Do you believe in God?
> Yes?
Do you believe He is omniscient and omnipotent?
> Yeah, I guess yes. Do you?
Nope. I believe that if there is a god then he, and he is male, must be omniscient and omnipotent, and that he doesn’t give a fuck. Do you believe in praying?
> Yes. It’s important to stay in contact with god.
What do you pray for?
> Oh, um, for good things to happen, and for people I love to be safe.
So, do you believe in the Divine Plan?
> Well, yeah. There has to be. God created the universe.
So if it’s his plan to hurt someone you love, then what are you praying for, and to whom?
> Oh. So what do you believe in?
I don’t. I believe that treating each other with respect is the best thing we can do. Do you believe in an afterlife?
> Yes, there’s heaven and hell. God decides who goes where. I bet you don’t.
Of course not. I believe that we are here in life for just a while. I believe that we are points of awareness struggling toward greater consciousness as part of our species’ collective unconscious. I reckon that each move we make to greater self-awareness contributes to the vast sentience that is our species, and I reckon helping others is the nicest way to achieve this end.
> So no God?
What if there were? Either we have free will to help others and improve our consciousness, or we get judged for being the creatures we were destined to be. No mortal can ever understand an omniscient, omnipotent entity so al we have is each other. If you are right, then we will be judged for being created without consent and continue reacting thoughtlessly; if I’m right we strengthen our secular morality and develop an adult maturity. We leave behind childish fears and neurotic reactions, opening our hearts and minds to a broader universe.
> I need a new hat.
A D R A N 