Doubt is Humble

After being raised Christian in my early childhood, I converted back and forth between Christianity and my skeptical viewpoint. Religion is an ongoing debate but I want to focus more on the concept of "God" for now, not so much religion. I've come to the conclusion in recent days that people believe in God but they don't know of God, and there's a difference. The mysteries of the universe have yet to be solved and to say we know is only to say we hope we know.

For the last 5 years I've labeled myself a hardcore atheist. About a week ago, I decided I was agnostic. What changed my mind after 5 years of being set on my decision? Well, I have an open mind. If someone comes up with reasoning that is different to mine and it happens to make more logical sense than what I previously thought, then I accept the alternative viewpoint. The turning point in my perspective on "God" came from a follow up interview of the documentary "Religulous" created by Bill Maher, the host of "Real Time with Bill Maher." The documentary was very well done and had a lot of funny parts if you despise religion as much as I do.

Overall, the documentary was as I expected, very secular and I thought surely that someone that makes a film like this has to be an atheist. I was wrong. I searched youtube.com for a follow up interview on the film and Bill Maher stated he wasn't an atheist. He said in his interview he's not an atheist because atheism mirrors the certainty of Christianity. In other words, atheism is the certainty that there is no God as Christianity is the certainty that there is a God or divine creator. So, when it comes down to it, after you've preached what you supposedly know as fact, after all is said and done, at the end of the day, you really don't know. "How do I know you don't know?" Bill Maher asks, "Because I don't know..and you do not contain mental powers that I do not."

Bill Maher's documentary doesn't promote atheism or the disproving of God, he promotes doubt, as he states it, "Doubt is humble.." Try it. Atheism and religions like Christianity or Judaism are two different sides of the same coin. It's understandable when people have 'hope' of life after death and heaven and all that, but when they start preaching it as fact and anybody that's not a follower is wrong, that's when it becomes a problem.

Click here to watch the interview with Bill Maher.

When Bill Maher gave his reasoning for not being an atheist. I contemplated this idea for a couple months and then came to the conclusion. "Hey, wait a minute..I don't know either..in fact, nobody knows." There's a difference between what "is" and what you think "is" and since the origin of the universe is not understood and may never be understood completely; to say that you know is just arrogance. The best scientists and astronomers don't know and the religions don't know. All we have are theories, guesses and wacky ideas. Usually when something is fact, it is almost, if not, universally agreed. We all know the sun is pretty hot, most people would agree. When everyone is asked how we got here, we will get a billion different opinions.

It is human nature to want to know all the answers to life's mysteries. Human beings don't like saying "I don't know," because people want to know. And when we don't know or we are desperate for an explanation, we make them up, and that's where we bring in religion. We naturally associate someone who says "I don't know" as a fool. And when people are afraid of looking like fools, they make up answers and ironically they look more foolish claiming a false answer rather than just saying "I don't know." So, face the fact that you don't know and nobody in the world knows. And please, don't tell me that you know, "..because I promise you, you don't."-Bill Maher

People can live their lives peacefully and find true happiness without resorting to religion. Let us not worry over where it all came from and spend more time enjoying it for it is. Have hope, have doubt, have peace.

Amen.