God Denies All Supernatural Revelations including that of an Afterlife for Humans 

An Essay by Raymond Fontaine - April 2003

   Sitting at the e-mail desk of the World Union of Deists, I have received many messages from people questioning the doctrines of their Church. Seeking answers, they searched the Internet and found a plausible haven on our Web site. They clicked my address for more information.

   Last evening, after sending several replies, I had a dream inspired by the widespread search for the truth about God, morality and heaven. My dream began with God transporting 250 newly married couples from earth to a new planet. God had selected 50 couples from each of the following religious groups: Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus. This motley group represented mankind.

   For them to make a fresh start at civilization, God had erased from their memory all divisive elements, such as language, culture, history, prejudices, politics and religion. This divinely induced amnesia opened their young minds to the truth about God, the world and humans.

   On the first morning of this historic seminar, God gathered this select group on a hillside shaded by maple trees overlooking a clear blue lake. "Welcome to this planet called 'Hope'," God said. "It is similar to your planet of origin. In fact, it's identical to what earth was like before humans first appeared two million years ago.

   "Less than a century ago, scientists on earth correctly theorized that this universe originated from a single lump of condensed matter. Fifteen billion years ago, this nodule exploded spewing gases and dust into space. In time, billions of stars were formed, some with planets such as earth. After a slow start, earth produced the first organisms, single cell beings, that eventually evolved into flowers and trees, fish and birds, animals and finally humans.

   "This long development proceeded in accordance with the structures and laws that I embedded in nature. I did not need to intervene in this process not even when humans evolved from a lower species of hominids. Much later, some people with a huge superiority complex claimed that human intelligence presupposes an immaterial soul. According to these pseudoscientists I had to create and infuse a soul in each human being just before birth. These theologians, with their heads in the clouds, underestimated the full potential of nature that I created just seconds before the Big Bang. Their claim to a spiritual and immortal soul in humans is false. 

    "Thousands of other religious claims related to me are also false. For example, unlike what the Bible says, I never selected and favored one race giving it special privileges and protection. Again contrary to the Bible, I never caused floods and other disasters to eliminate the enemies of my reputed chosen people. Nor did I create a heaven and a hell to reward the good and punish the bad for all eternity. I did not assume a human body just to be crucified and thus expiate Adam's disobedience. What utter nonsense! I never granted inerrancy to the authors of the Bible. I never granted infallibility to any religious leader. All such claims based on holy books or other supernatural revelations by me are false. 

    "Let me set the record straight. First, to share existence I fashioned a condensed lump of matter that developed and evolved indefinitely on its own.  The structures and laws in nature reveal my existence. Secondly, I do not intervene, interrupt or change the normal course of nature - not for anyone including Mary. Thirdly, from humans I do not require ritual worship led by priests in church buildings. A private personal thank you suffices. Fourthly, humans should exploit their own resources and the environment. They should seek help from and give help to their neighbor. Fifthly, to know what's moral, humans should apply the golden rule: "do unto others as you would have them do to you." Lastly, though bountiful, nature's resources are finite. They need to be replenished and conserved - never wantonly destroyed. Now you know the truth. You got it from me.

    "Respecting your free will, I will let you choose where and how you want to live the rest of your life. First, you can stay here and make a new world. Or you can forget everything I said today and return to earth believing in Holy Books as explained by ministers, rabbis and priests. Each of you can regain your culture and religion and prejudices. You can resume your life unchanged, oblivious of what you heard today. Or you can return to earth such as it is while abiding by what I said today. Deists do just that. They understand and accept life as provided by nature that I have created. They cherish and enjoy this life as much and as long as possible. Good for them!"

    At this moment my dream ended leaving me serene. In slumber, my mind had expressed its conviction that the structures and laws of nature presuppose an intelligent Creator. He does not suspend those laws and the normal course of nature at the request of people. Humans do not have immaterial and immortal souls that survive death. Accepting life as God intended, I felt a deep peace of mind. Would that the world could share this simple belief in God as revealed in our common nature. Thus united, humans would have removed a huge obstacle to universal peace on earth.

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