This question was prompted by several posts made by DattaSwami (in the Spirituality forum) which, in my eyes, gave the impression that all religions are effectively overlooked by the Lord, but those people who are atheists will be judged and punished by the Lord when the time comes; something which I, as an athiest, took a little offence at. But I must thank Dattaswami for those posts as, such is the case with all posts on this forum, it is possible to learn a great deal and to listen and question ones own beliefs.
It also got me thinking about the time I was in sixth form at school (16-18yrs old). Due to circumstances mostly beyond my control, I came to spend my sixth form in a Roman Catholic school. It was an interesting time and, although I was told that it wasn't necessary for me to go to the compulsory Religious Studies classes because I was an atheist, I did however go along and join in. As a side note, at the end of my two years there, the RS teacher (the schools Catholic priest) actually came and
thanked me for joining in the lessons, saying it had been the most interesting RS lessons he had ever taught, because rather than just talking about Catholisism to Catholics, they had actually been able to see topics from an atheists point of
view as well, adding more interest and discussion to the classes.
Anyway, after one of these RS lessons, one of the other sixth formers came up to me in the common room, in a semi-angry mood, and the conversation went something like this...
Him: "I don't know how you can be an atheist."
Me: "Pardon?"
Him: "I said, I don't know how you can be an atheist. You could go out there and kill somebody and you wouldn't feel guiltyabout it"
Me: *stunned* *thought for a few seconds* "Well, I can assure you that if I did go out there and kill somebody, I am surethat I WOULD feel very guilty about it, and anyway, as a Roman Catholic, you could go out there, kill somebody, plead forgiveness and feel a whole lot better about it afterwards".
Him: *unable to come back with a reply,walks off*
I found it amazing that somebody would have such limited understanding as to judge an atheist as someone who is a person without feelings, guilt and a good human nature whilst they are in a position, through their religious peers, to be told that their sins or wrongdoing have been recognised and forgiven and they can go about their daily lives feeling better for that (maybe after doing a few ritual hail Mary's etc.)
Now this isn't a dig at Roman Catholics (those on the forums who know me will know that I'm very accepting of others beliefs), as several of the other sixth formers were also a little amazed at this chaps outburst, and I'm fully aware that within all religions and walks of life, people will have differing views even when they are following a more, shall we say, prescribed way of living.
But this has now raised a question (and some follow-on questions) of which I would be interested in others views...
1) If I remain an atheist for the rest of my life, even if I lead a life of goodness equal to or beyond that of others who are religious, and then I die to find that, to my surprise, there is in fact a God of some sort, and this God is there to pass judgement on our lives, will that God judge me based on the life I have lead as a moral human being or will I be judged and punished based on me spending a life not believing in a God?
2) If the answer is that I would only be judged based on my moral lifestyle and not on whether I actually believed in a God, then it could be asked: Is actually necessary to believe in God?
3) Finally, if it is not necessary to actually believe in God, then is there any point in there being Religions apart from as an actual means of teaching human morality in relation to our societies?
I look forward to peoples views...
Love and Reiki Hugs
RE: Will God(s) judge me?
Hi Giles,
This is a cracking thread coming from a person who professes to be an atheist:
I'll give you MY interpretation of what I know about the Ultimate Being:
1. Judgement Day - no such thing. When you go to Spirit (about 1 centimetre away from your nose and at a higher frequency) there is a period of rest before you are invited to review your life. You watch a show of all of your life - like a cinema, but the 'star so called' is you. You see all the good things that you did in life to help people and the bad, but you also feel all of the emotion, and pain, and extacy, of the situation that you are watching. If for instance you continually bullied a person, you would feel their pain and distress and because you are now spirit and only the higher self - the soul - returns to spirit, you would feel remorse. All the while you are judging yourself, no-one else judges you.
2 When you return to spirit you join a group of souls who operated and did things just like you while on the earth. So if you were a mean son of a -----, then you will join similar souls. Because you are still 'alive' - only the human overcoat is disgarded - you will come to understand about the ultimate being, but just as on earth, you continue your learning or not, since some souls refuse to develop - free will etc!
3 Re being an atheist. Some people like you and me (for 50 years), don't accept something from someone else simply because it tells you in a book. I, for the past 4 years have seen spirit and when this happens you either put it down to 'ghosts' or begin the search by asking people who know what you are experiencing. I just want to know more every day, it's the most exciting journey. It just depends if you as an individual are ready at this point in your life to start a journey. And whatever is right for you is OK.
Nice thread
Publisher
RE: Will God(s) judge me?
Thanks for such an interesting post Giles, I only hope my reply does justice to such a 'big' question!
Before I start answering, I think maybe it would be helpful to explain the space that I am coming from myself.
My mum's parents were both Salvos who had very strict ideas about God, and how to 'integrate' Him into everyday life. This meant a childhood spent silent on Sundays, learning prayers off by heart to recite at bedtime, reciting 'Grace' at every meal, reading the bible every day, and trogging along with her parents on countless occasions to the needy, all of which she resented. Even when she was an adult and had left home, life wasn't always easier: she got married to my dad and because a) this was his second marriage and b) he was an atheist, my mum's parents refused to come to the wedding. Needless to say, she picked up some very negative ideas about God.
I grew up feeling a bit confused about God and faith. I couldn't understand how, as one of my first 'proper' books, I could be handed a book about God, Adam & Eve which was 'good', but then feel so many negative vibes at the same time! It's kind of like handing an ice-cream to a really young kid with a foreboding look- they just don't get how it can be really nice, but bad for you at the same time. Anyway, it's not surprising that the negative vibes won out and I grew up an atheist. When I was 15 and 16 I actually wondered how people could go on fooling themselves that there was a God and bestow their faith on an imaginary cause. As far as I was concerned, life was just there to be lived and death, I felt, was the end of things. This belief sustained itself until my spiritual awakening when gradually I realised that there really was something else we are living for, although it's only been through the last 6 months or so that I've been able to re-evaluate and put into words my discoveries.
A recent journal entry:
For years I've dismissed God as a human invention to enforce morals or give life a meaning, but gradually I've come to realise that this isn't God, but merely someone else's perception of God.
When I became [spiritually] awake, I connected to my spiritual essence. As I have progressed along this path, my consciousness has expanded to begin to contemplate the greatest spiritual essence of all: the spiritual Source of which I originated and to which I am infinitely connected. To my mortal mind, Source is all the energy in the World. It is the vast, infinite energy, ever present, that pulls the sea, that makes the sun burn, that magical energy which can simultaneously be death, rebirth and life all in a single second. It is the infinite intelligence that opens the flowers in spring, and does so without using any force. Every leaf, every tree every animal, every rock contains the vibration of this magical energy. Each of us created in the same design, so that every atom, every molecule, every strand of DNA pulsates with the same knowledge of their ultimate essence; Source. But it is also much more. Source [God] is the ultimate consciousness, the invisible omnipresent energy that connects each human being to everyone and everything. Separation is not a truth but a misconception. It is our perception of separation which is wrong. A human may perceive that all humans are disconnected, and conclude that God does not exist, however; when they truly become free of the boundaries of the human mind, and tap into the infinite, the Divine Mind, that's when they will see. This realisation is that God is not a contained inaccessible force, but all around. Think of it like this: Standing many metres in front of a tree, human perception tells us we are separate from that tree. Never do we think to expand our consciousness beyond the physical senses and acknowledge the roots beneath our feet!
There is not one thing on the earthly plane that doesn't originate fr
RE: Will God(s) judge me?
Interesting responses so far. I'll print it off and have another read, and come back with my own responses soon.
Anyone else, please feel free to give your own views.
Love and Reiki Hugs
RE: Will God(s) judge me?
Hi Giles, Publisher and Azalia,
Thanks for your thought provoking posts,
I just wanted to add my experience into the pot,
I don't consider myself an atheist anymore although by somepeoples measure maybe I am.
I called myself an atheist in my teen's because I wasn't what everybody I knew was and because I wasn't sure about the exisitance of a god I thought I would therefore be an "atheist", I remember a couple of occasions when talking about this subject with friends that I shouted outloud " I don't believe in GOD " this was never intended to be offensive but simply to demonstrate that I didn't belive that if there was a God he would judge me on something so petty that I was wrong and that if on my day of judgement I then met "God" he would just say, hah fooled you didn't I.
As I progressed on my path and after lots more life experience I came to think that there is a God in the sense of an energy, at the moment I don't think this is a single entity more so an energy which we are all part of, I no longer state that there is no God as I realise that to many people their God is real and I think that it is unimportant which God we believe in but more important how we live our lives, the same as in my younger years but my views have become more mature and refined.
Thanks for reading
saffronXX