Saturday, August 30, 2014

Mind-boggling Freedom

A friend shared this amazing quote with me today.

When I became convinced that the Universe is natural--that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light, and all the bolts, and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world--not even in infinite space. I was free--free to think, to express my thoughts--free to live to my own ideal--free to live for myself and those I loved--free to use all my faculties, all my senses--free to spread imagination's wings--free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope--free to judge and determine for myself--free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the "inspired" books that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past--free from popes and priests--free from all the "called" and "set apart"--free from sanctified mistakes and holy lies--free from the fear of eternal pain--free from the winged monsters of the night--free from devils, ghosts, and gods. For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of thought--no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings--no chains for my limbs--no lashes for my back--no fires for my flesh--no master's frown or threat--no following another's steps- -no need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds.
-- Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899)

4 comments:

  1. You may be "free" but you also have no purpose for being. Most people would agree, that is not a very good feeling.

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  2. Who needs purpose when you're free? You can CHOOSE your purpose. Better than bondage, better than, "I know my purpose; I'm a slave." I've been there and I thought it was good at the time. I settled for my god-given purpose because I thought it was true, I didn't know I had options. I'm free now, and I have to disagree with you, it's a wonderful feeling! Have a look around my blog, pick up my book... I'm a much happier person now! =)

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  3. Cody, a made up. borrowed or indoctrinated feeling of "purpose" is not a purpose, no matter how much you frantically shoehorn it into your head. ISIS have what they believe to be a sense of purpose. The problem with religion, any religion, is that you are encouraged to surrender your logic and your own sense of right and wrong to a corporation. I've always felt that if Jesus came back, he'd hang with the atheists, simply because that way he'd get an interesting conversation. Who cares whether something is a good feeling for you or not? Reality is not meant to feel good - or bad, it's just reality. Just what is your purpose for being? Parroting dogma does not make you whole, it just makes you compliant.

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  4. Thank you, Mr. Barlow! Well said, sir. All of it, but I particularly like this bit, "Reality is not meant to feel good - or bad, it's just reality." Yep yep.

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