Name: Travis Morgan
Location: Roscoe, Illinois
Age: 31
Biography:
Born and raised in Rockford IL, I was enlisted in the U.S. Marines from 1996-2000, I am a father or four, husband, poet, philosopher, music artist, graphic and web designer, and truth seeker.
STORY:
I don’t believe there is a god or gods to believe in or to disbelieve in. It is because, for the most part, just the plain lack of evidence. I know, a lack of evidence doesn’t prove there isn’t a god, but it certainly does not provide a foundation to suggest that there is a god either, especially with the evidence we have for the formation of the universe reflects natural causes. It wasn’t until my late 20′s that I started even caring to question the existence of gods. Up until then, I had accepted what my family, friends, and the people around me had told me. They didn’t say, “believe in god.” No, they had just always acted and talked as though they “knew” god existed, as though it were self-evident, and I, like a child that trusts his parents because he does not have the experience to know such things, trusted the confidence of my elders. But then it all changed. When I suddenly acquired a passion for the pursuit of truth. It must have crept up without me realizing it over the years, as I had studied philosophy on my own starting at a very young age. Of course that, and other experiences, I think must have conditioned me, and ultimately determined me towards the pursuit of truth.
That is when it all started, with this passion for pursuing truth, and with it came learning the methods to uncover truths. I understood over time, that what it usually boils down to come closer to the truth is following the evidence, gathering information, using reason and logic, testing and double testing the results, being aware of and avoiding bias, feelings, ego, logical fallacies, etc… It is with these utensils, that one is guided to come closer to discovering the truth. When re-presented with the god topic, it didn’t take long to realize that the evidence suggested that the god concept is manmade, and simply does not exist.
With this realization, the pieces of life suddenly fell so perfectly in place, it all made sense now. No wonder god didn’t answer my prayers as a child, there wasn’t one, I was talking to the ceiling. And yes, I still hold this belief because I started participating in forums, conversations, debates, rhetoric’s of many sorts, I researched the topic thoroughly, and my position has only been reinforced by the results of my investigations. If anything I have been left with an overwhelming abundance of evidence that suggest the god concept was created by man, mostly to fill in the gaps, the unknowns of life, thus providing a temporary comfort to primitive man and his relative ignorance of the universe. Now that those gaps are being filled by the answers provided by improved scientific research, the god concept seems to have evolved into a meme in order to survive the times overwhelming evidence that suggest better alternatives to explain the origins of the universe and life.
This is “my story” submitted to: http://www.thereprobablyisnt.com/
Submit your 500 words or less story too!
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Update! After reading several of stories on thereprobablyis, I decided to create a satirical piece of my own that reflects the common sentiments in many of the stories.
My submission was as follows:
Name: Trevor
Location: Texas
Age: 14-64
Biography:
Born and raised on his favorite planet earth, I am a child of the almighty Father. God gave me free-will to have faith in him and worship him for eternity and to not be tempted by Satan. My life has been dedicated to worship him.
Story:
There probably is a god because that is what my parents, family, and friends, told me. Actually, there MUST be a god so that I can live forever in either heaven or hell, doesn’t matter, as long as I can live forever. I don’t have evidence that god exist, but It is necessary that I believe in him as it comforts my fear of the unknowns in life. God fills in all the blanks and that makes me feel really good! God is love, and my relationship with god and his love is like that of a pen and a hamburger, totally unrelated but it is there nonetheless. There probably is a god because it is self-evident, just look around you, look under a rock and he is there, and sometimes you will find a snail, he created that snail too.
There probably is a god because I exist, as does life, the planet, and the universe. This is his sandbox, and we are his sand castles, individually we are the grains of sand he created to worship his greatness. Wow, I really love god for creating me to worship him, I have nothing better to do with my life. What would I do if he didn’t create me? Some people can not see god because they are too smart, they only follow reason, logic, and their physical brain. They need to open their spirit to god and they too will be blessed with his creative power. This website is a testimony to the fact that there probably is a god. How can all these people be wrong about god? The bible says god is real and I believe that because it tells me to believe it. God created man to write the bible so that other men could read it and know to worship him. Yea, there probably is a god because I have felt his presence and experienced his love. Praise the Lord, the almighty father of heaven and earth.
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There probably is. But not like that.
More later, perhaps. I totally appreciate your submission to “there probably is.” Your description of the logical process of seeking truth is pretty true to my process. I work off a lot of experiential evidence, which is a bit more challenging to corroborate so I hold it all very lightly.
Julies last blog post..For A, and other language lovers
Don’t hold back Julie, I want to here more.
There Probably Isn’t published your story, but There Probably Is probably won’t touch it. :P
Kobras last blog post..I Hate the Willfully Ignorant
I don’t know why Kobra. I thought it was great! :)
Me neither. It’s just what they’re looking for!
Kobras last blog post..I Hate the Willfully Ignorant
I thought your “There Probably Is” story was great, too. It’s exactly what a lot of religious people believe. Too bad many won’t ever see just how ridiculous they sound telling stories like that. I mean really, one of the top stories on that site starts with, “I believe in God because he has saved my life by showing me hell!”. So… you think god made your life miserable in order to save you? Plus, you think he did it so that you’d worship him? Doesn’t sound like a god I want anything to do with. Seriously though, I just love how some people try to blame a god for their troubles instead of just taking responsibility for their own life. Anyway, thanks for posting your story. It’s inspired me to write my own little “There Probably Isn’t” story.
Lees last blog post..Brainwashing Against Brainwashing? Is that even possible?
Travis, where do I start? I don’t mind sharing my experience, but at the same time I have no need to convince you (or anybody) of anything about “how things are”. Any conclusions are tentative at best.
Though I could as easily write the same stuff for “there probably isn’t” as for “there probably is” because the thing that I would describe as God does not sound like what others describe as such. More like an impersonal ocean. And that is what I would describe as the medium through which real connection – being to being – with others occurs.
A. Julies last blog post..For A, and other language lovers
Julie, so are you pantheistic? When you say “god” are you just referring to nature? Or are you referring to some kind of universal consciousness. Or do you believe in a personal god as many people do? I’m just trying to understand where you are coming from.
Um. You know, I haven’t thought about it in those terms in quite some time.
So, am I antheistic – in some very loose form, perhaps.
“God” referring to nature – no.
Universal consciousness – in some very loose form, perhaps.
Personal god – definitely not in the conventional fashion.
So that leaves something like pantheism and soemthing like universal consciousness. But only if as part of that notion, we (humans, as apparently-separate incarnations) are also a form of That and have the potential to extend awareness outside of conventionally observed boundaries. Most people don’t appear to be aware in that regard, to put it loosely.
A. Julies last blog post..For A, and other language lovers
Glad yer on da A Bandwagon Brother*
U are very Brave + Courageous especially having been a US Marine where dat kinda poop doesn’t go over too swell*
Happy Gobble Gobble to All my American Friendz!!
;)) Peace*
BillyWarhols last blog post..HELP FAKE STEVE BALLMER FIGHT BACK!!
There is no bigger danger to religion than the educated man :)
We need God…
Would you believe that piece of artwork made itself?
no.. the beauty is in the heart and the mind of the creator…
your creator who ” knit you in your mothers womb..” ” you are fearfully and wonderfully made”
You’re not an accident… and he loves you deeply even with your back turned to him
Pray this…hey God, if you are real and true, please don’t let me rely on my limited experience and knowledge but please I sincerely pray, reveal yourself to me
in Jesus name
Amen…
See what happens in the next few weeks friend…
Galatians 1:9
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Oh, look, a godbot!