But Carl, how about loving life and lapping up all its milk and honey and believing comfortably in an afterlife? You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. If it doesn’t happen, we’ll never know it.
I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is. Albert Camus
Carl Sagan was a bright intellect and genial teacher, but he most certainly was not a pacifist; on the battlefield of values and ideas he was a persistent aggressor…as are many of us. Carl’s words synched with Gavin’s art make a pretty strong statement that theistic religions are irrelevant, illogical and harmful in the divisions they create between people. Am I right so far, yes? However, consider that Jane Goodall was the first to document Chimpanzee warfare (Gombe, 1974) but not the only one to demonstrate that Chimpanzees certainly enjoy nature… without any corresponding inhibitions on fratricide or genocide. This is mirrored in the behavior of our own political units: Political powers that reject theism still display every violent vice on a huge scale. Sorry Carl, you can’t posit Theism as a root cause of warfare; they are found together so often because both are used to meet human fear. I for one vote for using my belief in a loving God to fight my fears, which are many.
It has been my experience that religion gives people the excuse not to take responsibility for their own actions. In theory religion is supposed to bring people together, promote compassion. Instead it tends to divide, breed intolerance and self righteousness. Some of the most cruel and closed minded people I’ve known have been ‘believers in God’. On the flip side, some of the most open minded and compassionate people I’ve known have been Atheist. It is my belief that whether or not one believes in a God, one needs to take responsibility for their own actions. It makes absolutely no sense to me that ‘sins will be forgiven’ simply for what one believes. If there is a God that will be judging us, we will be judged for how we lived our lives, not for what we believed or not believed.
henshaven Premium Member over 6 years ago
This is humbling.
jackianne1020 over 6 years ago
Don’t look to the future for your happiness. Happiness is all around you; you just have to focus on now to see it.
Willywise52 Premium Member over 6 years ago
Nice sentiments by everyone.Sadly,don’t see it happening.
Fenshaw over 6 years ago
In 1962 I played ping pong with a guy representing the USSR. We both loved it.
Teto85 Premium Member over 6 years ago
Sagan is one of the great ones.
Kind&Kinder over 6 years ago
But Carl, how about loving life and lapping up all its milk and honey and believing comfortably in an afterlife? You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. If it doesn’t happen, we’ll never know it.
Bill LaRocque Premium Member over 6 years ago
What a wonderful piece, a timely thought and inspiration. Nice job Gavin.
Ushindi over 6 years ago
So I don’t get all those virgins? Well, hell!
Font Lady Premium Member over 6 years ago
I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is. Albert Camus
joewolf over 6 years ago
But, my dear Font Lady, if there is no God, and you live your life as if there were, you won’t find out!
Weakstream over 6 years ago
You only live once
gigagrouch over 6 years ago
Vive memor quam sis aevi breavis
bscruffy over 6 years ago
Carl Sagan was a bright intellect and genial teacher, but he most certainly was not a pacifist; on the battlefield of values and ideas he was a persistent aggressor…as are many of us. Carl’s words synched with Gavin’s art make a pretty strong statement that theistic religions are irrelevant, illogical and harmful in the divisions they create between people. Am I right so far, yes? However, consider that Jane Goodall was the first to document Chimpanzee warfare (Gombe, 1974) but not the only one to demonstrate that Chimpanzees certainly enjoy nature… without any corresponding inhibitions on fratricide or genocide. This is mirrored in the behavior of our own political units: Political powers that reject theism still display every violent vice on a huge scale. Sorry Carl, you can’t posit Theism as a root cause of warfare; they are found together so often because both are used to meet human fear. I for one vote for using my belief in a loving God to fight my fears, which are many.
jaa_33 Premium Member over 6 years ago
It has been my experience that religion gives people the excuse not to take responsibility for their own actions. In theory religion is supposed to bring people together, promote compassion. Instead it tends to divide, breed intolerance and self righteousness. Some of the most cruel and closed minded people I’ve known have been ‘believers in God’. On the flip side, some of the most open minded and compassionate people I’ve known have been Atheist. It is my belief that whether or not one believes in a God, one needs to take responsibility for their own actions. It makes absolutely no sense to me that ‘sins will be forgiven’ simply for what one believes. If there is a God that will be judging us, we will be judged for how we lived our lives, not for what we believed or not believed.