100 ‘Damned’ Good Reasons to Be An Atheist, Part 1
Many religious people will tell you that it’s better to believe than it is to not believe, and bring out a whole suitcase of ‘logical’ arguments for why that is the case, but they’d be lying. Here’s why it’s better to be a Heathen like me.
1. No need to pray — We don’t have ever-present sky-daddies that we talk to on a regular basis. Thus we don’t leave our most important needs and desires in the hands of these fictitious entities. We’ve matured beyond such naivety. Meditation is never a bad thing, however. Spending time alone with your thoughts can be very therapeutic and could lead to some very profound insights.
2. No Hell below us — No Easter Bunny, No Santa Claus, No Jesus, No Devil. It’s a much more relaxed way to live. And telling a kid they are going to hell for even the simplest trespasses is beyond unethical. No one should have to live with that constant fear and anxiety at such a young age.
3. Myths make good comic books, but horrible religions — Unless, that is, you’re reading a Chick Tract or a children’s illustrated bible. Go for something less boring, like a Thor graphic novel or a Classics Illustrated version of the Trojan War. Entertainment beats penitence any day.
4. We choose to be good because it’s a good thing to do — It’s really absurd that christians believe it is better to be told to be good than it is to sort out good and bad on your own. We don’t need a paternalist finger wagging from on high to inform our sense of decency.
5. There’s no such thing as a Militant Atheist — You wont see us on the news putting a Kalashnikov in the face of people we disagree with in an effort to subjugate them. It just doesn’t happen. We’re significantly more tolerant that most religious sects one can find in the world.
6. She marries as she chooses — Atheist women aren’t subject to the whims and desires of male family members where it concerns marital matters, like they are in many religious traditions. Our women choose freely and our men respect that right.
7. No purity culture — Atheist fathers may care about their daughters and want to protect them from the bad things that happen in the world, but they certainly don’t go as far as to try and own them or restrict their behavior with quasi-incestuous faux marriage rituals or promises of sexual purity until marriage, which evidence shows don’t really work in the first place.
8. Gender equality matters — Atheists are logical people and very aware of the fact that gender has nothing significant to say about the ability of an individual to make a significant impact on the world. And we’re better for it.
9. We get to ask better questions — Exploring the great mystery of life takes a lot of mental effort and being hampered by a religious dogma that says certain questions should not be asked only gets in the way of that quest. Open minds lead to better answers, hands down.
10. Proof is in the pudding — We respect the evidence even if we disagree with it. We don’t carve out special exemptions for our preferred assumption and deny the reality that is before us. If the facts don’t support our hypothesis, we change the hypothesis. WE DON’T TRY TO FIT THE FACTS TO THE ASSUMPTION.
Continued in Part 2.
DISCLAIMER: For those who are curious, I do not allow feedback on posts of this nature due to the fact that religionists have nothing original to say on the matter. They continually trot out the same tired, unqualified arguments for why they are right and I am wrong and I refuse to waste another second of my life re-litigating these issue with people of limited imagination.
