I just had this bizarre conversation with a theist who simply couldn’t deal with reality. That’s a common problem, I know, but this guy  (or gal, no clue) really illustrates why the religious have so many problems. They simply cannot handle reality as it actually is. They have to invent nonsense to comfort their childish feelings.

That’s absolutely pathetic.

It started out, as a lot of these things do, with a theist claiming their imaginary friend was real. It was simply the case, no evidence offered, because they really, really wanted it to be true.

I asked how they knew that. Not what they believed, since anyone can believe anything. Go talk to a Muslim and they’ll tell you Muhammad split the moon in half. That’s bullshit, but that’s what they believe and getting them to rationally evaluate it, that’s almost impossible. So how do they know this and more importantly, how do they convince me that it’s true?

So we went around and around a couple of times, as always happens. He offered some of the philosophical arguments and I debunked them because they don’t actually prove anything. It’s just excuses that the religious pass between them because they really want their beliefs to be true.

Eventually, though, he (or she, again, no idea) said that he really felt God must be real because it answered some of the existential questions that they had. In other words, God is a security blanket. This, I could have predicted because I think it’s true of most theists to some degree or another. They want to feel special and the God-belief gives them that. It doesn’t make any of it true, but it provides the kind of emotional comfort they’re really looking for.

So I let them have it between the eyes. Imagine you’re outside and on the ground is an ant. Do you think that ant, that specific, individual ant, is that ant special? Does anyone in the anthill love that ant? Does that ant exist for a specific purpose, something that no other ant in existence could possibly fulfill?

The guy hemmed and hawed a little and tried to say that everything is a special creation of God, but the more that it went on, he finally had to admit that no, the ant isn’t special. If you stepped on the ant, another would just take its place. Individually, the ants don’t matter.

Then I told him that he’s the ant. He got quiet for a really long time. I thought he had left, honestly, but eventually he started to argue against it, but I think it was obvious that I’d gotten to him. In reality, he is an ant. I am an ant. So are you.

If suddenly, that ant got the ability to reason as we do, don’t you think that ant would think it was special? Yes, I know that within ant “culture”, the individual workers aren’t, but you can see the point, I hope. Substitute another animal if you’d like. Don’t you think that whatever animal you’re thinking of, they would think they were special too, but in reality, they’re not. Even your own pets aren’t really special. They’re special to you, but if your dog gets run over, you can get another dog. It’s not a replacement but it is another dog. I’ve had lots of dogs. I’ve had lots of cats. Every single last one of them dies eventually. You feel sad, but you want another so you find yourself with a new one. Maybe not right away, but for most people, eventually it happens.

Heck, right now, there are three stray cats outside that we’re feeding. They started out super thin, but now they’re healthy. Sooner or later, they’re going to end up in the house, especially with winter coming. They’re not going to survive outside on their own. They will come in and then they’ll be our cats. We’ve got a cat that we’ve had for almost 20 years and he’s not going to last forever. They’ll be replacements. I just walked over and filled up their bowl again. It’ll be empty  by the end of the day. They’re not quite at the point that they’ll take treats from your hand, but it’s close. They’ll let you get within about 2 feet of them. It’s going to happen sooner or later, as I said.

So why does anyone think they are special? We’re all just animals. That’s all we are. When we’re gone, hardly anyone will ever know we had ever been alive. We’re not going to paradise, we’re just going to vanish into nothingness. Anything identifiable as us will cease to exist. That’s it. It doesn’t matter if you like it, that’s the reality that people have to deal with. Learn to cope.

After that, he disappeared. I doubt he’ll come back. Hopefully he (or she) will have something to think about. Many people just can’t handle it. They have to invent a comforting lie in their heads because they can’t deal with the truth. The truth is, you don’t matter, except to a small circle of people who know you while you’re here. After that, you’ll be gone. Your body will be recycled. Your memory will fade. After a couple of decades, anyone who ever knew you, they’ll be gone too. You will have left no lasting impact on the planet. Eventually, your bones will disappear too. There will be no sign that you were ever real.

Learn to deal with it. By clinging to the idea that you’re magically special, you’re wasting the only life you actually get, looking forward to a future afterlife that isn’t real. Stop playing make believe. Just live in the world that you do and stop pretending that you get anything else. That’s just reality. Learn to deal.