I continue to be entirely bemused by the ongoing tirades by so-called (tolerant) Christians against atheists.
As an atheist myself, I’ve learned over time that it’s best not to identify myself as such, especially to staunch Christians, as it draws all kinds of uncomfortable responses. If I identified myself as a member of another religious faith it might bother a lot of people, but they’d be mollified by the fact that at least I believe in a deity in some shape or form.
I think it’s wonderful that people have faith and the courage of their convictions and get comfort from that, but at the same time one should respect other peoples beliefs, or lack thereof.
In this regard I am fed up with being marginalized by Christians in general for not believing what they believe. Why do they feel threatened by that? Not believing in a God doesn’t mean not having any values. Surely how you live your life day today and how you interact with those around you is more important than what your religious beliefs are.
Fear, distrust, suspicion, discomfort, hostility, aggressive and/or patronizing responses are typical reactions to announcing myself as a “heathen.” Having been raised in a Christian environment I’ve seen more hypocrisy, intolerance, bigotry, abusive behaviour and self-promotion than I ever thought possible from God-fearing regular church goers. There are also a lot of wonderful people out there too, but they generally try to live their beliefs quietly and without fanfare from day to day and don’t sit in judgement of others.
To me, believing in God as a child was something to get me past believing in Santa Claus. The story of Jesus is a wonderful transition for children. Christian teachings are a wonderful guideline for life, as are most teachings from the majority of religions, if followed as far as our human nature will allow.
As I said, believing in something seems to make people feel more comfortable, so the next time it comes up in conversation I’ll just simply state “I believe in Santa Claus” (and I really do).
Mike HughesParksville
