Well I am not here to argue nor to diss anyone else's experience and belief. I certainly don't have all the answers nor can I guarantee that we live in a cold, mechanical Universe/Multiverse. I do know that the world is chock full of diverse religions and they all strike me as being wrong in the same way that my native religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now strikes me as being wrong.
If I were you and had experienced the phenomena you described, I'd probably be a lot less atheist and a lot more agnostic than I am. I might have a 25% belief in the existence of some kind of God/dess/es, and a 66% belief in reincarnation. Maybe someday I'll have those kinds of experiences. I hope so.
I am with you on the con aspect of every religion I see in the world. The stuff I wrote about in a Circle of Friends came out of a vision I had as a child. Now, I look at everything going on connected to churches and religions over the years and makes me go, even if my vision is real, people will turn it into crap.
I went through the Bible and just looked at what Jesus said, nothing else. Guy sounds pretty cool. How you get from what really sounds like free love, total hippie to right wing, butt fucking children, move the priest so he can have more in the Name of Jesus a Christ our savior The Lord Ahmen No abortions, but let's kill the retarded kid. Wow. Sounds pretty fucked up to me.
Of in the Muslim theme park we have bag the bitch and cut off her clit? I have just a minor problem thinking the Dude who made this rather elegant world and spiffy universe, came back and said, "Hey listen, I fucked up in a couple of spots, so if you guys don't mind could you just...." (And in this case got to be a Dude, girls would never have made a unibrow!)
In modern times in the USA, (modern I mean recentish history) a group of rich white men (2% more than 200 slaves) who owned tons of slaves, convinced a huge group of poor white men (95% never owned nor had any chance of owning a slave) to fight and die by the millions for the Right to own a slave. And they used religion as the base of this argument. Pure con.
So, intelligent design that has some randomness to it and picks what works best, yes I think there is some of that. The lesson. I take from this is "Try different shit and see what works best. Then try some more shit and see if that works better. If it doesn't work, stop doing that."
Do I think we should live our lives hoping this all powerful being is going to notice us being "good" and make us a movie star?
no no no no not a fucking bit.
Now I come down in the believe there are atoms, I cannot see, over God picked Dallas last Sunday, but has decided Denver should win this week and eight year old Mary Beth is going to be butt fucked by a priest, while giving Dick Cheney the OK to bomb Iraq so his pension could get another twenty five million ( yes folks every Happy meal that Haliburton delivers to the troops, Dick Cheney gets a cut).
Stephen Hawkings? I mean here is a total cripple in a wheel chair and Einnie cannot find a fucking comb. I took off my shoes to try to follow along, but they lost me at twenty. I suspect they know shit that is useful, more than "Gawd told me to tell you blah blah."
However their shit (cripple and Ennie) sounds less harmful than "Kill them they believe in the wrong God" guys.
I've had the experiences I talked about. I am not thinking about my past life or my next one either. I am thinking I am going to meet my daughter next week and I am packing my bags, well I am thinking about packing my bags. But not living my life like these experiences are a Proof of Gawd, or that they mean I should live my life in some special way because of it.
God Goddesses reincarnation
So what?
Now that CO2 and water with sunshine can make a plant, totally Wow!
That I can drink two gases, H2 with an O, Wow!
I am quite sure I could eat the plant without knowing and drink the waters as well, but still wow.
Sacrificing a chicken to appease an angry God? You guys go ahead, but could I have the dead chicken when you are done? I could do with a bit of fried chicken right now.
I don't think I am up to the place where my wall phone has the talking and listening part in one thing, I got to hold something to my ear and talk at the wall. You guys flipping open your iPhones hitting some app and making a magic carpet. I am totally jealous. But I tried ripping the phone off the wall and it stopped talking to me completely.
But I am praying to Gawd to send someone to ficit.
Communism by itself, sure sounds nice. Russia and China sure did a nice job.
Capitalism by itself, Union Carbide in. India sure helped folks get to the Next life.
Communism and Capitalism together?
Hmmm
fate AND free will?
Hmmm
I can't wait for the chicken, I'm just going to eat the egg.
Follow me, I've got it figured out. see that cliff over there, well we step off it and onto that colored bridge of light and walk down it to the nice valley, I am sure it is filled with milk and honey.
What is Newt talking about? gravity? I don't see no stinking gravity. That douchebag sits under trees and apples fall on his head. Ignore him.
Follow me. Yes, Gawd is talking to me right now
You're diabetic and lactose intolerant? Well what did you do to piss Gawd off, we had better shun you, just to be on the safe side.
Milk and honey folks, this way. just follow me.