Here in the US, or even the world, we as people learn to accept and embrace one simple concept: we're different. Not only looks or languages, but rather, our personal beliefs.

Or lack thereof.

To consider it for a moment, there are truckloads of issues and standards of which we have become tolerant in others.

Vegetarian?

That's cool, man, we'll take the meat out of your dish.

Gay?

Fine with me; I respect your life choice.

Atheist?

...Leave.

Why is it that of all the things that we can handle in the world, atheism is completely and totally, in the full sense of the word, unacceptable? Is it because the meaning of the word "atheist" is misunderstood? Frankly, atheism is simply the opposite of theism. Some people seem to immediately interpret the meaning as "worships Satan", where in reality, an atheist doesn't believe in Satan. It is the definite disbelief in gods, deities, or other religious standards.

I think it comes down to something bigger than misunderstanding the word. People understand atheism, and it's from said comprehension that hatred and fear spawns. It's almost as though the world is purposely living in denial and pushing away all who disagree. Could it be that the religious public as a whole is living in willful ignorance?

I can [and do] respect the belief in the presence of a god or greater being; it's not my intention to disclose my preferred theories. But when does it end? Somehow, despite the leaps and bounds achieved by modern science, it is honestly accepted that God is every bit as much of a truth as "this table is solid". It is, without doubt, a fact.

With all due respect, that is simply not true.

There is a line between respecting those beliefs and blatantly lying, and that is a line that I refuse to blur. There's nothing factual about religion. The entire basis of religion is blind faith. If you are questioning any piece of religious aspects, and there is undoubtedly plenty to question, your fellow believers will reassure you that you simply must believe. You must know within yourself that it is all real and true.

I'm not denying for a moment that some things can't be proved. Just because you don't have the ability to prove it doesn't mean it isn't true.

But really, that's a completely different story from religion. Take religions themselves, for example. You already know someone must be wrong. All of the gods and punishing sentences can't exist together in this universe. And we do know that death is the end of biological function.

The [partial] problem comes back to humans complicating life more than it needs to be complicated. Look at other creatures. Look at cavemen. They all exist without the frills in which we engage ourselves, here in the present. What we have is a good thing, yes, but only to a certain degree. The bottom line is, we are biological creatures. Animals. A mass of living cells. Period.

People ask me where we came from, hinting smugly at their alleged 'proof' of a higher being. I don't know. I don't know where we came from, but that doesn't prove any part of any religion. What it proves is, we as humans do not know where it all began. It proves that we haven't figured it out yet, and we may never get there. All we can do is speculate. I'd love, more than most, to know exactly how the universe began. But I refuse to hash it up to spirits and gods. Wanting answers doesn't justify inventing answers.

With so many concrete and proven facts sitting right in front of us, it's hard for me to understand how people confidently throw in their beliefs as if those beliefs are just as factual. It's even harder for me to understand how I'm in the minority for saying that. At the same time, I don't see a world of billions of people throwing their hands up some day and admitting, "I'm wrong."

It's not to ban the idea of religion; who can be sure? My last point, however, was that it's never easy to admit you're wrong. Especially if you've believed you were right your entire life. My own sister speculates that people hold onto their beliefs in order to ease their souls. She elaborated to explain that some people need to know that there's more after death. They have to be assured that their loved ones cruise out of this life into a better place.

In the end, we all continue to disagree. But you still see atheists putting up with, and understanding, their neighbors' beliefs. Why can't theists return the same courtesy and respect instead of reminding all atheists that they're going to Hell? [And to a Hell that atheists don't even believe in, mind you.] Would God want them to accept that theism is the only way? I think not. I think that God would encourage tolerance.

All that being said, acknowledge the irrelevance of my beliefs and see that I speak from a neutral standpoint. It's a valid argument to be made, and I've only scratched the surface.

If that strikes your fancy, you can find more blogs like it on Octember.