Religion

As of late, I’ve felt like I’ve crossed a threshold, crossed into the land of the living, and really started to live a life I never knew I had. As I’ve been exploring this strange, new world, I’ve noticed many common beliefs and ideas upheld by the majority of the populace, and I can’t help but feel a touch awkward, worried that one of them might choose, at any moment, to question my faith. I’ve never really put into words how I feel about the subject of religion—mine in particular—and this is my first attempt to pin down the flighty phantoms that are my faith.

I understand that, to some, the following words will have you muttering, “This kid has no clue how I feel,” or, “that isn’t what I believe at all!” Many parts are broad generalizations that can’t, unfortunately, cover every single reader’s exact beliefs. If you are offended easily by the beliefs of others, feel free not to read the following text. If you are so inclined to comment, understand that you should read the text in its entirety and know that this isn’t a place to evangelize, but a place to critique and question my writing and thoughts.

Atheist, as both a word and a lifestyle, has generally negative connotation bestowed upon it by billions of monotheists and polytheists, both ignorant and learned. To some, the word sums up thoughts of empty shells, gliding through life on a conveyer belt inches at a time towards a tarnished sheet-metal destination with “DEATH” in big block letters stenciled on the side. To others, they are seen as strange bunch that must be conquered and civilized in the name of God, or to a lesser extent, a group of sub-entities lacking the “capital” status.

The truth is, for whatever reason, Atheists do not believe in God (or in said sub-entities). They do not despise life. They do have goals. But most importantly, they have religion, regardless what you may be lead to believe.

Merriam-Webster defines religion as thus:

Quote:
A personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.

I do have religion and I do have faith, and I am very passionate about them both. My religion is a set of core personal values that I have set up for myself, choosing to try to live by the rules I feel make me a good person, and my faith (which will be discussed in more detail at a later date) is invested heavily in heart, putting love (and the pursuit of it) in the forefront.

My core personal values are very akin to the Ten Commandments and various other lists of “thall shalt not”s that exist in virtually every mainstream religion today. They are as follows:

Live your life in such a way that you create no regrets. This is paramount to me. Gone are the days I worry for weeks about things that will ultimately happen, choosing not to live a free life in a vain attempt to plan and plot the direction my life will flow. A life isn’t a river made to be broken, curved, and twisted by man, but a flood—a surge of bone and blood and emotion that can’t, and shouldn’t, be stopped by anything more than time.

Of course, regrets come in more ways than one: Doing something unwise just to do it can create just as much of a regret as not doing anything. This rule is not an excuse to break other rules or even break laws “in the name of religion.”

Live your life in such a way that you are happy, but not at the expense of the happiness of others. Again, there is more to this rule than meets the eye at a passing glance. Happiness is so vague—it can come in the form of tears or smiles. Sometimes being miserable can make you happy in much that same way that being happy can make you miserable, and it just as important to realize the facets of happiness as it is to strive for them.

I’ve come to realize that I put people down to lift me up far too much, and that’s why the second clause is included in the rule. The clause can be bent or broken when times call for it—when I need to break a heart to get out of a self-destructive relationship or break a promise to get into one—but it is, by no means, designed to be dismissed.

As of right now, those are my core personal values. They don’t include frivolities like, “Treat others as you’d like to be treated,” and other rules that are important for a pleasant human experience, as they should be practiced and upheld by everyone as much as possible, regardless of religion. Those two simple rules form the backbone of my personal religion, and I take great pride in that fact.

Whenever people ask to have a religious discussion with me, I usually shy away, not because I don’t believe in my religion or don’t care about the other’s beliefs, but I know that the majority of people feel their religion is the end-all, be-all of religions and will force me to change my beliefs either by belittlement or threats. I have found few people who actually want to listen, who actually want to discuss, and those people are ones who I respect and relate to, despite our differences, and it is relationships like that which affirm the fact in me that everyone—everyone—should have religion they believe whole-heartedly in, and faith unwavering, invested however they so choose.