Atheists Among Us

[Demeter]

Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_felix_wi_060912_atheists_among_us.htm


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September 14, 2006

Atheists Among Us

By Felix Winslow

There are atheists among us. They believe in no god. They worship nothing. Their worldview precludes the supernatural and includes only the natural. They view God as an adult's fairy tale. They look at those who spend Sundays at church and think what a waste of time. They believe in one life and one life lived well.

There are atheists among us. You will see them on the street, in the supermarket, in the mall. You will meet them at work and at parties. You will meet them in the restroom and at the gym. You will not know who they are. You will not know them by their fruit. All you can know is that they do exist and that they do influence you, your city, your state, your country, and, slowly but surely, your world. Atheists matter.

There are atheists among us. They are scattered in every corner of the earth. They influence politics, education, science. They have their materialistic hands in everything. Everything they touch turns to naturalism. Everything they touch turns to realism. Everything they touch turns to reality.

There are atheists among us. Most hide, but more and more are coming out. More and more are witnessing of religion's deceit. More and more are evangelizing trust in logic and reasoning and common sense. More and more are telling others to grow up, to get with the evolutionary program, and to stop pretending that a single book, a hodgepodge of wishful thinking, solves the world's problems. More and more are coming to grips with life instead of avoiding it.

There are atheists among us. What will you do about it? Will you try to convince them that your religion is right? Will you try to convince them that you alone know the truth? Will you try to prevent them from speaking and using their minds? Or, will you simply ignore them, supremely confident of winning the war of ideas with sheer numbers? Will you care at all?

There are atheists among us. You must care. You must say and do something. You must listen to their beliefs. You must recognize their influence. Numbers do matter, but numbers are not on your side. Atheism is growing. Religions do not last. Two thousand years is nothing in the history of religion. Make no mistake. Religions will die. Religion will be forgotten. All you will have left, all you will have to hold, is reality. Reality is all you will ever need.



Authors Bio: Felix works in the ethereal realm of Information Technology.

[BlueManDude]

1. I saw an ad for an interesting looking book in the New Yorker...

Letter to a Christan Nation by Sam Harris.

"The President of the United States has claimed, on more than one ocassion, to be in dialogue with God. If he said that he was talking to God through his hairdryer, this would precipitate a national emergency. I fail to see how the addition of the hairdryer makes the claim more ludicrous or offensive."

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Ooo! That gem's a keeper!

:loveya:

[ktlyon]

2. interesting rant

I would disagree on a few points but interesting

I respect everyones right to spend time how they choose, sundays at church, synagogue, or temple.

Materialistic?

[DavidDvorkin]

4. I assume he means "materialistic" in the strict sense

Of accepting the existence only of the material world, not in the sense of wanting to gather possessions.

[shrike]

5. Trouble is, people aren't rational

For reasons that have nothing to do with religion. I really think irrationality is part of our nature. It's the only way I can explain why some of the people I know do the things they do.

Plus, people have their own versions of what is rational what is not? Were Ted Bundy's actions rational? I suppose to him they were.

I get a little impatient with statements like this, the same way I do with fundy ravings, about how Jesus is coming, and boy will he kick some ass. I realize that many secularists believe that religion is the source of all evil in the world, but part of me continues to hope that good-hearted atheists and good-hearted Christians can agree to disagree on some things and then roll up their sleeves and do something in the world.

[Vidar]

6. Good points.