God is Like My Mother

Many are thankful to have had a loving mother as a guide, teaching and nurturing them before they set out into their own lives. Frequently mothers will continue to present themselves as being a source of love that can be relied on to provide something those seeking it cannot provide for themselves. The title of mother and the women aptly named as such, are generally representative of being loving people. Not in all cases, but generally most beings would consider them loving and trustworthy. If someone is raised in a home where love and respect is continually shown through words and deeds, then the recipients of that love and respect know they can trust the source.

I can't say that I have that type of a relationship with my own mother. Thankfully, I do have many relationships that would prove to me what being loving and trustworthy are all about. They taught me what it means to have those qualities and gave me the opportunity to teach my children what it means to be there for them and others. To me, love means knowing you can count on someone to do as they say they will do and trust is established when you can repeatedly expect that to happen.

What creates the most stress in my relationship with my mother is that she frequently says one thing and then proceeds to act entirely different. I have a huge trust issue with her due to that fact. This past Easter got me thinking about the trust that followers have in their spiritual buddy. Easter Sunday is the holiest of celebrated days for believers; the torture, death and resurrection of their lord and savior is revered specifically for what he went through for them. And the followers love and thank him for his sacrifice for them.

The actions that allegedly played out for jesus that fateful day do not evoke emotions for me that scream an allegiance to god, rather they make me question the sincerity of the words that god claims he is a loving god. These events bring me back to the days of things that occurred in my childhood involving my mother. The events that made me realize that loving someone and treating them poorly do not equal a loving relationship.

How are the religious folks even remotely okay with jesus getting the bejeezzus flagellated out of him when their supposed 'loving' god is the actual reason for the poor carpenter getting sacrificed in the first place? Remember now, this is god's plan to give them an out for being such bad sinning human beings. Faithful followers everywhere are okay with the thought "Yes, let me allow my son to be tortured unrelentingly and made to hang crucifixion style, agonizingly, for however long until his death because I love you and want you to be with me. Through him all is possible."

This incident, specifically, and one example after another shown to us in the bible depicts an incredibly different god; one who does such horrific things and then supposedly does them ONLY 'because' of that love he has for human beings. Huh? Why are red flags not going off in EVERY religious mind in the face of that hypocrisy? Can it be shown anymore perfectly that this is non-trust provoking behavior! All the events that led up to Easter being the high holiest of days is the perfect example of someone who can't be trusted to do what he proclaims!

I repeatedly question why followers aren't asking themselves how their heavenly 'father' chooses to actively promote this action of letting his son die on the cross if he is really such a loving god. Not to mention allowing his son to go through the alleged torture prior to being nailed and displayed on said cross. Doesn't that for even one hot minute strike a chord in believers that this goes against what 'being loving' means? Would they, considering themselves to be loving people, ALLOW these types of events to occur to their own children?

Alarms should be going off! All buttons actively firing, flashing and ringing out with the message that these are not actions of a loving and reasonable god. Actually, quite the opposite! How can the claim be made that 'our god is an awesome god and our god is a loving god'? It's simply not true.

Close, loving and personally satisfying relationships are based on a mutual trust and respect for one another. Loving relationships can be counted on to provide messages of endearment that are supported by deeds showing the other person consistently 'they've got your back' and won't let you down. Loving relationships build a foundation of trust that is continuously reinforced through loving acts. That bond and the trust gets stronger when the truth that is shown us is a love that can be seen and heard consistently and without fail.

When actions speak a different language than what is originally heard, questions should immediately be raised and doubts interjected into the previously held thought process. My relationship with my mother, after many years of hearing one thing and seeing another, helped me to understand that I wasn't dealing with someone who was loving. I was in a relationship with someone who 'thought' she was but didn't have the first clue about what it meant be that person. Many of her actions in fact were opposite of what demonstrated love. Being a reasonable person showed me how to question and then intelligently remove myself from that destructive relationship.

Using reason saves you, not believing a fictitious man in the sky.... especially one who lies.

I Willingly Die Every Night...

Death is scary to many people, religious or not, and I've always wondered... why? Outside of having to experience an excruciatingly, long-drawn-out sort of tragic accident or disease while on your way towards death, how is the actual part about being dead scary?

After reading a piece about how an atheist might view death, it gave me more to think about. I'd have to agree with many points the author made in his article, and I honed in on the "UNconsciousness" part that he referred to because that is what has always made it "UNterrifying" to me. His opinion is that this part, specifically, would be disquieting to an individual. This may be true for many, but definitely not true for me.

Each night we all willingly close our eyes to enter the rejuvenating darkness that envelops us. It heals our minds and bodies from the stress we endured to better face the following day. The fact that every one of us can willingly do so tells me that people can accept and do not fear being unconscious because of an understanding of what sleep actually is. Continuing to wake up every morning and many mornings for many years confirms their understanding that sleeping is just a natural function.

So, how can those people who understand sleeping be terrified of the experience of being dead when they understand the concept of black oblivion or discontinuity? Why would they be disquieted and even terrified when death seems to be just like what is willingly wished for when they lay down their heads at night?

Rationally spoken death itself is not worth being terrified about, but what does create the fear is what it means beyond the physical experience (or actually, the lack of experience). Those who are fearful of being dead can't accept that it is nothing more than eternal "UNconsciousness".

In today's society, particularly in the communities of faith, their understanding of death does not focus on what it actually is but, rather, takes on the mystical quality of what it means for an after-life. The biblical interpretations and explanations received during their indoctrination make it hard for people to take a position of acceptance about death being a natural event in their lives. The woefully lacking realistic explanation surrounding death only helps to induce the irrational fears we are talking about. Gnashing of teeth, fire, and brimstone for eternity is what they can expect if they were not good in the eyes of their lord, and eternal bliss and happiness if they fulfilled all of god's expectations. It's perfectly natural to expect they would be fearful rather than accepting that it will be a non-event when they are given this limited explanation of death as only being a possibility of not knowing where they are going come judgment day.

As I said earlier, I can understand perfectly that people are fearful if their death doesn't come swiftly and painlessly or the time preceding it is filled with suffering, but to be fearful 'of death' seems irrational considering the knowledge we have today.

Our impending deaths should make us want to experience life more fully knowing that it really is just the end of being who we know we are, just like when we are sleeping and in the physical state known as "UNconsciousness". Life should be a time devoid of angst and rich with experience. Seems to me that the best thing would be to ignore death until it makes its entrance and pledge to experience life to its fullest, making the pursuit of happiness the optimal goal!

Also published at AtheismResource.com

"Sex and God" Book Raffle

 

We are celebrating the upcoming

National Sex Day!

Won't you join us on June 9th?

Entries for the raffle will be accepted for Darrel Ray's "Sex and God" Book starting today and will end June 6, 2012 at 9PM EST. The live drawing will be held June 9, 2012 at 9PM EST.

Prizes will be as follows: 

• 1st Place:   A signed copy of Darrel Ray's "Sex and God" Book
                    #11 in the 15 copies held back from the first printing   
• 2nd - 5th Place:   Your choice of one of four different Tezzles

The cost for the entries will be:

•  $1 for 1 Chance
•  $5 for 6 Chances
• $10 for 15 Chances   

Winners will be drawn and broadcast live via Ustream at 9PM EST on June 9, 2012. Details to be announced as it gets closer. The entries will be determined from the donations made to WePay.com account and/or to the Paypal account, printed out and shuffled in a bucket prior to the drawing for all prizes.

It is the responsibility of all entering to provide proper contact information. Winners will be contacted by myself and have 72 hours to respond. If no response is received, a new winner will be drawn and the process repeated until all prizes are claimed (we will only do the live drawing once. In the event of no response from the winners, the subsequent drawings will be done off camera). Redrawn winners will be notified by phone and email.

Winners MUST BE Members of the National Atheist Party having filled out the NAP "Roll Call" and members of their respective State's Chapter. All winners must be at least 18 years of age or older with valid ID.

All NAP members having filled out the "Roll Call" (EXCEPT Executive Board Members) are eligible.

IMPORTANT! We prefer you use the WePay.com donate button, but if you donate through Paypal, PLEASE specify your donation is for the "Sex and God" Book Raffle in the "notes" in order to make sure to be entered!!!

Thank you all very much! Enter often, GOOD LUCK to you and have a SEXY day! :)

Susi Bocks
Executive Assistant to the President/Fundraising Committee Member
National Atheist Party

It's Our Day!

 
It's the anniversary of being wedded to the man who has made my heart go pitter-patter for so many years. I really do love April! All our great first experiences happened during this month - we met, had our first date, awesome sex and then lastly, we got married on this day in April! Sixteen years married and seventeen years together. Amazing! Woo hoo!

My affection for this man has not waned and it's awesome to have a private platform to show him some love publicly. The message is the same every time... I love him, I adore him, and I'm so glad to have this man in my life. :) It's been a wild ride at times, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Like his shirt says - Life is good! But it's even better because he's in it!

Coming Out Atheist

I've written about how I live my life as an atheist, but I've never talked about why I live my life as an atheist and what brought me to that decision. 

I've never considered my self burdened by or chained to religion, as I grew up in a household pretty much devoid of one, but I always did think I was supposed to have one throughout my early life or, at the very least, believe in the idea that there truly did exist someone known as god.

Who am I am now and what my views are on religion now are nowhere near where I came from. Let me explain how I became free from the shackles of thinking that I needed to 'believe' in anything.

When I was younger the thoughts always revolved around a feeling that there had to be a creator of what I was experiencing around me. I tried for many, many years to find that so called creator. Many churches of many different faiths saw my attendance as a possibility that I would somehow 'stick' with them when I enrolled in their churches. Alas, that didn't happen as each one let me down in one way or another.

One day, I just stopped going towards any church to answer the question of "Is there a creator?" I began a somewhat isolated approach to the question of spirituality. I asked myself and others many questions about god, but still never really received any answers that fully satisfied me.

The day that really cemented the fact that there couldn't be a god for me was when I watched the movie called "The Rapture" with Mimi Rogers. At the end, I could not help but to identify with the main character and say to myself 'how could a loving god be anything but an ass for what he has asked of her?' In the movie, god implored her to kill her own child and await instructions. She did as instructed, but then realized how vile this request was. She would sacrifice her own child and was supposed to be happy for making such a decision, then look lovingly in the eyes of her lord! How utterly disgusting.

From that moment on, it finally made sense to me. THIS is the god that everyone has wanted me to believe was real. There, unfortunately, was no way that I could EVER want to follow someone as egomaniacal as this guy. Finally, it resonated that if there truly was a god, he was a dick. So, from that time on, having no evidence for a god and coming to that conclusion, I've decided that atheist is the best label for me. If there was a god, why in the world would I align myself with or especially follow someone who has been depicted as someone who is completely and utterly morally bankrupt?

It has made my life simple and straight-forward. Today I enjoy my life and I look forward to experiencing it to the fullest, restrained from the guilt and shame of being judged for every single move I make. Freedom! How I live my life now is one that is rich with experience with the love of my husband and children, my friends - not met, old and new. It doesn't require the belief in a supernatural to live a satisfying and full life, it just requires being engaged in my life fully in order to experience one!

The picture above is the tattoo I got when I understood how important it was to be loud and proud about who I was. The atheist solidarity ribbon is to show everyone, atheists and believers, that we as atheists are here to stay and the saying "We will never be, never be anything but loud", is to proclaim that we cannot be silenced any longer!

Indoctrination is a Friend of Power and Greed

I've never understood why the mega-organizations and some leaders of the faithful would be allowed to be in a position where they are sitting on literally billions of dollars or even have a net worth in those numbers.Those that would claim to be followers of god or jesus or whatever the name of their god in other faiths is, should really be 'power-less' and more concerned with their flock; not to mention, living a life that would reflect what most of their followers have. But it seems money or the fact that so many good little followers continue to pad their churches' wallets entitles the leaders to become less like who they preach they want to emulate. I've always firmly thought that any money collected on behalf of charitable organizations should come in and go out to those who the funds are being raised for, not the organizers; ensuring that any expenses are kept to zero or very little.

Billions - yes, billions is what they are taking (actually, raking) in and it doesn't seem to stop. The other part is that it really doesn't go anywhere either. It simply resides with those that command it be given to them to use in whichever way they choose. The current laws have been structured in their favor so we won't know how corrupt their actions really are. It would seem it is just about power and greed, not about what is best for the people they serve. The people giving simply 'believe' that tithing is the right thing as they've been instructed to do. This is where not questioning gets you into trouble and why the moniker 'sheep' is a good description, as that is what sheep do - they follow rather than lead themselves.

Ironically, I searched for a picture under Preacher and this came up. It was titled 'Businessman with arms raised'. Isn't that what they really are when all their actions are intended to increase the bottom line?

People of faith who would blindly do as their pastor tells them, set themselves up to approach life and how they lead it from that same perspective. With a little over 83% of the people in this country having aligned with some form of religion, we can see how the indoctrination of 'following' rather than thinking for oneself, has contributed to this high of a percentage choosing a religious affiliation.

There is a mindset that goes along with being a person of faith and it doesn't just happen all by itself. Faithful people in leadership positions within their religious organizations know that children will be the most willing to absorb the indoctrination. That is why they tell their congregations to school their children in the ways of the lord. Young minds are being molded to believe in fairy tales, to be submissive to, scared of, fearful of and generally abdicate thinking to someone in the church hierarchy who is doing the thinking for them. Well, them and the almighty god who knows better about everything than the lowly humans do. They grow up in an atmosphere that continually reinforces that mindset; no wonder they don't deal any differently when they become adults.

Interestingly, as with anything in life, one of two things will happen in the indoctrination process. Those choosing to remain in the religious fold will either remain faithful to their upbringing and continue that cycle of indoctrination or they will think for themselves. When they do think for themselves they will understand being under the thumb of someone else is inappropriate for their life and will shed their religious upbringing. Those that remain in it - fully, wholeheartedly and aspiring to great notoriety - those will use it to their own advantage; having grasped the power and the financial gain that could come to them when they do. The first person who understood this concept of gaining power over others by creating followers is how religion became to be used by self-serving people. These people will continue to perpetuate this cycle of power and greed by becoming leaders in organized religion to control the followers. All under the guise of being a 'believer'; all the while profiting and benefiting off those who would not think for themselves.

Luckily, we are seeing a shift in the hold that powerful and greedy people in organized religion have over the faithful; people have been leaving religion in droves and continue to even now. Those that are still faithful are revolting against the oppression that was built into the religious dynamic by speaking out against those who would want a status quo, as evidenced by all the scandals surrounding the Catholic Church and we are seeing this in the political arena as well with the Occupy Movement. The indoctrination of oppression is seeing the shackles falling off of those people who were held captive by them previously as they realize that those who would oppress them have only desired to maintain their own interests, not those of their followers. I look forward to a world where indoctrination is a dirty word.

Change can sometimes be a slow process, realizing only minimal gains for the better. But it is progress, never-the-less, when you witness people taking back their rights, their dignity, their intelligence, their humanity and, most importantly, their freedom.

*Also published at AtheismResource.com 

The Fallacy of Labels

I'm a human being who is....

• a German by ancestry.

• an American by passport.

• an Atheist because of logic and reasoning skills.

• a Liberal based on the actual definition, not what Conservatives make it out to be.

• a part of a Community and always tries to add value.

• a Mother to two wonderful boys because I had the choice and fully accept my responsibility to be one.

• a Daughter because I had no choice in the matter, but glad I'm here.

• a Sister having had no choice in this either, but wouldn't want it any other way.

• a Wife due to my best friend also being someone I want to share everything with.

• a Friend to those who know how to be one.

• a Colleague in the work world who knows how to give 100%.

• an Adult because of my chronological age and how I act out in the world.

• a Sexual Being, but whose Sexual Preference is her business and irrelevant to the conversation.

My labels and my definitions work for me and me alone. The next human being you meet who tells you their label, remember that their description will be different. And please don't judge them by their labels, but be aware of their intentions and their actions. That will tell you who they really are.

Being human is what we all have in common and my hope is that, one day, all human beings will value that feature first and foremost. When we do, acceptance comes naturally and when we have that, everyone's definition of themselves will have a likelihood of being a positive one that, in turn, will impact the rest of us in a good way.

Freethinkers Want to Know

"piet" asked me for a favor. Below is the link to his post. Believers - Would you kindly oblige 'piet' with a request he has made on his blog? He asks many reasonable questions that many skeptics, like myself, have also asked themselves. These are the kind of questions that led me to where I am today - preferring rational thinking for myself rather than blindly following some stories that make absolutely no sense, are contradictory and have just been passed down from one generation after the other playing out like the world's longest version of the "Whispering Game".

Here's my question - How can you NOT ask questions?

97 Questions for the Believer

I Love You, Babe

If destiny is a reality then I think you are truly the one I was destined to love. The one who was meant to fill that spot in my heart that no one else could. You knew that when we met... you felt that in your veins right from the beginning, didn't you?

Your kisses were clumsy at first. You were shy and afraid. Who is this girl who has made you feel something again? I bet that's what was going through your head when you decided to give in to your heart's feelings. I'm so glad that nothing stopped you from hesitating. Not the fact that we lived so far apart or that your wounds were still fresh from your recent break-up or that I came with a ready-made family. All you knew was that you wanted to be with me.

Do you realize how special you made me feel? Do you know how very important you became to me when you lifted me up from my own misery and let me begin to heal with your protection and love? My being went deeper and deeper in love with you as my own hurts and past fell away. You always accepted me and because of that, I got stronger and the pride you felt grew bigger as the whole person of me emerged in the protection of your love.

As you stand by my side now, enveloping me with your love, I feel deeper and richer feelings for you, as we both change and grow with each other as well as in the different facets of our independent lives. I'm proud to be your wife, now and forever, standing together at the head of our little family. I feel a great sense of accomplishment and joy showing our boys how it should be done. My dearest love, my life with you has been an incredible journey, a blessing and also, trials to keep us on our toes. We've come through the good times and the bad times better than I'd ever hoped for.

Loving you has been a delicious adventure and one I could never have imagined having, let along taking, but I did and I'm the richer for it. I'm truly indebted to you in so many ways. You are my protector, my friend, comforter, companion in laughter, the eyes to my soul, my conscience and my strength when I need it. A day doesn't go by without one or one million thoughts about you and how gracefully you have complemented my life. The goodness of you is imprinted on my soul and something I could and never would erase.

I love you... dear husband, friend, confidante... deeply, completely and always.

Maturity and Wisdom

Being mature means having the ability to honestly reflect on one's behavior, understand the mistakes you have made and empathize with those who were the recipients of your harmful actions.

Wisdom is gained when you take personal responsibility for those mistakes and your ability to not repeat them means your maturity level rises exponentially.