You Never Know

At the Nebraska State Capitol groups can reserve space to set up displays promoting their group. This year there was a nativity display, but there was also a cluster of displays jointly sponsored by the Lincoln & Omaha Atheists, the Offutt Air Force Base Humanists as well as other atheist and humanist organizations. State Senator Ernie Chambers spoke at the dedication of the displays, which featured a model of a state capitol building and a church separated by a wall. Sen. Chambers spoke very eloquently about the principle of separation of church and state in the United States. He opened by rejecting the label 'atheist', even though he does not believe in God or gods, explaining that by accepting that label he would be accepting all the preconceptions and assumptions that go with that label. Sen. Chambers went on to say that if someone had a belief that was a comfort to them, that got them through the night, then it was not up to him to criticize that belief, but that those beliefs should not be imposed on others or used as a guidepost in setting laws or public policy.

I'm not an atheist. I have enough of an open mind that I have not rejected unequivocally the existence of "God", gods, spirits, angels etc., although I don't make my decisions based on the supernatural, including books purportedly originating from beyond this world. Like Sen. Chambers, I believe that it's not my place to look down upon another who bases his life upon a religion, however, I do have opinions about it.

After growing up as a Catholic, and switching to The Way International for a couple of decades, I currently practice a form of modern paganism influenced by shamanism. In my own practice I meditate and engage in "shamanic journeying". This is where a journeyer enters an altered state of consciousness and interacts with spirits, gods, ancestors, what-have-you. But, rather than accepting uncritically that I am actually, literally meeting with spirits, I leave open the question. Maybe they're spirits and gods and dead ancestors, but maybe it's just a manifestation of my unconscious mind. My own opinion and personal philosophy is that it doesn't really matter. Some would argue that it certainly does matter, and I have no problem with people who believe that, I just don't believe it myself.

An observation that I have made over the years is that people tend to interpret "supernatural" occurrences in light of what they already believe, whether cultural, religious or personal. What a Christian might believe was an angel, or Mary, or Jesus himself, a Hindu might see as a member of the Hindu pantheon, a Wiccan might recognize as  the Mother Goddess - a UFO enthusiast would likely conclude that it was aliens. Even supposed non-believers who have miraculous conversions tend to be steeped in the culture's predominant religious framework, so would conclude that the culturally dominant god was what they saw. But when you look at it from an outsider's point of view, there's not really anything there that can be conclusively said to prove any of it.

At one time in my life I was very concerned about knowing what the "truth" was.  I was as religious as they come, but was bothered by the idea of sin. At the end of my life would the good that I had done outweigh the bad? Had I already racked up enough bad points that I would be unable to balance it out and get in the good column? Then I found The Way International, which promised to provide surety, to provide definitive answers. I left that behind about 15 years ago.

Now I'm not so worried about "Truth". I'm more concerned about acting like a decent human being and treating others with dignity and respect. I'm not making decisions based on how I think it will influence a hypothetical afterlife, because, even if there is an afterlife, I don't see that it's based on accomplishments in this life. If this is all there is, then it behooves me to make the most of it; if there's a continuance of self-aware life after death, well then it will be a surprise (good or maybe not so good!)