I don't hear that very much anymore. It was more when I lived in a small town. I also just don't tell people about my religious affiliations. I don't feel like it's important. The problem is that I live in Texas.
My side of the family all believe in god, but don't really go to church (except my mom). My wife's side of the family are a mix of Pentecostal and Assembly of God. Her grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc go to church every time the doors open. Some of them even go to a Bible College instead of one of the many fine Trade Schools and Universities in Texas. My wife probably qualifies for as an Agnostic.
Why did I choose this way? I don't think I need religion to help me be a good person. I can explain how/why everything written up in the holy books happened. I can go into intricate detail about most of it. I can probably even recite the entire Eucharist, from memory. I grew up Episcopalian.
Well, I believe in Science way too much to have a faith. I don't think god had anything to do with how we went to the moon, advances in medicine, making better cars, giving the word access to the internet, or anything else. Human ingenuity did all of this. There is no god.
Does this mean I hate anyone who is religious? No. I have no right to pass judgement on people for believing in something. They might think being a Christian makes them a good person. They might think that living a clean life, not drinking and not dressing provocatively keeps Allah happy with them. They may also just be hypocrites who drink and fuck around every Friday and Saturday then go to Church on Sunday to tell people how to live their lives. I really just don't care.
Politics can be fun, no matter how much you hate them and try to avoid. The moment someone finds out that I don't believe in a higher power, they pass several judgements on me. The most common is that I'm "Un-American." How American could I get? I'm proud of our military. I support the police. I'm listening to an "Old Country" radio station right now.
What sounds like I'm not a bad American? Our country was founded on the belief that religion and government shouldn't mix. The reason for this was how fucked up the English government was due to the the monarchs worrying about God and church. Most of our founding fathers were Deist, Agnostic or Atheist. This wasn't supposed to be a "Christian Country." A Christian Country turns into a bunch of assholes hating anyone that isn't Christian. We've been to war over this a few times. Why can't we just all leave each other alone when it comes to our faith, or lack of one?
I talked myself out of joining the Army at 18 due to 9-11 and not wanting to go to Afghanistan. This was one of the deciding factors in making me an Atheist. I saw a bunch of Arab Extremists attacking the U.S. over religious beliefs. My family all responded by openly trash talking anyone who was Arab. I even participated a little. I remember thinking before saying something ignorant "Wait. This isn't how to handle this. Stop." I haven't said anything mean about Arabs since then. Several years later, I remembered that while trying to decide that leaving my religious beliefs behind was the right thing to do.
About 10 years ago, maybe a little less, I attended a military funeral in my home town. I didn't go inside, but I was there to help form a wall of people to keep a group of Christian Extremists out. They'd planned to picket because "God Hates Soldiers!" There were several hundred of us showed to do this. I might have been the only Atheist in the crowd. I didn't go because I felt it was "God's Work" to keep Westboro Baptist Church from bothering this poor kid's family and friends. I went because it's the right thing to do. I went to honor a fallen soldier. WBC didn't bother to show up, despite posting on their website that they'd be there.
Are Westboro Baptist Church and the Taliban the same thing? Yes. They're both racist, prejudice, people who hate others for no the same reason. If you look at their beliefs, it's pretty much identical, except for using the word God instead of Allah. WBC is "Un-American." I'm not...
So, do you know an Atheist, Agnostic, etc? Did someone come out of the "No God Closet" to you? What did you say to them? Did you offer to pray for them? It's a nice sentiment, but, from personal experience, it makes them uncomfortable.
They don't want or need your prayers. They don't want or need you to tell them about Jesus, Moses or Muhammad. As long as they're not being a dick about how they told you, just leave them alone and let them live their life. If they're being a dick, think for a sec. "Are you a dick to them and constantly trying to tell them about your faith until they got sick of it?" If so, stop doing that. If they're just being a dick, tell them not to be a dick.
Did learning that your friend, whom you've known for years and years, doesn't believe in God make you want to no longer associate with them? That makes you a bad person for not accepting others. I'm lucky enough that none of my friends try to push their beliefs on me and, out of respect, I don't push my lack of beliefs on them. What people want to believe is their business.
Wanna know something funny? Muhammad was once the most common name in the world. It might still be. It's also kind of nice to get to sleep in on Sunday, or go get pancakes while everyone is in church.
Thanks for listening,
The Atheist, Gun Owning, Bambi Eating, Slightly Democratic Guy Next Door.
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