I had the following dialogue with a friend of mine concerning the invisible cosmic babysitter in the sky, the sky daddy, if you will, the big bang, and evolution. What are your thoughts concerning such matters?

FRIEND:

I still can’t wrap my head around the depressing thought that these short 80 years are all we get and then we are just worm food FOREVER! Therefore the only way to be remembered is by doing something really good (i.e. inventing Windows) or doing something really bad (murdering 6 mil Jews). Also if there is no repercussions for the things I do (cops only catch the sloppy), then I might as well do whatever makes me happy for these short 80 years. Also, how can I honestly think that the mire coincidence of a particular space dust in the infinite space of the universe with the right organisms falling on the third rock from the sun with just the right suitable temperature and atmosphere over millions of years evolved into us? Come on Really? And the belief in a higher power is irrational?

MY RESPONSE:

“[I]f there is no repercussions for the things I do (cops only catch the sloppy), then I might as well do whatever makes me happy for these short 80 years.”

If believers are so only because they fear a cosmic babysitter, and believe that without the threat of damnation from said babysitter they would be inclined to commit horrific acts, then their issues are of greater scale than mere belief or unbelief. Nonbelievers, like me, seem to function in society without the need to murder six million Jews (Hitler was a Christian, not an atheist). We do so because of one simple word that the Right despises; the word is empathy.

 “[…] how can I honestly think that the mire coincidence of a particular space dust in the infinite space of the universe with the right organisms falling on the third rock from the sun with just the right suitable temperature and atmosphere over millions of years evolved into us? Come on! Really? And the belief in a higher power is irrational?”

Albeit, the big bang theory, and evolution are not greatly difficult concepts to fathom, I can see how persons with a limited science, i.e., physics, biology, geology, etc. background could discard such brilliance. However, I do not understand why they would substitute scientific brilliance with superstitious belief.