Sometimes I feel like praying, even though I don't believe in God. The only prayer that I remember from my brief time in Catholicism as a child is the Lord's Prayer.
So I enjoy interpreting the familiar words from a scientific atheist point of view.
Our Father who art in heaven,
The laws of nature aren't bound by time and space, being both universal and responsible for the space-time continuum of our universe. These laws are our father, mother, sister, brother, and every other sort of familial relationship we might consider ourselves having with them.
Hallowed be thy name.
We humans have an evolved consciousness that allows us to not only experience the universe, but to conceptually understand its workings -- which includes giving names to entities within our experience and formulating mathematical equations that reflect many of nature's laws.
Thy kingdom come.
Of course it comes. It is already here. The cosmos is unimaginably vast, but more and more of it is being comprehended through the advances of science.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
This "will" is the expression of the laws of nature, which govern the most minute subatomic earthly goings-on as well as the course of the hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. So far as is known, nothing in the cosmos fails to fall under the sway of those universal laws.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Nature provides for our needs through the presence of solar energy and the marvelous habitability of our one and only planet Earth.
and forgive us our trespasses,
Everybody screws up regularly. There is no such thing as omniscience, so human life is a continual effort to find the best way forward while avoiding danger spots as much as possible. Of course, the worst "trespass" is failing to preserve the natural environment that makes our planet so suitable for us Homo sapiens to prosper here.
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
Nobody is perfect, since there is no transcendent God or any other divinity able to rise above human frailties. So it makes sense to be tolerant of imperfection, since this is the way of the world. We can strive for the best, but we should be content with the good.
and lead us not into temptation,
It is temping to believe in a nonexistent God, because this belief can provide some comfort and solace, but we need to resist the lures of supernatural fantasies.
but deliver us from evil.
Which includes falsehood, superstition, and failing to recognize reality. Religion is one of the most common guises these "evils" come in, so we need to do our best to be delivered from it.
Jesus said, "When you see one who was not born of woman, fall on your
faces and worship. That one is your Father." Even Saints are born out of women.
Here Jesus is not referring to Saints , he is referring to shabd / word that vibrates in every atom of universe. Shabd / word can't be explained by natural laws.Anyone who says so , is be-fooling innocent gullible people. That shabd / word also vibrates in stone idols , proving once again hindus & christians reverence to stone idol of Jesus / Deities is perfectly justified.
Posted by: vinny | March 12, 2018 at 03:45 AM
Atheists make much noise but the problem is nobody can really hear them because the sound is muffled.
That is, atheism is so absurd it would take a brain surgeon to become a terrorist to justify such an absurd proposition.
Posted by: D.r | March 12, 2018 at 12:28 PM
Dear Lord
Thank you for all those who love you in whatever form they can comprehend with their limited understanding : The true believers who love you for no other reason than they are compelled within.
They most of all. They know nothing. They understand everything. Nothing on earth or heaven can shake their faith in you.
Second, thank you for those who love nature and science, the discovery of your awesome creation in all its elegant and powerful detail. They love science for no other reason than science. They love reality for being real. They are loving you, in the parts they can see and confirm. And their faith in reality, in the hope of discovery, in the future gifts of understanding is unshakable.
Finally, lastly, thank you for the mystics who love you because they know you. I offer thanks for these last because knowing, their personal conviction is no longer based upon the heroism of faith, and the courageous journey of discovery. They love intimately, and for that I offer thanks. But not as much as the first two above, as their love requires little faith and perseverance.
The believer and the scientist are stronger than the mystic. But maybe I should thank you most for the mystic after all, for you took the weakest and brought them very, very close. Thank you for protecting and loving your weakest children, the mystics.
Posted by: Spencer Tepper | March 12, 2018 at 03:44 PM
D.r, I love your irrationality. You're a marvelous example of blind religious belief. Thanks so much for showing the benefits of atheism and agnosticism -- one's mind is preserved to fully function! Since there is no demonstrable evidence of God, obviously it is believers who are ignoring facts and holding to an absurd position. But i realize that in your current frame of mind, you're unable to see reality as it is, but rather as how you'd like it to be. Billions of religious people feel the same way, but that doesn't make a false belief true.
Posted by: Brian Hines | March 12, 2018 at 03:56 PM
This post is hilarious .
Posted by: Cassiodorus | March 12, 2018 at 04:33 PM
Spence - Can I get your email Id? I want to write to you and know you better because whatever I've read from you has touched a chord in me. Thank you.
For Brian: If one wants to go somewhere, one has to stick to one thing. Truth or the divine does not need your assistance. It will happen without you. It is just that you can deny it to yourself. People bring enormous amount of punishment, pain and suffering upon themselves, not necessarily because of a life committed to evil. Their life may be committed to spiritual wellbeing, but every day they choose and re-choose. They keep destabilizing themselves by constantly falling off and falling on. We will bring enormous trouble to ourselves if we do not allow life to form itself – if we keep disturbing that which is taking shape. Every time you choose and un-choose, you distort the course of your destiny. Maybe you un-choose the path you are on because of some situation that you experience as frustrating. But even if in a few hours you are again on, by un-choosing yourself for a few hours, you have destabilized the formation and course of your destiny. http://isha.sadhguru.org/blog/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/nishchala-tattvam-creating-unwavering-intention/
Posted by: RD | March 13, 2018 at 03:45 AM
-
There is a level of nonsense that even atheists don't accept
like again after accepting "Existence"
again a back fall :
F.i. 0*1=Brian
777
But being God yourself
you have to live with the pain
-
Posted by: 777 | March 13, 2018 at 04:02 AM
Hi RD!
Thanks for your message.
From you link....
"Whatever we think in our mind can’t be spiritual. You can’t have a spiritual thought. Whether you think about God, heaven or liberation, that is not a spiritual thought. Thought is essentially psychological, there is nothing spiritual about it."
-Isha
This hits the mark.
Posted by: Spencer Tepper | March 13, 2018 at 01:33 PM
RD,
You say, "stick to one thing, people bring enormous punishment, pain and suffering upon themselves, they keep destabilizing themselves."
Forcing oneself into sticking totally to order can be very rigid and stifling.
Life is Order and Chaos. We need to find a balance between the two. Chaos is where creativity resides...
'You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.’ ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Posted by: Jen | March 13, 2018 at 02:05 PM
Jen - Only from experience, I've come to understand that persistence pays rich dividends, especially in the spiritual path. And there is a certain discipline for the mind, not force, because, as my Master says 'the basis of all spirituality is mind control'. He also says, we should not go out of our way to convince anyone. It is all His will and is happening according to His wishes. So, not trying to convince anyone.
Spence - Love and light to you. RS.
Posted by: RD | March 14, 2018 at 04:28 AM
Hi RD,
Thanks for the reply.
I do agree that we learn from experience in this life and also using discipline for the mind are very important.
Having moved away from following a Master, my path now is living in the moment and not striving for a goal.
I don't like "It is all His will" and "according to His wishes". I see people giving away their power in submission to another. Do they worship a "god" because it makes them feel humble?
I see life now as a discipline but not about praying to a higher power or following a Master, rather its about merging with one's inner self. The only thing we can be sure of is death and thats when we will actually know, is there life beyond death, are there other realms or does our brain manufacture all sorts of stories and visions when we are in a human form. Life is a mystery.
Posted by: Jen | March 14, 2018 at 01:22 PM
I see life now as a discipline but not about praying to a
higher power or following a Master, rather its about merging
with one's inner self.
I agree. If a higher power exists and is total "Omni-ness"
-present, potent, scient- then it's right within us. Whether
you call it inner self, or higher awareness, or the "G" word,
you'd have to seek it out, befriend, and merge with it inside.
Not off in some heaven, or holy temple, or cave in Tibet.
The only thing we can be sure of is death and thats when we
will actually know is there life beyond death
Actually, if you're only a brain, that's moot :)
or is there life beyond death, are there other realms or does
our brain manufacture all sorts of stories and visions when we are
in a human form. Life is a mystery.
Definitely, we get the full spectrum of stories and visions and
fake news from inside. But everything beautiful comes from there
too -reason, intuition, appreciation, love. The moments when we
know there is more than the dross of the world. Any process which
takes us inside to explore the mystery of consciousness is the
right path. Here and now. Before the "brain" goes silent.
Posted by: Dungeness | March 14, 2018 at 09:09 PM
"The discovery of this reality is hindered rather than helped by belief, whether one believes in God or believes in Atheism."
Alan Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity.
Brian, do you remember reading this?
Belief in Atheism is a hindrance to discovering the reality around and within us. It's not about belief. Not about religion, including the religion of Atheism.
It is the experience of the divine. Which is the entire creation.
Beyond thought or argument, or any mental comprehension. But it isn't nothing. Just nothing the mind can manipulate.
Posted by: Spencer Tepper | March 15, 2018 at 08:05 PM
Our father who aren’t in heaven,
Hollow be thy name,
Thy kingdom’s dumb,
We’ll get things done, on Earth,
Because there is no heaven,
No one gives us our daily bread
Or forgives us our debts,
For we must purchase our needs,
So we’ll lead ourselves to contemplation
And protect ourselves from evil,
For nature is our kingdom,
And our power, but not your glory,
Not ever. A Man.
Posted by: Hugh | October 15, 2023 at 08:02 AM
Hi, Brian.
I found this post of yours searching on Google, for a ‘secular Lord’s Prayer’. The reason? ‘Cause I’ve written one myself. And wondered who else might have. Turns out I can’t find anyone!
Have you ever read Alain de Botton’s Religion For Atheists? Not a stunning book. But I understand and sympathise with the idea at its heart.
I won’t go into it all here. But if you’re interested, you can read about my evolving attempts at a secular rendition of The Lords Prayer:
1st attempt (right near the end of the post)
http://www.sebpalmer.com/blog/?p=23187
2nd go
http://www.sebpalmer.com/blog/?p=25336
Why would I bother to do such a thing? Well, as I said above, I’ll not go into that here. That’s the sort of thing I cover on my blog…
Posted by: Sebastian Palmer | December 14, 2024 at 04:00 AM