Why This Blog Was Created

Why did I feel it necessary to start this particular blog? I think it's because I became tired of the vilification of good people who chose not to believe in the supernatural, deities or gods of any kind. According to an article in "American Atheist,"...“Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in ’sharing their vision of American society.’ Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.” Imagine that! My vision of American society is somehow twisted...and downright wrong. Apparently George Bush agrees! When he was campaigning for the presidency as the incumbent vice-president in 1987, he was quoted during an interview as saying..."No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

Is it any wonder that most people who consider themselves agnostics or atheists tend to keep it to themselves? If the president of the United States believes that a segment of the American population should not be considered citizens because they choose not to believe in a deity, then what would be the attitude of a "typical" religious American? In a country that was founded on the principle of separation of church and state, the idea that a person's belief should be cause to strip them of their citizenship boggles the mind. Perhaps the president should take the time to read the Constitution once he retires from office.

Based on the people I know and come into contact with everyday, non-believers not only are some of the nicest folks I know, they also take their civic duties quite seriously. We don't hate people of faith...we don't hate "God"...and we don't need the bible to give us a moral compass.

In a way, I wish there were other words that I could use to replace the words "agnostic" and "atheist". Even though there's really nothing wrong with these terms, they have been given a negative connotation by people who have totally misunderstood what a person with a naturalistic world view is all about. It can be very frustrating at times for those of us who choose not to believe. Maybe someday this will be just one more prejudice that eventually disappears in this country. I'm afraid it's going to be a while though.