is your god a little god?

"How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, "This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said—grander, more subtle, more elegant. God must be even greater than we dreamed"? Instead they say, "No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way." — Carl Sagan

The universe is more awesome to me now than it ever was when I was a religious person attempting to believe in and follow a man-made god. Constructing make-believe gods is a self-protecting activity and thus self-centered. Now that I'm thinking this life may very well be all that there is, I am taking more personal responsibility for my thoughts, words, and actions here and now.

As a Christian I always thought "it" would all get worked out in the end by God. I was off the hook for having to figure out or give an opinion regarding some of the more controversial problems in the world. Passing personal responsibility off to God was one of the most debilitating things I did to myself during my 35+ years of following religious belief. My "thinker" became rusty.

Reasoning is not encouraged in the religious world. It's dangerous. Creeds and doctrines must be preserved at all cost in order to ensure religion's survival. Reasoning and dogma do not mix. I've proved it!