That's the message posted by a Humanist society on buses up and down the UK . I find it terribly interesting not because it's in any way shocking but because it's an almost entirely meaningless message and yet someone feels strongly enough about it to spend however much posting it all over my local no 77.
For starters there's the idea that the only reason anyone would worry is that they're examining what they do with the idea of an omniscient and vengeful God surveying their every move. What an odd suggestion, particularly in these predominantly secular days!
I don't know about anyone else but I'm more concerned with whether we're going to be able to retain our jobs and pay all the bills for this year than whether God approves of my actions. I'm more concerned that my other half's business makes enough money to cover his staff salaries than that I've done enough to make it into the hereafter. I worry that the kids might not enjoy my lessons. I worry that my son might not get into a school which will suit him. I worry that my daughter might be being bullied. I worry about all manner of things, and him upstairs rarely, if ever, features. The existence of God is just not something I, or the vast majority of people, worry about at all.
I'm not saying that I don't yearn for something spiritual in my life; I do, and culturally I am Christian, so sometimes I do consider the existence of God, but I never, ever worry about it. The idea that this is something 'worrying' is strange and almost contradictory. It smacks of a group of people trying at enormous expense to covince themselves of something.
Then there's that 'probably', which adds to the effect that this is a sort of navel-gazing self-reassurance. What's that about? There's probably no God? That's the kind of hedging one's bets that precedes a deathbed confession, just in case. The people who bang on about the unlikelihood of the existence of God are the ones who spend a lot of time thinking about it. The rest of us just get on with it.
Stil, at least it gets people talking, I suppose. Probably more of a spur to theological debate than anything else which has happened in a while.
4 comments:
sort of the holy trinity.... the intellectually curious.., those who just worry, and then yo..., no, no it couldn't be.
Hello again. No idea what you're saying, but I'm sure it's a huge compliment...
BTW why are you on my Friends Reunited profile page?? I haven't been on it for years but someone posted something so I went there and there you are. I can't see anywhere we've crossed over - school, work etc.. I'm even listed under a different name. Any ideas? Do I know you?
Hi You invited me into your Zoetrope group some time ago, which is why I'm aware of Frances Mccallum. And no, I don't think you and I know each other in any other way from the past. Yes, I did check you out on Friends Reunited.., That's what people do.., well, its what I do.
If I posted on your profile, it was unintentional, sorry. Did I say anything interesting?
No. You're just there.
Zoetrope. That's the connection. Good. I was worrying that there was some sort of devious data sharing thing going on... Not really, but I was puzzled.
Yes, I do it too sometimes.
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