Not just bad for me, but bad for everyone. 

Recent events are confirming this.

Here we are floating around in a completely Godless universe arguing violently about God.

I know it is not funny, but we are the joke!

We are born into a prank thousands of years in the making. 

At the heart of the prank is the God story itself. 

All the religions are “The Keepers of the Prank”. 

Religions are an artefact from an era when our ancestors delightfully attempted to make sense of their lives - and they gave it a good shot.

The God story was dynamic and adaptive. 

It moved vertically through time, and horizontally across families, nations, oceans and languages. 

It is still with us today and is as virulent and robust as ever. 

And it is a mistake.

We now know that the cosmos and our place in it is a tad more complex than our ancestors could have imagined. 

The universe has so many components that can be viewed from as many different angles as you care to conceive. 

But it doesn’t matter where you stand and observe, you will never be able to define what a god is or has done. 

That is because God is an improbability.

The time has come to point at the elephant. 

As a society, ask the questions. 

What God are you people banging on about?

Where did you get this idea that there must be a God?

And “everything must have a beginning, and that beginning must be a God”.

It is a flawed loop of logic that has been swamped by what we now know, or should know.

 We have always lived in a Godless universe, but we are only just beginning to realise it. 

Apparently the drift away from religion in Australia is about 5% per annum and we are approaching an equinox where the number of people who still stubbornly think there is a God is equal to those who know there isn’t really one at all.

 At public ceremonies and in particular at funerals, we need to be respectful of individual beliefs, but somehow, tactfully point out that it is only a belief.

And beliefs and reality are not the same thing. 

There is now a silent majority in every crowd who are being ignored. 

We are subjected to this God nonsense to the extent that there is no time left to discuss this transition we find ourselves in. 

Religion is not even remotely inspiring to our ears and we have an appetite to be inspired.

Religion was probably beneficial in the past, in spite of the lack of a real God. 

But we have reached a tipping point and I for one will watch on with eager anticipation. 

It took me 40 years to work it out, but I suspect that the coming generations will be born with an inquiring mind and will love what they see, and notice that there is no God. 

We need to get on board with this pronto or risk alienating them.

Religion is already unravelling through education, but now there is a need for it to unravel more quickly. 

Lives are being lost, hearts are being terrorised, minds are being confused. 

Religion has become a burden on us all. 

It is no longer politically correct to be totally silent and tolerant. 

We need to be tactfully noisy. 

And I will try. 

Tim Cochrane

Merimbula

On behalf of Bega St Vincent de Paul Conference I would like to thank the Bega District News, the staff of Bega District News and in particular Gary Etcell and editor Ben Smyth for getting the Bega community involved in giving gifts and showing the true spirit of Christmas.  

This time of year can be tough in the Bega Valley and many families struggle to make ends meet. 

It’s a time when bills still need to be paid, while trying to provide Christmas gifts and food for the family.

The Bega community has again excelled with their wonderful generosity. 

Bega Rotary, Bega Lions and the Ulysses Sapphire Coast Bike Club with the assistance of other bike riders helped to ensure that there were toys to be handed out to children to ensure their Christmas in 2014 was a happy occasion. 

I also want to thank the business houses in the area for their generosity and support towards the Bega District News Christmas Toy Drive.

Thanks to everyone’s kindness, the Salvos, Anglicare, Bega Hospital Auxiliary and St Vincent de Paul were able to distribute these gifts to children throughout the Bega Valley.

Thank you and God bless.

Tony Hergenhan

President

Bega Conference

St Vincent de Paul

Obviously, the two people in your last poll who saw a demerit points penalty for the misuse of disabled parking spaces as “overkill” have never had a disability or the “physical” need to find the closest possible parking spot to a shop or venue! 

It seems more and more apparent that “able-bodied” drivers see these spaces as an inconvenience to them and have little or no thought for the genuinely disabled folk who need them. 

 “No-one was using it when I got there” is never going to be a good reason for taking a space that is treasured by a disabled driver! 

And, as I have often said, while it is prevalent, ignorance is not a physical disability!

The attached photo clearly supports the lackadaisical attitude of many towards these vital parking spaces.

Ian Gordon

Wolumla