The Happy Atheist

[devogue]

It's not easy being an atheist.

It's difficult to go through life observing most of the world's propensity to believe in stuff for which there isn't the slightest shred of evidence.

I mean, I haven't seen one single supernatural event, one miracle, in almost 13,000 days of life. I'm willing to bet that you haven't either - and neither has anyone else in history. You know that as well as I do, don't you?

Let's say that since the dawn of humanity there have been 75 billion human beings who have lived, and the average lifespan has been...oooooohhh... (being conservative) 40 years of age.

Thats 75,000,000,000 x 40 years x 365 days = 1,095,000,000,000,000 or 1 squillion days of humanity...without any magick.

Then just think of the time wasted worshipping said non-existent magick. Hmmmmmm.

I spend Sunday mornings with my three children in the local play ground. We see lots of other children dressed up in serious clothes going to a building with their seriously dressed parents to say words to an imaginary being who lives in an imaginary world they hope to live in one day.

We hear the bell ringing to call the "faithful", but we ignore it. While other parents hush their bored children, mine are laughing and running and rolling and showing off their climbing skills to their daddy while making tons of noise and filling the air with the eternally beautiful sound of children having fun.

I have no existential angst. True, when I foresook religion I had quite a few scary pangs, in the same way that I felt brief angst when I dumped that other disgusting mind altering drug nictotine, but once out the other side I felt unencumbered, uncucumbered, light, free, human, adult, alive, precious...happy.

I can see my place in the world, in nature, in the universe.

I know that one day my lifeless skeleton will lie next to the lifeless skeletons of my children, the most heart-achingly precious beings in my existence. For some people such a thought is utterly horrific - endless silence, pure non-existence, but they haven't thought it through, so they hide behind childish wishful thinking and they abrogate the most noble and dignified part of their creature, their humanity.

It's all about fear. Fear of the dark, fear of loss, selfish yet selfless fear...

When I stopped smoking I was petrified that I would never enjoy a glass of wine again, that something would always be missing. I was utterly, wonderfully wrong, because my taste buds sharpened and new dimensions, nuances, colours of flavour and aroma appeared...

I thought at first that without God there would always be a spiritual black hole, that empty "god shaped" piece of the heart so beloved of theists who criticise atheism, but what I really got was a degree of self awareness, peace and a heightened sense of the fleetingness of life,a sense of sheer wonderment and gratitude at having beaten the odds to just have the chance to exist in this universe at this time; a selfless understanding of the precociousness and preciousness of existance that no unthinking, uncritical religious fundamentalist will ever have.

You may say that what I've also gained is an arrogance, a smugness and an air of certitude - perhaps, but is it wrong to rejoice in being reasonable, rational? Is it wrong to feel proud (oh the religious don't like "pride" do they?) to have taken the time to cast off the shackles of a childhood of mental abuse by clerics? We Irish laugh about "Catholic guilt", but there's nothing funny about the mental anguish hidden behind that term.

So there you have it.

I don't believe in god or gods. I don't believe that I am a god. I think I'm an incredible rare thing in this universe (possibly) - an intelligent animal.

So are you.

[Chinaski]

Beautiful. I think we have a candidate for a newsletter article.

[Faithfree]

My own thoughts, but more articulate.

And good to see you back Dev.

[Feck]

It is good to have Dev back !

[Thinking Aloud]

Thanks Dev! (You'll be pleased to hear I finally broke away at Easter.)

[Xamonas Chegwé]

+100

That was beautiful Dev. Fuck we have missed you here!

[devogue]

+100

That was beautiful Dev. Fuck we have missed you here!

Thank you.

[Kristie]

Dev, you never cease to amaze me. That was wonderful.

[Tigger]

Excellent. More!!

[Psi Wavefunction]

Wow, Dev, you can really write!

[Millie]

Eloquent and stirring, Dev. Thank you very much for posting this.

[Woodbutcher]

You write to the heart, man!

[devogue]

It's better if you read it with an Irish accent.

[Tigger]

It's better if you read it with an Irish accent.

'tis not easy bein' an atheist. it's murder ter go through life observin' most av de world's propensity ter believe in stuff for whaich dare isn't de slightest shred av evidence. i mean, oi 'enny seen wan single supernatural event, wan miracle, in almost 13,000 days av life. oi'm willin' ter bet dat yer 'enny either - an' neither 'as anyone else in 'istory. yer nu dat as well as oi chucker, don't yer? let's say dat since de dawn av 'umanity dare 'av been 75 billion 'uman beings who 'av lived, an' de average lifespan 'as been...oooooohhh... (bein' conservative) 40 years av age. thats 75,000,000,000 x 40 years x 365 days = 1,095,000,000,000,000 or 1 squillion days av 'umanity...withoyt any mageck. then jist tink av de time wasted worshippin' said non-existent mageck. 'mmmmmm. i spend sunday mornings wi' me tree laddies in de local play groun'. we clap lots av other laddies dressed up in serious duds gonna a buildin' wi' their seriously dressed auld pair ter say words ter an imaginary bein' who lives in an imaginary warrld they 'ope ter live in wan day. we 'ear de bell ringin' ter call de "faithful", but we ignore it. while other auld pair 'ush their bored laddies, mine are splitting' yer sides an' runnin' an' rollin' an' throwin' shapes their climbin' skills ter their daddy while makin' tons av note an' fillin' de air wi' de eternally bonny soun' av laddies 'avin' craic. i 'av naw existential angst. true so 'tis, whaen oi foresuk religion oi 'ad quite a few scary pangs, in de seem way dat oi felt brief angst whaen oi dumped dat other manky mind alterin' drug nictotine, but once oyt de other side oi felt unencumbered, uncucumbered, light, free, 'uman, adult, alive, precious...'appy. i can clap me place in de warrld, in nature, in de universe. i nu dat wan day me lifeless skeleton 'ill fib next ter de lifeless skeletons av me laddies, de most 'eart-achingly precious beings in me existence. for sum people such a tart is utterly 'orrific - endless silence, pure non-existence, but they 'enny tart it through, so they 'ide behind childish jam on yisser egg an' they abrogate de most noble an' dignified part av their creature, their 'umanity. it's al' aboyt fear. fear av de dark, fear av loss, selfish yet selfless fear... when oi stopped smokin' oi wus petrified dat oi wud never enjoy a glass av wine again, dat somethin' wud alwus be missin'. oi wus utterly, wonderfully wrong, cos me taste buds sharpened an' new dimensions, nuances, colours av flavour an' aroma appeared... i tart at first dat withoyt Bejasus dare wud alwus be a spiritual black 'ole, dat empty "god shaped" piece av de 'eart so beloved av theists who gie oyt atheism, but waaat oi really got wus a degree av self awareness, peace an' a 'eightened sense av de fleetingness av life,a sense av share wonderment an' gratitude at 'avin' beaten de odds ter jist 'av de chance ter exist in dis universe at dis time; a selfless understandin' av de precociousness an' preciousness av existance dat naw unthinkin', uncritical religious fundamentalist 'ill ever 'av. you may say dat waaat Ah've also gained is an arrogance, a smugness an' an air av certitude - perhaps, but is it wrong ter rejoice in bein' reasonable, rational? is it wrong ter fale proud (oh de religious allerge "pride" chucker they?) ter 'av taken de time ter cast aff de shackles av a childhud av mental abuse by clerics? we Oirish laugh aboyt "catholic guilt", but thar's nathin' gas aboyt de mental anguish 'idden behind dat term. so dare yer 'av it. i don't believe in Bejasus or gods. oi don't believe dat scon are a Bejasus. oi tink oi'm an incredable rare tin' in dis universe (possibly) - an intelligent animal. so ye.

[devogue]

It's better if you read it with an Irish accent.

'tis not easy bein' an atheist. it's murder ter go through life observin' most av de world's propensity ter believe in stuff for whaich dare isn't de slightest shred av evidence. i mean, oi 'enny seen wan single supernatural event, wan miracle, in almost 13,000 days av life. oi'm willin' ter bet dat yer 'enny either - an' neither 'as anyone else in 'istory. yer nu dat as well as oi chucker, don't yer? let's say dat since de dawn av 'umanity dare 'av been 75 billion 'uman beings who 'av lived, an' de average lifespan 'as been...oooooohhh... (bein' conservative) 40 years av age. thats 75,000,000,000 x 40 years x 365 days = 1,095,000,000,000,000 or 1 squillion days av 'umanity...withoyt any mageck. then jist tink av de time wasted worshippin' said non-existent mageck. 'mmmmmm. i spend sunday mornings wi' me tree laddies in de local play groun'. we clap lots av other laddies dressed up in serious duds gonna a buildin' wi' their seriously dressed auld pair ter say words ter an imaginary bein' who lives in an imaginary warrld they 'ope ter live in wan day. we 'ear de bell ringin' ter call de "faithful", but we ignore it. while other auld pair 'ush their bored laddies, mine are splitting' yer sides an' runnin' an' rollin' an' throwin' shapes their climbin' skills ter their daddy while makin' tons av note an' fillin' de air wi' de eternally bonny soun' av laddies 'avin' craic. i 'av naw existential angst. true so 'tis, whaen oi foresuk religion oi 'ad quite a few scary pangs, in de seem way dat oi felt brief angst whaen oi dumped dat other manky mind alterin' drug nictotine, but once oyt de other side oi felt unencumbered, uncucumbered, light, free, 'uman, adult, alive, precious...'appy. i can clap me place in de warrld, in nature, in de universe. i nu dat wan day me lifeless skeleton 'ill fib next ter de lifeless skeletons av me laddies, de most 'eart-achingly precious beings in me existence. for sum people such a tart is utterly 'orrific - endless silence, pure non-existence, but they 'enny tart it through, so they 'ide behind childish jam on yisser egg an' they abrogate de most noble an' dignified part av their creature, their 'umanity. it's al' aboyt fear. fear av de dark, fear av loss, selfish yet selfless fear... when oi stopped smokin' oi wus petrified dat oi wud never enjoy a glass av wine again, dat somethin' wud alwus be missin'. oi wus utterly, wonderfully wrong, cos me taste buds sharpened an' new dimensions, nuances, colours av flavour an' aroma appeared... i tart at first dat withoyt Bejasus dare wud alwus be a spiritual black 'ole, dat empty "god shaped" piece av de 'eart so beloved av theists who gie oyt atheism, but waaat oi really got wus a degree av self awareness, peace an' a 'eightened sense av de fleetingness av life,a sense av share wonderment an' gratitude at 'avin' beaten de odds ter jist 'av de chance ter exist in dis universe at dis time; a selfless understandin' av de precociousness an' preciousness av existance dat naw unthinkin', uncritical religious fundamentalist 'ill ever 'av. you may say dat waaat Ah've also gained is an arrogance, a smugness an' an air av certitude - perhaps, but is it wrong ter rejoice in bein' reasonable, rational? is it wrong ter fale proud (oh de religious allerge "pride" chucker they?) ter 'av taken de time ter cast aff de shackles av a childhud av mental abuse by clerics? we Oirish laugh aboyt "catholic guilt", but thar's nathin' gas aboyt de mental anguish 'idden behind dat term. so dare yer 'av it. i don't believe in Bejasus or gods. oi don't believe dat scon are a Bejasus. oi tink oi'm an incredable rare tin' in dis universe (possibly) - an intelligent animal. so ye.

Sorry...I should have said a Northern Irish accent.