Column

This was my J10 Column.

Welcome to the “Dark” Side

One hears atheism and thinks Evil, Voodoo, and Hell. I remember when I followed those jaded guidelines, like, two months ago. But alas, I find myself tightly interwoven with an aspiring atheist, and my views are forever changed.

Atheism is not evil.

Born and raised of a Midwest small-town, 99.9 percent of everything in my life is Christian, 0.03 are cults, and the remaining 0.07 is atheist/other. That 0.07 comes as a real shocker. (Well I suppose the percent of cult might count here, but thats another story)

I'd simply never been exposed. I was convinced I'd just be a Liberal Christian (Basically, I would take the morals of religion seriously but not so much the specific bible quotes as true) forever and that would be that. But that would be that came not to be that. -Sorry about the weird sentence, but I couldn't resist.

Once one string was unraveled in my Christian views the rest quickly followed suit. The Bible simply contradicts itself too much. It's, to me, a book filled to the brim with who was born unto whom before even my greatest of grandpas was born. What also doesn't help things along is when it starts to talk about how to correctly treat your slaves. Or when it mentions that you should stone to death any who commit adultery. This doesn't make sense when its put next to Mr. compassionate and forgiving Jesus. For not believing he is my only savior and chance at eternal heaven after death, I don't think I'll go to hell, nobody knows for sure. I'll take my chances.

"The entirety of atheism is contained in this response. Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply an admission of the obvious. In fact, "atheism" is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a "non-astrologer" or a "non-alchemist". We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattle. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious belief."

This is one of many thought provoking quotes from the book “Letter to a Christian Nation” by Sam Harris. I strongly suggest one reads this book, I'm not trying to convert anyone but seeing arguments from both sides may make extreme believers less stubborn.

You might wonder why I just went on this whole schpeal, so here is my blunt message to you.

-Religious hypocrites, do not judge those who do not believe what you believe, it's ridiculous. Who gives you the right to judge? Are you assuming your God's powers here? Didn't people kill Jesus for that reason? Hmmm.

-And as a second thought, I think your hindering society with the stem cell rubbish. The medical possibilities that come with this research are mind boggling, you should read up on it. We could someday regrow arms and legs for gosh sake.

So before you condemn atheism, or any other religion/belief, as evil, try to be less single minded. Dogs and caterpillars are single minded, humans aren't or shouldn't be. It's a gift we have.