Religion is an interesting thing. People often use it to justify their actions whether they are peaceful or violent. I think we forget that all religion is an invention of man, and men are fallible. Frankly, almost all religions agree on the basic points, but the devil is in the details, so to speak.

I personally believe that any God that created Mankind has a lot of understanding and a boundless sense of humor. I think we will all be 'judged', if there is such a thing, based on what we as individuals believed. Anyone who does their best to do what's right, no matter what they believed, could not be punished by a fair and just God. This kinda goes against a fundamental tenet of many religions, that their way is the only 'correct' way to believe. Maybe we are graded on a curve, so who knows.

I recently read an interesting argument about the powers of God. The argument went as follows. We believe God to be omniscient and omnipotent. If He is omniscient, then He can see the future and see exactly what actions He will undertake. At that future time He must take that action, rendering Him less than omnipotent. If He chooses to not take that action, then He was not really omniscient after all. The argument is based on the belief that we are not truly free to do something unless we are also free to not do it. I think I can reconcile this dichotomy if all things that are possible can, and do happen in simultaneous realities, but that just makes my head hurt.

Hell is another topic I have an unusual opinion on. I don't believe it exists. I think that it was an invention of man to keep people in line. I assume, or at least have faith in some kind of 'heaven' or some sort of place for our energy to go to when our body dies. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form. If God has our fate in His hands, then our energy has to go somewhere, and the worst thing for our energy to become is nothing. I can't imagine that concept being understood by people of Biblical times. They were hardly above animals, and had the abstract understanding of a child today. It would be easier for people to be given the choice of the carrot or the stick. Be good and you get nice stuff; be bad and you burn in hell. Everyone understands fire and the pain it can inflict.  There was no written word, so as with many stories in the Bible, powerful imagery had to be used to make it memorable enough to be told through the generations. Like children, the concept of reward and punishment would be far more effective than explaining continuous existence versus simply ceasing to be.

I can’t see why any thinking person might want to be an atheist or agnostic.  The fundamental premise of those who believe in a supreme being is that when we die, somehow our ‘faith’ will be rewarded in an afterlife.

When looking at whether to be a ‘believer’ or not, the outcome should be obvious.  I look at these choices by analyzing a best-case worst-case scenario for each.  A Christian for example, has a best-case possibility of being right about Heaven, and will enjoy an eternity frolicking about in the presence of God.  The worst-case scenario is that the belief in Him is wrong, and there is no God, and we all end up worm food.  The end.

For an atheist, their best-case is that they are right, and there is no God, and we all are worm food.  The worst-case for them is that God does indeed exist, and He is pissed, and they will need asbestos underwear for all of eternity.  Not a real pleasant set of choices here.

I hate to even bother addressing an agnostic, the most gutless of believers.  This person does not necessarily believe in anything, but does not discount the possibility of some Supreme Being.  Come on; pick a side.  Its people like that who hope maybe some deathbed conversion might be the ticket.

Here is a clip from South Park where huge crowd of people of various religions amassed at in hell at the end of time.  The ‘hell director’ comes out and announces,  the correct religion was ....... Mormon ...... awww, sorry everybody.