Why I get to sleep in on Sunday.

In previous blogs I’ve talked about questions and feeling I’ve had about today’s world. However in this blog I’ll answer why I get to sleep in on Sunday.

For me I wasn’t raised as an Atheist, at a young age I didn’t get the option of either choosing to believe or not to believe.  I remember a time where every school holidays I would visit my grandparents on my mother’s side and every Sunday I’d go to church with my grandmother. I don’t remember much of those days; I think I was too young but when something such as faith is drilled into you at such a young age from people you know and trust, it’s hard not to accept it as fact, as a 4 or 5 year old I really couldn’t tell the difference.  Thinking about it I’d probably still believe if it weren’t for a few key defining moments in my life.

At age 7 I lost my younger brother, only a month and a half old when he passed. I would have to say if however there was a key point, the first domino to fall this would be it. My brother’s death as a child hit me incredibly hard, even today I still feel the gravity of it all. I’d say the greatest impact of his death was not the years of depression that followed for me, but instead I learned at a very young age to be cynical. At age 7 the world was not a place of wonder any more, the magic in my eye’s no longer existed. I guess I saw the world through much more mature eyes at a very young age, I didn’t climb tree’s because I knew I could fall and hurt myself, in later life I found I’d even keep those close to me as far away as possible to myself, so it would hurt less when the inevitable occurred and I would lose them. It wasn’t until much recently when I opened my self-up to the world that I think I changed again. Today I see myself as not as a cynic, but much more of a realist. I am very optimistic about experiences in life such as love, because I have experienced them; however I retain my cynicism for things I don’t experience, for things that I don’t feel, namely Religion.  Now my Brother’s death was not the only thing that caused my not to believe, despite my new found cynicism I still believed because I accepted religion as fact.  

      

Domino two in my tale of late Sunday mornings comes from my father. I think around age 9 or 10 I remember play fighting with my old man, the memory seems so distant to me now, and I no longer remember how the conversation arose but somehow, and one of the most important and life changing things was said to me that day. My Dad said that he didn’t believe in god, I’d like to ad that I didn’t become an Atheist because I thought it was cool, or following in my father’s ideals, but that day was so important to me because for the first time I had choice. I had the choice wether to believe in something or not. Previous to this day I had no choice in it all, I had 9 years of religion convinced into me by my family. Not only was this day I guess part two of me becoming an Atheist, it also made me who I am as a person. In choice I question everything around me, I choose my life, I don’t follow what the majority want, I follow what I want. Personally I see religion as so prevalent because choice is not an option given to children. With choice and cynicism I didn’t know what to believe however, I was 2 pieces of a 3 piece puzzle, it wasn’t until I got a little older and a little smarter that my eyes were finally opened to the world of science.

I think everyone ask’s the question why am I here. How does the world around me exist, and to be honest it’s a pretty big question, one that religion has a pretty simple explanation for, which I can see as a part of the appeal as God did it all and you don’t need to worry any more than that.  To me even at the age on 10-11 that seem for my mind to convenient of a story, that the explanation of everything was just ‘Some divine being felt like creating life so he or she just snapped their fingers and everything was great’.  We all have beliefs me, I believe that science offers explanations for those questions we label as ‘one of life’s great mysteries’,  Now Im not going to go on about how I think my beliefs are right. But I believe in what science has to prove because unlike religion It attempts to back  up what it says with evidence, repeatability and has the capacity to admit it’s wrong . I think we all believe something whether it be science, religion or just that I need to eat in order to survive, and I can assume for many people even atheists our beliefs are different, And I encourage people to believe what they want. However to me Science is the 3^rd and final piece to my Atheist puzzle.

While writing this piece I thought in summary why I can sleep in Sunday can be put in terms of maths. Cynicism + Choice + Science = My Atheism. Sorry for the long read but it was a pretty long story. 

Morality

I believe Chris Cheney says it best with “I don’t believe in god, doesn’t mean I’m a lesser person.” I find those that have major issues with Atheists, majority within the strict Bible belt within America, and particular conservative religious followers believe that atheists can’t be trusted because they are immoral. Within one particular survey within America showed that 50% of people would not vote for an Atheist and only 22% of people wouldn’t vote for those whom were Islamic despite the best efforts of the American media to demonise them after 9/11. So am I immoral because I believe the universe wasn’t created for me?

Simply I’m not immoral, why? I question the word morality in itself. One day during my politics lecture, my lecturer was discussing how all political ideologies have a concept of what they believe is human nature. However after he proceeded to tell us how human nature is a word that means nothing, and everything, because after all everything humanity has, or will do is within our nature to do so.  I see morality as a word that means the same, when do we intentionally do something wrong without justifying it, or making it “moral” I stole something to feed myself or my kids, I killed him before he killed me. We all act in a manner that we see if right, and don’t act in a way that we see as wrong.  As a fan of the TV Show Dexter, we call have a ‘code’ that differs from each other that we use to justify our actions. I therefore act in a manner that I do not do things that I wouldn’t want other individuals to do to me.  But to slam a collection of the population as immoral, that everyone’s actions are wrong, doesn’t sit too well with me.

Ultimately self-morality is created by what every individual believes.  So in the eyes of a hard-core Christian, Muslim, whatever theism I guess I am immoral because that is the way they want to view the world around them. But In my eyes, and in the eyes of those whom matter to me, they would see me as a person who is moral that my actions are good, or that my actions for good out way those that are bad, (aka taking the last chocolate bikkie). I think in the end it’s a matter of 7 Billion different perspectives. Wether one is right or wrong, just like the debate if there is or isn’t a God or Supreme being  I assume will never be answered. But I think in the end the best thing is to be true to one’s self, I think its purposeless to live a life to somebody else’s code, in the end we’re all unique.

The Forgotten People.

A few months ago I went on a day trip to Geelong with my girlfriend, that day we met up with her uncle, and his new wife at a nearby McDonalds. As this was the first time meeting them both, we began talking and the topic of my aspirations after University arose. After discussing my dreams to been involved in politics but unsure how to fulfil this aspiration, a woman who overheard our conversation approached us and said “The best way to do it is to get involved with the Christian Democrat Party,” and then proceeded to leave.  Thinking back on this day now It makes me think that atheists are a forgotten minority.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics in the 2006 census 70% of Australians said they had a religious affiliation, 63% of them belongs to the Christian denomination. Now the older lady that I previously mentioned had a 63% chance that what she said to me might have had some relevance to me, but in the end it didn’t, despite that did that lady just assume atheists just don’t exist?  Or that we identify ourselves by wearing T-shirts saying “Look at me I’m an Atheist!” Or we only exist on the Internet as angry trolls, frothing at the mouth with rage about “Flying Spaghetti Monsters.” Did Channel 9 make the same mistake on Christmas eve last year, believing that only Christians celebrated Christmas? Are we as a minority, and as data reports the equal second largest minority within Australia just forgotten?  When I watch the news about controversial issues such as gay marriage, or abortion, the news station will always show the reaction to the big news story from different religious groups, but never from the views of Atheists.  

But it’s not just news stories that Atheists are forgotten from. I remember in year 7 having a semester of classes that looked at all major religions celebrated in Australia, from the big 3 Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, as well as a few more that don’t see much public recognition in Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. While I celebrate the initiative to attempt to break down the walls and misconceptions of others faiths, not one mention of the word Atheist even arose. It wasn’t until year 10 until my father explained to me what Atheism was and how he was an Atheist too that I was able to put a word to my belief.  But from my point of mind I feel that as a minority, and quiet a large one in that with over 18% of Australians being an atheist that we struggle to have our say, to have our voice. Why is the term Atheist only used by those whom are an Atheist or, sluttered as a dirty word but those whom are religious but can only see non-belief is something to be disgusted? How come my High School or Primary school (both public schools) never invited Atheist groups to come tell us that it’s okay not to believe, yet they countlessly invited religious groups to tell us how cool their faith is, and one time proceed to hand out bibles after the assembly.  

While I accept that Christianity does provide the largest cross section of Australia’s population, is it too much to ask to see the stand point of those that don’t believe? Is it wrong to want for the equal representation so I don’t get put in an awkward position by a random lady telling me which political party I should join? Shouldn’t other young Atheists know that they’re not the only ones who share a disbelief in a higher being?  I don’t know how it’s possible, but I long to see a day where my views are recognised as existing.

However on a much lighter note recently I had Jehovah’s Witness come to my house, while most find this annoying, I was kind of happy inside when the asked if my girlfriend and I believed in a god. These Jehovah’s Witnesses acknowledging that those that don’t believe exist, and furthermore identified the fact that In death a lot of people that is it, and attempted to sway us with an explanation of what they believe happens when we die. For that I thank them, not for attempting to convert me and my girlfriend, but for at least acknowledging that I like many others exist.

  

A-day

Greetings to anyone, or no one that reads this blog. Let me begin by saying to anyone that reads this, this isn't a blog about my day to day life, but a blog about something that the sheer gravity of my feelings about this topic I can no longer internalise, I feel that I need to express how I feel in this crazy world. I need to express, that I am an Atheist. Now being an Atheist I would assume for most that share my belief, or really the lack there off, that it wouldn't be a big deal. However I feel that in today's society the battle lines are being drawn about those with, or without faith. I look at the world now and increasingly feel marginalised by the sheer gravity of how religions shape the world I live in. Before I continue to write, that in no way shape or form do I discriminate or believe to be better then anyone who believe in a  faith. I judge a person by there actions not what they believe, and I accept that if someone chooses to believe something different to me I accept that is who they are, and I accept them for that. I feel I need to express my feelings because it feels like being an Atheist lacks its own identity. Most religions is based of rules, customs, beliefs and popular figure. I feel being an Atheist from a long line of Christians, that certain events I feel lost and hopeless to understand what my role, or place is when it comes to certain things. To speak more specifically with an example is a day such as Christmas.

1 Year ago and 10 days ago I would of accepted that Christmas was a day for giving gifts and was apart of my normal yearly routine. But on Christmas eve 2011 something changed, while watching the carols by candle light program with my girlfriend, and others, I felt outraged to the point I felt like yelling at the TV when the program asked its Santa, "What the meaning of Christmas is?" In which Santa replied it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, or something very similar. While it took some quiet restraining from my girlfriend to not blurt my feelings out, and the realisation that, I think I was in the presence of others who do believe in Jesus, or the Christian faith in some manner, and I did not wish to offend them, after all the day had particular significance in there faith. I felt that Christmas no longer belonged apart of me. I had always celebrated Christmas as a day of family, and giving, and receiving gifts from those we love and care for but it feels like this day of celebration of  family, and giving was ripped from me, that I'm now deprived of what seems like a very dear day, and the question for the past week has been bugging me. What now? Can I still call the 25th of December Christmas even though I don't accept the first half of that word Christ? Or am I disowned from celebrating Christmas, must I call it something else A-day? A-mas? X-mas? Family and Gift day? What do I pass on to my children now? Is it Christmas with Santa, Santa day? A-mas and its Mum and Dad who are the great stocking filler.

I finish by saying at the moment I have no answer, It feels in a one sentence response that I now question everything around me. What was constructed by faith and what was not? What do I now accept as my 25th of December tradition, in fact does if even have to be that day, I could pass on 1 A-mas day every month. I feel lost that I no longer understand that my rejection of faith in a divine being  now means I have to reject institutions I've been raised upon, or do I manipulate, embrace, retain certain aspects. The question is, What goes on from here? The answer is I don't know yet, but I can't sleep properly at night until I know.