REJECTION OF SUPERNATURALISM

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SUPERNATURALISM DEFINED

Supernaturalism is a belief that there are phenomena outside of nature that can affect that which is within nature. These phenomena include a God, gods, spirits, angels, ghosts and similar entities or forces. Beliefs in these supernatural entities or forces usually take the form of spirituality and/or religion. For the reasons set out below, I reject that supernatural phenomena exist and, likewise, reject the validity of spirituality and religion.

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SKEPTICISM THROUGH MY LIFE

One always gets their initial religious beliefs from their parents or whoever is raising them. When I was a child, we lived in many different cities and usually went to a church. I do not recall that my father was particularly religious. No matter what city, the church we went to was usually one of the more popular Protestant churches in the area and I suspect that was because my mother was a bit of a social climber. Its social status in the community always seemed to be more important than its theology, so we went to a number of different denominations in those years.

I can trace my skepticism about religion at least as far back as to my eighth year of existence. I remember the year, because we were living in Minnesota in that year and I recall this event in a church in Minnesota. We were going to a Methodist Church, I believe, and they were baptizing people on one Sunday. My parents could not remember if I was baptized, so they decided that I ought to be baptized. The church did a minimal amount of instruction prior to the ceremony in which we were told that we had to agree to something - the Nicene Creed, I suspect. I listened and had no idea what they were talking about and saw no basis upon which I should agree to what they were saying. I told them I did not agree with what they were saying, so I was excused from the baptism. But, when I told my mother, she told me to agree with it, so I went back, agreed and was baptized.

Some atheists get all bent out of shape at the thought that they were baptized, even inventing unbaptism ceremonies. In my view, it was a meaningless event, so I just save the memory as evidence of skepticism on my part at an early age.

The next evidence of my skepticism occurred as a result of the fact that, when I was very young, I was a very industrious little boy. I was always trying to make a little money in every way I could fathom. When we lived in Springfield, Illinois, I sold apples from trees near my house that were in an area I perceived as belonging to no one. Of course, I now realize that nothing today really belongs to no one and I was stealing, but rest assured that I have advanced beyond the 10 year old logic that lead me to sell stolen apples (of course, they were just falling on the ground and rotting). Then when I was about 12 and living in Atlantic, Iowa, I began to create crafts and sell them. And, in the fall, I turned to selling Christmas cards.

Well, one day as I was going door to door, I called upon a very nice older lady - everyone was older then - who invited me into her house. She asked if I had Catholic cards! Catholic cards? I was amazed that a card about Christmas could be different to a Catholic than to a Protestant. I did not know much about Catholics at the time and recall that I considered everyone to have about the same beliefs and churches and so on.

She then went on to explain that there were differences between Catholics and Protestants. I had no idea what she was talking about, but my most vivid recollection of my visit is that she told me that the Catholics have a different Bible than do Protestants. She then got out a rather magnificent Bible and showed it to me. It was large, gold leafed, had lots of pictures and from a technological standpoint was indeed a marvel to see. Obviously, I had no time to read it and probably was not the slightest interested in any differences there might have been. I did carry with me, however, the question of how God's word could come in more than one form. If it was God's word, how could there be different versions of his word?

While I cannot trace my subsequent skepticism year by year, I do know that by age seventeen, living in Johnson County, Kansas, I was having serious skeptical thoughts.

When I was sitting in church trying to pray, there never seemed to be anyone or thing on the other side of my prayers. The sermons were making no logical sense and a couple of them stand out.

In one sermon, a little boy had asked the minister whether his little dog would go to heaven or not. The minster preached that, since it is the soul that goes to heaven and only humans have souls, the little boy's dog would not go to heaven. Well, as a person who loves animals and who had animals as a child with which I was very close, I found that to be appalling. How could Jesus love the little children, but God not love the little animals? The minister's God made no logical sense - that is, if God was also supposed to be all about love!

Of course, since then the Christian response to this question has gotten even more bizarre. While some theologians give the same answer, I have heard some people try to explain that if you really want your pet(s) to be with you in heaven, then God will grant you that wish. That sounds like an accommodation to those who love animals, but the real problem with that answer is that it puts the animal lover in the position of denying eternal life to each and every stay animal that they fail to take in.

In another sermon, the minister tried to explain the afterlife by equating it with the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly. That sermon came complete with props of a caterpillar and a beautiful butterfly that was pulled from behind the pulpit at the appropriate time. The problem with this analogy, however, is that the metamorphosis of the caterpillar is a biological process that occurs entirely on this earth and which is at least partially observable and known to scientists. No scientist has ever proven the process of resurrection or the existence of heaven or hell. I am aware of no theologian that considers resurrection anything but a supernatural event.

My progress to an avowed agnostic proceeded rather rapidly after my graduation from high school. I cannot remember exactly when it was, but eventually, I decided that I had had enough time and experience to find God, if he existed. Since no God appeared to be a reality, I then concluded that I was an atheist. The story of my atheism and subsequent embrace of humanism is contained in this web site! Following, however, are some specific thoughts in regard to why I reject supernatural concepts like theism, spirituality and religion.

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GOD AS THE CREATOR AND CONTROLLER OF NATURE

When I am in a situation or conversation in which it is appropriate to mention that I am an atheist, the first question asked of me usually is something like: "But, where do you think all of this (the universe) came from?" The question, of course, assumes the answer to be "God did it!" Philosophers call this line of reasoning the "First Cause Theory" which I discuss in my Cosmology section.

For the most part all religions believe that some sort of god or gods created all or part of our universe. The Abrahamic religions, of course, believe in a single god that created everything and to whom all persons must be obedient. Other religions believe in multiple gods with perhaps one being supreme. For others, god or the gods are somewhat ill-defined. And, of course, I reject the idea of the existence of a God, any other god or gods or any type of spiritual being. In so doing, I recognize that the questions of the origins of the universe and of life are questions that can be some of the most mystical or overwhelming - right up there with the meaning of life. For more on cosmology and orgins of life, check out those section.

Now, I realize that proving that something does not exist, especially considering the vastness of space and time, is a substantial challenge, but I do not think that is my responsibility as an atheist. It is not my responsibility to prove a negative; rather it is the responsibility of the believer in the supernatural to prove that the supernatural does, in fact, exist. Unfortunately, the logic set out in the first paragraph turns into an endless unanswered circle:

Obviously, the above exchange leads only to a possibility that there ought to be a god as no actual evidence for a god is presented. The answer fails as an answer confirmed by any recognized scientific method

The universe appears to exist and operate without any intelligent intervention. While we do not understand all natural phenomena, there has never been any proof of a supernatural causation for a phenomenon once we do understand it. In other words, all phenomena operate in accordance with universal principles. So, if the day-to-day operation of the universe requires no Godly intervention, why would the origin of the universe require Godly intervention?

I am, also, persuaded by the arguments of Richard Dawkins in his book, The God Delusion (Dawkins-Delusion, p. 31) wherein he says: ". . . any creative intelligence, of sufficient complexity to design anything, comes into existence only as the end product of an extended process of gradual evolution. Creative intelligences, being evolved, necessarily arrive late in the universe, and therefore cannot be responsible for designing it."

Next, if, for the sake of the argument, we agree that there must be a god, we must ask: "If there is a God, then who created God?" The standard answer from those of the Abrahamic traditions is that God as the creator of everything, including time, had no beginning, has existed forever and requires no creator. This is a very convenient definition for the religious, because it basically defines God into existence without any proof of his existence.

The problem I have with idea that God does not need a creator is that I can see the universe, but I cannot see God. To believe that God is the creator and that he did not need a creator, I must first assume that something I cannot see exists and then believe that it need not have a creator. It seems absolutely ludicrous that I must require something that I can see (the universe) have a creator, but that which I cannot see (God) need not have a creator. Frankly, it is much more logical for me to believe that the universe which I can see came into existence on its own than it is for me to believe that God which I cannot see came into existence on his own. I suggest, instead, that God does have a creator and that he was created in the fertile imagination of humans!

Proponents of the God hypothesis look at the vastness of the universe and complicated nature of its composition and assert that it could exist only if an intelligent entity created it. They see the wonders of the universe and the beauty that is in nature and try to connect with everything. Our minds allow us to imagine transcendence. Thus, to connect to the vast universe, many humans believe in spirits or that a spiritual plane exists and gods or a God enters our imagination. Under my Putting Things in Perspective heading, I outline three areas that allow our logic to become skewed. First, I point out that we humans look at our universe from a very limited perspective, both in terms of space and time. Second, we humans are makers and builders of things - tools, structures, art - you name it and some human has either made it or wanted to do so at some time. Third, we confuse the natural world with our manmade world. I think it is important to consider those points when we examine the concept of God or any other supernatural entity.

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GOD AS THE LAW GIVER AND JUDGE

God as the Source of Authority

The idea that God is the giver of laws is nonsense. Every law ever written into any sacred text is clearly a determination by the human author of the text that humans should act in the way prescribed. Every creature has some sort of mechanism whereby they get along with other creatures or else they would have become extinct. No doubt humans had rules before they could write, but once writing was invented, they were written down. All the laws in all the sacred texts were written for society as it existed at the time. Certain laws like "Thou shalt not kill!" are rather universal, so that is a law common to all societies. In the final analysis, however, all laws are dictated by the need for society to operate in an organized fashion and has nothing to do with any supernatural entity.

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God as the Judge

There is no evidence that God ever judged anyone! Most laws today are the creation of humans in legislative bodies and clearly are enforced by humans. Even in those situations where religious laws are to be enforced, it is humans that judge and implement punishments. The idea that people who get away with an evil deed while alive will be judged by God is purely delusional. No one has ever died, been judged and returned to tell about it, so the millions of words and hours spent over the history of mankind on this subject have clearly been a total waste of time and lead to multiple tragic consequences.

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GOD AS YOUR PERSONAL FRIEND AND ASSISTANT

God Gives You Purpose

One of the most nonsensical claims of the religious is that only God can give a person purpose and without a belief in God one is wandering directionless through life. It is rather nauseating to listen to a religious person go on and on about how God has provided them with a plan in their life or told them to undertake some particular project. How God does this, I do not know. Perhaps he has come to them in a dream - that is generally how God talks to people. Dreams are nothing more than the brain continuing to function in a random fashion while we are asleep without access to all of its peripheral senses and without direction from the brain itself. As far as thoughts while I am awake, I must say that I have had some interesting thoughts, but I do not think any of them are particularly divine.

Rather, our purpose or purposes are based upon our own thoughts - hopes, wishes, necessities and that sort of thing. Ones religious beliefs may lead them to a particular course of action, such as to go somewhere and help build a hospital, but when it comes down to it, our purposes are decided by each of us based upon various influences. But, none of those influences are from God!

I do not believe there is a God, but, rest assured, I have much purpose in my life! I have so many interests and resulting purposes in my life that I hardly have time for it all!

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God Loves You And Is Your Support

Since God does not exist, he, she or it cannot love you or help you. In this context, God is a false crutch and one needs to find a way to deal with life's problems without that false crutch.

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The Church As Your Family

One thing that attracts people to religion is the church and the church family concept. For many people, the church is their main focus after their job and family. This concept need not be based upon a religious institution however. If developed properly, centers for free thought can provide the same benefits.

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God Will Provide You With Everlasting Life

Of all the false hopes taught by religion, the promise for everlasting life is the most ridiculous. No one has ever gone to heaven or hell and returned or been reincarnated. Every last thing ever written on this subject resides in the hopes, wishes and imagination of human beings that cannot deal with their finite existence.

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RELIGION IS A HUMAN CONSTRUCT - RELIABILITY OF SACRED TEXTS

When I explain to people what I believe, some, of course, completely reject my beliefs and rely instead upon the Bible or whatever their sacred document is. Others will listen and admit that much of what we believe about god and religion is pure mythology.

Of course, I now have learned somewhat more about the history of the Bible and other sacred texts, but the question that confronted me when I was 12 years old still exists. Having thought about it for all these years, the only conclusion I can reach is that the Bible is NOT the word of God and no sacred text is of divine origin. Rather, they all are the word of MAN and all religions are human constructs.

The current history of the Bible only makes things worse for the "Word of God" theory. The last few years have seen a huge proliferation in the number of versions of the Bible being published. For me, each new edition is just new evidence that the Bible is NOT THE WORD OF GOD!!!!!! Each new edition, in my view, is an attempt to create God in the image of the author, sponsor or publisher, rather than supporting humans to be in God's image.

I am not a Biblical scholar, but I have read quite a lot about the Bible. I believe that the Bible does provide some interesting views of history and some interesting moral recommendations, but it is not divine.

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BUT RELIGION DOES GOOD! WHY NOT GO ALONG?

Admittedly, religion has done some good things, but a whole lot of bad things have come along at the same time. Humans have the capacity for good within their natural selves. What we do not need is a society based upon false pretenses. If religion provides some good things, then we need to figure out how to accomplish those things based upon reality, not falsity.

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COMMENTS ON SPECIFIC RELIGIONS

Christianity

From early childhood we in the western world are inculcated with the "truths" to be found in the Bible. We are told that stories of the birth of Jesus, his ministry, his miracles, his crucifixion and, finally, his resurrection, are all true stories that depict actual historical events. If we were told that the stories were all myth, we would discard Christianity just as we have discarded Greek and Roman mythology.

But, there are problems with the historicity of Christianity. Here is a list of reasons as to why I reject the Jesus/Christian story as authentic:

While I am still studying the origins of Christianity, it appears to me right now that the Jesus story rose out of the desire of both Jews and Gentiles for a messiah or savior figure. It is well established that the messiah concept was prevalent throughout the Jewish Diaspora around the time Jesus is alleged to have been born. It is, also, clear that there were many itinerant preachers who walked around Galilee preaching - perhaps they preached Greek Cynical concepts or perhaps they preached from sayings from what we now know as the Q document or perhaps something else. But the Jesus story did not come together until Mark created his gospel in which he relied heavily on his Greek background in the works of Homer. From there, the story took off, being embellished by Matthew, Luke and John and others. We know that, in the early days of Christianity, there were competing versions of the nature of Jesus - that there was no one clear concept or story of Jesus. It took at least 300 years for the orthodox version that we now have to win out over versions that competed with it, and even since Christians have continued to debate, set up separate denominations and even kill each other over who the "real" Jesus was.

So, it appears to me that the Jesus story is a fabrication and I firmly believe that Jesus was a mythical or fictional person. I am quite convinced that the Jesus of the New Testament never existed and, at best, the Jesus of the New Testament is a significant embellishment on a real itinerant preacher or a conflation of various itinerant preachers.

Furthermore, the entire Christian mythology is a story that defies ordinary logic. For instance, we are told that Greek and Roman gods could not possibly have had sex with humans, yet we are asked to accept as true the notion that Mary (a human) was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. And, there are the rather barbaric notions that God needs a human blood sacrifice and that the followers of Jesus should remember him by symbolically eating his flesh and drinking his blood!

The most essential Christian stories, like the miracles and the resurrection, make claims that are not verifiable by historians and are extraordinary in nature and are contrary to common human experience and what we know about science. These events, therefore, provide no evidence for the existence of Jesus. Furthermore, the claims of Christians are contrary to the claims of other religions, each asserting that its "truths" come from their god. It seems that extraordinary claims should require extraordinary proof, yet Christian apologists often cannot give us even ordinary proof and revert to a reliance on faith (see my thoughts on faith vs. reason).

Some Christian apologists ask us to not be concerned with the contradictory details, but to concentrate on the Christian message. But, as a religion grounded on alleged historical events, one cannot claim historicity, yet ask us to forgive the fact that the alleged history is highly problematic. Granted, the most important message of the New Testament is that one should treat their fellow human beings as they would like to be treated themselves. That and nearly every worthwhile part of the New Testament can be found in Humanism, so one can live their life just fine without Christianity. The hope offered by the Jesus story is that we will have eternal life and I believe that to be pure delusion! Humanism can give you a belief system that will enable you to live at peace with reality, but (sorry) there is no afterlife in atheistic humanism!

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Islam

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Judaism

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SOME THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUALITY

I am often told by some people that they are not religious, but that they are "spiritual." I guess what that means is that they subscribe to no particular religion but that they do believe in some sort of supernatural entity or that there is a supernatural plane that links us all together. Many will tell you that they believe in a "higher power."

I am one that insists on evidence before I believe something. I reject these notions of spirituality since they rely on a belief in the supernatural which is not a proven concept. I cannot believe in spirits, spirituality or a spiritual plane for the same reasons that I cannot believe in a god. None of them have been proven to exist.

I suspect that those who believe in spirituality have found no religion to be true or, at least, not fulfilling, but they still want to believe that there is support out there in times of need. Perhaps they question the existence of God or God as put forward by existing religions, but they are not willing to let go of the concept entirely.

Some people might feel a connectedness with others or with the world as a whole. That I can understand, but I do not think that the connectedness must be of a physical or supernatural nature. Rather the connectedness I feel toward other humans and for all creatures of the world is based upon a commonality of needs and concerns - the fact that we are all here together on this one very nice planet which can be both friend and foe. So what I feel is connectedness, not spirituality, and I suspect that connectedness is what others really feel as well,

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