Love Terry Pratchett 
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A beautiful reminder. Thank you.
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Cosmos was one of my favorite shows. I can still hear his voice. 
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I was too late for Cosmos but my favorite movie is Contact. I read it once as a teen so I’m overdue.
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Have you seen the new Cosmos with Neil degrasse Tyson?
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Yep! He was so awesome!!!
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Love love that movie! You can catch old Cosmos on YouTube and hear his voice.
@Matt, I am embarrassed to say no, I have not.
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It’s actually pretty good! He captures that same wonder that Sagan had:
(Edit: correcting the link)
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This remembers me to a moment I had in church when I was a kid. We went there regularly it was part of our school program. Also to confess our sins (as 6 year old kids 
). So I was sitting there with the priest and I didn’t know what to say, so I simply told him anything because he was like “everyone sins, you too. It can’t be you’re not”.
After telling him my “sins” he sent me off to do a collection of prayers and after the prayers my sins would be gone.
I asked him if it wouldn’t be better to correct what I did wrong? Like, go to the student I hit (just an example I didn’t hit anyone), apologize and go on with life?
He said no, you have to pray.
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That’s crazy huh???!! I’m sorry you went through that. I don’t think any kids should be introduced to any religion until they’re at least of the age of reason say 18-21. It really messes with people’s minds and it’s not ok.
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A gentle reminder of the original purpose of this thread which is to discuss sobriety without the involvement of a god or a higher power.
I don’t own this thread but it’s very close to my heart and I would like very much that the posts here are constructive.
Religion isn’t going to go away any time soon. And it’s very sad to see it being used for evil, but that’s not the whole story. We’re in this together. I would very much like to try and build bridges. Love to you all.
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Just to reiterate why I am here. “Here” meaning in Discovery/Recovery, on Talking Sober and in this thread of Atheists and Agnostics.
We’re in this together. All of us. Regardless of sex, gender, creed, skin colour, addiction, whatever. I can’t do it alone and nobody can do it alone. Addiction by definition isolated us, turned us into ourselves,
I can’t and I won’t base my Discovery/Recovery on one notion/idea/system. For me what Discovery/Recovery is about, is finding my own way, looking what fits me, choosing what suits me best. There is no one size fits all. I choose what’s mine and leave the rest. And that’s not cherry picking and that’s not taking the easy road.
I’d say it’s the opposite from cherry picking because I got to have an open inquisitive eye and keep looking for what maybe is a better way of navigating life and the problems I encounter in it. And even though there is a general morality and a general way of doing the right thing, no one has the exact knowledge of that right way. No one. Again, we need to do it together. We got to share.
I also don’t see the need to believe in a god or a higher power. For me, being a living sentient being, being human, being part of humanity, being part of all living creatures on this earth and being part of the universe, all that, that’s so big and wondrous and special in itself that I don’t need more. There’s not one human -or a group of humans for that matter- who can by him or themselves catch the wonder, the magnificence, the magnitude and the complexity of life, of the human experience, and of the universe. That’s impossible. There is no one book that solves all questions. It’s a road we’re on.
Because of being part of something much bigger, humanity, this earth, the universe, I feel the obligation to take care of myself, to take care of those around me, to take care of the world and the universe as my own and everybody’s obligation. I do feel part of something bigger but to me that bigger thing is not something that looks out for me or guides me or anything like that. Being part of humanity and part of the universe is what matters en is enough for me to try and live the best life possible. Which for me is a life without addiction, as addiction will only make me do the wrong things. Which is for me a life where we try to look out for each other. A life aimed at bettering ourselves and doing the right thing.
Life, Discovery, Recovery and Love all are verbs. Let’s work our lives, our Discovery and Recovery, and our Love. One day at a time.
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Serious piece you’ve written here, Menno. I so appreciate your thought processes and your concepts.
The quoted text is wonderful, so important, and truly a gift from your heart, thank you.
Wishing you the best as you approach your 4 year sober anniversary ODAAT.
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Thank you for the tag and warm reply. My wife is half Mexican and was raised largely catholic. We all have a journey I suppose. The more I studied religion, the more I realized they were all the same.
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