Being an atheist

An atheist? Really?

Yes, I am an atheist. I’m not quite sure when I figured this out. I think it was some time in early high school, but I didn’t have the guts to admit it. It's not exactly a welcome admission. Later in high school, I was in an environment where politics and religion were discussed often. It was probably during that time that I was finally able to admit that I didn’t believe in a supreme being.

But why? How? You seem like a good and moral person!

Well, I was not brought up with any religion. My parents were not raised in particularly religious families, although both consider themselves Methodists. They never practiced and we never talked about it. It was a complete non-issue.

Given that, how do you become a Christian (or any other religion) if you have no foundation for one? My answer is that you don’t. People find Jesus all the time, right? Well, I’ve never hit rock bottom in my life and haven’t needed to be lifted up like that. In fact, my life is pretty good overall. There’s no void. I don’t yearn for God and/or Jesus.

Imagine two paths – one where someone starts from day one with all the stories, teaching, and reinforcement of the Bible. How hard is it for that person to make a leap of faith as an adult? The other path, someone starts with no opinion on the Bible, etc. How hard is it for that person?

Honestly, have you ever looked objectively at some of the stories of the Bible? They’re not a far cry from fairy tales. I mean no disrespect by that, but it’s not exactly something you read and go, “Ya know, God parts the Red Sea for his chosen people all the time. These definitely happened.”

I was introduced a year or so ago to the Flying Spaghetti Monster. This is just as plausible to me as stories of the Bible are. Okay, maybe it’s a little more far fetched, but the point should be clear.

So, I toil away in Red State Land, generally keeping my religious views to myself. Too many people in this neck of the woods don't really know what to do with an atheist. It's like a big "does not compute" blinks across their face.