And no religion too...

Can you be good without God? Can you be religious without God? Can you live happily without God? The answer to all three of these questions is definitively yes.

This is obviously a controversial subject, but one that is coming more and more into the public consciousness. In Europe, the lack of religion amongst people is prevalent and considered a non-issue. However, in the United States, this could not be further from the truth. While it seems more and more Americans truly do not believe in the literal word of the Bible, they are not as willing to admit it. This is because if you don't believe in the Bible you are either an Agnostic or (gasp) an Atheist.

I have had discussions with religious Christians, about just about everything there is to talk about. When I tell them that my religious views are leaning toward Atheism, they get this look on their face like the balloon of their interest in anything I have to say has deflated. "Oh... you're an Atheist" they say to me as if that means I've somehow lost my will to live and am nothing but a lost and dying puppy. It makes me livid inside but you know, for no other reason than to be an altruist and good person, I calmly attempt to explain to them my opinions and try my best to share my view of science, religion and the world. Usually this discussion doesn't change a single mind, and I can live with that because I know that by NOT exploding at them and saying "Are you kidding? Judeo-Christian religious extremists are responsible for a good portion of the problems today, and they're reading the same 2000-year obsolete book that you are!" it makes me a better person than I was the day before, with our without religion. I would also like to point out at this time that I hold NOTHING against people with faith, in fact I find it fascinating, moving and interesting, its just when someone tries to shove it down someone else's throat that it can bother me.

The point of all of today's rambling is that you can be good without God; a phrase spoken by many more intelligent and well-read persons than myself. You can even participate in religion without God. I proudly call myself a Jew and I always will, whether or not I believe in the divine nature of the holy books. Judaism separates itself from many other religions by being two faced. There is a religious face, dominated by an ancient language, 613 overly-strict rules and countless changes and interpretations made over thousands of years at the will of men: not Gods but mere men. The other side of Judaism- the side I am still an active believer in- is the cultural side; 2000 years of exile, persecution an learning has created one of the richest national cultures in the world full of food, family and a yearning for answers and I am happy to be a part of it.

No Beatles lyrics today, but instead something very, very close. Most people think that "Imagine" was a Beatles song, but it, of course, was not: it was solely a John Lennon composition, released in 1971. I titled this post as I did because when I listen to "Imagine" I really do try to imagine a world with no religion. What would it be like, who would I be without my Jewish upbringing, who would you be without a life surrounded by religion, whether or not you do or ever did subscribe to those beliefs?

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace "