I am every atheist: essay submissions (PRIZES)
Offline This thread is part of the Great Big Submission drive, and is where you should post your essays.
Write an essay entitled "I am every atheist"
Special thanks to Jake for this idea. As Jake puts it, "The idea is to show commonalities between atheists. To show that even though people may be diverse, we still have some basic things in common." These essays are much like the "I am the Rational Response Squad" essays, however they are better suited for the atheist that doesn't subscribe to the same sort of activism that RRS engages in. You may submit two essays (one for each category) that are similar, and use one to help compile the other. Like the RRS essay, please start and end with the sentence "I am every atheist." Articles can be as short as two paragraphs and as long as several pages.
Atheist, Atheism, Agnostic, Rational Response Squad
I AM EVERY ATHEIST
I am every atheist because I do not allow atheism alone to define me. I prioritize my own agenda. I control who I am and how people see me. I judge my own actions and accept their consequences. I do not allow blind faith to distract me from a logical conclusion. I do not accept 'Trust me' as a reason to believe in anyone or anything. I want humans to be responsible for the universe in which we live. The unknown excites me with the challenge to find the answer. I allow possibilities but focus on probabilities. I learn from the past, live in the present, and dream of a better future. I am every atheist.
"Thoughts, like fleas, jump from man to man, but they don't bite everybody." - Stanislaw J. Lec
I am every atheist, and I am none of them. I do not believe in a god or gods, a 'higher power', or a universal spirit. I do not believe in leprechauns, pixies, elves, or fairies; no ogres or black witches, no trolls or ghouls, ghasts or ghosts, demons or devils. To me, 13 is just the number before 14 and the one after 12. I fear it not, nor do I fear speaking the name of a dead person or walking under a ladder or opening an umbrella indoors. Yes, I also step on the cracks in the sidewalk, and I firmly refuse to acknowledge the existence of a giant paschal bunny and his penchant for hiding hard-boiled eggs for clueless but exuberantly grateful youths to find in all manner of unsanitary places. And my mother pretended to be the tooth fairy, unless, of course they both had the same taste in perfume.
So, many of you who read this will agree with most of the above statements, but some of you may still cling to one or more of these beliefs, or at the very least retain a puerile hope that one or more of them just may be proven to exist some day (I promise not bring up the fat reindeer-herder in the red suit). I mention this because living in our extremely pluralistic society, with all of our access to various types of information services, belief in something is inevitable, and we should embrace that truth as wholeheartedly as possible.
We can believe in science, but we must be careful not to worship it. It is not infallible, and it is not complete. So much of science has helped us, and so much has hurt us, and even more is yet unknown to us. We proceed with caution, but still we proceed.
We can believe in the philosophies of humanism or objectivism, but we must be careful not to allow their rigidly organized mission statements to become the new dogmas that place either an abstract concept or human beings upon the unassailable throne of godhead.
But here we come to an impasse of sorts. We are surrounded by people who actually do believe in all of the things that we do not, and they outnumber us greatly. To fight against them is fruitless; ultimately their response will come in private as they pray for your soul and hope one day you 'see the light' before they retire for the evening.
Recently in America, and Australia and in other parts of the world, Evangelical Christians have played an increasing role in governmental politics, despite the fact that they only represent a small percentage of the entire denominational Christian community. What gives them this power? It is the subconscious residue from thousands of years of religious belief and indoctrination, so ingrained in our psyches because it has been such an integral part in the growth and maintenance of our society.
And yet, all atheists have made at least one basic choice, and that is to not believe in god. We have come to reject our various Judeo-Christian or Pagan ideologies and embrace what we believe to be a different, more correct truth. In this truth, we must begrudgingly accept that our views may never become mainstream thought within our lifetimes, or even in the lifetimes of our children. But we must not react with anger or contempt towards our god-fearing brethren. We must understand that we as atheists were lucky to have the experiences that led us to question, and even luckier to have the strength to accept the answer.
We should not proselytize; we can easily fall into the trap and become just like those immutable door-to-door automatons that irritate us so much.
We should not allow our own disbelief to descend into a kind of hyprocrisy whereby we lose our grasp on our rational, logical underpinnings and repeat the basic tenets of our beliefs just like those automatons, in the process discarding the open-minded psychology and dialogue that freed us from religious dogma in the first place.
We must be vigilant, but we must not be arrogant. We may disagree or dislike, but we should avoid hate. We must show them compassion and patience, for they labor under the same pressures that we did, but just haven't come to the same conclusions--yet.
Let them know that you are an atheist, but do not rail against their religion. Let them ask you questions, but answer them truthfully; tell them what you know, but do not insist that it is absolute or irrefutable. Do not ridicule their beliefs; many of their beliefs survive today in a host of different forms and venues, overt and subtle, and the way that they are interwoven into the fabric of our society has affected all of us whether we all truly understand that or not.
Do not let ignorance be the impetus for your behavior. Certain statements purported to have been made by Jesus contain a very earthy and universal component, which transcends any claim of originality by any one religious belief system. Some of them define aspects of morality, and in the interest of fairness deserve to be debated. But others like 'live and let live' and 'do unto others as you would have done unto you' can be applied equally to all without even a hint of religious influence.
Live by this example, teach your children this example, hope that they teach their own children and someday in the future all will finally understand the truth that you hold right now. You are an individual with his or her own individual thoughts, and it must not be forgotten that you are one among many other individuals whose thoughts differ from one another. Small steps will be taken over long periods of time, but eventually it will happen. In the meantime, be truthful to yourself, be truthful to others, and never stop questioning.
I am every atheist. I've been an atheist since birth, so ive known no different than instinctual morals and ethics, i'm also a communist so the two are like hand and glove! So theres a little of my history, right why i think its time, to call time on religion, as a species we have a much larger intellect and understanding of whats around be it scientific, political,technology and artistic concepts than maybe 100 years ago, this higher intelligence fitted with logic, science, and communication networks is our tools we now have to at last attack this evil dogma of religion.
Man must stand face to face with world leaders/ popes/priests, etc. and say its all over, because religion is a totally narcissitic, selfish,institution which has dominated mankind for eons. This laughble scam as had its day, but with roots embedded so deep we must go straight for the heart. The masses must wake up to smell the coffee, not being involved with cults i really find humans who worship this obvious lie( crap 1 at that) brainwashed at least.. The biggest murderer of mankind since time, its enslaved, its lead with tyrannic power and decieved tortured more than half the world.
This is new centuary lets put this monster to sleep once and for all.I believe every atheist should walk up to every church in their neighbourhood and confront the pastor/vicar/who ever wears the dress.lol, and say we are taking you to court for fraud/genocide/infanticide/rape/torture/theft/mind control/inhumane acts against children/and for the regressive dogma you pass out as education, and intelligence. So i say all those against any form of religion( which in it self is a ego centristic pyramid of delusionary arse-wipes) go slap a court order on the door of the church leader...demanding the abolition of this establishment....THANK YOU PEACE &SOCIALISM.....and this is why I'm every atheist....
I am every atheist. I have morals, love, and attitude all at the same time. I am a crusader who informs others that being a good, virtuous person has nothing to do with religion. Moral and ethical principles can be secularly based and still hold just as much precedence, if not more, as those that are religiously based.
The most important way to show other people in our society that atheists are good people is to be an upstanding member of society and exemplify caring, loving, intelligent, and logical behavior every day.
I thank my entire family for a scientific, secular, liberal upbringing; my parents for being non-religious while being faithfully committed to one another for three decades; and my educators and mentors for leading me to a path of science and logic while allowing me to maintain my emotions and passion. I am fortunate to remain in awe of the beauty of the universe and have a true zest for life.
I am every atheist.
I Am Every Atheist
I am every atheist, in so far as I do not believe in a God or Gods. I used to be religious when I was younger but then I saw the light. There are many experiences and thoughts which bought me to the conclusion that God does not exist and I’d like to share just a few of them with you now. I would also like to express how these beliefs affect me in my everyday life and in my work as a senior support worker in the mental health service.
When I was younger the idea of God really interested me. I enjoyed the thought that there was an objective right and wrong to guide our behaviour. At that age I was always looking for ideals to aspire to. I also very much liked hearing all of the popular parables accredited to Jesus. I enjoyed their use of metaphor in giving examples of positive ways in which me might behave and believed that I could learn something of value from them. In part I may have been correct.
As I grew a little older I began to wonder why prayer had no perceivable or rationally justified effect on how things turned out. Nothing happened that wouldn’t have happened anyway. Either God was ignoring me or there wasn’t anyone listening at all. It also occurred to me at this time that behaving in a positive and forgiving way to other human beings and treating every man (and woman) as an equal was probably one of the best ways that one might live their live. However, it was not necessary for any kind of Deity to exist for this to be so. The benefit of this kind of behaviour was the way that it positively contributed to the quality of ones life and others around them, not from the approval of some unseen, unknowable entity.
By the time I was in my mid-teens I had pretty much rejected the idea of God in the Judeo-Christian sense. However, several events occurred that cemented these beliefs and gave me what I consider to be personal experience of the fact that we do not have a soul, in the Christian sense, and thus that God cannot exist.
I was unfortunate enough, in my teenage years, to suffer from acne. It was bad enough that I eventually sought the help of my GP. He prescribed me various antibiotics but none of them seem to have a lasting effect. Eventually I was sent to the hospital where they were allowed to prescribe stronger drugs. After consulting with one of the dermatologists there I was put on a drug called Roacutain. This drug is banned in many parts of the world as one of it’s side effects is that it has the potential to cause ‘suicidal depression’. Apparently, according to some studies, this occurs in up to 1 in 3 people who take the drug. However, this is not the place in which to go into the ethical debate of whether people should be prescribed this drug. I was told that if I ever felt sad for no reason when I was taking this drug then I was to stop taking it immediately and return to the hospital.
The evening after I took my first tablet I learned that one of my close school friends had died suddenly of meningitis. This, for obvious reasons, greatly affected me and my thoughts on whether a truly benevolent God could ever exist and justify such an event. Never the less I continued to take the tablets with the confidence that I was completely justified in my extremely low mood because of the loss of my close friend. The combination of the medication and loss sent me spiralling into a profound depression at a very young age.
It was an extreme experience. I felt very ‘unreal’. It was a burden to exist. I woke every morning instantly pained by the fact that I had regained consciousness and not passed away in my sleep. It was the most intense feeling that I can possibly conceive of. If I had a soul then I was surely experiencing it in an extremely negative state. I once again sought help from my GP who prescribed me antidepressants. As the medication began to take effect I found my mood lifting. An oppressive weight was lifted from very being.
My point is this: The most profound emotional and personal experiences that an individual can have are based upon the levels of certain chemicals within the body. If the deepest depressions, felt to the core of ones being, can be lifted with the introduction of a chemical into the body, does this not suggest that anything felt in the ‘core of ones being’ is purely chemically based? Every passion felt, every longing, every sense of achievement all created by the juxtaposition of chemicals within oneself. Ones very consciousness a slave to these chemical fluctuations. If one can propel oneself the ecstasy by ingesting a pill or significantly shift ones conscious perceptions with LSD then doesn’t it become instantly apparent that our very being is completely biological and has no supernatural component? What will be left of me when this body dies and these chemical fluctuations cease? Unfortunately the answer can only be nothing. It would be very nice to have a soul and, I must say, I would greatly like one. Unfortunately, the most fervent wish will not obtain you one and never will.
Thankfully those dark days are a long time gone and my life is a very much better one. I still believe that the best way to treat everyone is fairly and as an equal. My job is an example of this. I work as a senior support worker in a large mental health hostel in Birmingham, England. We have 68 residents with various mental health problems, learning difficulties and drug issues. I treat each of them as an equal. Equal to each other and equal to me. I strive daily to make their world a better place. It is emotionally draining and underpaid work. But the most important thing to note is that I do not need a God to do it. If that is true of me then, as we are all equal human beings who laugh when we are happy and cry when we are sad, it must be true of everyone. To some having a belief in God may help them to be good people but it is certainly not a necessity.
It is hard for me, in the current climate of respecting ‘diversity’, to voice my atheism in this line of work. By saying that I do not believe that God exists I might be seen as belittling the culture or cultures of individuals that I support. It is interesting to note that the same judgement is not made of a Christian support worker expressing their religious beliefs to a Muslim resident. Even if I wasn’t attempting to make someone who believes consider that God doesn’t exist it is seen as shameful to even express ones own views. This is the kind of religious preferential treatment that the likes of Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins hope to see an end of. I would very much like to see an end to it to. I certainly don’t intend to go around destroying the belief systems of people who are mentally unwell. What would I be hoping to achieve with that? I would simply not like to feel that I have to constantly withhold my opinions in certain discussions to avoid being accused of discrimination.
As you can probably see by now, my atheist beliefs are not simply a product of not seeking the truth in religion. I have studied the majority of them and found that none of the explanations that they give match up with my experience of reality. I have thought through the possibilities, debated them with myself and others and come to the conclusion that God does not exist. I am every atheist.
I am every atheist, I
Am every star that ever shone,
I am the countless atoms of the sun
And join a thousand atheists in the sky.
Not of clay by hand
Made animate to live after I die,
But to form a billion planets in the sky
I make my meal for worms before I turn to sand.
As I breathe, and think
As I make a child from seed,
As I take apart a body because I need
To find that pulse that makes each eyelid blink-
As I am not blessed
With questions that soon cease
(Because in ignorance I need some peace,)
As I seek beauty, so decline to guess, I am every atheist.
I am every atheist. For many years and throughout my teens I prefered to call myself agnostic. Around age 20 I read Joseph Campbell for the first time, which led me to understand all forms of religion as mythology. Current religions are just mythologies of the present. So I dropped the "agnostic" and became a full blown atheist.
I became curious about what other atheists had written throughout history and began to voraciously collect and read all the atheist literature I could find, which was not and still is not very much.
This spate of reading led me to stupendous atheist revelation: other atheists were atheists for the same reasons I was an atheist. We all, in our independent and noncollaborative studies and cogitations, had arrived at the same conclusions about religion.
Religions do not, not one of them, work this way. Apparently they begin as traditions, as habits of being and thinking, and later, by social consent, ossify into dogma or (more kindly) orthodoxy. But these orthodoxies only extend so far geographically from their origins. Beyond this, any given orthodoxy virtually vanishes to be replaced by another. If ths were not so of any paricular religion, one would expct there to be pockets of Christianity or Islam or Judaism or Buddhism appearing anywhere, without necessary connection to any other pocket. In other words, if any given religion were a natural conclusion, discernible by merely observing patterns in nature, its members would not need to get together and collude on orthodoxy. But this is not what we see with religion.
Yet this is precisely what we see with atheism. An ahteist can pop up anywhere. In a word, atheism is scientific. Atheism is evidence- and logic-based. Nothing more is necessary to reach the conclusions of atheism than an analysis of the facts at hand. And this is why atheists, who have never met, who have never discussed atheism with anyone else, who have never met any other atheists, can reach the same conclusions.
For me this is the very strongest confirmation of atheism in a world of theists of many stripes. This is why any atheist is all atheists. I am every atheist.
I am every atheist. I am a mother, a father, a brother and a sister. I serve your dinner, and I clean your hotel room. I sign your paycheck, and I defend your country. I babysit your children, and I travel into space. I keep you alive when you've been critically injured, and then I track down the guy responsible and put him in jail. I discover cures for diseases, and I invent better engines for cars. I fix the weapons that keep your country free, and I love doing it.
I am not a monster. I am not immoral. I am not dark, or sinister, nor do I harbor any ill will toward you. I am sometimes angered by your reaction toward me, but can you blame me? I am the last socially acceptable discriminated against minority in this country, and sometimes, it seems like it's too much to bear. I see this country headed for a very difficult time. I see the angry masses at odds with eachother, well on their way to becoming implacable enemies, and I don't know how to stop it. I cannot in good conscience let the country I love forsake the liberty that made it great. And you, with equal passion, see me as a destructive force in the lives of your children.
I have children too. I too want them to grow up in a peaceful world. I want them to be safe, and happy, and live long. I see you as a threat to that. Everything you stand for is devisive, destructive, and historically catastrophic. More blood has been shed in the name of God than for any other reason in history, and now you are met with the increasingly resilient cries of people you consider heretics. People like me. I see the hatred in your eyes, I see the fear and anger, the emotions that are the natural result of the honest belief that the greatest place in all existence will be forsaken for eternity if you entertain, to the slightest degree, that what I have to say may be true. You hold an honest belief that I can, with mere words, damn your children to an eternity of suffering. I don't blame you for your hatred. The fault lies with the belief from which it stems.
Chances are, you have no idea what it means to actually believe in God. What you cling to is the warm and fuzzy idea that to believe is what is important, nevermind the gory details. You've probably never read your good book, you probably have little clue as to it's contents, and you instead cling to the notion of God as a comfortable certainty in an uncertain world. You often say things like "Believing in God brings alot of meaning to my life" and "I wouldn't want to live in a world in which God didn't exist."
My existence is an afront to everything you've ever believed about what it takes to be a good person. You see me with a positive belief that there is no God, and yet I still find meaning in life. I still find joy. You see me, happily going about my life, free from the constraints of your limiting belief structure, yet somehow, I live on happily. You hear me say things that are a slap in the face to the creator you fear, yet not only am I not stricken with plagues or struck by lightning, I continue my life, unphased, unpunished. You envy me. My freedom. My choice. It's a freedom you wish you had. It's a choice you wish you were free to make.
I have a little secret for you.
You are.
Make the choice. Take control of your life. You are infected with a terminal virus of the mind. You have been lied to. You have been made a fool of. The hardest thing you'll ever have to deal with is not the life you live after you've lost your belief, but coming to terms with the life you wasted before you got up the courage. It is not easy, I won't lie to you. But it only gets worse the longer you wait. I am every atheist.
http://www.myspace.com/yakk0
"You envy me. My freedom. My choice. It's a freedom you wish you had. It's a choice you wish you were free to make.
I have a little secret for you.
You are."
Very well said.
Well done, un0, and welcome.
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
If you love God, burn a church! - Jello Biafra
“Fear is just another word for ignorance. - Hunter S. Thompson
I am every atheist. I am a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a nurse and an atheist. I abhor the religious right and their bashing of what is logical. I seek the truth. The battle that I fought with myself over what I was taught to believe to be true and what really IS true was a long tortuous road. I treasure my identity because it was hard fought. It’s not always easy being in the minority and speaking ones mind and it’s a struggle that I continue with on a daily basis. I am no longer a closet atheist.
I feel a sense of freedom because I am an atheist. I no longer have to suffer from guilt and anxiety over laws and rules that sprung from a medieval time born out of fear and ignorance. Science and logic reign supreme. Humanism and secularism are my guideposts. The relief of such a stance is enormous. I laugh at myself when I occasionally still say things like “Thank god it’s not snowing here today” and realize that old habits die hard. Now my husband and I jokingly say things like “Thank the Invisible Pink Unicorn that it’s not snowing here today”! Today I am thankful to myself and my intelligence for never giving up the questioning that started 25 years ago. I appreciate every day that I’m alive and thinking and free to make my own choices based on evidence and reason.
Ninety percent of the world is asleep. The other ten percent, seemingly, are us Atheists.
Recently, the Ninety Percent were bemused by the antics of a so-called Hollywood Star. He is part of what the Ninety Percent perceives to be an evil cult, a religion based on a science-fiction novel that promises a happiness it can’t deliver at a price most people can’t afford to pay. Their version of God is an intergalactic warlord named Xenu who, many years ago, vacuumed up all the miserable creatures that inhabited the universe and threw them into volcanoes here on Earth. Unfortunately, some of the leftover crap landed on humans, and now that’s why you’re sad. Luckily, they can get rid of that for you (result: instant and everlasting happiness) for the bargain price of all your life savings plus whatever you can steal, borrow or obtain by fraudulent means from all your disapproving friends and family. There is – of course – no hard evidence that any of these intergalactic events occurred and in fact, when you get right down to it, every brick in the foundation of this belief system can be traced back to a mass market pulp fiction paperback; in other words, a book.
Or something like that. I was only half-listening.
The Ninety Percent were bemused at first and then dismayed. ‘How can such an obviously intelligent and successful man’, they pondered, ‘believe in such utter garbage?’
Irony is a beautiful thing. It’s almost as pretty as rational thought.
I am every atheist. And although a somewhat new atheist, as a person I have not changed. Except maybe for the god belief part. Am still the Alex that my friends and family know. I am also a person struggling with depression. I have been homeless. Many people would tell me to keep the faith. And I tried. I would pray but after awhile I wondered if I was just talking to the ceiling. I struggled with the notion of god for awhile. And although I am not homeless anymore, I still go through my problems. Which is okay, I could be worse off. I've decided, instead of putting faith in some guy (or girl who knows) I'll put in it in myself. I know what I can do. I know I'm here on this earth. I believe what I can see and feel. And science is a wonder to me. It's a wonderful experience to learn how something works. And it's great to know how it came to be. Can't do that with god. I know how I came to be. My mommie and daddy loved each other very much and well you know the rest. It was hard for me to distance myself from the god belief but after thinking it through he's really just like santa or that bunny guy. He is just a delusion to ease the minds of those who are struggling through something. He is just an excuse people use to judge others. They hide behind the bible. He is just like santa or the tooth fairy. Almost like a security blanket. That protects you and makes you feel like nothing can hurt you. Except that the blanket works better. If god really exists then the world wouldn't be like it is right now. So, why would he let the world be like it is. Why did he let me be born if he knew that one day I'd deny him? So many questions and the bible can't answer them. I only have one definitive answer. An answer that makes sense and has really helped me. God or whatever you call the guy doesn't exist. So, I may not have been brought up an atheist and I may not have come to it at a young age but I now know the truth. I am every atheist.
http://myspace.com/_rade_
I am every atheist. I say this in the broader sense of having a communion unlike the diatribes of religious affiliations. For much of our lives (at least for the ex-theists), we woke up each day thinking the world worked a specific way which all scientific investigation was unable to penetrate. Our communion became one of critical thought the more we thought about our specific religious traditions. Perhaps invoking the quantum physics to this mix, we were connected in a great sense. Communion is a term I wish to take back from the religious harborers of a bloody mass. Communion is the simple act of fellowshipping on an intimate level, which all atheists can attribute to each other. We bear each other's burdens, knowing the failure of irrationality and knowing the hurt caused by those who proport it.
Realizing it is not "us versus them" mentality so much as it is uniting under a common bond and having a common goal. Ultimately, what is the best way to have happiness, while at the same time not needing delusions to achieve it? The answers are not so simple, given that much of the world, in spite of advances in understanding the natural world and cosmos, still embraces superstitious myths as literal truth. Is there even a way to cause a religious zealot happiness while stripping them of religious ideology?
I think it is possible, but unlocking a universal "code" to do it might take a while. While it might not be understood by the theist, as an atheist, I am still the same person I was. I still love the same, cry the same, have the same eccentric behavior. I simply learned to separate me from my faith. When one is able to achieve this task, then they realize they can be good without a god.
In closing this short, poinant note, I must admit I can think of ways I can do better to do my own part in this world. Small or large, we can do a beneficial action. Similar to natural selection, even if we only contribute a little "added information" to the genome of humanity, it will impact it in a greater way as time progresses. If all I can be remembered for is a simple quote, which is a jolly mindjob, I would be extremely accomplished. Knowing that many people die and nobody remembers them as individuals, but rather statistics, numbers, nations, it can seem depressing to think I will take that so often travelled road. But, any part I can play for the betterment of my fellow homo sapiens is enough for me. I can live for today and leave a small fingerprint of my life here for the future. My hope is that each atheist can have that type of attitude, because we only have one shot at this thing we call life.
I am every atheist.
I AM EVERY ATHEIST
I have always wanted to make a movie depicting the life of Jesus Christ the way that I think it was like. Even though I am an atheist I believe that Jesus was a real person. I do not believe that he was sent from God, or that his death is more significant than the countless killed in his name. I think Jesus was a crazy man. His followers were hopeless people, clinging to any shred of faith that they could find. History shows that there were hundreds of men in the time of Christ who also claimed to be supernatural beings, but their legends did not even extend past their own lifetimes let alone two thousand years. The thing that makes us human is our realization of self, our ability to look inside of our selves and ask "what am I doing here?" We don't know what happens after death, and we fear anything that is unknown. That fear is part of the human condition, and to protect ourselves we make death seem more acceptable by creating, in our minds, "the afterlife " and sharing that with our children, and the children of our children. Jesus walked the earth, he had followers that loved him and believed in him, and he started a religion through his execution that has shaped the face of society. Jesus was made into a great man through the written word of his followers. The miracles that he performed were most likely true events, elaborated through rumor, until a simple act of kindness was turned into an act of God.
People throughout history have had a shitty existence, and the people who go without are the ones who hold the most faith in God. The belief that there is some higher power stems from the need to feel "alright" with death. Jesus, God, Buddha, Allah, Shiva, or the protective spirits of the earth have all been created with the same purpose in mind. That purpose is to give us hope when times are at their worst, help us be unafraid to die in the heat of battle, and give a little comfort as we kill each other in the name of our chosen ghosts.
IAMEVERYATHEISTI am every atheist.
And I am just like you.
I was born red-faced from screaming, blue-lipped before my first breath. Just like you.
I took a first step and stumbled, but I got back up again. I spoke my first word, and never stopped communicating since. I went to my first day of school, and I still learn something every day. I had a first kiss, a first date, a first love. Just like you.
I have things I like and dislike. I have a favorite color. I know people I can't stand. I have a favorite food. I think some ideas are stupid. I have enemies and I have friends. Just like you.
I get up every day and worry about the mundanities of life. I brush my teeth, take a shower, comb my hair. I pick up groceries and pay my bills. I worry about whether my health will remain good or my car will keep running. I worry about my family: the health of my aging relatives, the ups and downs of their lives. I worry about whether my pets are happy. Just like you.
I have good days and bad days. On good days, I accomplish a lot of things. I remember who I am and what I'd like to do on this planet while I'm here. I enjoy my family and friends and I play with my pets. I look at the wide, blue sky and wonder why it's the color that it is. I see shapes in the clouds and feel the wind on my face. I eat good food and drink good drink and I like myself and my life, on good days. Just like you.
On bad days, I don't get much done. I'm emotional and anxious and I worry a lot. Or maybe I'm sick, with a fever that makes me hear voices and leaves my hands feeling inflated and weightless. I forget who I am and I wonder why I'm here, and the answers are hollow. Maybe I don't eat well. Maybe I cry, or I'm upset, or I yell and argue with people I care about. I don't like myself and I don't like my life, on bad days. Just like you.
I think. I feel. I ask. I wonder. Just like you.
If I do not eat, I will starve to death. If I do not have clean water, I will die of thirst. If I am deprived of air, I will suffocate. Just like you.
If you cut me, I will bleed. If you hit me, I will hurt. If you burn me, I will scar. If you abuse me, my spirit will wither. Just like you.
When my life is over, I will die. Just like you.
I am every atheist.
More than that, I am every human being. Just like you.
(c) 2007 M. Dew
The fool says in his heart: "There is no god". --Psalm 14:1
It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak. --Neil Gaiman, Sandman 3:3:6
I am every atheist. I understand what it is to be an atheist. The definition of atheist is, simply put, a person who does not believe in a god. Being an atheist has become more than just that because it also means being a skeptic– someone who investigates claims before accepting them, a secular humanist– someone who embraces science and morality.
We atheists are not arrogant enough to believe that an all-mighty deity would meddle in our affairs. We understand that wishful thinking is unnecessary, unwanted, harmful, and foolish. God supposedly gave us all the choice of whether to follow Him, deny Him, or follow a false God. This idea is entirely stupid and clearly wasn’t thought through. I can’t choose what to believe or what facts to accept as many religious people do. I can’t choose to believe in Santa to get presents so how can I choose to believe in a God to go to Heaven?
Atheists are peace loving. When someone refers to a militant atheist, they mean someone who "attacks" theists with knowledge. An atheist would never strap a bomb to his chest and blow himself up in a crowd because of his lack of a belief. Atheists can see that religion is the root of most evil. If religion had been cured long ago, there would not be the "war on terrorism" that is going on today. Religion isn’t just evil in the sense that it kills people– believe me, I think that’s terrible and it should be stopped. I am enraged when I hear about those idiots blowing themselves up to go to that fairytale land, but that’s not the only evil religion causes. Religion is an attack on science. It is a stopper or a weight on scientific advances or knowledge in general. Can you imagine what the world would be like if religion had been cured say one hundred years ago? We’d probably live in a peaceful Star Trek-like world. Stem cell research, which can and will save many lives among many other things it will provide, is going at a turtles pace thanks to religion. Not long ago, scientists were killed or threatened with execution for discovering facts that contradict the Bible and other holy scriptures like the fact that the Earth is not flat. As secular humanists, we have a need to be good people. Our only reward for being good is that great feeling that only a truly good person has ever felt. Our only punishment for doing something wrong is that awful burning weight we feel in the pit of our stomachs. We don’t need an all-powerful being to punish or reward us. Einstein was completely right when he said, "If people are good only because they fear punishment and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."
I’ve had theists pray for me. I guess they hope God will listen to them and save me a spot in Heaven. If I am wrong, and there is a magical cloudy-sunny place and a magically fiery place, it won’t matter where I go. I could go to Heaven and spend an eternity with a deity who condemns often innocent people to an eternity of torture, not to mention, if there were a Heaven, facts (which are so important to atheists) would be meaningless, or I could go to Hell, where I would be burned for all eternity. I’m not sure which is worse– probably Heaven.
In short, Atheists understand the importance of knowledge. We keep an open mind about things, but only to the limit of rationality. Atheists keep their head out of the clouds and into the future. All atheists understand the evils of religion and being a good person is important to us. I know these are a few of the ideals that every atheist follows because I am every atheist.
I am Every Atheist
I do not believe in any form of superior supernatural being. I do not believe in irrational supersititions written in a book thousands of years ago. And i certtainly don't believe that a book written in the Bronze Age and which advocates stoning people to death for picking up sticks on a certain day of hte week should be a guide to anybody's morality.
I am Rational, I do not believe in blind adherence to what anybody says, I believe in making descsions based on evidence and reason. I believe that the scientific method is the best way we have to learn about how things work.
I do not believe that there is any exsistence after death. I do not believe anybody else will save our skins if we screw up and damange this world beyond repair. I believe we have one chance to get things right and we as a society had better stop thinking about "salvation" and start thinking about ways to solve the world's problems.
I believe, contrary to the religious viewpoint that humanity needs "help" to be moral, that people can be moral on their own. My morality comes from reason and common sense. I believe in minimizing suffering and in the free distribution of knowledge and learning.
I am every Atheist.
I am every atheist. Opening my eyes as a babe to the world, only wanting to know and learn. Accepting fear and awe at a universe to immense to be completely understood, yet to tempting and beautiful not to explore. As I wonder through my life, independent from and strangely dependent on my common man, shaking off the shackles of godly parental figures, to accept right and wrong from my own assumptions. I see the well marked path that stands ahead, yet watch the collective mentality stager, trying to walk the worn path of conformity. I understand the comfort of stagnation, and know to fight it as a blanket of slow death. We must evolve, maybe not physically; through, I have not need of a little toe, but socially. Society evolves learning and growing to help its people met the demands of it environment. We have come from tribal thru feudalism to democracy, trying to meet the demands by experimenting in socialism, communism, to the engulfing capitalism. So why is it so hard to realize that this anchor of theism drags behind us sapping are abilities and resources. We are racing ourselves, and losing, tripping on are collective inability to bury arcane concepts, that have needed to be buried with the likes of numerology, alchemy, and spontaneous generation. We need to embrace a path free of superstitions, and place are hope in system that can bring actually return on our investment We are all atheist, if we choose to open are babe eyes and see the truth, doesn’t change the road we must crawl.
Man is the only animal in all of nature that cannot accept its own mortality.
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I am every atheist.
I live just like you. The sun smiles down upon me just like you. I breathe the same sweet air as you. Water washes over my body just like you. Pain hurts my heart as I mother, father, daughter crying their last tears. I love just like you, whole-heartedly. I am content just like you. Fear floods my veins just like you. I want to be loved and accepted just like you.
I am just like you; like every atheist and theist.
But you hate me for something you don't understand. For one little difference.
You hate me more than you would every fag, every old man, every cripple, every women, every retarded child. You hate me worse with the same malice and fear. You hate me just because I won't worship a Yahweh, Buddha, Christ, God, deity, or spirit. You hate me because you think I'm a murderer. You hate me because I don't have any morals since I don't read a holy book. You hate me because I will rape and criminalize your innocent, good children. You hate me because I am a terrorist.
You see me with blind fear for what you don't understand. You're afraid because you don't have the will to see me as a free person with morals and a conscious. You don't see the fallacies and the horrible logic and contradictions and repulsive lies and immoral lessons that run rampant through your holy book. You ignore all the injustice and pain caused by your holy book. Your holy book that governs your life. Your holy book that you have never read and understood.
What you also don't see is that mirror. If you were to look closely, you'd see all the loving deeds done in the face of a god.
You see me as a murderer. Do you remember Paul Hill? Or Matthew Shepard?
You see me as a rapist that will ruin your children. Do you remember the Roman Catholic priests (priests)\u003c/span\>\nthat terrified children while teaching them the love of God?\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>You see me as a terrorist that will undermind\u003cspan style\u003d\"color:red\"\>(undermined)\u003c/span\> and bring down America. Do you remember\nthe falling of the Twin Towers?\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>All good, moral deeds done in the name of a God.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>And you hate me for this difference. You hate me because I\ndon't murder people because they are gay. You hate me because I don't burn down\nabortionist clinics. You hate me because I don't brain-wash children while\nmolesting them. You hate me because I don't sacrifice myself for 77 virgins. \u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>You hate me because I am free. I am free to cry for the\nmurders committed in God's name. I am free to cry for the hatred and blame\nspread in God's name. I am free to cry for all the demonstrations that promote\nand approve chilling deeds, such as harassing\u003cspan style\u003d\"color:red\"\>(harassing)\u003c/span\>\ngays and burning down clinics. I am free to cry for all the civil liberties\nthat are taken away from everyone because we must respect a single religion. I\nam free to cry for all the wars waged, for all the lives lost, for all the\nwidowed wives and husbands and children, for all the prisoners tortured, in the\nname of religion. \u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>I am free to have my own morals and not conform to what an\noutdated, old, holy book demands. I am free to see the wonderful reality for\nwhat it is.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>The stars in the sky. The beautiful dolphin that swims in a\njewel-blue sea. The emerald green eye, as it turns upon to focus on you. The\nlovely red tulip that flowers in summer. The elephant as it bathes. The great\ndane as it races.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>All natural. All evolution. All done without a God.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>You hate me for what you don't understand. You fear what you\ndon't understand. You are confused that I'm not amazed what you need. \u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>But what you don't realize is that I'm just like you. I just\nbelieve in one less God. \u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>I live, breathe, and love just like you. I feel pain and\ntorture just like you. I weep just like you. I am just like you. I only see\nwhat you don't.",1] ); //--> that terrified children while teaching them the love of God?
You see me as a terrorist that will undermine and bring down America. Do you remember the falling of the Twin Towers?
All good, moral deeds done in the name of a God.
And you hate me for this difference. You hate me because I don't murder people because they are gay. You hate me because I don't burn down abortionist clinics. You hate me because I don't brain-wash children while molesting them. You hate me because I don't sacrifice myself for 77 virgins.
You hate me because I am free. I am free to cry for the murders committed in God's name. I am free to cry for the hatred and blame spread in God's name. I am free to cry for all the demonstrations that promote and approve chilling deeds, such as harassing gays and burning down abortion clinics. I am free to cry for all the civil liberties that are taken away from us because we must respect a single religion. I am free to cry for all the wars waged, for all the lives lost, for all the widowed wives and husbands and children; for all the prisoners tortured in the name of religion.
I am free to have my own morality and not conform to what an outdated book demands. I am free to see reality for what it is.
The stars in the sky. The beautiful dolphin that swims in a jewel-blue sea. The emerald green eye, as it turns and focus on you. The lovely red tulip that blossoms in spring. The elephant as it bathes. The great dane as it races.
All natural. All evolution. All done without a God.
You hate me for what you don't understand. You fear what you don't understand. You are confused that I do not need what you need.
But what you don't realize is that I'm just like you. I just believe in one less God.
I live, breathe, and love just like you. I feel pain and sorrow just like you. I weep just like you. I am just like you. I only see what you don't. \n\n\u003cp\>I see the letters of hate that get sent to me. I see the\ndeath threats. I see the sharp glares as I pass people on the street. I see the\nwhispers and scathing things. I see that I am hated for what I am. I see that\none little difference that makes me morally inferior to you and deserving of\nsuch malice and disgust.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>I am that one little difference that will not back down to\nyour intolerence.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>I am every athiest.\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\> \u003c/p\>\n\n",0] )