The Skepbitch

The day I realized that I was an atheist I went on a murdeous, adulterous, blasphemous, idol-making, mother and father dishonoring, Sabbath-forgetting, thieving, coveting, false-witness-bearing rampage.

Not really.

A hemorrhoidically common assumption is that Atheists (the non-religious, Skeptics, Agnostics, etc.) are not moral people.

If it weren’t for laws, and the moral guidance of the religious, life would be one big Led Zeppelin backstage party.

After the party, there would be eternal hellfire and damnation. That’s one bitch of a hangover…

In a warped syllogism: Religious people are good. Atheists are not religious. Therefore, Atheists are bad.

Religion = Good. No Religion = Bad. Sounds kinda…I dunno, reductionist?

There is no original sin, and no original goodness. 

Human culture is replete with the over-simplified good versus bad dichotomy: God versus Satan, Super Hero versus Villain, and even internal Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde struggles. The latter, in its less extreme form, is probably closer to the truth. In the words of the (n)ever popular song Ebony & Ivory, “There is good and bad in everyone.” Jesus had a bad temper, and Hitler was a Christian.

Good and bad are social constructs, and so are morals. Perceptions of good and bad, and notions of what is immoral or immoral change over time, and across cultures. For example, ‘Christians are good people’ is not a universal belief…

Importantly, the Church/Synagogue/Mosque/Temple, etc. aren’t the sole moral educators (or necessarily useful ones). Morals are mostly taught by our parents, our family, our friends, our schools, our universities, and our society. Then the wacky time comes when you have to understand right from wrong yourself - and take responsibility for any mistakes.

If you think that religion is a moral harness, then that says a lot about you. Is it only religion, not your own understanding of what’s right and wrong, that prevents you from wrongdoing?

Godless=lawless/badness is a successful stereotype. A generalization. Discrimination.

God=good is a self-perception of the holder of the belief. An unfounded sense of moral superiority.

Here’s where I’ll flex my stereotype muscles. (In my experience) the religious kids that I went to school with were hypocritical little fuckers who slept around, took drugs, drank, stole, lied…and went to church on Sunday. Jesus died for your sins - so, sin away - make it worthwhile!

I don’t need indulgences, confessions, pardons, OCD rosary beads, prayer, forgiveness, healing, flagellation, hair shirts, or Jesus…

The ‘moral’ of this story is: treat people as the individuals they are. Don’t make unfair assumptions about people you don’t know. Why not follow your own Golden Rule: ‘do unto those as you would have them do unto you?’ Or try Karl Popper’s modern twist of treating others as they want to be treated?

I can’t tell you how many times people have mistaken me for a Christian - friendliness and a smile do not a religious person make. There are bad Christians and good Atheists overall, and everyone’s a bit of both.

Don’t forget the research statistics of beliefs represented by prison inmates.

Skepticism, Atheism, Rationalism and other ways of thinking don’t aim to take away your culture, your values, your ideals, your ethics, and your morals. They aim to explain, and give truthful meaning to our existence.

So, come over to the ‘dark side’ sometime, where you might just find that enlightenment…