Ignorance. I'm Over It.

Nothing gets people going more than discussing the idea of whether there is a God or not.  What His role is, what He's doing right now, what are His rules, if He has any.  Everyone from the devout atheist to the devout fundamentalist has got an opinion.  The more I think about it, the more stupid it seems.  Correction.  The more stupid we seem.

If there is any truth in the universe, God is a part of it.  Either all things are derived of Him, or they aren't.  And your thoughts on this one thing drives your entire existence.  If God exists, we have a reason for doing the right things.  We also have a reason for abhorring the wrong things.  If God doesn't exist, it doesn't matter.  If God doesn't exist, our lives are free to be filled with the things that we want them to be filled with.  Right or wrong.  This is a whole 'nother discussion, but I have to bring it up here.

Anyway.

Never.  And I mean Never.  Have I heard so many people talk about another topic like this:  "Well, you can believe in God if you want to.  I don't think He exists."  "It may be right for you, but it's not right for me."  "I'm not saying there ISN'T a God, I'm just not interested."

And I gotta ask the question, "Really?"  (I'm a deep thinker.)

I have a friend with a master's degree in mathematics.  He has spent many years researching all things math.  He knows math.  He can answer the questions math can present.  He knows that 2+2=4.  I have another friend.  He lives in a cave.  He's never been schooled.  He has been raised by wolves.  After we taught him English, he says, "I believe 2+2=7."  He is very. clearly. wrong.  Why is he wrong?  Because he's ignorant.  Not in a bad way.  Ignorance means: lacking in knowledge, information or awareness.  We laugh at him.  We think he's cute in his ignorance.  Like a baby who doesn't know any better.  Because he doesn't.

My math friend says, "Here, let me teach you math.  You don't know anything about it.  There are some rules you need to follow, but it is very useful information.  Let me give you some books.  I'll teach you to read.  I want to offer you knowledge of math, so that you aren't confused.  Or wrong."

My caveman friend says, "No!  I will not become knowledgeable in math.  You can believe in math if you want to, but I don't think it exists.  Your math may be right for you, but it's not right for me.  I'm not saying there ISN'T math, I'm just not interested.  And by the way,  2+2=7!"

At this point, my caveman has stopped being cute, and has just become stubborn.  He refuses to learn math, yet he continues to spout his opinion about it.  Those who have studied even basic math wish he would learn it, so he could have accurate answers, and not get ripped off when he gets change at the store, or balance his checkbook.  They are also worried he will go back to his cave and tell his friends the answer is 7.

But he refuses.  He does things his own way, at a huge cost.

More and more I am seeing type of thinking when it comes to God.  For some reason, since we cannot see Him, we believe we are entitled to have an opinion about His existence.  And my question is again, "Really?"  In what other realm of our lives do we do this?  When we express our opinions about other topics, it is after we have researched, read, and checked our facts.  We don't like to be wrong.  But when you express your opinions about God, if you haven't researched Him, you are usually expressing feelings, baggage, or bias you have picked up secondhand.  And somehow that is good enough.  The problem is, you will never know, unless you learn it for yourself, whether you're the guy confidently yelling "4!" or the guy randomly shouting, "7!"

Can I convince you there is a God?  I don't know.  He's either there, or He's not.  His rules are true or they're not.  The argument "God may be right for you, but He's not for me." is bogus.  That's right.  BOGUS.  Feelings have no place in fact.  Regardless of how you feel on the subject, there is an absolute truth on this subject.

So please.  Toss your feelings aside and hit the books.  At least give yourself (and the rest of us) that benefit.  The self-righteous ignorance is becoming suffocating...and dangerous.