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we would all be exactly the same and there would be no reason for human discourse, communion, and growth. This is true whether one is an atheist or not.

Man is a creature who bathes himself in dualism. This is where the arguments occur regarding theism and atheism, good and evil, protagonist or antagonist, and so on. What man often misses in all this is the fact that all these polarized concepts are dependent on one another in the ontological sense. Or, one has to participate in one in order to experience or define the other. Without good, good could not be defined and even more important, without evil good could not be defined. Without being, being could not be defined and without the shock of non-being, being would be much less defined. No other biblical story explains this better than Job. Why does God engage Satan? The answer is because he has to for the purpose of defining Himself. Otherwise, why would God bother?

Religion is about the participation in concepts of being and non-being. Religion is the unification of and participation in all dualism as one holistic existence and religion recognizes the impossibility isolating opposing concepts. This is the reason that a religious person hears the famous statement by Karl Marx, religion is the opiate of the masses, and finds it absurd. Religious people aren't walking around in a state of denial or in a catatonic state. The smile and compassion associated with the atheist's assertions are duly noted and accepted as part of the same existence.

The mystery of non-being cannot be solved by transforming it into a type of logical judgment. The ontological attempt to avoid the mystery of non-being follows the strategy of trying to deprive it of its dialectical character.

Learn more about this author, Neal Painter.
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