I have several peeves about religious people and I'm sure at some point I'll be posting on more of them, but for now I'll mention a basic one: the feeling that everyone has to believe in some sort of higher power. That is simply not true, but many people seem to have trouble reflecting on a godless existence (because to them, such a life is without meaning, hope, knowledge, happiness, and morals, an idea, I might point out, that is completely erroneous).
A couple of weeks ago, I was having a discussion with someone about the role of god in some of the difficulties she has been encountering in her life over the past year or so. She said how helpful it was to her to feel there was a higher power looking out for her and supporting her. I accept that she feels that way and I am happy she feels she has this support. However, she said to me, "I don't care what religion you are, everyone believes in a god. It can be the traditional Christian or Jewish god, Buddha, Muhammad, or...or..." She paused as she struggled to find more examples and then she looked outside the window. "Or a tree or a lilac bush!"
A lilac bush is a higher power?
She knows I am an atheist, but the idea doesn't make any sense to her. She again insisted, "Everyone believes in something. Everyone believes in a power greater than themselves." Well, yes, I never said that I thought I was the greatest power in the universe or that I knew everything. That is not what it means to be an atheist, but so many people are confused about what an atheist really is that they end up insisting that atheism is just not possible or sensible.
Let me state for the record that I don't believe in any higher power, whether it is a god or a lilac bush!
--Curly
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4 comments:
I know I'm a little late on this one, but I thought I'd post, as this really irritates me too. A related peeve of mine is when people say, "So you don't believe in anything?" What -- are love, people, trees, etc. nothing?
Thanks for your comment, Raven! Someone told me recently that if I don't believe in a higher power, that means I think I am the best thing in the universe and that I am the highest power there is. Uh, right.
--Curly
The assumption that because you don't believe in God then you automatically think you're the best thing since sliced bread is oh-so-annoying.
-- Kirsty
Whatever people don't understand, they mock or otherwise make it seem ridiculous.
On the other hand, of course I actually am the best thing since sliced bread. ;-)
--Curly
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