Over the years I've seen a lot of statements made by the religious of society about atheism. With the advent of social networking bringing people closer together world-wide, now seems a good time to explain a few things about which there are many baseless assumptions. Admittedly, my position on this topic can only be written from my limited, human, individual perspective. Later in life, I may very well find myself to be completely wrong, but I doubt it. I'd love to hear from my readers. Comments are welcome. Attacks will be laughed at.
We atheists are individuals, just like you. We don't all agree. One of the most pervasive assumptions I see made about we non-believers is that we're all Communists or Socialists. While it may be true of some of us, it's also true that there have been a good number of Christian and/or Muslim and/or Jewish and/or Hindu Socialists and/or Communists. A person's political belief system may be tied in with their religious beliefs/non-beliefs somewhat, but it's not always the case. Adolf Hitler embraced Christianity. His Nazi army even had belt-buckles with the slogan “Gott mit uns” emblazoned on them. Would you consider him a good person, based solely upon his religious beliefs?
To expect all individuals within any demographic to be the same is just silly and ignorant. I used to assume that all believers fit into specific categories in other aspects of life too, and fell for the “no true Scotsman” argument like so many others. But fortunately, I came to learn there are good and bad people within any group in life. Assuming that all atheists want a totalitarian government is like saying all white people have blue eyes – it's obviously not true. Like the joke says: “Blanket statements never work.”
Most of us are not anti-church. I love the idea of a stronger community. It just so happens to be what keeps us alive as a species. To know that groups of people, otherwise unrelated, get together and share time with one another – well – that's just wonderful! I also like the good things people do for one another within churches. I even have a favorite church myself!
They saved my life once, and they didn't use guilt or brainwashing or threats of fire and brimstone for eternity to do it, either. I've seen – first hand - the good things people can do for one another and churches do serve a purpose of being a “central clearinghouse” for such activities. They can, anyway. Unfortunately far too many churches express a doctrine of fear, ignorance and hate. It's those things which we non-believers (and a good number of believers) can't stand. I also do not think religious people are necessarily stupid. I just believe they're mistaken.
We do good too. I've seen the accusation that atheists are not charitable. That's simply not true. Just to name a couple of charities based on something other than a hope for reward in the after-life, we have this list from a friend. Just because we don't share the same dogma doesn't mean we don't feel empathy. Love is just as biological as the need for food.
Most of us recognize there are still a lot of mysteries about the universe. Here's where I'm most likely to catch crap from my fellow non-believers. I believe in the existence of life on other planets. I also believe there are certain forms of energy which we as humans do not quite understand yet, and they warrant study. No, I don't believe there is any sort of invisible sky-pimp ready to pop people into a place of eternal torment for not sprinkling goat blood in the middle of the temple floor. But I do believe that ancient peoples would sometimes use the term "God" or “the spirit realm” as an analogy to try and answer some of the other mysteries of life within their very limited scope of knowledge.
If you doubt whether we humans have any sort of as-yet-to-be-understood qualities try this. The next time you're sitting behind a stranger (at the library or a restaurant or wherever) stare at the back of their head. Keep staring. Focus on them. Shortly, you'll see them start scratching the back of their head, they'll begin looking around and eventually, they turn to make eye-contact with you. As a control, only do this with someone sitting by themselves, as to eliminate the possibility of a companion telling them “Hey, that fat guy sitting behind you is staring at you.”
We also have yet to fully understand intuition, and then there's that ability we all have to “sense” whether someone can be trusted, after nothing more than the first handshake and eye contact. Do I think this is anything “metaphysical?” No. Do I think it's anything “spiritual,” (as in the religious use of the word)? No. I do, however believe there are many, many wonderful and amazing things about being a living creature we have yet to understand fully. That's the beautiful thing about science, though. We welcome mysteries as something to be solved. As we learn more and realize we were wrong previously, the knowledge base is updated.
Most of us know more about your religion(s) than most of you do. I'm not saying this as any sort of in-your-face type of insult. There's a study supporting my claim. Last September 28, 2010, the Pew Research Center reported that out of all categories of belief systems, atheists and agnostics got more correct answers out of the 32 questions posed in a survey about religion. It makes sense, actually. If more people would just stop listening to what folks tell them about their religion and actually read their religious texts they'd likely see the documents as the invention of primitive, Iron Age nomads that they are. Then, we can get on with the business of treating each other properly. I know it was a thorough, cover-to-cover reading of the King James bible which finally helped me to choose to not believe in anything not verifiable.
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Oct 22, 2011
Aug 6, 2011
Westboro Baptist Church planning to picket funerals in Norway: Don't do it, assholes, please.
I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I read the announcement on another blog: The highly-deluded membership of the WBC, of Kansas, has announced their plans to picket the funerals of the dead children of Norway.
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and then I remembered “Oh yeah. This is the WBC we're talking about here. These are the very same people who seem to really believe the tribal rules and customs of some desert nomads from thousands of years ago, still apply today (but who still oddly don't sacrifice their firstborn, like the bible commands in Exodus 34).
I knew these people to be walking turds. I knew they were weird in a bizarre kind of way. I knew the members of the Westboro Baptist Church to be a bunch of assholes. But even someone as cynical as I was not really expecting to see them actually relishing the deaths of children.
I doubt they'll even follow through. Here are a couple of things I foresee going wrong, giving these pencil-dicked morons an easy “out” from actually messing with the hearts and minds of good people in a country besides their own:
* The WBC members will be denied tourist visas, and they'll have to come back to the good old USA. You know, the country which allows freedom of speech, and religion, and all that. The nation whose soldiers have died repeatedly to defend their right to be namby-pamby jackwagons, such as they are. This just might help some of them to understand they're protesting the very country which tolerates them the most.
* They'll get over to Norway, and instead of holding up their “God hates fags®” signage, they'll have mis-translated signs which actually say “God hates baklava,” or some other shit. On seeing this, the Norwegians will simply see them as the weirdos they are (like we do) and they'll all end up getting the psychological help they've needed for so long. (I don't actually claim to know that God hates baklava. If God even exists, I'd imagine baklava would be something he'd like.)
Just in case they're committed enough to their stupidity, to really try to pull it off there are other outcomes for WBC, I could live with:
* They'll get over to Norway, and just as they start their crap, the cops will arrest them, and they'll face very real charges. (Hey. That's a plus! Norway will find a good hidey-hole for them all. We'll never have to see another tweet from them again.)
* The WBC will get over to Norway, and just as soon as one of them lifts up one sign, at the first child's funeral, the otherwise-peaceful Norwegians will descend upon them in a rabid fury, ripping them all from limb-to-limb by angry descendants of Vikings. I'm only sorry that we're not allowed to just do it, ourselves.
And finally, the worst possible outcome, and one nobody wants, except for the assholes of the WBC: The Westboro Baptist Church will successfully get to Norway, and protest as planned. The open society of Norway will insist on the people allowing these idiots (NOT representative of the USA, btw) to speak their piece – no matter how foolish- and those parents will simply suffer more needless pain, in dignified silence. If they succeed in doing this, there's no possibility or hope of ever reasoning with any of the membership of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Just in case any reader happens to be a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, I'm going to ask you nicely, and just one time only; to please not do this. Those folks in Norway have been through enough already. If you're foolish enough to really truly try to follow through with this heinous act, it's not going to turn out well for you. One way, or another, it will turn out very, very badly for all of you. I promise.
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and then I remembered “Oh yeah. This is the WBC we're talking about here. These are the very same people who seem to really believe the tribal rules and customs of some desert nomads from thousands of years ago, still apply today (but who still oddly don't sacrifice their firstborn, like the bible commands in Exodus 34).
I knew these people to be walking turds. I knew they were weird in a bizarre kind of way. I knew the members of the Westboro Baptist Church to be a bunch of assholes. But even someone as cynical as I was not really expecting to see them actually relishing the deaths of children.
I doubt they'll even follow through. Here are a couple of things I foresee going wrong, giving these pencil-dicked morons an easy “out” from actually messing with the hearts and minds of good people in a country besides their own:
* The WBC members will be denied tourist visas, and they'll have to come back to the good old USA. You know, the country which allows freedom of speech, and religion, and all that. The nation whose soldiers have died repeatedly to defend their right to be namby-pamby jackwagons, such as they are. This just might help some of them to understand they're protesting the very country which tolerates them the most.
* They'll get over to Norway, and instead of holding up their “God hates fags®” signage, they'll have mis-translated signs which actually say “God hates baklava,” or some other shit. On seeing this, the Norwegians will simply see them as the weirdos they are (like we do) and they'll all end up getting the psychological help they've needed for so long. (I don't actually claim to know that God hates baklava. If God even exists, I'd imagine baklava would be something he'd like.)
Just in case they're committed enough to their stupidity, to really try to pull it off there are other outcomes for WBC, I could live with:
* They'll get over to Norway, and just as they start their crap, the cops will arrest them, and they'll face very real charges. (Hey. That's a plus! Norway will find a good hidey-hole for them all. We'll never have to see another tweet from them again.)
* The WBC will get over to Norway, and just as soon as one of them lifts up one sign, at the first child's funeral, the otherwise-peaceful Norwegians will descend upon them in a rabid fury, ripping them all from limb-to-limb by angry descendants of Vikings. I'm only sorry that we're not allowed to just do it, ourselves.
And finally, the worst possible outcome, and one nobody wants, except for the assholes of the WBC: The Westboro Baptist Church will successfully get to Norway, and protest as planned. The open society of Norway will insist on the people allowing these idiots (NOT representative of the USA, btw) to speak their piece – no matter how foolish- and those parents will simply suffer more needless pain, in dignified silence. If they succeed in doing this, there's no possibility or hope of ever reasoning with any of the membership of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Just in case any reader happens to be a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, I'm going to ask you nicely, and just one time only; to please not do this. Those folks in Norway have been through enough already. If you're foolish enough to really truly try to follow through with this heinous act, it's not going to turn out well for you. One way, or another, it will turn out very, very badly for all of you. I promise.
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Jul 14, 2011
How an atheist can empathize with the slightly-more-primitive sorts in society, and why they might want to
Being an atheist myself, I once was mad at religion-in-general. It angered me to be in a world where “faith” was considered a virtue, and actual, real-world laws existed (not all, just some), which affect my life, based solely on religious preferences. I was ticked off over the violence, and the fraud committed in the alleged name of (insert relic here). But, no more.
Gone now, are those days of being mad about the religion of others, forcibly being a part of my own reality, since now, I own my own reality (we can haz cookies too) and am the absolute master of all I accept. No more will I, as an atheist, be cruel or crude to the hopelessly mystical/mystified. Such anger is all together too much of a waste of much-needed resources like time and sanity/focus/bearing.
We non-believers might want to consider the predicament most people are in, as well as that of humanity in general, over these last few million years, or so. First off, even if humanity, as a species, has been saying there are no imaginary sky daddies up there for 3,000 years, the realization itself, is still relatively new to most of the world. We've had a million times as many years as a primitive creature, than we've had as a modern, self-aware being, and there will be growing pains.
Over time, even the most religious of people, will come to one day understand that, as they rant they will be ignored. They'll find themselves speaking to only the trees, and their personal shill followers, as the rest of the world merely continues on. There's just no more need to hate the various religions of this planet. They cannot help it.
Imagine being (as your ancestors were) a primitive human, coming into those first few glimmers of self-awareness, tens-of-thousands of years ago. Perhaps during one evening of those all-too-random moments, you notice a particularly pesky, flying insect – and you swat at it. It's ability to maneuver as a response to its tactile senses of the currents of air happen too fast for you primate brain to process, and it appears the bug exists and doesn't exist, all at the same time. A formation of thoughts towards all-things-”spiritual” was actually the best guesses ancient man had at the time towards those things of nature which we could not understand.
Thus this same guessing process happened towards other mysteries as well. Couldn't explain the Sun? God ®. Why do the leaves fall, when it's cold? God®. Where did all of this come from? Obviously, God®. The problem isn't really so much with people having made their best guesses, until they learned better. What causes a problem for those of us who've crawled out of the box is when the guessing mechanism is mis-used by those with a taste for control of others, at various times through history.
From this day forward, I've no desire to attack the people themselves, who've been drawn in by the false security and the optional illusions of God®. But when a false statement is made to, or about me, I'll still respond. I just won't be going at it with a heavy hand. I'm sure those folks at ThinkAtheist are relieved to hear that Dad's not such an angry ass anymore. They win.
It's worth being kinder and gentler to the religious sorts in society. Just because they're following the traditions and customs they couldn't help but be raised up in, doesn't preclude the fact of most of them are the kindest, most well-intentioned people humanity has. Heck, even I can see some of the good things churhes have acheived, regardless of their reasons- or other errors made. Jimi Hendrix had so much right. We're all just misunderstood.
Gone now, are those days of being mad about the religion of others, forcibly being a part of my own reality, since now, I own my own reality (we can haz cookies too) and am the absolute master of all I accept. No more will I, as an atheist, be cruel or crude to the hopelessly mystical/mystified. Such anger is all together too much of a waste of much-needed resources like time and sanity/focus/bearing.
We non-believers might want to consider the predicament most people are in, as well as that of humanity in general, over these last few million years, or so. First off, even if humanity, as a species, has been saying there are no imaginary sky daddies up there for 3,000 years, the realization itself, is still relatively new to most of the world. We've had a million times as many years as a primitive creature, than we've had as a modern, self-aware being, and there will be growing pains.
Over time, even the most religious of people, will come to one day understand that, as they rant they will be ignored. They'll find themselves speaking to only the trees, and their personal shill followers, as the rest of the world merely continues on. There's just no more need to hate the various religions of this planet. They cannot help it.
Imagine being (as your ancestors were) a primitive human, coming into those first few glimmers of self-awareness, tens-of-thousands of years ago. Perhaps during one evening of those all-too-random moments, you notice a particularly pesky, flying insect – and you swat at it. It's ability to maneuver as a response to its tactile senses of the currents of air happen too fast for you primate brain to process, and it appears the bug exists and doesn't exist, all at the same time. A formation of thoughts towards all-things-”spiritual” was actually the best guesses ancient man had at the time towards those things of nature which we could not understand.
Thus this same guessing process happened towards other mysteries as well. Couldn't explain the Sun? God ®. Why do the leaves fall, when it's cold? God®. Where did all of this come from? Obviously, God®. The problem isn't really so much with people having made their best guesses, until they learned better. What causes a problem for those of us who've crawled out of the box is when the guessing mechanism is mis-used by those with a taste for control of others, at various times through history.
From this day forward, I've no desire to attack the people themselves, who've been drawn in by the false security and the optional illusions of God®. But when a false statement is made to, or about me, I'll still respond. I just won't be going at it with a heavy hand. I'm sure those folks at ThinkAtheist are relieved to hear that Dad's not such an angry ass anymore. They win.
It's worth being kinder and gentler to the religious sorts in society. Just because they're following the traditions and customs they couldn't help but be raised up in, doesn't preclude the fact of most of them are the kindest, most well-intentioned people humanity has. Heck, even I can see some of the good things churhes have acheived, regardless of their reasons- or other errors made. Jimi Hendrix had so much right. We're all just misunderstood.
Mar 30, 2011
Atheism is not the enemy
Atheists are not anti-church. We atheists, the author being one, wish to convey one simple message both to the world at large, and to the churches of the world which decry us: We, are not your enemy. Non-believers are simply people who no longer choose to go along with any imaginary gods of any brand. We follow nothing with no evidence of existence.
But, in no way are we free-though inclined types against the idea of churches: As they do serve a purpose of excellent community centers. A church with a playground, and competent staff nearby makes for a fantastic place for children to play during the day. So much so, in fact, many churches find themselves opening up as a daycare, to legally and properly operate as such a facility. How can any atheist in their right mind be against a young family, able to access day-care, and both work?
Let's not forget food. Everything about a church screams “Food!” Even volunteer work helping a church, usually involves food. Get-togethers at churches quickly become pot-luck dinners. Weddings become receptions. Even funerals become a meal together, but maybe not everyone eats.
As the third and final point on why non-believers, whether called atheists or not, are not against churches: Emergencies and disasters. How many more tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricane, or other disasters does society need to see how fast a team of church ladies can get organized? Care packages, emergency blanket packs, and boxes of cookies are what some people live to do for the world. Churches allow that type of emergency-prepared mind-set an organized outlet for expression. We atheists deeply appreciate, and often participate with local churches, for this reason.
We non-believers have often availed ourselves of help from churches at times before. The obvious need for society to keep its churches, especially opposed to bigger bureaucracies from government, is due to such obvious needs the local church serves to fill for the community. There are no plans to ever do away with religion. We only ask public policies and laws reflect reason and sound judgment.
But, in no way are we free-though inclined types against the idea of churches: As they do serve a purpose of excellent community centers. A church with a playground, and competent staff nearby makes for a fantastic place for children to play during the day. So much so, in fact, many churches find themselves opening up as a daycare, to legally and properly operate as such a facility. How can any atheist in their right mind be against a young family, able to access day-care, and both work?
Let's not forget food. Everything about a church screams “Food!” Even volunteer work helping a church, usually involves food. Get-togethers at churches quickly become pot-luck dinners. Weddings become receptions. Even funerals become a meal together, but maybe not everyone eats.
As the third and final point on why non-believers, whether called atheists or not, are not against churches: Emergencies and disasters. How many more tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricane, or other disasters does society need to see how fast a team of church ladies can get organized? Care packages, emergency blanket packs, and boxes of cookies are what some people live to do for the world. Churches allow that type of emergency-prepared mind-set an organized outlet for expression. We atheists deeply appreciate, and often participate with local churches, for this reason.
We non-believers have often availed ourselves of help from churches at times before. The obvious need for society to keep its churches, especially opposed to bigger bureaucracies from government, is due to such obvious needs the local church serves to fill for the community. There are no plans to ever do away with religion. We only ask public policies and laws reflect reason and sound judgment.
Mar 13, 2011
Three big screw ups for atheists like me
Being a non-believer, aka an atheist, I've encountered a variety of situations where I've been harassed, attacked, and ostracized for not having the same beliefs as those around me. Upon looking at my past experiences, all I can really hope for in the future is to learn from those experiences, and not repeat my mistakes. I've noticed a pattern in my own life which I must change. There's simply no point to expecting “the world” to change to suit my whims. The burden is on me, rather, to adapt to my environment.
Big atheist screw up number one: Discussing religion honestly This one gets me every time. Someone (anyone...co-workers, family, friends, random strangers) comes along and brings up any certain religious figure. In my stupidity I respond with what I believe to be an educated response, all the while failing to realize this individual is not looking for anything other than the pre-programmed response.
See, what I normally do is make the mistake of expecting others to “see” what appears so obvious to me. But it never works. We end up parting ways, each of us considering the other a fool for not agreeing on what seems so logical to us. (The difference being I don't consider them evil and demon-possessed – just tragically gullible.)
Take, for example, last night. I met a co-worker for the first time. At the point of introducing ourselves to one another, I learned she's not from Louisiana. Out of curiosity, I asked “What brings you to Louisiana?” She says “God.” For once, I didn't ask any smart-ass questions like “Really? What kind of car does he drive? I came in on a Greyhound.” I simply kept my mouth shut. No need to smart off. Let her have her beliefs, if she wants them. Her beliefs are too deeply-rooted for me to ever affect them, anyway. (Admit it. You're picturing Jack Nicholson yelling “You can't HANDLE the truth!” Aint you? Yeah, me too.)
If someone is ever looking for the truth about the fraud of religion, they'll probably be on the ThinkAtheist blog anyway, where we can discuss free thought openly and honestly. But out here in the world, where the hyper-religious get hyper-vicious, it's just best to leave them to their own.
Big atheist screw up number two: Not playing along. Since a non-believer understands there are no invisible sky-fairies flittering around “up there,” just who in the heck are we worried about offending by not being completely honest, anyway? Ourselves? Big deal! Just give 'em what they want to hear. It's what their preachers do.
This is tied in with the aforementioned Big atheist screw up number one, referenced above. Most people just aren't ready for the plain, brutal truth. They've been told for years that non-believers want to do terrible things to them, such as eat their babies, or to enslave them to our benevolent alien/demon/robotic overlords. They're scared of us, and for no real reason.
The last time I was dumb enough to be completely honest with a mystic, I was on a job where someone else began discussing religion. I blurted out “I am an atheist, and don't want to waste my time with this.” (Paraphrasing) Little did I know what kind of a threat I announced myself as to these folks around me. One co-worker did warn me a certain other co-worker was a practicing minister, and that I should be careful. It was from that day forward, I found myself entirely alone in my work, and alone in the break-room.
Nowadays, I know better. When I'm on the job, my co-workers will even enjoy the occasional “Oh my God,” and “amen” from time-to-time. There's noone to be truthful to about it all, so why not fib a little, when necessary? The truth only gets people like me hurt. I've learned to play along. Direct, insistent questioning of my beliefs will only elicit a response of “I don't discuss my beliefs on the job.” Play along.
As for my personal life, I've actually encountered many very accepting people from within the church. The love of my life is a believer, and I'm fine with that. I've no desire to change her, or to tell her how she must believe, because it's her life and not mine. There's even a sister, whom I cherish, who is devoutly religious. But in neither of these two cases are they trying to ruin me for not believing as they do. On-the-job religious discrimination is always a different critter, though.
Big atheist screw up number three: Accepting the label of “atheist.” The brilliant Sam Harris explained it the best. “If you don't believe in astrology, are you labeled a 'non-astrologer?'” (I'm paraphrasing again. Sorry Sam.) So, as a non-believer, am I to accept the label of “atheist?” There are times when the label is a little easier to spell than one of “A-Guy-Who-Simply-Asks-For-Evidence-Of-Why-You-Want-My-Obedience-Devotion-And-Money.” So, sure, I'm not exactly offended by the short-hand of a label. I'm no more offended by the label, than different denominations of Christians would be, were they both labeled “Christian.”
But labeling myself as an atheist, on purpose, is akin to a military target painting themselves for enemy bombers. With all of the myths and pre-conceived notions about “those evil atheists” I just find it much easier to no longer identify myself so readily.
Big atheist screw up number one: Discussing religion honestly This one gets me every time. Someone (anyone...co-workers, family, friends, random strangers) comes along and brings up any certain religious figure. In my stupidity I respond with what I believe to be an educated response, all the while failing to realize this individual is not looking for anything other than the pre-programmed response.
See, what I normally do is make the mistake of expecting others to “see” what appears so obvious to me. But it never works. We end up parting ways, each of us considering the other a fool for not agreeing on what seems so logical to us. (The difference being I don't consider them evil and demon-possessed – just tragically gullible.)
Take, for example, last night. I met a co-worker for the first time. At the point of introducing ourselves to one another, I learned she's not from Louisiana. Out of curiosity, I asked “What brings you to Louisiana?” She says “God.” For once, I didn't ask any smart-ass questions like “Really? What kind of car does he drive? I came in on a Greyhound.” I simply kept my mouth shut. No need to smart off. Let her have her beliefs, if she wants them. Her beliefs are too deeply-rooted for me to ever affect them, anyway. (Admit it. You're picturing Jack Nicholson yelling “You can't HANDLE the truth!” Aint you? Yeah, me too.)
If someone is ever looking for the truth about the fraud of religion, they'll probably be on the ThinkAtheist blog anyway, where we can discuss free thought openly and honestly. But out here in the world, where the hyper-religious get hyper-vicious, it's just best to leave them to their own.
Big atheist screw up number two: Not playing along. Since a non-believer understands there are no invisible sky-fairies flittering around “up there,” just who in the heck are we worried about offending by not being completely honest, anyway? Ourselves? Big deal! Just give 'em what they want to hear. It's what their preachers do.
This is tied in with the aforementioned Big atheist screw up number one, referenced above. Most people just aren't ready for the plain, brutal truth. They've been told for years that non-believers want to do terrible things to them, such as eat their babies, or to enslave them to our benevolent alien/demon/robotic overlords. They're scared of us, and for no real reason.
The last time I was dumb enough to be completely honest with a mystic, I was on a job where someone else began discussing religion. I blurted out “I am an atheist, and don't want to waste my time with this.” (Paraphrasing) Little did I know what kind of a threat I announced myself as to these folks around me. One co-worker did warn me a certain other co-worker was a practicing minister, and that I should be careful. It was from that day forward, I found myself entirely alone in my work, and alone in the break-room.
Nowadays, I know better. When I'm on the job, my co-workers will even enjoy the occasional “Oh my God,” and “amen” from time-to-time. There's noone to be truthful to about it all, so why not fib a little, when necessary? The truth only gets people like me hurt. I've learned to play along. Direct, insistent questioning of my beliefs will only elicit a response of “I don't discuss my beliefs on the job.” Play along.
As for my personal life, I've actually encountered many very accepting people from within the church. The love of my life is a believer, and I'm fine with that. I've no desire to change her, or to tell her how she must believe, because it's her life and not mine. There's even a sister, whom I cherish, who is devoutly religious. But in neither of these two cases are they trying to ruin me for not believing as they do. On-the-job religious discrimination is always a different critter, though.
Big atheist screw up number three: Accepting the label of “atheist.” The brilliant Sam Harris explained it the best. “If you don't believe in astrology, are you labeled a 'non-astrologer?'” (I'm paraphrasing again. Sorry Sam.) So, as a non-believer, am I to accept the label of “atheist?” There are times when the label is a little easier to spell than one of “A-Guy-Who-Simply-Asks-For-Evidence-Of-Why-You-Want-My-Obedience-Devotion-And-Money.” So, sure, I'm not exactly offended by the short-hand of a label. I'm no more offended by the label, than different denominations of Christians would be, were they both labeled “Christian.”
But labeling myself as an atheist, on purpose, is akin to a military target painting themselves for enemy bombers. With all of the myths and pre-conceived notions about “those evil atheists” I just find it much easier to no longer identify myself so readily.
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