About Atheist Mom
Atheist Mom is a recovering Catholic married to an ex Mormon…they are happy, kind and moral people who feel pretty certain that there is no God. Atheist Mom wants her child to grow up to be a critical thinker who lives life in the now…because there is no after.
“I would not for my life destroy one star of human hope, but I want it so that when a poor woman rocks the cradle and sings a lullaby to the dimpled darling, she will not be compelled to believe that ninety-nine chances in a hundred she is raising kindling wood for hell.”
—Robert Ingersoll, How to be Saved, 1880
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This is from a recommended blog and although I don't subscribe to this woman's point of view, I find it interesting. There are many non believers out there but I find it disturbing when they mock those that do believe. If you choose to have no faith, that is your choice. I have never lost faith in God...I may have strayed and by no means am I a faultless person. I strive to be good everyday and everyday I fail in some manner or another but my intentions are always pure.
Here is my response to her:
I'm a believer, not someone who is going to be in your face pushing my religious beliefs down your throat. However, I do feel sorry for people who believe in nothing. There seems to be a disconnect somewhere in your life that has led you to this way of thinking. It's wonderful to be a critical thinker, but in all your infinite wisdom, why can't you think about what life would be like with a God. Having faith in God is difficult for many people because they cant' seem to see past their own minute existence in the world. Believing in something that you can't see or touch or hear takes courage. I hope you find that special moment in your life where all you will have is your faith in God. Just like the bible-belters that curse everyone who doesn't believe, you are similar since you chastise and insult those that do believe. Your belief systems may be at opposite ends of the spectrum but you are one in the same!
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3 comments:
Hmm, Rene, I must disagree with a few things you have said. First of all, to be fair, "Atheist Mom" did not in fact insult or chastise anyone. I don't understand why "believers" are allowed to call it an insult when "non-believers" disagree with them. You don't hear us going around saying, "You just insulted me by saying there is a god." So, I've never understood that.
Anyway, that aside, I'm curious why you assumed in your post that she HADN'T thought about "what life would be like" seeing as she did say she was ex-Catholic, not that she had never been religious. Next, I don't think she's acting like a bible-belter and I don't think we atheists are acting like Bible-belters; I never have understood that argument either, although I suspect it comes from a tendency people have to polarize and divide things into black and white. They have to see everything as "you're doing this or this" instead of just accepting the possibility that an atheist could be doing neither.
Finally, though, I am curious about what you said: "believing in something you can't see or touch or hear takes courage." Why?
Thanks for your thoughts. I'll look for your answer here or email or wherever.
Have you ever noticed how "critical thinkers" are never sceptical about critical thinking?
Believing in something you cannot experience through your traditional senses does take an enormous amount of courage. You must have faith to believe and since most of us have never seen God, we have faith that he/she exists. I'm not going to generalize every person who is a non believer and stereotype them but when some of them find out you believe, somehow they view you as simple minded. I've been through it a several times, including people in my own family. They snicker when you say Grace or make snide remarks when you refer to yourself as a particular faith...like atheistmom's "recovering Catholic." I'm sorry, but as a Roman Catholic who is a staunch liberal, I find that offensive. If you don't like it, move on and stop grumbling about it. I think raising children in a forum that does not include any faith(Jewish,Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan) is sad. You're cheating your child of the experience and allowing them to make choices for themselves. You can't wait till someone is 25 to "pick" a religion. At least teach them about the different faiths so they can migrate to one. I thank God everyday for my life and the people in it. My faith helped me through some very difficult times in my life, especially this year when my wonderful, loving mother died. I miss her everyday and probably will each day of my life. I know she's in heaven because I believe and I have faith.
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