As I get older I get different – #3
The one thing that I learned from Twitter is that you have to talk about Religion, Politics, Finance and the weather.
And so Religion. I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m Atheist. Dead set I am. But I don’t think that it’s something that I have to share in public, or in conversation, nor do I have to justify my position.
And I have full respect for anyone that is “of the faith“, any faith and has the need to have a “God” that they worship. I do.
My parents raised me Church of England, which in an of itself is a breakaway church, which makes me smile. When I say “raised” I mean sent me to Sunday School. I don’t actually recall attending church on a regular basis at any time. I doubt that we did, despite my sketchy memory of my early childhood. I did R.I. at school, and had parts in the annual nativity at primary school. Fully grounded then in all aspects :0)
What I’m not comfortable with is bagging people of the faith. On a personal level. I’m happy to talk about the irrelevance, the inconsistency and stupidity of religious dogma, but I shy away from confrontation. It’s not that important. But also what I’m uncomfortable with is having a label, even if it’s “atheist”, as if having a label makes it more legitimate for scorn or derision. I feel the same way about my stand on climate change, and my own belief that despite what you think I’m sure in my own way that it’s not man made, and that because I have that belief I don’t enjoy being called a “Denier”, I don’t deny climate change, just that man did it.
I enjoy learning about the aforementioned inconsistencies in religious teaching to reaffirm that I’m not just a bit weird. The more you read, and absorb logical and reasoned argument, the further you get away from a belief in a “supreme being”.
I wish I could pinpoint the day when I realised that I didn’t have to believe in a sky god and that it wasn’t going to end in tears. I know it was a long time ago, and that as I get older, and experience more things, and witness more pain, heartache, illness and death I realise that there in fact can’t be a caring God, and that confirmation bias just does’s cut it.
Related articles
- I had a better impression of Canadians before I read that tripe (freethoughtblogs.com)
- Atheism is not a Religion (kingmidgetramblings.wordpress.com)
- Why I am an atheist – Anonymous (freethoughtblogs.com)
- My Deconversion Story: Living After Faith (mindi.authormeanders.com)
- What Faith Is… (acommonsea.wordpress.com)
A life just as ordinary 
Well done.
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Well done on the getting old or getting a grips of my religion?
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