Two posts in one day! You should save this one for the next time I forget to update for two weeks.
I would consider myself to be agnostic, but Richard Dawkins says that every ‘agnostic’ actually leans one way or the other, so I guess I lean towards believing. At least, I think it would be nice if there were something bigger out there, although I have a hard time with the actual belief part.
Anyway, one of the nice things about believing in a god must be that you have somebody to thank for the random things. That seems like a decent reason to indulge in faith, actually — a figurehead to receive your gratitude. It would be hard to war over that.
For example, after nights of awful tossing and turning, ‘I am so thankful that I slept well last night.’ A good night’s sleep just ‘is’ sometimes, but I feel as though I ought to show appreciation for it.
I can thank my mom for taking me grocery shopping when the budget is tight (and I do!) but it’s even bigger than that. ‘I am so thankful to have been born into a time and place where it’s possible to have food this easily.’
So I can see that as a benefit to having faith. Not that it’s something one uses a list of pros and cons to decide, but you know, if one did… But mainly I’m just thankful for the big and little things that are out of my control yet still seem to (sometimes) come out right. It’s nice when that happens.
You don’t *have* to do this, but I think it would be funny if next time your mom helps out with groceries, you shush her and say “Quiet. I’m just thanking God for having you fetch me these groceries.”
(Also, I say thanks for things too, and I’m definitely an atheist. I have no idea who I’m thanking; it just seems polite.)
Well put! I would consider myself to lean towards a belief in a greater being. In addition to thanks, it provides me with something to hope to. I just got word that my mamogram is showing something, and I’ll be back on Friday for further testing. As I don’t want to worry my friends and family, it is to a Being that I am seeking help and talking to now.
Good luck, Martie, and kind thoughts to you.
I am a believer, and I tend to forget to be thankful. I don’t want to be someone who’s ungrateful, but I guess it just happens sometimes. Thanks for the reminder to get up off my rump and say *thanks* more often.
*your mom is sweet*
Just got to say that I love that little flower on the window!