1.28.2011

An Atheist in Love by David Peretiatko

Something a bit different today. Here is a poem about atheism submitted by David Peretiatko:

"An Atheist in Love"

This life to hold you
This time to share
moments
cold mountain naps
rushing ocean and
salt scented
sun lazied conversations
dark celestial gazings
lying on barren winter
fields
(hard and dead)
These years to adore you
These days to love you
and
cause your laughter
fill your days with smiles
bright and warm
for I cannot
love you past the grave
nor retain any memory
of the sweetness of your eyes
we will
vanish
all consciousness erased
and that will be the end
of it
There will be no
you
or
I
nor
Heaven
how I pray
there was a heaven
big and empty
waiting for vapourous ships
full of the ghosts of lovers
to dock at its marble harbour
and fills its golden streets
or
Hell

I even wish there was a
Hell
with its weeping
and gnashing of teeth
with its consuming
darkness
and
utter
loneliness

so at least
then
I'd exist enough
to think
of you

written by David William Peretiatko

1.26.2011

Christians Who Claim Their Belief in God is the Only Thing Keeping Them Moral

evil insideYou know how some Christians insist that their god-belief is the only thing keeping them from running wild and committing all sorts of atrocious crimes? We tend to dismiss this claim, almost as if we have more confidence in the basic goodness of these Christians than they themselves do. What if at least some of them are being honest in their negative self-assessment?

1.17.2011

Civil Rights: Despite Progress, We Have a Long Way to Go

pity the atheist church signAs we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the contributions of the civil rights movement to our lives, it is important both to acknowledge the progress made and to acknowledge how far we still have to go.

There is no denying that considerable progress has been made regarding the civil rights of African Americans and other persons of color; however, real equality remains elusive. Even though racism officially ended in the U.S. sometime before 2003, a great many people did not receive the memo. We continue to see embarrassing examples of racism from members of Congress, state governors, and new political movements. We have even seen it used openly as a political strategy. As a society, we have so many issues with race that it will continue to divide us until we find a way forward.

1.04.2011

Reaching Out to Atheists is Mean to Christians

mean people suckIn a convoluted article written for The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), Regina Brett reflects the mixed feelings and often inconsistent attitudes many moderate Christians have regarding outspoken atheists. Her article, "Atheists Don't Have to Share Religious Beliefs, But They Also Don't Have to Share Ill Will, Either," suggests that atheists should probably just be quiet, even if we have some good points to make at times. If only we atheists weren't out to ruin Christians' fun, perhaps we could be tolerated.