A few quick updates

Just a quick follow-up on some of the stories posted in recent weeks...

Heaven Awaits -
In response to my post earlier this month Cold Beer in Heaven about unlikely possibility of their being a Heaven, I received an e-mail from reader, Adam, providing a link to an extremely well conceived and written article titled "Heaven: A fool's paradise" written by Johann Hari of UK's "The Independent". Hari covered the issue in much further depth and more adroitly than my meager attempt. Damn, you Brits really do know how to turn a phrase.

Runaway Pride -
You may recall back in March in my blog titled Driving Up Fear I had predicted that the story about the alleged runaway Toyota Prius in San Diego would turn out to be a complete fraud. Sure enough, authorities have concluded that the guy faked the accelerator incident. The reason the guy will likely NOT face criminal charges is that, other than speeding, he hasn't actually committed a crime (yet). The article goes on to say: "In the wake of a congressional memo that raised doubts about James Sikes' tale concerning his out of control Toyota... the 61-year-old now just wants to be left alone." Apparently he isn't planning on suing Toyota (e.g. no fraud = no crime). I'm psychic, or what!?

The Fairy Scientist -
I have received a few e-mails asking how our video, The Fairy Scientist, placed in the Project Reason video contest. Although it was one of nine finalists, it did not place among the top three winning videos. However, Lydia's YouTube video has since gone "viral" with tens of thousands of views to date and been linked to several science, technology and children's blogs including Discover Magazine, and has even generated a few Fairy Scientist knock-off pages in FaceBook. One of the kids in her first grade class even asked Lydia for her autograph, which she obliged... in crayon.

More tea anyone?
Finally, you may be interested in returning to my post titled Moron America and the Tea Bag Movement and read the updated "comments" exchange between me and proponent of the Tea Bag Movement (which apparently is really the "Less/Small Government Movement"). Entertaining reading. If you have strong opinions about the subject I might suggest you save them for later rather than add to that thread; I will likely be writing about this topic again.

More content in the pipe this month so stay tuned. ~ Robert the Skeptic

A cold beer in heaven.

Below is a poem written and read by Jerry Andrus – the clip is from my documentary, Andrus; the Man, the Mind & the Magic. Of the segments in the film of Jerry reading his poetry, this has to be one of my favorites. I will admit, my wife and I found the concept strikingly thought-provoking.

I think most people believe they will go to heaven when they die. I am sure they believe it to be a wonderfully beautiful and desirable place; but in most cases I don’t believe they put much thought into it beyond that.

For example, many assume they will be reunited with their deceased loved ones. I wonder though; will my mother-in-law still be old and in her wheel chair? No, she will probably be up and walking – but will she still be elderly and overweight with graying hair or will she instead appear like the beautiful girl she was as a bride at age seventeen? Would I even recognize her? Will I recognize my grandparents who died before I was born… my great grandparents… my great great great grandparents?

Will there be reformed bad people in heaven? I am told that sinners who renounce their sin and take Jesus into their hearts will be forgiven and taken into heaven. Does that mean that horrible (former) criminals will be there; child rapists or murderers? Will a father encounter his child’s murderer in heaven? Or would they possibly sit down and have a beer together? (Is there even the joy of a cold beer in heaven, and can it give you a “buzz”?) A place with no cool refreshing beer – it doesn’t sound like my idea of paradise.

Heaven sounds kind of boring! I asked a Mormon missionary who came to my door one time what they thought you did in heaven every day. She said you “learn about god”. Ok, learn about god… month after year after decade after century… forever? Do we get a recess for a billion or two years?

Suppose you were a gifted surgeon whose skill saved lives; your work giving you satisfaction and purpose. But no one in heaven needs your skill. Think of how much of your consciousness is built upon the challenges, risks, disappointments, failures and successes in your life. Take all those experiences from you to where existence is now perfect; where you cannot make anything better or help anyone because no one needs help. How could you stand that for a billion-billion years?

What about things that give us joy on earth now? Do I need a parachute to skydive? I won't die if I don't; there is no risk therefore no "thrill". Do I even need to eat? I certainly won't starve to death or presumably, even get hungry - but I do enjoy eating some foods. Disappointing. Will I need to sleep; will there even be night and day? How can there if there is no sun to revolve around heaven? I think one thing I would truly miss in heaven – sunsets!

One could argue that heaven is beyond our ability to comprehend, an experience far beyond the limits our brains could understand. But what of our consciousness, the genetics and experiences that have constructed the personality that makes each of uniquely individual? Is it not sometimes the little imperfections, quirks, personality of a loved one that endears them to us? How is this consciousness to remain engaged and intact; occupied and challenged, even “sane” for eternity?

The finality of life gives impetus to our existence on earth. I find the idea of heaven very uncomforting, disturbing to me, in fact. Rather, I find comfort instead knowing my body is made up of countless trillions of sub-atomic particles cooked up in the furnaces of stars. They have been assembled in the universe by well understood processes to assemble Me! Entropy will over time return these particles again to be redistributed back into the same universe. Therein lies my immortality.

I dreamt I died and went to Heaven

Ted Kennedy has just been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He now has a much clearer idea of just when his life on this planet will be coming to a close. A few months ago, one of my friends was diagnosed with the same type of deadly tumor. He had gone to a fair, had a massive seizure and woke up in the hospital. Now his life completely revolves around fighting a tumor that inevitably will end his life.

Today I’m sitting here in Hawaii, perhaps with a greater appreciation of this warm beautiful place than on my previous visits. When I return to Oregon, I begin interviewing physicians, one of whom I will select to open my chest and replace my aortic valve. I can’t help but look around at the bright tropical fish as I snorkel and wonder if this will be the last time I see these colorful critters again. There will ultimately be that day, but we are never truly ready for it to be now.

I might be lucky, if I don’t survive the surgery I will never know it. I will be under sedation; my consciousness will fade and never come back. The mortality rate for this type of surgery is 2%; the mortality rate for not having the surgery is 100%.

Michael Shermer is often asked what his opinion is of life after death. “I’m all for it!” he says. But he is under no illusions that his consciousness will survive forever in a Biblical Heaven. Those are stories made up for us to believe so we will not worry about death. They are for children.

My documentary about Jerry Andrus is extremely close to being ready for release. In it I recorded one of my favorite poems of Jerry's. He reads in the film; part of it goes like this:
“I dreamt I died and went to Heaven; everything was perfect.
I could stand it for just one day.
You could not help anyone because no one needed help.
You could not improve anything because everything was perfect.
What a joy to worship the lord for a billion billion years."

You can hear the entire poem in the memorial excerpt clip from the documentary I played at Jerry’s memorial celebration here.

I find comfort in something my wife believes; that the quality of one’s life is related to the quality of one’s relationships. If it is my time to die, I won’t take my comfort in the illusion that I will see my mom and dad and grandparents in Heaven. Rather, I find solace in the thought that my memory will live on in the minds and hearts of my wife, children, grand children and friends. And when they die, it will no longer really matter.

For now I look at my toes against the salt-and-pepper sand on the warm Hawaiian beach and realize that I am made of the same stuff; cooked in the furnaces of stars of a billion galaxies. I was created from the stuff of the universe and it is there I will ultimately return someday. I find my peace in that. - Aloha