Only We Can Plan
For Our Own Lives
Jessica
From: "Jessica B"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Sent: February 05, 2003 11:53 PM
Subject: hi
I really haven't yet decided what I call myself. I am a bit of agnostic, and atheist. I'm not really sure. My whole family, from my mom's side and my dad's side is Christian -- heavy Christians on my Dad's side. My parents never went to church, so of course, neither did I.
My whole life, my grandma has bought me Bibles and religious cards for my birthday saying that I need trust her and go to church. I am 17 years old, and I have almost already lost a friend due to the difference in our religions. My friend is a Born-Again Christian. She is nuts! She told me that she believes I will go to Hell. It hurt a lot! A lot!
I don't know what is going to come of our conversations at this point, but I hope this doesn't effect our relationship. I just don't understand how people can believe in Adam and Eve, or that God has a plan for us. The choices that we make are what make up our lives. Nobody can change our plan for life, except ourselves.
If God is supposed to be so great, why would He kill people or shun them because of the chemical in their body that makes them attracted to members of the same sex? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Feel free to write me.
Jessica
Canada BC
From: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
To: "Jessica"
Subject: Re: hi
Date: February 26, 2003 1:56 PM
Thanks for your story!
Maybe God sits atop the air conditioning unit in the bar and laughs Himself silly as the poor bloke makes his move on what he thinks is an acceptably decent-looking woman!
According to the traditional understanding of atheism, which we advocate, anybody who lacks a god-belief for any reason is called an atheist; therefore, agnostics who don't know are called "atheistic agnostics." Their atheism is incidental, as it's supposed to be.
This begins to make sense when we settle down from the change (from theism to atheism) and realize that atheism is really no big deal. Atheism is not to unbelief what religion is to belief, that's for sure! To me, my atheism is the way in which I distinguish myself from theists, when such a need arises (which is not very often). Otherwise, what I have done is base my self-identification upon what other people believe but I don't! Because I am almost entirely indifferent to religion, it makes sense that my atheism is no big deal!
Cliff Walker
Positive Atheism Magazine
Seven-and-one-half years of service to
people with no reason to believe