Atheism

a⋅the⋅ism [ey-thee-iz-uhm]
–noun

1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.
2. disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.
dictionary.com

1.	atheism
	Atheism is simply the opposite of theism. The prefix A means "without" or "not", so Atheism is simply a lack of belief in god(s). It is not a religion, just like theism is not a religion. Atheists are usually quite fond of life, since it is the only one we have.Theists if you think about it, need a god to make their existance make sense and to make them respect life. "That dog is an atheist. A new-born baby is an atheist. Most of the smartest people in the world are atheists. Coincidence?"

urbandictionary.com


I'm sick of people thinking that atheism equals cynicism. An atheist is someone who does not follow/believe in a god/gods. Being an atheist does not need to mean being non-spiritual. An atheist does not need to be sure of everything involving life, death, and spirituality.
To be sure, there are those among the ranks of non-believers who use their title as a justification for their anger at life and religion. They have no belief at all in the possibility of something more than us - more than we can see. They scoff at those who see the world differently.
"We live, we die, we're fertilizer, that's it. If you can't see it, measure it, or feel it, it isn't real. And anyone who doesn't see that is an idiot," they seem to say.

My boyfriend is one of these atheists. I am not. I'm the minimal, literal atheist. I don't believe in God. I don't subscribe to any of the mainstream religions, nor any of the lesser known ones. That is all it means to be an atheist. The rest of my opinions about why religion is wrong or what happens to us when we die are not part of atheism, they're part of a personal log of ideas that I'm still forming. (Yes, I will be adding more of my opinions about religion to this blog in the future.)

I find fault in all the creation myths I've been exposed to. At this point in my life, I'm pretty positive that heaven and hell do not exist, and that being 'good' or 'bad' while you are alive does not effect what happens to your spirit/soul/inner self/whatever when your body is gone. I don't pretend to know what happens to the nonphysical aspects of a human when it dies, though I don't completely disregard the theories spouted by those who do. I am unsure of much involving the afterlife and even how we got here. I believe in evolution vs. creation, individualism vs. religion, and the need to own up to and fix your own mistakes vs. praying to something outside of yourself to fix them for you. But none of this is what makes me an atheist.

Atheism is not a religion or a way of life. All it is is a word describing and defining -one- thought and belief: There is no God.

The same is true for theists. Believing in God, or several gods, makes you a theist - not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim. It's the ideas -surrounding- your belief in God that make you a member of a specific religion, not just your belief.

Having independent thought does not exclude feeling spiritual and having a connection to something outside of yourself. Being an atheist does not make me, my boyfriend, or any other person who lacks this specific belief, evil or bad in any way. So shut the fuck up about it, and just deal.

And that's my opinion.

True Lies.

I am not special. I am not a doctor of anything. I'm not a research scientist, prophet, heiress, or even a college graduate. I'm just a person. Simple, but intelligent. I am young in years, but old in mind and soul. Just a person. But I think. I feel, I observe, I see.

I try to see the meaning past the bullshit, but it's everywhere. Everyone has bullshit that they try to pass off as precious gold. The thing is, none of them think that it's bullshit. They think they've found it. The answer. The Christians think they have it and the Muslims don't. Scientists think they have it, and the Christians don't. Democrats, Republicans, and the homeless guy who tries to convince you that he was abducted by aliens all think they have it. They think they've found the truth, and that if everyone would just listen, everything would be fine.
I'm all for free will and finding your own philosophy, but I still have issues with this. Are you ready to know what my issues are? There are several. Here is an incomplete list:

What is truth, anyway? Does it even exist? If such a thing as pure truth still exists - if it ever did - is it graspable by the feeble, fickle human mind? Is truth universal, or is it unique to every individual? If it is in the eye of the beholder, what's the point of truth? I don't know. I don't pretend to know. I don't think anyone SHOULD pretend to know. Are we meant to know? Maybe, maybe not. Seek it all you want, but don't pretend you've found it. Even if you have, there's no way to prove it.

Some people feel comfort in finding a personal philosophy and clinging to that idea for the rest of their lives. I find that concept terrifying. If I picked one answer and stuck to it, I would miss out on so much; so much information, so many points of view would be lost to me, because even if I learned about them, I'd be going in to it already knowing I won't agree. I know some of the perspectives on life that will never ring true for me, but I have yet to find a path that does. While I recognize your right to see things differently, I'll never understand those of you who are set in your beliefs so completely.

And that's my opinion.

Information, and a lack of introduction.

I'm an opinionated person. At times, I am of the opinion that I have important things to say, things I don't feel comfortable saying as myself. Yet. I now have a place to be as opinionated as I like without worrying about what people who know me will think of said opinions.

Honestly, I just need a place to let my bitch flag fly. It may be profane. It may be offensive. It may be boring. It may be cute as hell. I really don't know yet. I'm performing a psychological experiment on myself.

If you'd like an opinion on any particular topic, leave it in a comment. I'll write about it.