Atheism Is A Non-Prophet Organization

    

Tucson Weather Today
 

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Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Most inclusively, atheism is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.

More about atheism later, including some of my own thoughts on the subject. I am neither an atheist nor a theist.

I am  merely one human being trying to figure it all out.

And not having much luck.

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WORD FOR TODAY
atheism
noun
-  the doctrine or belief that there is no god.
-  disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

 

Rand Paul

 

Born Jan. 7, 1963
Age  49 years old

Randal Howard "Rand" Paul is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian. He is the son of former Congressman and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas. Paul first received national attention in 2008 when making political speeches on behalf of his father. Rand Paul is the first United States Senator in history to serve simultaneously with a parent in the United States House of Representatives.

David Caruso

 

Born Jan. 7, 1956
Age  56 years old

David Stephen Caruso is an American actor and producer. His most prominent role is the portrayal Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. He has also appeared as Detective John Kelly on the ABC crime drama NYPD Blue.

Katie Couric

 

Born Jan. 7, 1957
Age: 55 years old

Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as special correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials.

Since September 10, 2012, she has hosted Katie, a syndicated daytime talk show produced by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Ms Couric has anchored the CBS Evening News, reported for 60 Minutes, and hosted Today and reported for Dateline NBC. She was the first solo female anchor of a weekday evening news program on one of the three traditional USA broadcast networks. Couric's first book, The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives was a New York Times best-seller.

As of May 2012, Couric also has a web show for ABC News, entitled Katie's Take, airing weekly on Yahoo.

Nicolas Cage

 

Born Jan. 7, 1964
Age: 48 years old

Nicolas Cage (born Nicolas Kim Coppola) is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona (1987), The Rock (1996), Face/Off (1997), Con Air (1997), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Adaptation (2002), National Treasure (2004), Lord of War (2005), Ghost Rider (2007), The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), Kick-Ass (2010), and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012).

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The very idea of carrying my memory into eternity devastated me, and I took refuge in atheism.
--Taylor Caldwell
    

. . . Who Art In Heaven?

Michelangelo's Creation Of Adam

Much of my reading is concerned with the opposing philosophies of Theism and Atheism. There are excellent essays written by seemingly serious thinkers on both sides. Some of them conclude that GOD most definitely exists. Others declare that HE does not. And still others eschew conventional theology while proposing the existence of some undefined HIGHER POWER.

Well, as for me, after seventy years of searching, reading, and quiet contemplation, I have come to believe in that higher power. But not in a God that is vitally concerned with humanity.

More accurately, I believe in the possibility and even the probability of the existence within this vast universe of an entity that is superior to mankind. Or even multiple races of superior and probably undetectable entities. Undetectable because of our lack of sensory organs necessary for such detection and our lack of imaginative powers necessary for even conceiving of such alien (forces?) beings.

Additionally, I believe that we (members of the human race) are probably no more than mere meaningless biological animals that instinctively believe ourselves as having 'importance' or even 'meaning' of some sort.

Although I have honestly tried, I have never been able to believe in the "God" presented to us by organized religious institutions. Their various dogmas are easily recognized when examined dispassionately as being nothing more than a mish-mosh of childish fairy-tales, magical mumbo-jumbo, and fear-inspired superstitious nonsense.

The *higher power* in which I believe is some unknown and perhaps unknowable force that somehow bends the straight line of my rigidly-ruled life into a new (better) direction that I could not accomplish by exertion of my own will alone.

I have experienced this mysterious helper more than once in my life.

To name but two . . .

When I stopped smoking cigarettes (instantly) after 30 years of tobacco addiction.

and . . .

When I stopped drinking (instantly) after many years of alcohol addiction.

There were more.

In the next few days I will attempt to honestly describe some of those times.

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