Dear Editor,
I write in response to Deacon Comeau’s Nov. 14 column entitled Reasons why I believe in God. Deacon Comeau gets some important facts wrong. Therefore, I offer my reasons why I don’t believe in god, following Deacon Comeau’s order.
First, I don’t believe in god because there is no evidence that our universe is the product of what Comeau calls a “ masterful design of an all knowing God”. In fact, modern sciences find that the natural world is the product of natural forces that we can observe, measure and understand. There are many natural mysteries, to be sure, but the fact that we don’t understand everything is not evidence for god’s existence.
Second, I don’t believe in god because there is no evidence for a soul or spirit that lives beyond our death. We know that the brain is the source of all our thoughts and feelings. When the brain dies, we die. There certainly is much more to life in addition to living and dying but we don’t need to posit an imaginary soul to find meaning and purpose.
I don’t believe in god because there is no extra-biblical evidence to confirm most of the stories found in the Bible. Deacon Comeau misrepresents historical truth when he claims that, “the life of Jesus [is] as factual and historical as…Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.” The existence of Jesus is historically in doubt and currently stands as mere myth.
Read More: Ponoka Deacon speaks about belief in God
I don’t believe in god because of what Comeau calls the, “inherent goodness of humanity.” He and I agree on this one – humanity is inherently good. We don’t need an unseen god to be good. Every bit of goodness in the world comes from human action, not an invisible god who responds (or not) to magic words and begging.
Finally, I don’t believe in god because life is wonderful and precious without pretending that a sky-god is up there watching over us. My existence holds plenty of purpose without god. Loving my wife and children, serving my community, continuing to grow and learn while seeking truth and justice are just some of the things I do without god.
Deacon Comeau’s arguments don’t hold water because they are based on faith, not facts and a religious hubris that leaves billions of us out in the cold (or down in the heat, I guess).
Scott Lewis