What is your Moral Arc?

I've spent a lot of time trying to wrap my brain around understanding how anyone could question my morals based on my disbelief in a system that has absolutely no evidence or substance.

I want everyone reading this to be very aware that I know. I know what it is to want to serve the Lord and be a vessel for His will to be done through me. I lived that life for many years. I influenced people I love and care for to begin following God and in hindsight I deeply regret ever doing so.

I was determined to stay steadfast in my walk and remain faithful to the Lord, no matter what. So don’t for a second think I wasn’t sincere in my beliefs. And Instead of questioning wether I was a “True Christian,” (which in itself is a Logical Fallacy ) question why it is I fell away to begin with. It seems this is a topic most people do not wish to know. Instead they avoid the subject all together. For myself, it speaks volumes.

It seem an intellectual conversation about this topic causes discomfort. A thoughtful discussion is out of the question. The lack of curiosity to genuinely examine the very thing so many are adamantly convinced is “Truth” is quite frustrating for me. From my experience with family and friends, it's been a quick shut down. It's never me that brings the subject up, but when the topic of faith or religious beliefs is mentioned, I get a little hopeful to engage in a thoughtful conversation. Instead, I get shut down with a defensive response, "I don't want to talk about it" or, "We just can't talk about religion." What a shame. Close minded. No room for growth. Stuck in a giant claustrophibic box. Can you feel my frustration of not being allowed to share my thoughts, after I've been spewed with religious propoganda from the very person that brings it up to me?

There are questions I’d like to have thoughtfully answered. I feel guilty for betraying those I helped lead into a superstitious perspective of reality and the problem I now face is that no one seems to want to engage in a discussion that makes them feel uncomfortable about questioning their beliefs. If ones faith is strong, why the unwillingness for having it logically scrutinized? Anymore, I simply can’t understand how anyone can seem to be skeptical and think critically about all other aspects of everyday life – their religious faith being the one exception.

I can understand the desire of wanting to be with our loved ones and to be connected with our children and spouces for all eternity. I too would love that to be the case. The problem is, in reality there’s absolutely no objective evidence suggesting a God exists. If ANYONE could present me with such evidence, I’d be more than willing to re-examine my position and make the logical adjustments to my worldview and embrace it.

Is it too much to expect the same from others?

It's my desire to live simply. To do so, I want to live a life knowing the most truths and the fewest falsehoods. I am more at peace today than I EVER was as a believer.

Here's an excellent video I want to share. Please consider this mans points he speaks of in this thought-provoking segment.

I'm currently reading another wonderful book of Michael Shermer’s, (an academic historian of science) titled, "The Moral Arc.” Shermer’s a former fundamentalist Christian who, during graduate studies, came to reject his past beliefs and devoted himself to investigating pseudoscience and claims of the supernatural. A very easy read exploring how the moral standards of humans have evolved over the course of history. For the better. He demonstrates that the arch of the moral universe bends not merely towards justice but also toward truth and freedom, and that these positive outcomes have largely been the product of societies moving toward more secular forms of politics, moral reasoning and ethical analysis.

I think many of us believe society’s moral compass has been eroding over the decades and Shermer’s piece shows this to be unequivocally false. His studies explore how the media impacts our perception of the world around us. It presents us with what we want, and in doing so, builds paranoia. The perception. Our moral fiber is being shredded and we’re all but moments away from annihilation through some sensational form or another. The reality. We’re much safer today than we’ve ever been. We live longer and in short we are living in the most moral point in the history of our species.