No more A.A.

I've pinned a red A to the sidebar of my blog. It's part of a campaign by RichardDawkins.net to get people to "come out" as it were, as Atheists. Please click on it to find more. And so there it is. I am an "Atheist" by most definitions, because I don't believe there exists a (or many) God(s).

However. If you were to ask me to explain further, if I believe in anything... Well yes I do.

I believe in morality. That is to say, I believe people act in some accord to what they think is 'right' or 'wrong'. Although I think right/wrong are in many cases a matter of perspective, I think if statistically analyzed, the strategies associated with ethical & compassionate behaviors, while often difficult and illogical at times (public service, turning the other cheek, etc.) are actually more socially effective than those associated with unethical-unempathetic behaviors (aggression, greed, etc.). And it has absolutely nothing to do with any super-natural system of post-death reward & punishment.

I believe that the thing we call "our life" is historically unique. That is to say. There are no second lives. Everyone's and every thing's life is unique. There is no second chance for redemption. For instance, I am also a vegetarian. I don't believe eating meat is bad for my karma, or a more righteous than eating meat. I hold my life dearly. I don't want to be killed for food. And so I don't want to intentionally suffer that upon other animals, because they had the unfortunate luck to be tasty and un-cute. You (like every thing else) are here for a short time, why add to the amount of suffering in the world?

I believe in reason. And there is more than one kind of logic just as there is more than one kind of spatial geometry. And so yes. I believe much of science is right about many of the things civilization has studied so far. But, I also am not a strict positivist, and believe science is not seeing the full picture on many things cosmological. There is so much mystery and wonder left in the universe to examine and ponder. If you disagree, and think everything is practically known (that should or could be known) then you are asleep/blind. Wake the fuck up, and take the afternoon off to go the park and just watch the clouds overhead for a few hours.

I believe Atheism is NOT a religion. Religion is another term for spiritual fascism. Everything that you do is spiritual. The way you move, tie you shoes, how fast you chew your food, do you use pens or pencils, basically everything. Especially music. Anything that makes you think or feel or imagine, is mind altering and spiritual. There isn't one kind of music that's spiritual and one thats not (how absurd). Religions (most anyway) demand that you interpret the world you encounter, one way. One metaphysical truth, one ontology, one grand narrative, one interpretation, one meaning, one answer, and no questions.

I believe freedom isn't a passive activity. You are personally responsible for who you are, and who you become, period. Your religion will never free you. Neither will your government - which should always stay secular. The U.S. government cannot free other nations. Freedom only comes from self-realization (stress on the real). Don't be a passively agnostic Charlie Brown who just ends up going along with crowd because it's Christmas, and you don't want to upset anybody during the holidays. You were born an atheist, and having the courage to tell your family with confidence (when or if it comes up) that actually, you are an atheist (while it may not be pretty) will be liberating.

To sum up...

I am an atheist.
Atheists are NOT nihilists.
I believe in Morals, Compassion, Reason, and Freedom.

If you are an atheist... please, step up and Stand Out.

Cheers!