So on This I Believe (an NPR national project that invites you to write about the core beliefs that guide your daily life) this week Penn Jillette did an essay on “There Is No God” (you can also listen if you don’t feel like reading).
Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have.
– Penn Jillette
On “This I Believe” you aren’t supposed to state what you don’t believe, but it’s interesting since he chooses to believe in a negative (“No God”). He makes it a very liberating concept and I thought it was interesting and different way to think about it.
I like being able to discuss things and not have to agree with the other party and yet be able to understand what and why they’re saying it.
Please note I’m just commenting on his story. I’m not saying what I believe, disbelieve or how this impacted what I had for lunch, I’m only discussing him presenting his article so direct all your comments to Mr. Jillette or you can contribute your own essay.
He’s not believing in a negative. Unless you count not believing in flying purple elephants and spaghetti monsters believing in a negative. It’s being rational and requiring evidence, that’s all.