Jewish Current Issues takes us on a short visit to the world of neo-atheism in today's post: Religion and Irreligion. You'll have to go there and read it all, but I cannot resist copying out this excerpt from a new book.
.... I was scuffling with my brother when I was about ten and had an epiphany that the stuff of our two heads wasn’t different in kind from the stuff of the rough rug on which I’d just burned my elbow or the stuff of the chair on which he’d just banged his shoulder. The realization that everything was ultimately made out of the same matter, that there was no essential difference between the material compositions of me and not-me, was clean, clear and bracing.
I think everyone would agree that we humans have a certain amount of free will, whether you think it's Gd-given and purposeful... or not. The author that Rick has quoted chooses to believe that there is no difference between him and a couch. As far as I can tell, this is quite true. But it doesn't have to be that way.
We have free will to believe what we choose about "me and not-me." There are realms of "not-me" beyond living room furniture, beyond our mundance existence, and there are proven ways to get there.
Maybe it's a dumb analogy (from someone who hasn't written any bestsellers... yet), but it seems to me we are all born in an elevator. You choose the floor you want to go to. You can push the "B2" button and cast your life force into a sub-basement where it will have all the value and light of a rolled-up rug, or you can engage your free will in an effort to ascribe greater meaning to your life and yes, elevate your entire existence.
I don't know about you, but I'd rather go to the penthouse.
If your particular elevator is in need of repair, you may have to use the stairs. Lots of us do. Either way, when you get there you'll need a key to get in. This one is very, very old but it still works.
Comments