Therapy of an Atheist Session 1

"Hello, My name is Jack."

"Hi."

"And whats your name?"

"Jeffry."

"Okay. Now, why are you here?"

"I don't really know. I mean, I do know, but i can't really express it."

"Why don't you give me one word to explain how you feel?"

"Well, if I had to limit it to one word, I'd probably say 'lost'. But I haven't gone anywhere. That's the issue."

"You feel you've become lost? Your exactly where you've always been, but you say you've become lost?"

"I'm not really sure that I'm lost, I just don't know where I am."

"Why does 'where you are' matter."

"Without my 'where' how could I ever know my 'who'?"

"mmmm. So, its a loss of identity"

"Don't label me."

"Do you have any hobbies? or activities you enjoy doing?"

"Not really. I go to the same mundane, robotic job, attend the same movie theater once a month, which by the way, has become one of the only things I look forward to."

"And why is that?"

"Because I feel that maybe I would be able to re-enact someone in the movie, and find my identity."

"And have you?"

"Have I what? Found someone worth identifying with?"

"Yes."

"Its the movies! None of it is real, none of it is reality."

"So why do you go, if you know you'll never find that one character?"

"I don't know. Maybe its an outlet."

"You know, you don't have to ditto someone else's actions to have an identity. You are an original, authentic being."

"You have two arms, I have two arms. You have two feet, I have two feet. So much for authentic."

"So, your flesh is the only thing that could identify you as original?"

"Look at these pens. There's a black one, and a blue one. We see them as original compared to eachother, until we open your drawer over there and find that there are more black ones and blue ones."

"Are you a pen?"

"Don't mock me."

"I'm rather serious. Aren't you more than a pen, a thinking, feeling, rational human being?"

"No. There is no depth in science."

"What about beyond science?"

"Nothing beyond science. Science is the ONLY truth anyone can rely on. A chemist doesn't hope to God that medicine will be created, he hopes that his science is correct."

"Hmmm..."

"What?"

"Your belief about science has led you to adopt the same belief about yourself. You've begun to hold a dead hope. Nothing beyond."

Beep Beep Beep

"Oh, well, I guess that means times up. I will see you next week?"

"Sure, jack."