Is Religion a Lie?

"Do Miracles take away Freewill?"

A video i happened to chance upon
on youtube by a user called "FightingAtheist"

i happen to agree with this user.
however i hope the audience would understand
that these words although insensitive
should be taken into consideration,
as students we should broaden our minds.

"What is freewill? The American Heritage dictionary defines freewill as: Done of one's own accord or voluntary. Freewill basically means you have a choice.
What is a Miracle? The American Heritage dictionary defines a miracle as: An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.
Do miracles take away freewill? If you were to see someone turn water into wine, would you believe they had magical powers? Would you have a choice? Does just seeing the act take away your freewill to choose what you believe? If a man showed you holes in his hands, and claimed he was crucified, does this automatically make you a believer, or can you still choose not to believe he was crucified? You still have the ability to ask questions and search for more evidence.
The obvious answer is that miracles do not take away freewill. We are able to continue making choices unless someone or something takes away our freewill. Losing freewill could be done by some sort of mind control, or physical force.
If a god appeared to the world and performed miracles that every person could see, and told everyone to bow down and worship him, everyone would still have freewill and the ability to say no. The miracles do not take away freewill. They are simply evidence of the power of that god or of some deception. For our freewill to be taken, the god would have to use some sort of mind control that would cause people to lose the ability to choose, or force us physically to bow down.
An argument could be made that seeing the god is taking away our freewill to believe in its existence. This argument makes a little sense but, seeing the god does not take away the choice between worshiping the god, and disregarding it. We could still make decisions, based on freewill as to whether or not we think the god is good, evil, or fake. We could still choose not to worship it.

A common argument used by religious people is "God can not appear before us. If he did, that would take away our freewill to believe in him." But belief in a god does not make you one of his sheep. It is obedience to that god, following its commands, and worshiping that god. Belief that the god exist does not automatically make you a part of the special "in crowd" nor does it get you a place in paradise, 72 virgins, reincarnation, or whatever superstitious afterlife that god promises.

So why would a god, that supposedly loves everyone, not appear to us and show some undeniable miracles to help people convert? We know that his appearance and miracles would not take away freewill. We would still be free to not worship. A loving god would do whatever he could to save his children from hell, even if it included appearing and showing miracles daily.

Believing in a god based on no evidence and then claiming the lack of evidence is because more evidence would take away freewill is simply not true. No evidence exists because there is no god and no hell. Take peace in knowing you don't have to live your life with the false hope of heaven and the fear of hell. "

So much time left for regret.

Does it ever occur to anyone,
that somehow we all have our own skeletons
and all it takes is that when something dies
bury it all up and celebrate its life.

if im gonna get to personal feelings,
which might be the first of which ive revealed
im absolutely shaking in fear right now,
for the people around me, for myself.

what confuses me the most is how
everytime something happens,
it gets pulled into a whole chain reaction,
like raining is not enough,
there must be typhoons.

regretting is inevitable,
facing mistakes, whether drugged,
intoxicated, or rash,
anything that constitutes to bad decisions.
will definately be a bitch.
what defines a person's character
is the ability or inability
to right the wrongs.

we as humans possess an ability
a capacity to think, filter and
make choices entirely out of free will.
it is inate, and simple, that everyone
can decide things for themselves,
so what makes a human drive
him/herself to desolation and suicide.

although it might be true that
one cannot live without embracing
suicide or crime. however,
it does not justify the need to
truely carry the act out,
that's what our vessels of
grey matter are for.

alcohol and/or drugs fogs up the mind,
the only reason one will consider
actually carrying out these insane
thoughts. i beseech anyone to never
never ever allow themselves a
chance to die.
any human no matter how discontented
should always remember what they
deeply desire. "i should want to live"

suicide,
if anything, it causes everyone around
who cares to break apart,
as long as a single person in any
closed group departs this godforsaken
world, the whole group will be dealt a
heavy blow, that causes the bonds formed
between them to be severly damaged.

nobody has to say goodbye prematurely
and nobody has the right to.
no matter how deep rooted your regrets are.
we all have to face some shit now or than,
but in the end, lift your head up,
tuck in your stomach and
strut like the warrior we all are.

we should live

Quote.

you know, being of this age. we often argue with our parents. but then sometimes, if we don't say what we want to say, im afraid, one day it'll be too late to admit we don't see eye to eye

"Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts

So Don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K."

- Mike + the Mechanics

Plain, simple and forgotten

It is a pretty irrevocable fact that
everyone has their own secrets.
That truthful figure of ourselves
as humans of virtue we painted
is nothing more than a beautiful
lie we created to give us
that comfort that we so long for
in truth. Where we would be
able to bask in the light.

Unfortunately, the hypocrite
that we as humans have the
capacity to cultivate in ourselves
forces us to do some - things -
the most basic is to put on
a new mask, the mask that which
abolishes all the responsibility to
explain our actions even to ourselves.

for example, when a
person does something against his
desires for the pleasure or
acceptance of another, he
would then automatically
explain it as an act of loyalty.
but he forgets to be loyal
to his heart.

slowly, inch by inch,
seconds over seconds,
this person will begin to lose
himself in all his own web of lies
but for how long?
a web is made by thin
connecting lines and all it takes
is just some gale and it might
all end up all gone with the wind.

a person may be able to live in
this web for days, weeks, months
or even years before it starts
to tear apart.
while it might be true that he can
try to patch it up or add more layers
but it is but only a matter of time.
before a wind that will be much too
powerful comes along and disintegrates
the entire web, leaving him
to question his own truth again.

When the person finally figures
that he has forgotten himself
and simply cannot turn back time
he knows he has to move on.
but yet, he has lost too many things.
and most importantly, he has lost
the last 4 years.

will he continue to live in this
artificial happiness he made for himself
to think that he is satisfied as long as
he knows, that one person he
wanted acceptance from
is contented with his results and
the meaningless fruits of labour
he would painfully and dutifully
reap. or will he leave?

will i live this lie?

"and above all else, be truthful to thine ownself"