Allow me to repost this here................

[A HERETIC I AM]

I posted this in the Theology and Religion Forum and thought perhaps i should post it here as well. I know many of the folks that post here probably read that forum as well but here goes anyway.

An Atheists Screed for your perusal:

I am Atheist. This is something I have no doubt of, nor do I have any shame of or offer any apologies for. But terms require definitions and the term “Atheist” is often misunderstood and has different meanings for different individuals. I searched “Atheism” in online dictionaries and got these results;

The Oxford Dictionary says Atheism is
• noun- the belief that God does not exist.

The Cambridge Dictionary ONLY gave a definition for “Atheist” and said this:
someone who believes that God or gods do not exist

Dictionary.com says this:
1)
a) Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods.
b) The doctrine that there is no God or gods.
2)Godlessness; immorality.


And Merriam Webster says this:
Etymology: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god
1 archaic : "ungodliness", "wickedness"
2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity
b : the doctrine that there is no deity

At times we are free to define words as we see fit and at others we must not. “Cold” is variable and relative. A “Metal” MUST exhibit the qualities of something metallic.

The above definitions for Atheism however, seem to me to include an opinion that makes me not only uncomfortable but in total disagreement, with the notable exception of #1, (b) from Dictionary.com which was drawing from the American Heritage Dictionary.

The word "Atheist" is simply this:
“A” = Without (From the original Greek)
“Theos” = God (From the same)
An Atheist is someone who has no gods and Atheism is that doctrine of no gods or merely godlessness.
THIS is what I am. I am NOT someone who “believes there is no god” I REJECT the idea that my position is somehow a belief in the absence of something.

Why should you, Dear Reader, give a rat’s ass how I choose to define my particular point of view on this subject? I’ll tell you. Because too many times I and others like me are categorized as Webster, in the “Archaic” line suggests, being somehow consumed with “Wickedness”. The idea that I have no god makes me somehow less able to be decent and caring and charitable, as if I needed a god in my life in order to ensure I would be a good boy. It sickens me.

It was pointed out to me in another thread a few weeks back that I could not possibly know whether or not any and all gods in any and all planes, metaphysical and otherwise were non-existent. I agree. So for the purposes of this monologue I stipulate that it is SPECIFICALLY THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC as defined in the Judaic, Christian and Islamic literature that describes it that I am “Without”. The concept of a thinking, calculating, vengeful, manipulative, all powerful, all knowing transcendent super deity that has created all the heavens and the earth and yet is intensely interested in where I might put my penis is something I place in the EXACT same category as pixies, faeries, trolls, leprechauns and unicorns. It is a mythical construct that to me bears no resemblance to anything “God-Like” at all. Rather it seems to be the personification of what many humans would like to think of themselves as. It is hubris in the utmost for humans to have created a god to worship that created them for the sole purpose of worshipping it and it is conveniently nasty enough to rain bad things down on those OTHER humans they don't like that DON’T worship it.

This begs an obvious question. “What do you believe in?
Well, I believe in the Cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the ......oops...that's “Bull Durham”...sorry.

I believe in Human Beings! I believe in the extraordinary power of conviction to an ideal. Charity. Compassion. I believe in love. I think true love changes people for the better and can do amazing things. I believe in the power of the mind to create. I believe in the ability of mankind to be compassionate to the extent that one might risk his own life to save the life of a complete stranger. I believe that there is a greater good that we should all strive for, that being simply to CARE FOR AND ABOUT YOUR FELLOW HUMANS! This greater good does not require the guidance of or direction by the supernatural nor does it require the threat of eternal damnation for the ethically minded to institute.

It is my opinion that as an Atheist I must hold myself to a higher standard. I have no god to beg forgiveness should I fall below my own expectations of myself. I have no desire for or do I expect or demand some sort of fantastic eternal reward because I think a certain way but act another. Describing my shortcomings or aberrant behavior and then expecting to be relieved of guilt is no ticket to immortality for me. My standards for my own behavior are guided by my own personal ethic. My sense of duty to my own mind and the duty to my species and my planet tends to define this ethic. If this is “The Golden Rule” so be it, but Jesus was not the 1st to make that obvious point and it is something a child learns the first time he gets hit back after striking a sibling. The downside of doing bad things to others is that others can do bad things to you. It strikes me that many bad things are said and done by many people in this world with a supposedly “holy” book close at hand.

I am the Republicans worst nightmare!
I am a liberal, Atheistic Humanist with a staunch desire for church-state separation, pro-choice, pro-child, pro-labor, pro-woman, pro-gay rights, pro-education, anti-death penalty, anti-poverty, anti-war Straight-but-not-narrow white male American who thinks the government AND (its) god should get the fuck out of my personal life.

In other words, A HERETIC!

Regards.

[Tafiti]

1. Well done.

I am in 100% agreement with everything you said.

It sucks, but I feel the need to add a qualifying statement after seeing the wide-eyed, jaw dropping reactions from people after divulging the fact that I am an atheist. That is, explaining it as agnostic atheism. Ultimately agnostic - like a t-shirt says, "I don't know if there's a god, and neither do you." But atheist - in conclusion to the absence of any solid evidence for the existence of a deity.

It seems silly, I suppose, but I know that most people's automatic association response to the word "atheist" is almost always more aligned with the archaic definition given in the Merriam Webster source you quoted. It seems to alleviate the initial shock. It's unfortunate that theists everywhere have successfully attached quite a stigma to the word "atheist", even to people who aren't necessarily religious at all.

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. Thanks for the compliment.

Just listening to the nutjobs on faux shores up the point you make in your 2nd paragraph. "You're one of those atheist guys" said Hannity the asshole to a guest the other night. As if the entire concept of that person not buying into his superstition left a bad taste in his mouth.

BTW...you can buy a bumpersticker that says "Militant Agnostic. I dont know and you don't either" from www.evolvefish.com