Evolution Game, The

I've been meaning to post this journal in a while, but never really had a chance.

This summer I'm working at a camp. I was worried when I applied for the job that it was going to be some sort of religious retreat camp. I got the job through craigslist so I didn't really do much research. Turns out that the place is phenomenal and guess what? No forced religious views within this camp! From what I over heard from a conversation between campers the camp is about 40% Jewish, but really there's nothing Jewish about the camp at all.

It's like a microcosm of a secular society, but everyone is established within their own groups according to age. The most I've seen about imposing values upon the children are posters around camp asking to be polite and respect one another. There are no religious images found anywhere at camp. Every week a certain age group puts on a play. I was checking around to see what plays were produced at the camp and I couldn't help but notice a Harry Potter play. Every day I pass by a Jehova's Witness Camp and I often wonder if a Harry Potter play would be shown at that place. It's doubtful, but I always like to think of the different ways why Harry Potter is hated among Christian groups.

During a spirit rally - a day where every cabin has events to entertain the kids - I noticed a cabin playing a game called Evolution. For some reason the game interested me. I wanted to know how it was played. I observed and found it very interesting.

Basically this is how the game works:

1. All the kids start off as eggs. The kids often jump around with their heads above their head and yell, "Egg! Egg! Egg!"

2. When another person bumps into you a game of rock, paper scissors (RPS) comes into play.

3. The winner of the RPS evolves into whatever they want and the loser remains an egg until another person bumps into him or her.

4. This process goes on and on until the kids become humans. I believe there are about five or six stages evolutions go through until they become human.

So there you have it. A game about evolution. Of course the methods used in the game are debatable, especially the part about evolution by chance, but I can't really see any other way of playing the game.

I love this summer job!

Things I've stopped and others not so much

The Four Horsemen DVD made me think about what I've stopped doing ever since I became an Atheist. Richard Dawkins said he hasn't stopped saying grace at the table, because he can say empty words at the table. I found that be quite odd, but then I got to think that grace is a good way to just reflect on how the food got onto the plate and keep good thoughts about it. I, however, have never said grace by myself, I always have others instigate the act in a large group. I don't really mind it that much. Other's pray to god about the food, while I just think about the farmers and butchers.

Another thing I am gradually trying to stop is the use of anything related to god within a exclamation or a sign of disbelief. For example, when someone had a close call, I've had to catch myself saying, "Thank God you're alright." However, when someone does something ridiculous I still say "Oh Jesus Christ!" I figure it won't hurt to keep that exclamation and why not? It's probably the best outburst ever... well asside from "Holy Tap Dancing Christ!" You can tell I'm quite done respecting that fictional character.

One thing I will not stop doing is stop listening to "Ave Maria" when I hear a good rendition of it anywhere. Yes, I know the song is extremely influential to the Catholic faith, but it is a beautiful song. There are a lot of songs that use books as their main source of influence. I just don't see how Ave Maria is any different.

The last thing, so far, on this list is that I've stopped being so quite. I've noticed I'm saying a lot more than I used to. This blog is part of it as well.

Doorbell Discussion: Selling God

I was in the kitchen eating and watching a television programme. The doorbell rang. I ask my sister, "Are you expecting someone?" She said no. Curious as I am, I decided to open the door.

Unknowing to the person or persons behind the door, I thought I would be ready to toss them away if they were selling anything. If my sister was not expecting anyone, then sure as heck my parents weren't expecting anyone else either. Upon opening the door, I see a man in denim pants and an indigo shirt with the words Toronto Challenge and a silhouette of the Toronto Skyline in front of a yellow sun. He was probably in his late 50s; more gray hairs upon his head than black and sported a very thin gray goatee. Beside the aged man was a very young person, possibly as old as me. He had a white shirt with black slacks and held a clip board. Clipped on to his left breast was a name tag that said Ariel... something. I could not read his last name, because it was foreign to me. Right then and there I knew they were going to sell God to me. Unfortunately, I had not prepared for this conversation, but I was not afraid. I knew they had something I don't have, a god.

"Hello," said the old man, "are your parents home?"

I replied, "Nope, actually she's in the shower." That was not a lie, it was the absolute truth.

"Oh, look at that a U of T shirt. Do you go there?" the man said, quickly to change the subject to me.

"Yes, I actually graduated from school there." I said trying to figure out how to get them away from the door.

Surprised, the man replied, "Really? How old are you?" I told the man I was old enough.

He asked again if there was no one available. I sternly said no. I did not know what to expect, because the beginning of the conversation threw me off. Normally, when Christian groups approach the door, they go straight into their spiel and sell their god right off the bat. Instead, this man eases his way into an irrelevant conversation. His confidant on the other hand is just watching and starring. It's as almost as if he was training to be like this man.

The man looked down and around when he spoke these next words, "I'm from a Christian group," Bingo! I thought, "just getting others opinion about god and their beliefs and I was just..."

I just had to interrupt him right away, "Oooh, Yeaah, You know what? I don't think you're talking to the right person."

"Oh?" He looks over to his young friend, "are you an Atheist or of another religion?"

I quickly replied, "Atheist."

"The whole family?"

I looked at the young man and his older counter part for a second and responded, "Yes" An absolute lie, as I am the only atheist in the family. Why did I say it? To keep it nice and simple for this Christian solicitor? Yes, I guess that's it. When I told him the family was atheist, The man's eyes widened and turned to his younger counterpart as if to find approval of what he thinks of the situation. At this point, my cat was trying to peek her way outside. I grabbed her before she approached their feet and pushed her back inside.

"Really?" the man continued, "I've not met many Atheist... [Yeah well, you're speaking with one.] You're a thinker [points to my U of T shirt], I know that for sure. Could you give me any reason why you're an atheist or are you afraid to speak about your atheism?"

It was right then and there that I decided to have this doorbell discussion. If I don't have it now, then I will never forgive myself for the opportunity. I specifically told the man, that I don't believe in the supernatural and life after death. I don't believe in the superstitions that come with religion. I choose to live in the now and never aspire to relish the possibility of the after and I apologise if I offend.

His response was thus; Not everyone can understand in everything in the universe and therefore a belief in God - someone much bigger than we are - is something to consider.

My response is that those are not options to me at all. I've told him that I've read the Koran [working on it] and the Bible and others [still working on it] and those collection of books cannot be something to live only by. [Keep in mind, I've told them that I do not mean to offend, but just offer my point of view.]

He called me a thinker. There was no sarcasm in his remark, but I almost took offensively. He introduced himself as Mike and his friend Ariel. Apparently Ariel is from Sweden. [I was wondering when I could bring up Thor, it'll be in here shortly] We all shook hands and continued our conversation. He told me that there were not many like me. [I'm sure there are many like me, but are afraid to speak out]. He said that people who know most about the facts of all religions are agnostic. I told him flatly that it is not an option. [By now you should know that being an Atheist is hard work, because facts about other religions is something I strive to feed my atheism. Being ignorant about other religions is just not the way to go for me.]

He then told me about a man named Josh McDowell. He compared McDowell to me and said that McDowell had a professor who was very Christian. He explained that McDowell would ridicule his professor's Christian faith. After graduating from university, McDowell traveled to the locations of where the stories took place in the Bible. After this so called pilgrimage, McDowell became a Christian believer. He suggested to me that I read "Not Just a Carpenter by Josh McDowell". I honest to goodness was in need of reading material, even if it was pro-Christian.

Thinking about it now, if you go to places where the Bible states where the stories took place, it will most definitely make the person believe. But, think about this: If you were to take a fictional story that takes place in a city or town and reference to major landmarks, city streets and environment and have that person roam the city with that book, then that person would believe those events actually happened... Well give or take, because we know that authors write what they know, so there could be part truths and some lies. However, the point is that the experience is much more real than a movie, but that person needs to know that the bible writers drew much of their writing from personal experience of Jerusalem and an expansion of their own imagination.

I was wondering if at some point his younger friend was going to talk. I seemed to focus this discussion towards the somewhat wiser of the two. Throughout the conversation he always asked for my name. My name is a biblical name, because apparently my parents have no creativity at all. He mainly talked about God and Jesus and how Jesus said he was God. He spoke of other religions and their leaders, who don't claim to be God, but it is "because in the scriptures Jesus says that he is the light... The way... he is the son of God.. He is God... What other religion claims that?" I took it as rhetorical, but I almost answered when he said "None." My response comprised of the mention of Thor, Dyonisus and Horus and their motifs used in the Christian religion. His response was that the gods of those times exhibited human emotions. I think at one point he mentioned gods having children... I thought nothing of it, but thinking about it now... Isn't Jesus a part human God, like Hercules?

After a pretty long conversation, considering he knew he wasn't going anywhere with me. He politely said he will pray for me and my family to god. He understands that it does not mean anything now, but it will at some point. He told me that his devotion to god was almost as if he was a person stricken with cancer praying for a cure - that was the observation he said his friends perceived. He confirms that there is a higher power and that there is something much greater than we are. We are just little compared to god.

I was going to leave it at that, but I had to say something. I said, "Do you want to know why I don't believe in god? Why is it that others praise the grace of god for their fortunes, when they can attribute the goals and achievements to themselves? I believe we are in charge and god's intervention has noting to do with it... Do you have an answer to that?" I probably shouldn't have said that, because it is as if I'm implying he does! Ugh!

He said he did and explained that there will be times where there will be an amount of distress in a persons life. They will soon realize they are helpless. With the grace of god they can find their own path and grow from there.

I said with a mindset like that, of course!

What he asked next didn't sound like an attack, but writing will. He said, "Is there anything in your life that made you hate god? You were a Catholic before you became atheist am I correct?"

I said, "Yes, I was once a Catholic when I was a child, but I did not hate god. I found the people who follow him unbearable and you know the fundamentalist aren't really appealing to your cause." [good save!]

Both men laughed, "Don't we know it!"

"Look no matter how you view it there are fundamentalist on either side of Christianity, Islam, heck even atheism. I just choose not to follow the superpositions, life after death, and ghosts - which I know from Christianity you believe in the Holy Ghost. As a Catholic through the consecration we were supposed to believe it was the real body of Christ after the priest blessed them, but no matter how you put it. It is still bread and wine."

With that he said, "Well, this Friday we're going to have a prayer session at [a chruch]"He handed me a pamphlet that says, "We Want To Change Forever The Way You Think About Church" Morningstar Christian Fellowship. I said, "I'm simply and humanist. I believe more in humanity that I do of religion." He shook my hand, then with Ariel and he again reassured me he'll pray for me and my family. I just said "thanks" because I still don't know what to say to that without being blunt and say, "I don't need your prayer or your god."

This account may not be a full recollection of what transpired between me and the Doorbell Christians, but they approached me and my home. There may be things that I added and subtracted from the conversation, but rest assured my responses in this writing are my own opinions. The Christians may seem a bit one sided in this account, but we did not full go far into deep discussion. We only scratched the surface. If they wanted to go further, I would have undoubtedly pursued, but again it was just on the surface stuff. I could tell they wanted to move on to another house, because a conversation with me about religion would rob them four or five houses with potential listeners and followers.

19 years gone

I just realized that I wasted about 19 years of my life. I'm actually 24, but I'm guessing that at around age five I would have had the fear of God pressured upon me by my parents before I attended kindergarten. I need to find a way to make up for that time lost, because I definitely have not been living my life. It's time to take risks and wishing for bigger and better things. I can achieve all that by trying indefinitely. But, first things are first... I need to move out and become fully independent. I got the skills, so the best thing to do is use them to get a better job. Life is great so far. I haven't had any qualms at all. I do sometimes have a crick in my neck when someone tells me what God gave me. Other than that, everything is fine and dandy.

I managed to watch The Four Horsemen. Great conversations by the four (Dennet, Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris). There were times I validated my similar thoughts of religion with their talk. There were others conversations that surprised the heck out of me. I would say that I agree with about 99% of what the four had to say about religion. I just didn't understand why Dawkins found nothing wrong with grace prayers before eating. He didn't explain it much, other than saying that grace to him were empty words and as an Atheist he can say empty words. I honestly don't find them empty words if you take God out of the grace before meals. It is more of a personal thank you to the hard working farmers and nature. Those are the two elements that made the meal possible why ruin perfect thanks to God? that would make meaningful words empty words indeed.