In a word, both are useless. I am an apolitical atheist.
I like to joke that I'm a polyatheist. A polytheist is one who believes in several gods. I don't believe in any gods, ergo I've branded myself as a polyatheist.
To me it's not a big deal. It's a life decision much like any other, and the weight is mine to carry.
I find it ironic that while some people have shown me disdain for my "lack of belief," they never stop to ask me why I feel this way. They'd rather argue a pointless point.
I don't seek to destroy anyone's belief system. I don't care, or I should say, have any problem with what anyone else believes any more than I care about their food preferences. Whatever works to sustain you, do it. It doesn't matter to me if they want to eat tofu with grape jelly and ketchup every day so long as they don't expect me to swallow it too. Ingest what you will, but if it's gonna make you spew, do it in private. No one else needs to see or hear it.
Second point of irony... I know a lot about religions. I find them fascinating. I'm amused at the very invention of gods, that even to this day people feel the need to lean on something intangible to explain the unexplainable.
I know some of my readers are looking at this and praying for my shriveled dark soul (sorry, I find that I cannot skip sarcasm when it comes to this topic). And that's okay. Like I said, whatever works for you.
Politicians exist to make sure religions and religious factions don't get out of control. Conversely, any religious leader is also a politician. Oh, what a lovely snakeball. You want me to believe what?
Again you have hit the mark! In my "advancing age" I have questioned more why humans seem to need some "god" to relate to.. WHY ?? what is in our makeup that we look to that entity. I think of myself as a spiritual person, but I look within for beliefs and strength. As Jeff's uncle said"Denver is a "better" place".. Less religion, less war!
ReplyDeleteBefore I became a born-again Christian a few years ago, I felt that people who believed in God needed a "crutch" to lean on, something bigger than themselves in order to get by. I believed in counting on yourself for strength.
ReplyDeleteI still believe those things, but now I come at them from a totally different angle. I believe in God, and my reasons are my own, and I don't shove it down anyone's throat. It's still your choice, and always will be, as to what you believe in or don't. And your soul is not shriveled or dark, woman! If a Christian were to think that just because you don't believe, they'd have a whole lot of re-thinking to do!
Yes!
ReplyDeleteIt's sometimes like a deep, dark secret, being an atheist, or "polyatheist". i find i often don't even want to bring it up because it usually ends in someone trying to convert me, or pray for me, and as a result i feel uncomfortable and disrespected. i don't make anyone else feel that way for what they believe; why should they?
Solitary wiccan here. "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."
ReplyDeleteSteven Weinberg, quoted in The New York Times, April 20, 1999
LOVE the quote, Perle! Thank you!!
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