| The thought of infinite unconsciousness (death) is impossible for most human beings to wrap their head around. Just stop and think right now what it would be like for all of your memories, accomplishments, sorrows, and loved ones disappearing. Imagine not being able to replay in your mind those things that flit past your eyes thousands of times a day without you even realizing it. And now you can NEVER do it again.
Death for us will be like the year 500 AD was for us. Oh, you don't remember it? Well, you won't remember 2004, either.
In my opinion, religion is used exclusively to fill in gaps in human knowledge until logic and/or science do the same. That's why it is both a boon and a danger: it gives people hope of an afterlife, but it gives people hope of an afterlife.
Repeating myself? An old woman dying peacefully in her home thinking she'll be seeing God, Jahweh, Allah, her next reincarnation...that's okay. A suicide bomber thinking fifty virgins await him at Allah's right hand or a Christian fundamentalist assured there's a spot for him in Heaven because he is God's terrible swift sword are the plague on human progress.
So does God exist? Maybe he/she created the universe, but he/she has certainly doesn't pay any attention to our insignifcant blue marble floating in space, or the problems that exist upon it. |