Beauty of Atheism
I recently had the idea to write a series of stories based around the beauty and joy possible in a life of atheism. All too often atheists are cast as misanthropes and nihilists (and they is the case, from time to time), and I’d much rather show the better side of a godless life.
If anyone happens upon this and has such a story, fictional or otherwise, I’d love to hear it. I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for such stories myself, with limited success (though, admittedly, I just started trying), but I think the idea is sound. Why should believing that there is nothing beyond this life be a black concept? Why should living your life for yourself rather than some invisible deity be anything but fulfilling and lovely? I think a couple good stories would go a long way to show that life can be just that. (OK, just had an idea, will follow up on it)
Well, if the thought of “This is it, this is all I get” doesn’t light a fire under your bum, I don’t know what will! I suppose some people feel disheartened and unmotivated without the prospect of a heaven or a god or redemption to live *for* - but that just means they don’t regard their own life as worth living *for*. When I stop and think about it, and generalizing from the cross-section of the population that I have known - it’s horrifying how many people don’t regard themselves as worthy of life, in and of themselves. It’s my very strong opinion that, broadly speaking, altruism is thoroughly to blame for that. No child feels that way. Rational atheism (if you can and do embrace it) leads to a degree of self-ownership, self-responsibility, motivation and appreciation for life that I would never have predicted if I didn’t experience it myself.
Disbelieving atheist: “This is it??” (sob).
Depressed atheist: “This is it . . . there’s nothing . . .” (melancholic sigh)
Nihilist atheist: “This is it. Damn it all.”
Hedonistic atheist: “This is it! Drunken debauchery, here I come!!”
Rational atheist: “This is it! This is all I get - and I get all this! Life - world - here I come!”