If you would be so kind, take a moment to think about the following scenario: Imagine that you are the one true god for a day. All power in the universe is yours, to do as you will. What do you do?
If you don't mind, let's think about this scenario together:
Would you show mercy on the 15,000 children who will die from starvation (or conditions related malnutrition) today alone?
Would you make sure they have clean drinking water for years to come?
Would you maybe make sure that they have access to medical care, and education so they can hopefully break the cycle of poverty that they've probably been stuck in since birth?
Would you take pity on the 636,000 people who are homeless on any given night in the U.S. alone?
Would you match up the homeless people with the all of the people-less homes?
Would you find them jobs, and medical care where necessary?
At the very least would you protect the homeless from being hunted by the National Guard?
Would you personally strike dead, anyone who dares to rape or molest a child? For that matter, would you personally strike down anyone who dares to rape anyone?
Would you consider making one last revelation to humankind just to set the record straight?
Would you appear to every culture at once (instead of just the ignorant and illiterate cultures) to tell them that having a sexual orientation other than "heterosexual", or a gender identity other than "man" or "womon" is ok?
Would you tell people that anyone who treats another person as property will be met with hellfire and that you will not feel a moment's sympathy for them?
Would you explicitly condemn anyone who hoards wealth and resources while other people starve?
Would you explain to the world that abortion is "murder" in the same way that a miscarriage is "manslaughter"?
I think that will be enough for right now. Maybe you wouldn't do some of the things that I would do. Maybe you thought about some other things that you would do that didn't cross my mind. Regardless I hope that we at least agreed on some of the above.
By now, a few of you are probably wondering what I'm getting at with all of this, so I'll cut to the chase: We've just spent the past couple of minutes thinking about all of the things that you or I would do if we were the one true god. Bearing this in mind, take a couple of minutes now to contemplate the fact that you worship a god who claims to have the power to do all of this, and yet has refused to do any of it.
Take a few moments to really let it sink in. What does this tell you about your the deity you worship? Is your deity forgiving and merciful? Is your deity slow to anger and infinite in love? If so, why does he take no pity on those who are most in need of his help? If on the other hand, your deity has none of those characteristics, then why worship it? If you believe in a deity who is spiteful, vindictive, vengeful, and delights in making his wrath known, then would not hell - an eternity in said deity's absence - be the greatest reward one could ever think of?
In closing, the next time you find yourself in a moral conundrum and you're trying to decide what you should do in a given situation, instead of asking "What Would Jesus Do?" (or insert your deity of choice), try out "What Would You Do" for a change.
This has been your Sunday Sermon, go without god.
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