Misconceptions About Atheists
My Core Values
I’m an atheist which doesn't tell you much about me. It tells you what I’m not but leaves you knowing nothing about who I am.
There is a misconception that atheists are not only godless but lack morals.
I don’t know who started that rumor, but I do know many are guilty of perpetuating the myth. These misconceptions are doing a disservice to humanity.
Whether you believe it or not, everyone is an unbeliever, because once a person embraces a particular religion, they’re essentially saying that they don’t believe in the gods of any other religion.
Bearing that in mind, I’d like to remind believers that when you get right down to it, I merely believe in one less god than you do — YOURS. The religious claim to have insider’s knowledge about god but the fact remains that once they choose a religion to follow, they’ll never know for sure if they picked the right one. The level of disagreement between the hundreds of religious factions is highly evident and so choosing a church comes with an element of risk. What if you’re wrong?
All one needs to do is drive down a street in my hometown and count the churches.
There’s a huge church standing across the street from a smaller church which sits in front of another huge church less than a mile from my house. Apparently, all three churches claim to be Christians, but one huge church isn’t enough for them. Because they can’t agree on the details of what the Christian god requires from humans, division is inevitable. The only time they can come together is when the friendly neighborhood atheist enters the room.
Suddenly, all the “believers” present a united front against the “unbeliever”.
But what if one of these three churches is the right one? How would a person ever know for sure? They couldn’t. And, if it doesn’t matter which one a person chooses to attend, then why not just come together under one roof and celebrate Christianity? But we don’t.
Humans love to divide into little clubs.
However, the fact that you might not believe that being a scientologist makes sense and therefore you’re not a scientologist, doesn’t tell me a thing about what you do believe. I contend that while being an atheist includes not believing in your god and therefore is a prickly topic, it also does little to enlighten you about my core values.
So, I’d like to share ten core values that guide my life, none of which have anything to do with being an atheist.
I believe …
- There is only one race — the human race.
- All humans are entitled to a basic set of rights and it’s our job to make that happen
- Humans, not a devil or a god, are responsible for their own actions
- We must leave behind a better world for our children than the one we inherited.
- No god has ever fed a hungry child. Humans alone can make that happen.
- Education will help move us forward.
- I’m a citizen of the world. Borders are manmade.
- We must share natural resources.
- It’s our job to take care of the planet.
- All we have is one another to lean on. There is no god who will come rushing in at the last moment to save the day.
The above is just a starter list.
There is an increasing amount of responsibilities facing humans in modern times. We understand so much more than our parents did. Increased knowledge brings increased responsibility, however, and it can be stressful.
To believe that only religious people understand their responsibility to their children, families, the planet, and the animal kingdom that shares this planet with us is ludicrous.
I don’t need the fear of eternal punishment to want to do right by my own offspring. Nor do I need to be a member of a club to understand that whenever we become more socially aware, more empathetic to the suffering of others, and then choose to develop our creative problem-solving skills to make life better, everyone benefits.
Planning for the afterlife isn’t where my head is at, however.
I’m working toward improving THIS life. Because THAT’s where the shit gets real, my friend.
It’s difficult for humans to cooperate.
We tend to compete with one another out of a primal need to survive. We don’t recognize that the societies that fare the best are cooperative societies.
Our religions tend to further divide us not bring us together.
I’m not a believer in any god, but that doesn’t tell you anything about me. I live in a world where the religious claim to have the answers to not just this life but the next. I’m not that egotistical.
My focus is on the here and now and the work that will be required to make life better for the children that we insist on bringing into this old world.
It’s that simple and that hard.
Teresa is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
