Rule One Means...

Disrespecting anyone's profession of belief in a comment, blog or forum post is not allowed on BC. Please don't attempt to embarrass someone with public comments here. But is this a friendly place for atheists? I try to make it so.

You can announce your beliefs without dissing other people's in public. I remove comments and blogs where someone calls out their version of religion as being the only true one. You can announce what you believe or don't believe but no proselytizing. And trying to ridicule other people's beliefs is definitely against Rule One.

Myself, I am an agnostic, I've not seen anything that proves things one way or another. Because I can imagine a God big enough to make the universe does not mean such a God exists -- or does not exist. I'm also not sure that such a God would be interested in what we are doing; that's a completely separate postulate.

But those are my beliefs and I don't force them on anyone. In fact, this is the first time I've mentioned them in public here but anyone who reads what I say about God and prayer and religion could probably have guessed. Agnostics are, by the way, considered one stripe of atheist, both by atheist and by religious types. Just not by agnostics who really aren't sure about that. :)

But I'm an agnostic because I have found something to believe in and I am willing to call that something God if it makes anyone more comfortable. I believe in that Postulate, Principle, Power, or Personage in the Universe that makes living a moral life worth doing. I find Doubt as a guiding light more useful than Faith in this, but that is for me and I don't even recommend it to everyone.

So, I'm not an atheist in the sense most people think of the word. I was raised in a Christian home and attended church growing up, sometimes as often as eight times a week (twice on Sunday). I found a lot that was good and fine in church and some that was less so, but that's just my experience. Most organized religions seem to be constructed to scare little kids into minding their parents. I suppose in a way, that's a good thing. :)

But here's a question for anyone who wants to think about it: Who is more righteous, a person who tries to do the right thing because of a hope of reward or a fear of punishment? Or someone who makes the same attempt because doing so IS the right thing?

Hugs to all,
Erin