Following Suit

Like a nervous tic they can’t control, Christian websites boast a Statement of Faith wherein they establish the breadth, depth, and boundaries of their delusion.

It would appear that the purpose of this offering is twofold: to tell everyone exactly what they should believe, and to make clear the correct Christian position among many – should the reader consider more than one flavor of their psychological disorder. (Even they can’t all seem to agree on much.)

Anyway, I figured I should do likewise because it is abundantly clear that Christians by and large can’t grasp the simple notion that EVERYONE (theist and atheist alike) has faith. I have faith in many things, like the average person’s reliability to do the right thing, the kindness of strangers, gravity, nightfall, my yearly flu shot, New York’s proclivity to choke during the ALCS, and my dog’s ability to not crap on the carpet.

Pay close attention. Faith is the belief in that which cannot be known or proved to a certainty – and it ain’t limited to the existence of a supreme being. There are far more things that can’t be known than god.

Theists don’t own faith. Accept the fact that you spew such nonsense because of your own religious insecurity.

Christians: In Dire Need of a Dictionary

In keeping with the self-perpetuating delusional nature of theism, theists (especially Christians) just love to say that atheism is a religion. This is patently false. But for those who can’t grasp simple concepts I’ll break it down for you. Pay close attention and take notes if you must. Religion, by definition, requires some element of the supernatural and a belief in a higher power – not the lack thereof. And since atheism rejects all notions of “god” (personal or other), atheism cannot possibly be a religion.

Atheism is no more a religion than veganism, for example. Vegans reject all consumption of any animal product based on health concerns and principles of morality (i.e. animal cruelty). Is that a religion? Unless you’re clinically deluded or have a very strange dictionary on your bookshelf, the answer is absolutely not. Veganism, just like atheism, is a practical belief system and lifestyle based on logic and principle – not the supernatural in any way, shape, or form.

“Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby.” – Unknown

All this is to say, if atheism is a religion then everything is a religion, and that’s just plain silly.

What Atheists Believe

Christians just love to say that atheists don’t believe in anything. WTF? We don’t? Really? Well, that’s news to me. I mean, being an atheist I thought I’d have some special insight on this one.

Okay, listen up. I totally get why you vomit forth such utter nonsense. It’s a common (and invariable) defensive position that theists often take when their beliefs are threatened by skepticism. Sorry, my deluded god-loving friends, but atheists believe in MANY things. I generally try not to speak for others (a sin reserved almost exclusively for Christians), so from here on I’ll speak for just myself.

I believe in a ton of shit. In fact, I believe in most of the things that theists believe – except in the existence of god.

I believe in the love of family and friends. I believe in the inherent goodness and morality of people. I believe that anyone who must believe in a god to maintain his moral compass is not an inherently good or moral person. I believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that nature is a beautiful thing and should be respected and protected except at the expense of human life. I believe that animals should be treated with kindness except where it conflicts with my side order of fries. I believe in self-determination. I believe that a woman has the undeniable, absolute, and irrevocable right to make decisions about her body. I believe that premeditated murder, rape and molestation are unforgivable immoral acts. I believe in occasional exceptions to rules. I believe that I’m imperfect. I believe that you’re more imperfect than me. I believe in giving you a few seconds to figure that last one out. Most importantly, I believe that porn was better in the 70′s.

I also believe that no god or gods exist. None. Not now, not ever. That too was a statement of belief – just in case you hadn’t noticed.

Why I’m an Atheist

Given the fair concession that I (like my theist counterparts) have no concrete proof one way or another, you might be inclined to argue that I’m agnostic in my beliefs – not atheistic. However, if a Christian can be so arrogant in his beliefs by claiming knowledge [of god], then so can I. Besides, agnosticism is too wishy-washy for me and smacks of bet-hedging. If for no other reason, I label myself an atheist on principle.

I am an atheist for many reasons. While I will address each of them throughout this website, the core reasons are stated here.

Most fundamentally, I reject the existence of any god because the notion of a supreme being who is intimately involved and interested in our lives (and the eternal afterlife in bliss or anguish that logically follows) is a patently silly man-made fantasy.

Religion is nothing but a placebo for the scared puppies of the world and a power trip for the power-hungry clergy. And I refuse to suspend all common sense in favor of an obvious fairy tale created by primitive, superstitious desert people to control the behavior of man and quell his innate fear of death.

Casual observance of the world will provide ample proof that long-term smoking leads to emphysema and lung cancer. That’s all I need to convince me that smoking is a really bad idea. In the same manner, I reject all gods because I understand why people believe in them in the first place. It’s a no-brainer, really. Theists just haven’t figured it out yet – or perhaps they just don’t want to. The rest is explained here.
 

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