Tarte-Heavenly doubts from Lake Wobegon

My Questions About Heaven video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msb685y2TiE
Morally Inferior Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k23cLBUBoUQ
Dilemma video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6k36SarSpc
Prairie Home Companion website: http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Edward Tarte
• God
• Jesus
• Heaven
• religion
• atheist
• atheism
• agnostic
• agnosticism
• faith
• Christian faith
• Christian belief
• afterlife
• life after death
• Bible
• Gospel
• New Testament
• Garrison Keillor
• Prairie Home Companion
• Lake Wobegon

[myshkinyt]

Edward, I read another viewers comment suggesting that the 'A' that you wear as a symbol of your Atheism makes Atheism appear like a religion. I think that a symbol does not a religion make and that, as with the word 'Atheist', the symbol is an efficient way to communicate to others the lack of your belief.

[edwardtarte]

@myshkinyt, thank you. I am definitely leaning toward your position.

[ZenMondo]

I stopped listening to Garrison Keillor after his December 16, 2009 rant in the Baltimore Sun entitled "Nonbelievers, please leave Christmas alone" (you can find this online) where he comes across as a bigot and touches upon antisemitism.

[edwardtarte]

@ZenMondo, I have just read that essay on line. I agree with you. I do not like it one bit. I find some evidence that he has a mellower side; I hope I'm right. The director of his program's band, Rich Dworski, is Jewish, and there have been times when Garrison has said kind things to Rich on the air about Rich's Jewish faith. I keep listening to his program because it is very entertaining.

[theFriendlyHughes]

Ed, you look very healthy! I recognized that as soon as this video started, you look much healthier and younger.

[remulak56]

Hello Mr. Tarte, I admire your intelligence and common sense. I've watched most of your videos. Please continue making them. I hope you're in good health. I read something about you having cancer. Keep a positive frame of mind and know that a great many people are wishing you well!

[Morkindie]

Long time fan of PHC

[HonestTechnoAtheist]

I used to listen to the Prairie home companion all the time. I need to see if I can find the lake wobegon news if I can find any.

[Kargoneth]

An eternal paradise would be hell

[guildpactminish]

My father and I try to listen to a Prairie Home Companion every week. I especially love the false advertisements such as the Ketchup Advisory Board.

As for the question of Heaven... If one is transformed into a "heavenly being" then why even strive to get into Heaven? You would be working hard and following the rules to get someone/something else into Heaven because you would not be yourself once God altered you to be compatible with Heaven. Your old personality would be dead.

[MatchCard]

@edwardtarte You mean you wish there weren't any theists so we wouldn't need the word atheist?

[Orsbore]

A Prairie Home Companion has been a favorite of mine for many years. Garrison Keillor is brilliant!

[TimothyStuartRiches]

Thank you for your thoughtful videos, Mr. Tarte! I always enjoy them and this one is no exception. I would like to reinforce the theme by adding that even on earth, the most devoted Christian cannot praise God for very long at a stretch. Even ascetics are incapable of protracted and focused worship for any length of time. The Heavenly realm seems impossible to bear for beings that value the struggle of life so very much! Overcoming adversity is the very definition of a life worth living.