1 sep 2009

there's a strange thing happening, now that i'm out as an atheist.

i lost some friends, a set of parents, and probably the respect of some of those who've stuck around.

but some of them have lost me, too.

on facebook, were it not for that lovely little 'hide' button, my friends list would be very, very short. not just because i'd otherwise be inundated with status message prayers or jesus shout-outs, though that's a major part of it.

my tolerance for ignorant people is really low now that i no longer have to grin and pretend that i'm agreeing with their varying expressions of theism. for a while, especially after dealing with the pain of being disowned, i felt and behaved like anyone willing to keep me after learning of my atheism was doing me some kind of favor.

i'm over that now.

if 90% of your conversations or ideas leave me cringing and repulsed, i probably shouldn't give a fuck if you think that, upon my death, my soul (or body, which?) is going to burn for all eternity.

if you flood my email with stupid assed stories that promise instant wealth if you forward them to 20 of your friends, i'm not gonna lose sleep over whether you think i'm smart.

oh, and if you repost that avi bella whatever the fuck prayer request simply because some friend's status message told you to, and you don't even google to see if the shit is legit? i'm just sayin'...

but this doesn't even just go for theists. atheists can be idiotic and unquestioning followers, too, as i knew but experienced firsthand quite recently. some act like having the scarlet 'a' on their avatar admits them to a cool kids club for life, where anything they say or do is automatically deemed as, uh - what's the term i'm looking for? - oh, that's right: rational behavior.

idiots come in all forms. a mentally unhealthy person who doesn't believe in a god is still mentally unhealthy. a person who takes another person's opinion as fact is engaging in the same type of behavior as the so-called "sheeple" who need to be led. i don't want anyone assuming they know what i think on an issue just because every other atheist on twitter or facebook has agreed to what a freethinker's view should be. you motherfuckers can't speak for me, nor i for you. if, upon discovering that i actually have my own mind, you decide i'm too "militant", "nihilistic", or any other word you choose to pigeonhole me or dismiss my right to be who i am, know that the only thing i claimed to share in common with you is atheism. you don't get to set my intellectual agenda.

and if you're worried that i'm sullying your reputations as clear-thinking, rational beings - don't sweat it.

you're much better at it than i could ever want to be.