What I Believe (The Secular Bible Part 1)

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soul drifter
Senior Member

since 2004-09-08

Posts 711
Colorado

0 posted 2011-06-27 07:46 PM

What I Believe (The Secular Bible Part 1)

I don't believe in gods and demons
I only believe in man and woman
all that's scary and beautiful
only comes from the human soul
I know I'm in the minority
but what I believe
is no gods to pray to
no hell to go to
only us and this Earth
and the great big universe out there
and the only things that separates man from beast
is a vague awareness
and a lot less hair

But I think
the measure of a human being
isn't in the belief of a deity
it's in what you do
and who you're doing it to

I don't believe in heaven and hell
I only believe in the things I can tell
by science and my senses
and people lay on me their pretenses
that must I believe in deity
but I don't believe in
easy-wipe sins or baptisms
no church to go to
just a moral compass inside
that tells me what's wrong and right
and the common sense to be good to people
like I would want to be treated
all the time

And I think
the measure of a human being
is the belief in humanity
and what we can do
not which god we're praying to

So this is my Secular Bible
the story of us and our trials
and the only gods and demons
are all within us
but hey, whatever you believe in
that's okay with me
but this is what I believe in
these are the truths that comfort me
this is my atheist prayer
that helps me make it through my time on earth
for what it's worth

And I think
the measure of a human being
is the belief in humanity
and what we can do
not which god we're praying to
not the wars you fight
to prove your faith is right
falling down to your knees
doesn't eradicate hunger and disease
it just makes you feel better for a time
so let's just go out there and find
a way to make it better everyday
one earth
one people
many minds,
many hearts in every shade
if we can harness the power of man
and not invisible gods, then we'll have it made
yeah we'll be not afraid
be not afraid

"If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts"

Amberzlynnc
Member

since 2010-08-24

Posts 229
New Jersey

1 posted 2011-07-07 12:42 PM

You've written my exact beliefs. Thank you for the great read!

sandgrain
Member Elite

since 1999-09-21

Posts 3662
Sycamore, IL, USA

2 posted 2011-07-07 10:34 AM

Your poem held my interest and shed some insight on your beliefs. I respect that as you respect my belief in ONE and only ONE God.

People do good for different reasons. Some for fame or returns (selfish), some out of fear (forced by beliefs), while others, out of pure desire to do good because they can. Yet some willingly do good out of love for the recipient. I feel the believers and non-believers both have members in each listed reason.

Rae

Freely_expressing
Member

since 2008-10-16

Posts 69
NSW, Australia

3 posted 2011-07-22 12:54 PM

I believe that God is the source of the potential man has. But still a great poem and I love that you know what you believe and are willing to be open and honest about it. Whether or not I agree I fully respect your opinion and agree that we as humans need to stand up and do something.

Ethern
Member

since 2010-07-01

Posts 150
on a plane

4 posted 2012-01-16 02:33 PM

with respect to your personal beliefs: if there is no divine authority to legislate morals, how do you determine what is right and what is wrong? i suppose that if there is no divine authority, man is supreme in the earth, and so the laws of government may be a moral code. Do you trust government to direct you morally? Perhaps the individual determines for himself what is right or wrong?
As I understand the traditional mythology of my personal faith, it may be that mankind is in a fallen state, initially because it has emancipated itself from divine authority to determine for itself what is good or evil. And so mankind is no longer provincially protected by divine benevolence but is now subject to persuasion from opposition to true and unadulterated goodness.
It is hard for me to conceive that there is such a thing as morality at all without some form of divine authority.

soul drifter
Senior Member

since 2004-09-08

Posts 711
Colorado

5 posted 2012-02-13 09:31 AM

Thanks for the reply, ethern. Morality is a part of our evolution, a part of being a social animal. No morals = you'll have a very hard time fitting into society. Most people want to be social. We atheists have morality too, just look at people like Abraham Lincoln and Carl Sagan: both non-believers and arguably some of the best that humankind could do.

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