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FAQ about God and Deities |
Do you believe in God?
The short answer is no. The long answer is - if he comes out of hiding we will believe in him. As long as he remains the invisible guy in the sky - he doesn't meet the objective reality test. The longer answer can be found on our Does God Exist page.
An important point is that the term "God" doesn't refer to a single entity. There are thousands of gods out there and every individual has their own personal conception of God based on their own imagination. So even if the Church of Reality was to decide to accept a deity, we would have to identify which one is real out of millions of choices. So we are going to have to wait till a deity steps forward and identifies itself.
Aren't you afraid you are going to burn in Hell forever if you are wrong?
Nope - not at all. But I would be more afraid if I were a Theist. After all - what if you picked the wrong religion? Maybe the Muslims are right. Maybe the Mormons are right. What if it's the Jehovah's Witnesses. We believe in what's real. Burning in Hell forever over a mistaken opinion clearly isn't. Aren't you afraid of wasting your life believing in fiction if you are wrong? What would scare me more is that if this is our entire existence, maybe 75 years and then we are gone, I wouldn't want to waste it all worshiping a fictional deity.
Do you believe in an after life?
Officially - the Church of Reality does not believe in an afterlife or pre life. If it is ever proven that there is an afterlife - we will believe in it. However - part of who we are survives in the Tree of Knowledge which represents the sum total of all human understanding. You might be remembered positively for something you accomplished or contributed - or negatively for something terrible you did - or - you might not be remembered at all. You might end up being forgotten. After the last person who knew you personally has died - will anyone remember you? Have you accomplished anything or contributed anything worth remembering?
For example - Albert Einstein is still with us because he contributed Relativity to the Tree. The "guy who invented the wheel" is still with us. The only afterlife that we know for sure is if we are remembered or if we accomplish something that becomes part of the Tree of Knowledge. In the Church of Reality - if you want an afterlife - you have to earn it.
What about punishment?
If you turn your back on reality - you will be punished! Seriously though - people who take reality into consideration in their daily lives tend to make better decisions giving them access to opportunities and avoiding the pitfalls of those who turn their back on the real world. Reality can make your life better.
Do you worship anything or anyone?
Not really. However - there are some things we hold as sacred and holy. We consider the Tree of Knowledge to be something that is holy to us. When we use the terms sacred and holy - it's because it is part of our lives and our commitment to the truth. We also consider Mother Earth to be sacred because this is where we evolved and we are dependent on it for our survival.
But - we don't worship anything - pray to anyone - or fear the wrath of deities striking us down for failing to worship them.
Do you believe in a higher intelligence?
Not in the form of a deity. But the human race is interconnected through the Tree of Knowledge and we function as if humanity itself were a super organism that we are all a part of. In that respect humanity could be considered to be a superior being to us individually.
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