Do We Need God?

GodThought I’d go ahead and open a nice can of worms today. But this discussion is about happiness, right? So how can we avoid talking about God/Religion/Spirituality?

Do you go to church? Do you have a spiritual practice? What does it provide for you? Are you a happy atheist?

buddha_lotus01-1I believe there is something more than what we see with our eyes. But I’m not confident that I understand what it is or how it works. I think it loves all of us equally. I think we have free will so that the bad things that happen are not its/his/her fault.

I go to a nondenominational church and it provides me with a kind of guidance and peace that I have a hard time finding anywhere else in my life. Though I have to admit that yoga, meditation, my Reiki practice, and books like The Power of Now do something similar for me. I’m also currently working my way through the Course in Miracles workbook, and I can almost feel it chipping away at my all-powerful ego, which I believe to be the real devil in our lives.

I like my church because gay people are welcome. The minister is gay. I like my church because during the prayer at the end our minister always says, “We bless all churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, ashrams, we bless all paths to God.” I like that kind of inclusiveness. But in reality, it’s not my church. I’m not officially a member. I go and listen to the inspirational message and it helps me. Yet, I’m still not sure what I want to believe when I grow up.

I have dear friends who are everything from atheists to devout believers. I’m fascinated by them all. I like to talk about this subject with them and learn from the different viewpoints they have.

One of my students recently gave a speech to persuade us that there is a God. His backing was entirely scientific. He talked about the big bang theory, the perfection of the universe, and famous scientists who were open to the possibility of intelligent design. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I learned a lot and admired his passion. I wasn’t sure his fellow students were open to his ideas though. It seemed that before and after the speech, they either adamantly believed or didn’t. Could there be something in between? I hope so. Because that’s where I fall.

I’d love to know what you think.