Brunch & Agnosticism

So... Saturday after our (Grandmothers for Peace) bi-monthly peace demonstration, those in the group who could, went to our regular restaurant for brunch. Actually we don't use the fancy term. For some of us it's breakfast, for some it's lunch. It doesn't matter. It usually involves adequate inexpensive food, what I'm told is vile coffee, and nonstop conversation. Often more than one goes on at a time.

Somehow one of the conversations I was in turned to religion. Likely it was spurred by Stephen Hawking's death and his contributions to our understanding of how the universe works. Understanding of the universe is not "mission accomplished". I don't believe as humans we can ever reach that goal. Just like, to the person who wanted to lay creation and the universe all off on God and thus not needing our understanding, I disagree that we as humans could ever understand God. Providing there is one. Or more. Or none.  If there were gods, and they were we, then perhaps there would be understanding. Highly as we prize ourselves, however, we're still only human.

I expressed my opinion on the matters, and provoked a friendly cross-examination of whether I believed in heaven, hell, an afterlife, etc., etc. She tried to insist that I had some  kind of faith, pro or con, on those matters, some belief about what the answers to all those unknowable questions was. When I remained staunchly agnostic in my answers, willing to wait and see until something definitive was provided me, she decided to just summarize it all up as me being a person comfortable with ambiguity.

That seemed fair. At least on those big questions. I'm old enough that the time of finding out is coming closer. Getting a no answer about an afterlife is still an answer. (Now the smaller questions, politics, parenting, beauty, war, I can get quite heatedly firm about: never fear I'm indifferent to life.)

She wasn't quite ready to let it rest there. Mind you, this was still a friendly discussion, and remained so. Still, she couldn't understand how, without faith, anyone could have a system of ethics. If it wasn't from wanting to get into heaven, why would anyone behave?

I refrained from a snarky comment that a great deal of people avowed their belief in heaven and hell, but it didn't seem to have any moderating effect on their behavior. (Hey, hypocrisy anyone?) Or maybe the promise of forgiveness no matter what just works like a Get Out Of Hell Free card. Hey, folks, life is a game of Monopoly!

Instead of snark, I simply suggested the idea that good ethical behavior was a reward in itself. It didn't require a parental threat from a religious theology.

She looked thoughtful for perhaps a whole second, murmured some equivalent of "maybe," and let the conversation flow elsewhere.

We'll meet again on a Saturday morning to hold signs and wave at drivers passing our little protest group, whether they honk, smile & wave in support, or express some more negative response. I just love the ones who think that their brand of religion will cure us of the error of our ways.

Uh huh.