[back]
The following article is from the Secular Humanist Bulletin, Volume 24, Number 1 (Spring 2008).
Up until the time of Galileo, 350 years ago, Earth was unquestionably accepted as the center of the universe. The sun, moon, and stars all circled Earth as part of a perfect sphere. This allowed us to believe ourselves worthy of a personal God.
Since Galileo’s time, science has made substantial strides in discovering some of the tremendous expansiveness of our universe and the insignificance of our galaxy, let alone our planet, in the great spectrum of time and space. Yet, none of our Western religions have advanced to keep pace and still dwell in our world as it was two thousand years ago. Thus, theirs is a “little” God of the local galactic neighborhood and not the “great” God as proclaimed, the creator of the universe.
This “little” God has not advanced much since Paleolithic times, when each tribe or clan had its own God. Today, the tribes are much larger, i.e., Catholics, Protestants, Islamic, etc., but even these are subdivided into smaller factions. For example, the Protestants are divided into dozens of separate groups. A more logical, believable God should have all mankind under one tent, with religion uniting Homo sapiens instead of dividing it.
In this respect, the ramifications of anthropomorphic religions, and more specifically, a personal God, can be destructive to society in setting mankind against itself. The world would be a far better place if we showed our reverence toward nature as did the Native American Indians, or to the sun, as did the ancient Egyptians, one of the more stable cultures our planet has known.
The late Joseph Campbell was a professor of comparative mythology and religions. In his extensive studies of myths and religions, from primitive to modern, he found there were cohesive threads among them all, even among those in widely differing human cultures. This would indicate a certain uniformity in the objective goal and merely different paths and concepts of how to reach it. So, why all the conflict and killing over technicalities?
Campbell was a firm believer in what he termed “Follow Your Bliss.” Basically, this is finding some all-encompassing passion toward which you devote your total mental and physical energies. It is hoped that this “Bliss” will not only satisfy your innermost needs but will also contribute to your leaving this world a little better place than when you entered it.
I have found that “Bliss” (obsession) in the study of plant genetics and the breeding of new ornamentals, with the most recent emphasis on camellia cold hardiness. In this respect, I have advanced the growing range of these beautiful plants from the Norfolk, Virginia, area to parts of Canada and Norway. I like to think that gardeners, who previously had no opportunity to enjoy these magnificent flowering shrubs, can now do so.
When I was young and in the Army, I was fearful of getting killed. I felt that I had a life ahead of me and was concerned for it being cut off prematurely. Now that I am old, this no longer bothers me.
I do not worry much these days about whether there is an afterlife. If there is, it is not going to depend upon a specific religion. Instead, perhaps a somewhat facetious metaphor would be the metamorphosis of the lowly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. Does the poor caterpillar, when it constructs its pupa case, know what its next life will be? Likewise, we can only guess what lies beyond the grave.
Perhaps everyone would be involved in this metamorphis, regardless of religious faith—there would be no final judgment and selection with salvation for some and damnation for others.
Carrying this line of thinking a step further, maybe there is (as some scientists claim) a parallel universe similar to ours, but not identical, where everything that happens here also takes place there but at a higher plane and on a different time frame. This could be an extension of the evolutionary process and unrelated to religion. Considering the many other new, decidedly weird cosmic activities being discovered on a regular basis, there are some who speculate this would fit within the vast spectrum of possibilities.
I will take my chances, live as though this is all there is, and simply try to lead as constructive and enjoyable experience with the time I have, showing compassion towards all living things, including the very humble that are also passing this way.
I am now in mid-eighties, and I feel that I have had my full allocated time and space in this world, beyond that of many of my kindred. Perhaps soon will be my time to rest. I do not feel any apprehension of its coming, only of the possible suffering that may proceed it.
I should be well satisfied with a deep, dreamless sleep for the rest of eternity. Sleep is the pacifier of all anxiety, a thing to be cherished, for in sleep there is absolution from feeling and pain. I have no ambitions of going through another life. This one was quite enough.
Dr. William Ackerman is a retired research geneticist from the U.S. National Aboretum. He is the author of Beyond the Camellia Belt (Ball Publishing, 2007).
CFI SUMMIT
OCTOBER 24-27 2013
TACOMA, WASHINGTON
Joint Conference of the Council for Secular Humanism, Center for Inquiry, and Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
The transnational secular humanist magazine
Renew your FREE INQUIRY subscription