June 15th, 2009
Was Hitler an atheist or a Catholic Christian? This catty debate surges on, year after year, day after day. Each side tries to score one more “Atheists/Christians are evil” point, and you’d better just admit now that no one is going to come out the winner; no matter if it’s ever decisively proven or not, this result won’t likely affect any one person and their individual choice about religion. It won’t bring back lost lives, traumatic memories, or the culture and growth lost to war.
So instead of voting either way, I’ve decided to tell you what I really think when I see this debate bubble to the surface:
Hitler was a fucktard! He had inhumane views that served only himself. He was botched in the head. He did horrible, terrifying things to a hell of a lot of people that impact us to this day. I don’t give a cat’s diarrhea if he was religious, nonreligious, or a guy who liked to dress up as Betty Boop on weekends. He was a human who made a dumbshit mess out of an entire age though his choices, leadership, and influence.
As an atheist, I want to say I don’t care what he labeled himself. Enough! We need to get past this idiotic debate and concentrate on important virtues like personal responsibility, serving those in trouble, and standing up for the rights of all nations. If we can learn anything from the atrocities this man inspired, let’s learn that we must honor and respect one another as individual human beings–not villanizing groups of people in the name of our objectives.
christianity, godless blogs, history | 
15 Comments »
May 31st, 2009
I was driving home tired, rubbing a headache with one hand and avoiding rabbits in the road with the other. After breaking so hard I hiccuped, my eyes drifted across the street to a dark lawn and two tiny floating lights above the grass. On second glance I realized it was two people lying on their backs holding open cell phones above their faces.
At first I felt nostalgic, even envious that they took the time to reflect and enjoy the cool night air and watch the stars like I used to in college. It’s been so long…
But now that I’m writing this, I realize my initial observation missed the point; these two would-be stargazers were wasting a special opportunity. Instead of examining the great expanse of nature above and around them, they were looking at their phones, unable to see anything beyond the small lights shining in the dark. No moon for them, no nature, and no awe–just the blue glow of battery-powered technology.
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Jesus, godless blogs, the bible | 2 Comments »
May 30th, 2009
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
What if–instead of swearing on a bible, holy book, or other boring document–we could pinky swear? I’d even go for a “cross my heart” every once in a while.
Well, the folks over at secularpinkyswear.org have got the right idea. They’ve written out a pledge for those who wish to live by secular principals.
Here are the ideals you would affirm:
- I will be open about my secular values and will not feign religious values due to pressure from friends, family, employers and/or the general public.
- If I face religious pressure in the future, I will be mindful that as an individual I have a right to believe and act in a way that I deem appropriate. To accept dogma, superstition or creeds that I don’t believe in would be to sacrifice freedom of conscience and expression on the altar of conformism.
- Without need for religious reference, I will make every effort to take a mature, intelligent approach to decisions regarding my sexuality. I understand the appropriate context for sexual abstinence and appreciate the benefits that communication and maturity bring to intimacy.
- If I marry, my wedding ceremony will be either humanist, secular, or a joint ceremony that avoids the implication that I hold to views not actually my own.
- If I have children, I will recognize the importance of letting my humanist values inform my childrearing, and won’t yield to cultural, family, or other pressures to indoctrinate them into traditional religious beliefs or force them to participate in religious rites of passage.
- Without losing sight of the importance of diverse viewpoints, I will encourage others to appreciate the value of reason, compassion, equality, and other enlightened principles that make the world a better and safer place for humanity, now and in the future.
- In all of my actions, and without threat of divine retribution, I will strive to respect the dignity of all people.
That first one is a real challenge for me, since I’m still in the closet. I don’t pretend to have religious values, but I am not public about the fact that my views are godless. Think I could still put my name down?
What do you think of these affirmations? Would you add any others? Will you pinky swear?
(via @Pharyngula)
godless blogs, religion | 12 Comments »
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