious inquiry?

Other God critics, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens come to mind, seem to have more at stake in proving God's non-existence. Perhaps this is a natural knee-jerk reaction to a world that just overwhelming assumes that an Old Man in the Sky exists. To be neutral, then -- to be agnostic -- is not an option, because the voices of the believers are too loud.

Recently, someone tried to use the line on me that it doesn't matter if God exists or not; we should simply live as though He does, because doing so makes life better. Really?

How were your thoughts on God (and/or religion) formed? What's your reaction to the idea of living a life of curious inquiry?

"I don't try to imagine a God; it suffices to stand in awe of the structure of the world, insofar as it allows are inadequate senses to appreciate it." -- Albert Einstein

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