On BoingBoing I came across this speech on living a meaningful, irreligious life given by Adam Savage, of Discovery Channel's MythBusters. The talk was given when he was accepting the Harvard Secular Society's Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism on behalf of MythBusters.
I particularly like the following section about the (chilling) moment of realization that the real world is not what you were raised on:
The fiction of continuity and stability that your parents have painted for you is totally necessary for a growing child. When you realize that it's not the way the world works, it's a chilling moment. It's supremely lonely.— Delivered to the Harvard Humanist Society, April 2010
Adam is just talking about "growing up" but there is a parallel to an OTDer's shift from believing to unbelieving. I remember sensing my personal moment (at the end of my long search) when I came to the conclusion that god doesn't exist. That moment that evoked many feelings: acceptance, clarity, relief. But mostly there was an unfamiliar sense of "This is it. What you see is what you get." It was (and is) both reassuring and frightening. I was no longer worried about literal bogey men but then I was more worried about the real dangers in the world. You might say I felt more control over my personal destiny (what I would make of my life was MY fault/credit) but at the same time recognizing I was at the mercy of The Universe (i.e. car accidents, recessions, natural disasters, illness).
2 comments:
Why-O-why dost thou havest hardboiled apathy, my friend? You certainly know we're gonna croak, then, where art thou gonna be if you haven't yet received the Grace to literally riseabove? I fear for thy soul, my friend. And I don't wanna lose you --- If you think this life ends at death, can I turn-you-on to procreation in Heaven?? In the Exclusive Landscape Upstairs, higher than the NYC El and muuuuuch better, outside the stanky, litter box of earth, a Beyond-Wonderfully-Delicious-Panorama of guys or girls await you. So dream BIG, America. God loves that. God loves for U.S. to ‘pull Him outta the sky’ and fantasize about where we’re going. God can and will provide if we have a seed of faith. Type in your browser ‘Pascal’s wager’ …and you’ll soon realize this lifelong demise is merely the tip-of-the-iceberg for the two eternities. God bless you with discernment.
Glad to see your marriage has been patched up. I think I can tell also from the fact that you write wife instead of wifey now. I'm sure there was soul searching and hard work. Hatzlacha Rabbah.
Rabban Gamliel
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