Monday, March 31, 2008

Do I Hate god?

I would like to know why christians think that I hate god. I read on another blog that some one had a similar experience and I thought I would share my story. I work in a gallery and we have a painting of a last supper scene. It is a really cool piece because it has over 100 story illustrations from the bible in the main figures of the supper. For example, the face of Jesus is the creation of Adam and Eve. I think it is an awesome painting. Over the past year I have sold 5 of those pieces. A person that I work work with and also knew about my atheism made a comment to me about it. He said that since I have sold so many of them that it is a sign from god...I said, "um...I don't think so." Then he told me that they should give me a free one. I excitedly answered that I thought it was an amazing idea. Well he looked shocked! He said, "you'd hang that in your house?!" YES!!! "But you hate god," he commented. Why is it assumed that just because I am an atheist I hate god. Sure I dont believe in a god, but just because I dont believe in santa claus doesn't mean I hate him, and wont hang up santa themed ornaments around the holidays. It is strange. Having studied art for so long it is hard to not have an appreciation for religious art. It is what really started the whole art movement in general...

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Horton Hears a What!?

I am a Dr. Seuss freak ok. I just saw the Horton movie and let's just say that they interpreted it differently than I. They made Horton godlike to the Whos, and the Whos godlike to Horton. They had to believe in each other when no one else did. AND the kangaroo was the evil atheistic character who said, "if you can see it, touch it, or feel it, it isnt real," she wants the speck destroyed (okay she wants it destroyed in the book too.) Yeah yeah that is what most of us believe anyway, but she was the bad character and in the book she just thought Horton was strange. In the real story, the Whos know they are on a speck and need help. Horton listens because he has large ears. The story is about democracy, and how every voice counts to make a difference. But it helps if someone capable is listening. So...there it is. The movie was really well done, dont get me wrong I thought it was funny. But, myself and the movie makers differed on our opinions on the interpretation of the story.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

...And We're the Evil Ones

I was watching With Out A Trace last night, and i began thinking about what is really considered evil. This episode was about this pedopheliac who kidnapped his niece. It kind of confuses me because the theistic right is so concerned that we are evil (because we haven't accepted jesus christ as lord or whatever) that they seem to forget that there are real people out there who hurt children and animals and everything. People are bombing cities in the name of their gods. the Christians murdered people because they didn't accept the new religion. And we are the ones who are evil?! When was anyone ever killed in the name of atheism? No, South Park does not count. It just seems funny...

Saturday, March 22, 2008

The Meaning of My Life

Why does everything have to have a meaning? Is it that important to think that we are superior to all living things? I was reading on someone’s web page that we are above all else…better than whales, better than dogs, better than a mosquito. If we aren’t better, then what is the point of life was one of his arguments. It is like our brains need to think that man is the greatest thing. If I don’t believe in god than I have no purpose in my life. I am on better than the fleas on dogs. I am not connected to anything, past, present, or future. Duh! In my head that makes me feel connected to everything! The DNA in my cells is made out of the same chemicals that make the DNA in whales, dogs, and the mosquito. Every thing is made out of the same stuff! And not just living things…everything on this planet is made out of the same 117 elements. Out of all the things in the entire world it only takes 117 pieces to put together a bazillion different puzzles. We are the same as all things on the whole planet. There may not be an afterlife, but this life is pretty cool because everything is one thing. So when this man generalized and said that life is pointless to us evolutionists he was wrong. He was also wrong when he said evolutionists instead of atheists because some evolutionists believe in a creator.

The purpose in my life is just to make myself, and the people around me, happy without hurting anyone. Is that really so bad? So the human brain is more highly evolved than the other animals on the planet, so what. Does that mean that we are better? To some people, yes. To others, no. Life is life, no matter whose or what’s it is. It means different things to different people. Many believe that the only way human life is important and meaningful is that we are superior and are here for a specific reason. I believe that life is here, and it is not important in the same sense that others believe. It is no more important than anything else. We should use it to be happy, it is equal to the life of all other living things. If we as humans are willing to diminish the lives of the other animals we share the planet with than we should be willing to diminish our own.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Religion and Sex Talk

I think that talking about a person's religious beliefs is a very personal conversation. I know that I prefer talking about it with friends and family. Well, I have a job where religious conversation may come up with strangers. But when people ask me what I believe, they might as well be asking me what my favorite position is. We would never go up to a stranger and say, "excuse me madam, but do you like to be on top?" Albeit not all of us talk openly about sex, but it is a very intimate detail about a person, and I feel that a person's spirituality is too. And sometimes strangers don't ask me about my beliefs, but they readily offer up their's. It is cool that they are so passionate about it, but I never know how to respond. Again, it is such a personal detail about someone. To me they might as well walked up to me and said, "I really like doggy style." I guess this whole blog is a bit contradictory, but hey, I like talking about sex too ;) At least if anyone reads this they know what they area getting into.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Hateful Bumper Sticker

Okay, so I was driving down the street a few weeks ago when I saw a bumper sticker that read, "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists." Well obviously I am not a Christian and don't know all of the teachings, but didn't Jesus preach to love thy enemy or something? Doesn't that song tell small children that Jesus loves them because the bible says so? And that phrase, "God is love." For a person trying to put out a message that people should become Christian, I think they achieved just the opposite. So it pissed me off...a lot. I do not have anything against the different faiths of the world, but I don't think anyone should be putting messages of hate on their cars and then be proud of them. Then in the bookstore I saw a book with the same title God Doesn't Believe in Atheists. So for Christians, to me, these people are being pretty anti-Christian. Sure I drive around with a Darwin Fish on my back bumper, but I am not going to proudly drive around with a sticker that preaches a message of hate and intolerance. So basically it is okay to preach hate, as long as it is against an atheist. Because I know there is freedom of speech and whatnot, but I am pretty sure that no body will really drive around advertising that they hate Muslims, or Jews, or African Americans.

Welcome to my Atheist blog

Hello everyone and welcome to my first blog! Off the bat, my plan for this blog is to be an atheist blog. I am an atheist. I am 23, and as far back as I can remember I haven’t believed in gods. Over the past years, starting in high school, I have realized how important a part religion (or lack of) plays in people’s lives. I have been looked down upon for my beliefs, criticized, and even lost a few friends. I decided to do this blog on Christmas Day 2007 when my father read me a letter to the editor speaking about how atheists are the roots of all evil. We are the reason that there is war, greed, and deceit. This is a place where I can let out my feelings and opinions. I know that I cannot speak for all atheists in the world, but I do know that we are not bad people. We have morals, although, they are not biblically based. We know the definition of right and wrong. Just as you cannot talk a Christian out of believing in god, you cannot talk us into it. I am a normal female, I cry, I love, I have fun, and I rock out.
I have a new found pride in my atheism. I am not ashamed of my beliefs. I don’t have “faith,” not in the obvious sense of the word at least. I have faith that my family will always be there for me, and that science will someday be able to explain what it can’t right now.
In this blog, I want to talk about my life, and how my atheism factors into it. I hope there are other atheists who can find comfort in my writings, and Christians who can see the other side of the religious coin. Thanks for letting me spill my guts.