While most evidence and common sense and the burden of proof all point towards a Godless Universe (at least God in the big G sense of the world, and I will avoid the little g in the quantum or sacred/poetic sense), I am an Agnostic. Even though I am pretty sure that all the God stories and narratives are bunk, if not beautiful, comforting, and sometimes enlightening.
If I sound wishy-washy it is because I am an Agnostic. Wishy-washy, namsy-pamsy, flip-flopping and so on and so forth are common characteristics of Agnostics. The sort that can't committ to a consistent, while also a contradictory world-view-the type that's written into stone.
But, the real reason I can't committ my life and my choices to G(g)od is not because my brain is ssssoooo rational that I can't take a leap of faith or because logic or truth charts cannot prove or disprove belief. No, I don't always apply logic. I try hard to believe in every conspiracy. While enjoying most, I believe in few. A terrible leap of faith, but I try.
Nor do I hold a tenuous, if not trepidatious grasp to the possibility of G(g)od. I do not fear Hell. A place of eternal reality show snuff film where all your faults are flogged and boiled in Hellfire and sulfur.
Nor is Heaven a big enough carrot to dangle in front of me. The promise of golden streets and crystal mansions where all one does is praise the perfection of G(g)od and G(g)od's creation does not force me into buying any religion's particular narrative.
I believe in the possiblity of G(g)od because of beer and cheese.
I find beer and cheese, besides tasty and worth living for, to be completely mysterious. Just how in the hell our most ancient of parents figured out how grains and water and spices/hops/flowers and such can be fermented by invisible yeasts to create an intoxifying/nurishing beveridge. Amazing.
As modern humans we to often misunderstand and mock our ancient parents. How could they believe in magic/witchcraft/pagan what-have-yous? We have miscroscopes and germ theory and partical accelorators.
They figured out how to make cheese, a way to preserve milk, probably accidently.
When i drink a well-crafted beer, its smell, appearence, taste-the warm comfort of alcohol remind of mysterious things. The way starchy grains can be roasted and boiled, transformed into sugars and with the introduction of yeast it is all transformed into something completely different. Wonderful.
Then, during my rambly, if not somewhat drunken diatribe, I think, "Well man, you're in Wisconsin, heartland of Beer & Cheese."
Am I a product of my environment? I'm sure wine has inspired many-a-French(wo)man towards faith. And the Trappist monks....beer-making is a portion of a sacred duty.
Or, if I am not a product of my environment could I merely be in Beer & Cheese Heaven? The perfect place for me, I have merely chosen to go where I belong and be happy and prosper. Madison is an excellent beer-town in my and many other's estimation. Is this Heaven? asks the ghost of a long dead baseball player. No, it's Wisconsin.
Cheers to all my friends. Let's lift a few cold ones whenever we gather together. Heck there might be a G(g)od, but G(g)od sure as Hell doesn't drink Miller/Budweiser/Coors.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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4 comments:
Great read. I could see why Wisconsin would persuade some to recognize the possibility of a higher order; for me however, I think Portland is better evidence. Let alone the Coffee, beer, and cheese, Portland is no more than a 1-2 hour drive from an ocean, a desert, and the mountains. If truly there is to be seen an intelligent hand that designed the earth, the Pacific Northwest is the evidence. That said, I want to know what kind of God would allow a place like Aurora, Colorado.
My lack of faith was certainly bolstered by my year or so living in Aurora (Montbello, actually). I must agree that beer and cheese are truly magical. I've never seen god/God in them, but good god they're good.
Well put Alex. While I've never tried it, that cheeseburger between two donuts certainly could lead me to understand the intelligent hand from above...
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