Good Without God

Today marks the beginning of A-Week. What is A-Week you ask? It’s when atheists come out of the closet, so to speak, and tell everyone that they are an atheist. I am here to tell everyone and come out of the closet (even though no one that reads this should be in the least bit surprised) that I am an atheist (somewhere, my mother is crying).

I have been an atheist, I am pretty sure, since I was 11 and I asked my Sunday School teacher about dinosaurs and I was told that dinosaurs weren’t real. That seemed preposterous to me at the time seeing as how it is pretty much fact that dinosaurs did exist and it has been proven many, many times. From then on I was skeptical to say the least. When I finally got to college and started learning about other cultures and such, I finally gave up on trying to make sense of Christianity. It wasn’t for me and I quietly slinked away from my Baptist upbringing never to tell anyone that I was no longer a believer.

I still go to church once a year on Easter. It is something my mom asks of me and I love my mother dearly and if she wants me to spend a little over an hour sitting quietly while listening to someone preach words I don’t believe in, I am happy to oblige. It is the least I can do.

But I am not here to talk about the why. I won’t preach to you on how we should all be atheists nor am I here to look down on those of you that do believe. Your beliefs are yours and I would be a pretty shitty human being if I tried to take them from anyone nor do I think I am going to change anyone’s mind nor do I intend to.
　
Anyone out there reading this may or may not read what I write every day. You laugh at the absurdity that I spew and you rage right along with me when I get a little pissy. I hope that me coming out and telling you, publicly, that I don’t believe in god doesn’t change your opinion of me and doesn’t keep you from coming back. That was not my intention.

The theme of A-week is "Good Without God." Atheists are looked upon to be unfeeling, amoral dickheads who sleep in coffins, eat live doves and bathe in the placenta of aborted fetuses. I assure you I have never done any of those things and I have moral thoughts, feelings and reactions just like everyone else. I can get a little testy at times but I do feel like I am a good person and I try my best to be:

I love my nephews to the point of the absurdity. I would never kick a dog or cat or any animal for that matter. I place all litter in it’s proper receptacle. I recycle. I compost (or I did when I had my own home, I am working on the Prewitts). I use my own bags at the grocery store. I always obey the speed limit in school zones. I refuse to spank children. I love babies and puppies. I have stopped eating animals of any kind. I never take the last cookie. I have never stuck my gum under any tabletop. I always say thank you when someone lets me over in traffic. I don’t cut in line. I put my cart back when I am finished shopping. I am not racist, sexist, homophobic or bigoted. I am, by every definition I could think of, a good person.

I do all of these things, easily, without god. Of all the atheists that I know, not a one of them can be considered a bad person (Tommy, if you are reading this, you are probably one of the best people that I know) or amoral in any way and I think it is extremely unfair that we get painted in such a terrible light.

I seriously doubt that one blog post has changed your view of atheists and I didn’t expect it to, however maybe it has made someone, anyone out there a little more open-minded about non-believers. For the most part, we are good people who don’t deserve to be judged as harshly as we have been.

Now with all this being said...please still read my blog. It's what Jesus would do (Oh come on! That was funny!)