Waking Up

It seems more and more people are waking up to a new reality. A reality where gods have lost their power. Where people have stopped believing their lives are controlled by magical beings in the sky, and realized they are something much more impressive than creatures who have been put on this earth to obey religious dogma. As scientists would say: You're made of stardust. The never-ending advance of science is serving as a great alarm clock.

Of course, there are some who are lagging behind in this awakening. Just take a look at what is grabbing all the attention in America these days. Some of the things we see happening in the presidential election are things that can only be explained by assuming that the ones responsible are either asleep or operating with brains of reduced functionality.

Another example is what's going on in the Middle East. There's no doubt that anyone supporting ISIS is in need of a rude awakening, which can also be said of anyone who subscribes to a fundamentalist interpretation of the teachings of Islam. While all religions are allowed to go through several phases on their way to maturation, any religion who spawns violence like we see in the Middle East should be aided in its evolution. Someone needs to give them a shake, and open their eyes.

This is when the hero of this little text steps forward. His voice might not be the loudest if you only measure in decibel, but his words carry tremendous weight. He is a man who is willing to help people wake up. His name, is Sam Harris.

He is a neuroscientist who has written several books about several different topics, such as religion, morality, and free will. He is probably one of the most famous atheists in the world, but the thing he might be best known for is the argument he had with actor Ben Affleck on the TV show “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

This is, of course, unfortunate, since his work is so much more important than some TV argument. For me, who is someone who havn't read his books, but I have listened to a lot of what this man has to say, and the most important thing Sam Harris gives, is food for thought. When you listen to this man you get the impression that he is an incredibly deep thinker. It seems like he has given much more thought to almost any subject, than anyone else. And he articulates these thoughts through his books and talks.

Take this one, for example: Do you believe you have free will? I would have said that I do. That is, until I heard what Mr. Harris had to say about the subject. I will try to explain why Harris' words changed my perspective, and hopefully do so without misrepresenting his arguments.

Consider this: You did not choose your parents. You did not choose where you were born, or when you were born. Your circumstances during your first years on this planet were completely out of your control. You are born into a reality, of which you have no control, and this is the reality you are supposed to base your choices on. Every decision you make is based on past experiences. That is true now, and it has been true ever since the moment you were born. But when those experiences are forced upon you, does that not mean that your decisions are also forced upon you?

I ask because I don't know. I'm not quite sure what to think of it all. But that will not stop me from thinking about it. And it was Sam Harris who made me want to think about it. He, along with some colleagues of his, is simply telling us that thinking about different topics, and trying to figure things out, with the help of evidence, is the best way for us to wake up and open our eyes. To see what reality is really like.

The reality is that people are just starting to wake up. But many are still asleep. In the United States of America, the most powerful nation on earth, you can not run for the presidency unless you swear that you're a christian. There are senators in Washington D.C. who still do not believe in evolution. People are literally asleep at the wheel.

Thankfully there's a podcast who can help those who are still asleep, at the wheel and anywhere else. It is Sam Harris' podcast, and it is called “Waking Up.”

You can find it right here: LINK

#Religion #Atheism #SamHarris #FreeWill #WakingUp #Serfuntin #Ser #Tin