Just another untrustworthy atheist | Teen Ink

Just another untrustworthy atheist

January 26, 2010
By CruxClaire GOLD, Park Ridge, Illinois
CruxClaire GOLD, Park Ridge, Illinois
11 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.&quot;<br /> -Mark Twain


It’s a normal weekday afternoon. I’m kicking back in the computer chair, relaxing after a long day at school. I open up my amazingly speedy internet browser (Firefox, of course) and initiate my daily visit to Facebook. I glance at my news feed long enough to notice someone’s reposted chain message. It’s one I’ve seen before. It says something along the lines of “I am proud to call Jesus Christ my savior. 97% of facebook users will not repost this, but I am not ashamed of God. Repost this if you feel the same way.”

I frown. Where do people come up with these bizarre statistics, I wonder. Clearly, most Facebook users won’t even see this post, so this is irrelevant anyway.

Slightly annoyed, I proceed to my message inbox; a rare event has occurred! I’ve gotten a new message! My frown deepens as I open the message and read an angry proclamation that I have allowed the devil to overtake my life and that the sender is very disappointed that I do not see God the way she does – the way I SHOULD. So, I do what anyone else would do: I click on the sender’s profile link so I can glare at her profile. But alas! She has deleted me from her friend list, so there is no profile available for me to glare at!
While I hastily type a rational explanation of my religious beliefs to the de-friender, I sigh in exasperation, but deep inside, I’m hurting. Am I not worth talking to because of my religious beliefs? Would Jesus have deleted me like that?
Every day, atheists in the USA face scenarios like this one. Recent studies have shown atheists to be the least trusted people in the country, with more than half of people questioned in one survey proclaiming that they would flatly refuse to vote for an atheist presidential candidate (never mind that candidate’s policies – atheism is a clear indicator of a crooked politician).
Such statistics, as well as the remaining presence of God’s name in the USA’s motto and Pledge of Allegiance, as well as on its currency (and even federal weaponry, as recently revealed) show that despite its alleged separation of church and state, the US still has a ways to go in the way of secularism and religious tolerance. The US, according to yet more studies, has one of the highest rates of theism, as far as developed countries go.
Other counties, such as Sweden and the Czech Republic, have much higher rates of atheism, with a majority of citizens in both countries claiming to have no religion. Despite the apparent lack of trustworthiness among the people there, I really haven’t heard of any horrible riots or violent outbreaks or mass terrorism in those countries.

Theists have asked me what my purpose is in life and why I feel any obligation to remain moral. Apparently, since I don’t believe in an invisible, all-loving deity that will promptly throw me into hell for all eternity if I don’t life a sinless, conservative lifestyle, I must be a purposeless animal of no morals. There is absolutely nothing stopping me from stealing and killing right now. Since I’m an atheist, I must be too stupid to care about humans laws and too unfeeling to care about humans themselves. Regardless of the fact that every atheist I know, myself included, believes all humans have potential, dignity, and worth, I am moral-less, crude, and unfeeling.

I’ve also heard people complain that atheists are too adamant about their beliefs. They are intolerant of theists and they are completely arrogant. They shove their beliefs down the throats of theists. While I have definitely met some adamant and arrogant atheists, I can certainly say that I have never been approached by an atheist with threats of hell accompanied by a cordial invitation to the church that will save me from these fires. And when I was a Christian (which I was, meaning I have given theism a chance), I was never rejected as a friend by an atheist due to my theism.

One could also argue that every single person is born atheistic, before being instilled with religious dogma and beliefs by others, or, as a Christian might put it, “receiving the Good News.”

Finally, I can say that if I’m wrong and that the Christian God really is up there (and there’s a chance that he is), then I’m sure I’ll be going to heaven anyway. See, if God exists, he loves me and he has a plan for me. And since atheism is clearly part of his plan for me, I must be doing the will of God. Since he’s all merciful, he won’t condemn me to hell for my lack of belief, especially since he didn’t offer any actual evidence of his existence. Yup, I’m certain that if God exists, he’s saving a nice seat for me up in heaven.


The author's comments:
Richard Dawkins has challenged atheists to come out of the closet. If we can establish ourselves as less of a minority and more of a force to be reckoned with, maybe we can be more accepted and respected.

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This article has 75 comments.


Golgotha said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 8:13 pm
Now why would you say that? You seculars, I dispise your thinking because it is evil and sat.anic!

on Jun. 9 2011 at 1:39 pm
CruxClaire GOLD, Park Ridge, Illinois
11 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.&quot;<br /> -Mark Twain

...........Seriously?

 

I assumed it was sarcasm.


on May. 18 2011 at 7:51 pm
CruxClaire GOLD, Park Ridge, Illinois
11 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.&quot;<br /> -Mark Twain

But see, I don't understand why it's a sin that I chose not to believe in something that has no proof whatsoever. Am I supposed to feel something in my soul that tells me he's there? I don't think I could make myself believe in him. When I initially realized I was losing my faith, I prayed like crazy for him to return it, to come back to me, and that didn't happen. Silence was the answer to my prayer. Just standing up and saying "I believe" when it's an empty statement is, in my opinion, more of a sin than choosing not to believe.

on May. 18 2011 at 6:18 pm
PuzzleLuver SILVER, Powell, Ohio
6 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life&quot; John 3:16

I'd like to start off by saying I'm sorry for you that those people un-friended you because of your beliefs and that is wrong. But some of your writing is untrue "And since atheism is clearly part of his plan for me" this is not true, you see God gave us a choice and you obviously chose atheism, but he wants you to choose him because if you don't you are seperating yourself from him. "Yup, I’m certain that if God exists, he’s saving a nice seat for me up in heaven. " God wants us all to be with him, but if you have chosen not to believe in him you have sinned which drives a wedge between you and God because he cannot live with sinners who do not wish to repent.


Golgotha said...
on May. 13 2011 at 8:54 am
Why should you be heard? You have no belief- thus that makes you have no morals in life. That I find bad in life. You expect people to have a havoc lifestyle? Think of what you are promoting. It doesn't look right coming from me.

Golgotha said...
on May. 13 2011 at 8:50 am
Your quote is what really got me. (lol) Are you saying that EVERY secular comes from the closet? Are you saying seculars are homosexuals in disguise? That I find funny. (lol XD)

on Apr. 26 2011 at 11:44 pm
Petrichor1994 GOLD, San Jose, California
18 articles 0 photos 4 comments

We are depraved? Seriously? Obviously, there are a lot of bad people in the world and even greater amount of bad things too. But there is a lot of good too when you know where to look.

Me? I believe in the potential of mankind and general decency of mankind rather than "being born in sin". It's better to have a positive outlook.


on Apr. 24 2011 at 7:28 pm
StrictlyWorse BRONZE, Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania
3 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me&quot; -John Darnielle

Sam, just stop. We're the largest minority in the U.S and we have no representation in congress. Literally no one in the H.O.R or the senate is atheist or agnostic.

on Apr. 24 2011 at 4:21 pm
CruxClaire GOLD, Park Ridge, Illinois
11 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.&quot;<br /> -Mark Twain

"She," not "he," and yes, it does depend very much on the area in which one is located. In some areas it's not a problem at all, and in other areas, it's a huge problem.

on Apr. 24 2011 at 3:24 pm
As much as the author may say otherwise, discrimination of atheists is not as big of a problem as you may think it is. I've never seen it happen, and a large majority of my friends are atheist. Maybe its the part of the U.S. he's in. I wouldn't be suprised if he was in the more conservative states/

on Apr. 24 2011 at 11:24 am
CruxClaire GOLD, Park Ridge, Illinois
11 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.&quot;<br /> -Mark Twain

The presence of oxygen is a scientific question. The presence of God is not.

on Apr. 24 2011 at 1:42 am
StrictlyWorse BRONZE, Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania
3 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me&quot; -John Darnielle

WHAT? Oxygen is VERY much measurable and tangible within our world. How can you compare something that's on the periodic table of elements to a completely undetectable, omnipotent being in the sky?

on Apr. 4 2011 at 2:17 pm
luvxmex4xwutxIxam, 2, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
(Revelation 21:4) And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> (Psalm 37:28-29) For Jehovah is a lover of justice, And he will not leave his loyal ones. To time indefinite they will certainly be guarded; But as for the offspring of the wicked ones, they will indeed be cut off. 29&nbsp;The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.

Ok, so first of all show me in the Bible where it says that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. Psalm 37:28,29 says “For Jehovah is a lover of justice, And he will not leave his loyal ones. To time indefinite they will certainly be guarded; But as for the offspring of the wicked ones, they will indeed be cut off. 29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.” So here it says that the wicked will be cut off and the righteous will possess the earth. Most of you are probably familiar with the Our Father prayer, in it we pray Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth. So we are praying for God’s Kingdom to come and when this Kingdom comes the conditions on earth will be like those in heaven, Daniel 2:44, Revelation 21:3,4. There are many things in the earth and universe that PROVE that there is a God but the biggest thing that proves it is his word the Bible, In the Bible there are many facts that are scientifically proven and there is a lot of prophecy that has and is being fulfilled, I can’t get into all of them but I will list just two.  So first a scientific fact, Many years ago it was believed that the earth was flat and if you went to far you would fall off, but hundreds of years before the thought of the earth being a circle was even thought of the Bible said that the earth is a circle at Isaiah 40:22. Now second a prophecy that IS being fulfilled Matthew chapter 24 talks about what will be the sign of the conclusion of this system of things but notice verse 7 it says “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another.” Can you honestly say that you don’t see this being fulfilled today?

on Dec. 10 2010 at 11:14 am
CourtneyHammett BRONZE, Spartanburg, South Carolina
1 article 7 photos 37 comments
It really is. Atheists are judged more than you would imagine. They're considered immoral and scary.

on Nov. 23 2010 at 4:16 pm
ZombieDanceWithMe SILVER, Rockford, Illinois
7 articles 1 photo 98 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;To die is nothing; but it is terrible not to live&rdquo;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> -Victor Hugo

what Inkfan is saying is that you can't see or feel oxygen, just like you can't see or feel god, but since we have oxygen, why not have god?

even though we can prove that there is oxygen and we can not prove that there is a god. 

Basically, because we can't see or taste oxygen then it will be the next thing atheists attack as not being real.  :P all just quite silly if you ask me.


on Nov. 2 2010 at 6:41 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

LOL, what? Oxygen is real. :S I'm obviously missing some key point here.

But you've already slipped away, so...

Inkfan SILVER said...
on Nov. 1 2010 at 11:32 pm
Inkfan SILVER, Memphis, Tennessee
5 articles 0 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
Age is irrelevant, because time is just a measurement!

That...did a lot for me...thanks...*slips away before they can convince themselves that oxygen isn't real because it can't be seen, felt, or tasted.*

on Nov. 1 2010 at 10:22 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

Actually, atheism isn't "organised" religion, per se. It's a belief because you can't disprove the existence of God, so you BELIEVE that He doesn't exist. It's the belief in the lack of God.

However, it doesn't have some sort of institute, like the Church, or rules or guidelines or anything like htat/

Inkfan SILVER said...
on Nov. 1 2010 at 5:42 pm
Inkfan SILVER, Memphis, Tennessee
5 articles 0 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
Age is irrelevant, because time is just a measurement!

Atheism isn't a religion.  How can believing in nothing qualify you as a believer of any sort?  

But also, how can anyone who believes in God be doing anything wrong in the first place?  If, in the end, all of you non-believers are right, and there really is no God, then what did we lose?  Was having the comfort of a Living God really that stupid in the first place?  You guys would have wasted your time not believing, and we would have wasted it believing.  No loss, no gain...just...a massive universe that came out of nothing and will turn into nothing...if you're right.  But if we Believers are right, then there is a God, and He will love us forever in Heaven.  

Really, I'll take my chances believing in God, because I've seen his miracles many times over.  I'm pretty sure the 'nothing' you guys believe in would only produce nothing, so miracles are kind of...out of its range of motion, if you get what I'm saying.  

Anyway, I hope people read this and understanding what I was saying, and if not, then feel free to ask questions :) 


on Oct. 15 2010 at 11:38 am
CourtneyHammett BRONZE, Spartanburg, South Carolina
1 article 7 photos 37 comments
I love this. Thank you so much for this beautiful rant. I am tired of rejection myself. And this perfectly describes what my boyfriend and I go through in our conservative state with our conservative families.