I’ve recently added this blog to the Widgetbox network and when it came time to choose a category I decided on education rather than religion and not only because that one has pitifully few readers, but I digress.
Christian and other religious apologists try their best to portray atheists as ‘believing’ in atheism just as they believe in their god (or gods). But that’s just the point - atheists don’t believe in any supernatural power in the universe. The very word atheist means no belief not against belief.

My choosing of education for the blog category education was because I want to do my part in informing people who may be unsure about faith or are a part of a religion but are having doubts, that atheism is a completely sane and normal viewpoint.

Firstly, the majority of atheists are honest. Honest in their arguments, in their debates and in their viewpoints. As we are mostly well educated, well read people we know that honesty is the cornerstone of society.

In comparison, religious believers are quite capable of using false information to reinforce their case - they do this openly and without guilt it seems. They lie or pick and choose snippets from the bible while ignoring others that don’t support their case. Why? Because they believe - and are often quite open about - that the end justifies the means. They are so convinced of the rightness of what they believe that engaging in an honest debate is beneath them.

If you are a member of a religion and have been in the situation (and I wouldn’t doubt that you have) of discovering a mentor or senior church member has misinformed you about something - I’d say this to you, “If they lied then, why should you believe anything they say now?”. I’d also say to you “Why do you think they need to lie? If they are so sure about their faith then why use lies and misinformation to bolster their teachings?”

The great thing about being an atheist is that we are actually set free from the nagging doubts, guilt and fears that those with a religious faith have. We don’t have to fret that we haven’t been to church enough or given enough money or prayed enough to be doubtful of getting into heaven as we don’t believe in a heaven (or a hell). We are free to make the most of every second of every day that we are alive because we know that when we die we will simply be in the same state we were before we were born - not in existence.

That doesn’t concern me at all - I don’t look forward to my demise more than anyone does - but I try and stay healthy, try to do right by others and be honest. That’s all there is to it - no beliefs, no superstitious nonsense, no guilt.

I’ve been called before on my position by fervent believers who say things like ‘oh but you HAVE to believe in something, there’s no point to life otherwise’. Sorry? Why does believing in what is honestly, the most implausible, silly story ever told - give life more meaning?

I’ve come to the realisation that these people aren’t actually trying to convince me to believe at all.

They are trying to convince themselves…

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