Why, I ask,
is the atheist so maligned? Why are
people shocked to learn, or even admit to themselves or others, that they don’t
believe in spiritual ideas, or that they are an atheist? What does it mean to be an atheist?
The lack of evidence for spiritual ideas is so great it is the proverbial elephant in our living rooms. It is there, but no one talks about it. Do angels exist? Do devils? How about heaven, hell, souls, purgatory or gods? These are all mystical ideas created by whimsical, imaginative men who had everything to gain over an ignorant populace, most who could not read, and if they did, they would find no opposition to the stories in the bible, written over two thousand years ago, before the age of enlightenment and long before modern biology, chemistry and physics were discovered. It was a time when the stars were points of light in the sky, people feared the solar eclipse, witches were burned at the stake, and one could be stoned to death for even suggesting that god was not real.
But the atheist of today is a critical thinker. The atheist is unafraid to speak the truth about religion. The atheist is proud to have a good, if not great understanding of Science and mankind’s place in the universe. The atheist is an existentialist who knows that he is part of the animal kingdom, and like all other animals, he will rot after he dies. He knows he will never see his dead relatives again in some wishful make-believe afterlife. These are not pleasant thoughts, but they are real nevertheless. It is sobering to know that life is short and often filled with hardship. Like all people, we cannot escape death. We just don't kid ourselves about what death really is, and what it means for all of us.
Many if not most atheists were raised in a religion. And for some it took great courage to overcome the religious heritage and the religious mindset it created. Just telling a family member or a friend that we no longer believe is hard for many, but once done, it allows the atheist to be released from the burden of having to pretend to believe. After telling others, we can be true to ourselves and to those who mean the most to us. Sometimes the revelation will enable the friend or family member to admit that they too, have similar doubts, but were afraid to admit them.
There is
tremendous freedom in being an atheist. We do not let someone else tell us what
to think, or what to believe. We judge every idea on its merits and accept only
those ideas that make sense. We know all
new ideas must fit with all that we already know and understand about the
world. We are not influenced by religious icons, superstitions, voodoo or holy
waters. We don't care where we are buried, because we know that when we are
dead, it won't make any difference. Most of us would prefer to be cremated, and
that our families keep the money to improve their lives, or donate the funeral
savings to a good cause. After all, caskets are a waste of good metal, and a
waste of the money that buys them.
Our lack of belief in a god or an afterlife makes each day more precious than the last. At the end of each day, I often wonder how I could have lived it better, and know that I will try harder the next day to be a better person. A friend once said to me that the only thing that matters in life is how we treat other people. And I would add...how we treat others is all that matters, because in the end, it will be all that will be remembered of us. We want others to know and remember how much we loved them, and how much joy and laughter we brought to their lives. We want to know now, that when we are gone, we made a positive difference in the lives of those we touched. And when they remember us, they will smile and know we were unafraid of public scrutiny. They will understand we were unafraid to speak our minds and to state the truth about religion for all to see.
For more information, see the following link! What Does it mean to be an Atheist?
Our lack of belief in a god or an afterlife makes each day more precious than the last. At the end of each day, I often wonder how I could have lived it better, and know that I will try harder the next day to be a better person. A friend once said to me that the only thing that matters in life is how we treat other people. And I would add...how we treat others is all that matters, because in the end, it will be all that will be remembered of us. We want others to know and remember how much we loved them, and how much joy and laughter we brought to their lives. We want to know now, that when we are gone, we made a positive difference in the lives of those we touched. And when they remember us, they will smile and know we were unafraid of public scrutiny. They will understand we were unafraid to speak our minds and to state the truth about religion for all to see.
For more information, see the following link! What Does it mean to be an Atheist?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!!!
R. Allan Worrell
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