I’m currently reading a book where the author said that God remains hidden from us today so that we may freely choose to love him or not. You can’t generate love through compulsion, he argued. And he’s right about that. As an illustration, he gave Kierkegaard’s story about a king in disguise:
Once upon a time, there was a king who longed to marry. One day, as he was riding through his kingdom, he happened to see a very beautiful young lady in a poorer section of the kingdom. He was struck by her beauty, so he found reasons to travel through there more often, even getting the chance to speak to her on occasion. As time went by, he realized he wanted to pursue a relationship with the woman, but how should he go about it?
As king, he could have her brought to the palace so that he…
Love is a drug and you are my cigarette
Love is addiction and you are my Nicorette
Love is a drug, like chocolate, like cigarettes
I’m feeling sick, I’ve got to medicate myself
I want your love, don’t try and stop me
Can’t get enough, still hanging on me
Your guilty heart, don’t let it break you
And if you pray, well, no one’s gonna save you
Like everyone that you fear
And everything you hold dear
Even the book in your pocket
You are the sun and the light
You are the freedom I fight
God will do nothing to stop it
The origin is you
You’re the origin of love
Love is a drug and you are my cigarette
Love is addiction and you are my Nicorette
Love is a drug, like chocolate, like cigarettes
I’m feeling sick, I’ve got to medicate myself
Well if God is a priest and the devil a slut
Well there’s a reason for nothing
Like every word that you preach
Like every word that you teach
With every rule that you breach
You know the origin is you
From the air I breathe
To the love I need
Only thing I know
Is you’re the origin of love
From the God above
To the one I love
Only thing that’s true
The origin is you (x2)
Madre Deus Deus machismo
Madre Deus Deus machismo
Dio de madre Deus machismo
Deus eso santo spirito
Like stupid Adam and Eve
They found their love in a tree
God didn’t think they deserved it
He taught them hate, taught them pride
Gave them a leaf, made them hide
Let’s push their stories aside
You know the origin is you
From the air I breathe
To the love I need
Only thing I know
Is you’re the origin of love
From the God above
To the one I love
Only thing that’s true
The origin is you (x2)
Some love’s a pill and some love is a candy cane
It tastes so sweet but leaves you feeling sick with pain
Your love is air, I breathe it in around me
Don’t know it’s there but without it I’m drowning
Love
You’re the origin of love
You’re the origin of love, love, love, love, love
You’re the origin of love, love, love, love, love (repeat)
Thank God that you found me
Thank God that you found me
Thank God that you found me
Thank God that you found me
I love that this book is being made … A Better Life: 100 Atheists Speak Out on Joy and Meaning in a World Without God. Now that I’ve been a full-blown atheist for a couple of years (and on my way out of religion for two years before that), the notion that somehow my life lacks purpose, meaning, joy, love, or morality … or any other positive quality … it’s just ridiculous. I’ve found the opposite in my life and I forget that religious people still view the lives of atheists as lacking in so many ways. I would love for those people to talk to my husband, my children, my friends … and ask them if I have love in my life. Ask them if I have joy. Ask them if I am kind. Ask them if I needed a god to make me a good person or to experience purpose and meaning. (I’m sensing this may be a topic I’m passionate about!)
So visit the book’s website and see what the book is about. There are some great promotional videos on there (although they’ve already reached their fundraising goal). I liked their page on Facebook (there is a Facebook link on the main website’s left-hand side) and it looks like there are some great videos on there with atheists describing how they find joy and meaning in a world without god. I am definitely going to spend some time checking those out.
Here is the book’s Kickstarter Promotional Video:
Here is an extended version of the promotional video entitled, ‘What Do You Think About Atheists?’ We have work to do to change the negative perception people have of atheists.
Do I enjoy watching fundamentalist Christians in the U.S. dig themselves into a deeper hole? Yep. I guess I should repent. One of the first things I embraced fully when I rejected Chrisitianity was being able to accept gay people and have no judgment whatsoever about the people they choose to love and care for. I don’t care if any of my five children is gay and that’s very freeing. As a side note – when they start quoting bible verses my eyes glaze over and my mind shuts off. The bible also says you should stone rebellious children (Deut 21:18-21). I truly enjoy watching Christians pick and choose which bible verses to follow. Very entertaining.
And wtf? A kiss is ‘sickening?” I can think of many things more worth her description of sickening. How about some actual, real problems in the world?
Left Christianity 