do you hate god?
No, I don't hate God. I hate the absence of free thought. I hate that Western religion have created an anthropomorphic God. This is simply God from a human's subjective perspective. Humans apply their characteristics to a deity in a bid to make sense of an invisible spiritual being.
do you believe in heaven & hell?
Probably not. Don't forget, I'm prepared to be wrong and I constantly evaluate my own thinking. I can't justify the concept of hell as an eternal punishment; it's just cruel. I think heaven is a utopian concept that makes humans feel more comfortable with their own death.
are you an atheist?
I call myself an atheist now because it's a recognised term and it requires the least explanation. What does the word really mean though? Theism is the belief in a god as a creator of all existence. A-theism is the absence or opposite of that belief. I view theism as having an anthropomorphic component, therefore, I am always going to oppose such a simple, subjective view.
Do you consider your views may be wrong?
Truly, I believe I'm more wrong than right. The blog is called "karen thinks aloud" because I'm not sure on anything. Each post is merely a thought process at that particular moment in time. I suspect, and it's already happened somewhat, that I'll start to disagree with myself over time. I think that's the concept of maturity. I evaluate and critique my thinking fairly frequently.
do you think all religions are wrong?
Well, yes, I probably do. It's not necessarily religion that I think is wrong, though; it's indoctrination. I worry about people being taught to think a certain religion is correct, without question and without challenge. Typically, religions are based on centuries-old tradition, yet aren't up for modern day scrutiny. Doctrines should be assessed and challenged to show worthiness to establish a lifelong belief system.
Why do you write about this stuff?
I find an element of frustration in the Western religions. Writing helps me alleviate that frustration. It also saves my friends and family from extremely tense and contentious conversations each and every day! I've lived the horror of religious hypocrisy and I've thrown off the shackles of generations of Christian doctrine. I'd like to think readers find a sense of comfort in knowing they're not the only person to question beliefs.