Atheism, Politics and Friends

I’m reading a book that is so good, so interesting, that I’ve highlighted almost every sentence. It’s a gold mine of ideas and information, a real treat to read.

If you looked at my book list, you’ll notice that I haven’t read all the “traditional” books that all other atheists seem to love. That’s not to say that I won’t, but I became an atheist when most of those books didn’t exist. Once I reached the point where I was ready to shed the oppressive mantle of religion, I was so relieved and felt so free, I didn’t have a need to read anything else on the subject for a long time.
Since I let go of god - all gods actually - a lot of books have finally come out about atheism. At the time, I didn’t even notice them. It was nice that it was being talked about, but I was happily god-free and in no need of conversion anymore.

Unfortunately in the last 8 years, the country has become increasingly polarized and fundamentalism has become very prominent. I blame the media. Needless to say, as an atheist, I now feel more isolated than I did when I originally realized that I was without a god. I now feel increasingly threatened by governmental, political and religious forces regarding my basic rights as a person and a citizen.

Perhaps the country has always been this religious and polarized and the media has just focused the spotlight on the ugly reality. I don’t know. But it was a personal thing for me when I lost all faith in the supernatural, and now it’s not personal at all. Maybe I was just ignorant.

Needless to say, I’ve increasingly realized that if I want to keep my basic constitutional rights, I can no longer sit back and rest on my laurels. I’ve got to stand up for myself and my rights.

It sounds like I’m mixing issues, I know. What do atheism and constitutional rights have to do with each other? Well, if you ask a christian, just about everything. If you ask an atheist/freethinker, nothing at all. And therein lies the issue. Being atheist is no longer a simple personal belief in no god. It’s become political, because conservatives and fundamentalists make it that way.

Most atheists keep their lack of faith to themselves. Why? Because they would be ostracized and attacked by people. The old saying “If you want to keep your friends, then you should never discuss politics or religion” is painfully true. I always keep politics and religion to myself in mixed company. I never openly tell others that I’m godless or what my political leanings are because I don’t want to deal with their bigotry and I’m not good at arguing. I also have come to understand that people who are fundamentalist christians, or even just “true believers” as well as left or right leaning in their politics are frightfully close-minded. No matter what I say, they will never listen, so it seems pointless to argue.

On the other hand, a dear friend of mine who was staunchly democratic told me, “I will never sleep with a republican.” What she meant was, she never wanted to get involved with anyone who was a republican because if she fell in love with him, it would be painful in the end when their belief systems inevitably clashed. It was better to get that out in the open right off the bat.

This is something I understand very well. I’ve met people that I think are just wonderful on the surface. After I get to know them, I realize I have nothing in common beyond that surface stuff, because they are religious and extremist in their political beliefs. Vastly different than my own.

In that sense, I think it would almost be better to wear an armband that states my beliefs loud and clear. I’m a godless heathen! I’m a moderate something or other. (I have no idea what exactly I am politically, sorry. There are too many damned labels and I’m not sure which is what. I know I’m a moderate though. That’s about it.) I have to admit that I’m afraid to stand up and tell people I’m god-free though. I’m afraid of being attacked and hated. Yes, I know, it’s something I’m going to have to deal with soon.

Well, many tangents later, I come back full circle to the book I’m reading. Atheist Universe - The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism by David Mills. I’m only through the forward and preface and into chapter one and have already killed one highlighter. I highly recommend it and will share bits and pieces of it with you over the next few posts, I’m sure. I’ll start simply by sharing his dedication. It sums this all up rather poignantly:

To all freethinkers, past and present, whose independence of mind isolates them from the sympathy and understanding of their community, but whose courageous and unwavering devotion to the scientific method has liberated their community from the Dark Ages.

I’ll wrap up for now by admitting one of my fears to you. I am afraid that this country, this society, is entering a New Dark Ages. I hope I’m wrong. I hope that reason wins, that light and science and logical thought prevails, but at the moment it seems very bleak with ignorance and god being America’s favorite choice.