Second Chances

A few days ago I saw "Birth" and it got me thinking about the afterlife. I think at some point, every person has thought about this. What happens to us after we die? But you don't have to be rocket scientist to know that question will never be answered. Still, you have to give credit to the religions of the world, they can practise wishful thinking like nobody else! It's better to have some hope than to have nothing at all, I guess?

Christians believe in extremities: people either go to Hell if they've been bad or they are rewarded for their sainthood and go to Heaven. Muslims also believe in a life post-mortum, but their chances of moving on are delayed until the End of Time. Only after Judgement Day will they be allowed to go to Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam (Hell). And then there are the religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism who believe in the possibility of reincarnation, a second chance at life, if you will, one that is directionally proportional to the way you've lived your life. Basically: if you've amassed enough good karma you get to be a butterfly or an eagle, if you're bad karma gauge is fuller, then chances are you could come back as a dung beetle.

But then I started thinking about how I imagined life after death. Do I believe in such things? I guess I can relate most to reincarnation because of the beauty and possibility it holds: to be given a second chance at life and to do things differently. I don't think I could live with the absolute idea of Heaven or Hell. Eternal bliss or eternal damnation seem too threatening because of its lack of definitiveness. After all, who or what categorizes what is a benevolent and what is a malicious act? The idea of someone or something lording that kind of power of me is just unbearable.

So that's why reincarnation doesn't sound so bad. It's more probable than trying to undo all of your past mistakes, not to mention cheaper than buying a time machine! Of course, the condition would be to come back as a human or something closely resembling it, otherwise making amends would be quite difficult without the apparatus of speech or a glimpse of humanity. And it would also be necessary to be reincarnated in the same lifespan as the person you want to have a second chance with, no point in apologizing to someone who has died two centuries prior!

Come to think of it, reincarnation seems to be a lot of work with a highly risky and fairly minimal chance of success. Maybe it would be easier to just make the most out of this life and assume it's the only one we're going to get? That way, there's enough time for redemption and we wouldn't have to go through the hassle of dying first to set things right! It'll save the powers that be - if ever they were - a whole lot of trouble!

I guess I have allowed you so much insight into my life that I can safely speak my mind: I don't believe in the presence of a God. I don't believe that there is something or someone that has created the entire universe and everything in it. Because the thing major religions seem to miss is that if their God is so benevolent and loving, why didn't he/she/it create more people in his image? Wouldn't it have made more sense to have five Edens instead of just one? Besides, science has evolved to the point that it has surpassed religion in terms of credibility and validity. We can explain everything ranging from blue skies to the very point of creation, so I think that if there was a God, we would've found some proof of him/her/it by now.

When I was little, I used to look up at the clouds and imagine an entire kingdom high above where everyone who had ever lived went to. A Utopia of golden spoons and rice pudding. Isn't that the cheesy line they're feeding kids these days? But as I grew older I became more interested in explanations rather than fables. My scepticism annihilated my ability to believe in a God. But frankly, I don't regret that. I don't wake up wishing I had someone to believe in. I don't regret not going to church or taking the Lord's name in vain whenever I curse. And when I have kids of my own I won't force religion upon them, if ever they feel the need to pick up a Bible or a Thora, I certainly won't hold that against them. On the contrary, it'd be very brave of them to surrender themselves to a higher power, but just in case, I'll be there, keeping a sceptical eye on them.

After scrolling a bit, I realise I've really delved into the whole "I don't believe in God" subject, so there's no need to indulge myself any further. As an alternative for my ranting, I chose a couple of quotes from famous people with their take on religion:

Abraham Lincoln said the following:
When I do good, I feel good;
when I do bad, I feel bad,
and that is my religion.

Ian McKellen aka Magneto said:
I've often thought the Bible
should have a disclaimer in the front saying
"this is fiction".

Oscar Wilde:
The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.

And the last one by Sir Richard Francis Burton:
The more I study religions
the more I am convinced
that man never worshipped anything but himself.