Monday, September 26, 2005

Misconceptions

Here are some of the more common misconceptions about atheists that I would really like people to understand:

  • We are not a unified group. We do not belong to an organization, we do not meet every week to discuss our non-god beliefs and how to overthrow the ones who do.
  • We have ethics and morals. They are just not based on punishment and reward after we die. We are not good to get the golden ticket in the afterlife and avoid the incinerator. They are simply based on living in harmony with their fellow neighbor.
  • The bible is a book. A very old book written by some people a long, long time ago. It is nothing more than that. It is certainly not a guide book. Arguing with passages from the bible doesn't mean a hill of beans to us.
  • Some are afraid to express their beliefs not because of embarrassment, but because of discrimination.
  • We do not want to be 'saved', learn why our beliefs are wrong, or really hear anything else about why we're going to hell. Many of us got here through deep introspection, not because we're 'looking for the easy way out'. And the hell references have no impact, see #3.
  • Just because we don't believe in a all mighty power, does not mean we are bad people.
  • We are able to give from our hearts without strings attached. We don't have an ulterior motive, not looking to change other people, just to pass on good will and live harmoniously with others.

Any, all, or none of this may apply. The reason being, atheists are not a group. They are individuals finding their own way. They are conservatives, liberals and everything in between.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why are there rainbows?

Courtney said...

Reflection and refraction. Next!

Anonymous said...

Ah, the Bible - I read that...Jesus dies.

Anonymous said...

Apologies.
I sometimes think I'm being brilliant and witty and find I'm being obscure, maybe trite.
I guess I was trying to say - Don't miss the beauty and wonder.
And then once in a while, do the wondering.
Didn't mean to attack, meant to keep the conversation going.
Like your site. Glad you escaped Rita. Congrats on 9 years. (I've had nearly 31.)
BTW, anonymous, I think you may have missed a few pages. Jesus comes back to life. But there I go again.
Another day.

Courtney said...

No insult intended. I have a bad habit of being, well, blunt and that is sometimes taken as rudeness :)

Thanks for visiting. I do see the beauty and the wonder every day through my two small children. They never cease to amaze me. And I have wondered and struggled for years as this was not the way I was raised. Grew up in a church, went to Sunday school every week, church camp in the summers and was raised by two good, God loving people. I just have to follow what my heart tells me and be true to myself. All I want is for the world to see that even those who don't believe in a god can still be good.