Questions To Free Your Mind 31 - 40

Continuing stealing from the wonderful Jenni my journey to enlightenment with no. 31 to 40 of the 50 questions to free my mind. I definitely enjoy learning things about me and be challenged to look beyond the surface.

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
Probably teaching the class at work back in January. This feeling between being absolutely nervous, hoping not to collapse in front of everyone, but truly excited about the interaction and the whole experience.

32. If not now, then when?
Well, depends.. Project baby no. 3 has been approached earlier rather than later. More travelling will happen once the kids are older; we can't wait looking at architecture with them, exploring museums, a lot of things they are not interested or simply too small at this point. All in all, I'm really happy where we are in life right now, so not very many things to postpone..

33. If you haven't achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
Well, thinking about coaxing little kids through museums or big cities doesn't really sound appealing to me, so fun and truly enjoying myself is what I have to lose. But in the meantime, we enjoy ourselves going to zoos or doing other child-appropriate activities, which are fun as well.

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
There are definitely people who don't need much words. That's been always the case with hubby and me, we don't always need words to know exactly what the other thinks, feels, and needs.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
I guess they believe that their religion is the only true one and therefore their message must be brought to others, and if they don't appreciate it, force them to feel the love. Honestly, I don't understand it either. Not the crusades from back in the days, nor the hatred against other religions, or people who are different in general. The legislation about to be passed in Arizona that allows religious people to refuse service to others who are not living according to their standards is just another step up the latter. It is not in line with the Christian religion, and if the politicians in questions would ever open the bible at the right places, they'd know.  I think that it's probably people's own intolerance and bigotry disguised as religion is what's causing the  conflicts.

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
I think this goes hand in hand with the question about the truth from the last set of questions. Good and evil are not absolute, but depend on individual moral and ethical standards, society, age, and many other variables. Most people will agree that murder is evil. But what about assisting a dying person to end their suffering? Some people go even so far as to justify killing people of other religions (see above) as the will of their deity and therefore a good deed. I know what is good or evil in my eyes, but even these are not always set in stone.

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
Honestly, no. I like my job. I would certainly cut hours considerably, but wouldn't give up my routine all together.

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
I have tons of work I enjoy, but honestly, sometimes I'd like to have a little less on my plate these days, as I could work 50 or more hours a week and not be done.

39. Do you feel like you've lived this day a hundred times before?
Not right now, because I'm on vacation, but once I'm really back in the routine, yes, most of my days are structured the same, which again is ok. I like routine, to be honest.

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? 
That was about three and a half years ago, when we packed up all of our stuff that we could take, got rid of everything else and moved to Germany. We knew that this was the right thing to do for our family, but there was nothing planned out at that point. We knew that we had a place to stay and a little bit of income from the child benefits and parental benefits that everyone receives in Germany. It was a jump into cold water, but two months after that, we were once again on our feet, and things have been getting better and better ever since. We could have failed miserably, but we had the right attitude and simply knew that it will be alright.


To know what Jenni thought about these questions, visit her blog Flying on a Rainbow!

Spirituality And Atheism

The longest night of the year has passed, a new cycle of the light has started, winter has begun, a time of reflection for me.

Earlier this year, talk show host Oprah excelled once again at spreading her unfounded, unreasonable, and unwelcome opinion: Atheists cannot experience awe unless they believe in a god and therefore aren't Atheists (watch the video here).

Thank you once again for dehumanizing us a little more. Let me tell you, dear Oprah, you couldn't be more wrong!

I am a firm Atheist, meaning that I do not believe in gods, a creator, or any greater being, onlooker, or decision-maker. But I do experience awe, amazement, and also a sort of spirituality.

According to the Oxford Dictionaries, spirituality is defined as "affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things" or "having a relationship based on a profound level of mental or emotional communion". 

I am in tears looking at pictures of the Aurora Borealis or the Eagle Nebula, experience the innocent, wise honesty of our children, or listening to a beautiful song. Throughout my day, I experience little moments of stillness and awe about the little things in life, sometimes as simple as a beautiful leaf or the color of the sky just before sunrise. But while religious people may praise their god or gods for it, an Atheist looks in amazement towards the universe, evolution, and perfectly randomly so many big and small things came together and composed this beautiful and unique world that it is today.

Wishing a good start into this winter, and a very Happy Holiday to everyone, no matter what you celebrate!

It's On!

Ok.. I like to think that I'm a very easy-going person. I'm opinionated, that may be true, but most of all I like to live according to the motto live and let live.  And I cannot stand if people try to interfere in how we live our lives. And I truly hate it, if they try it via our kids.  Since it's Lily's last year in kindergarten, her teacher there truly seems to be on a missionary trip on her.

These are the completely inappropriate things that have happened in the last month alone:
* She selected Lily to sing a solo during the church service they organized before the kids' lantern parade, fully knowing that we never attend any church service.
*A couple of weeks ago, Lily brought home a little coloring calendar from kindergarten, with bible quotes and "inspirationals" on every single page, with a pretty graphic illustration on the back on what sin and hell are, and that the only way to be happy is to be a Christian. Lily loves animals, and she loves to color, so there was no way we could just toss the calendar, opted to black out all the religious stuff instead.
* Telling Lily that this celebration is all about the birth of Jesus. Well, had she done her homework, she'd known that the pagan celebration is much older than Christianity, and next to none of the so-called "Christmas" traditions are Christian, but of pagan origins. Something else I'd like to put out there is that how it shall be possible to determine someone's birthday if even the year is unclear?
* Sending a porcelain baby Jesus home with Lily. This one was actually the little shove that pushed me over the edge. I'm sorry, but something like that is not welcome in our home.


We are Atheists, we are comfortable with our trust in reason, secular humanism, and science, we do not need to be "saved". We always accept people's faith, no matter what it may be. We have pagan friends, we have Christian friends, both Catholics and Protestants among them, Muslim friends, and of course friends all over the scale of Agnosticism and Atheism. It is possible to discuss religion respectful, or agree to disagree on that matter and just leave it be. But something I will never ever be able to understand is why som people just can't leave us alone. Is it because Lily has "recently turned into such a lovely girl" (quote her teacher) that she can't accept that someone can be raised without religion and be just as helpful, kind, supportive, and joyful as any other kid?

Well, as I've mentioned, it's on. I have contacted the local branch the Free-Thinker's Society in Germany, asking for support in how to handle the attack on our basic human rights of freedom of religion. I will contact other similar groups and I am prepared to take on the State of Bavaria, if necessary, to save kids in kindergarten or schools from unwelcome religious indoctrination of any kind. I will not look on any longer as our daughter is being abused as the play thing of a frustrated teacher on a mission. Enough is enough!

Love Is Just Love

I am seriously sick of the whole matter. I planned on writing a more-or-less Pinteresty post for everyone wich kids or spouses who are about as Toy Story addicted as our Lily (which is to follow sometime soon). Instead, when I scrolled through my personal FB page, I was confronted with the religious right bashing an "issue", which should not even be an "issue": gay marriage.

Let me start to say, I even dislike the term "gay marriage". Marriage is marriage. Period. It should not matter who the parties are, as long as they are consenting adults. It's called tolerance!

What I am appalled by most in the entire debate is, that most people who are against same-sex marriage claim to be Christians on a crusade to defend "traditional" marriage. Here, the they start to lose me. What is traditional marriage? Go to different cultures, and you will get a lot of different responses. Heck, there are even cultures where women oftentimes have several husbands (due to a serious shortage of women in the society).

But back to the issue at hand: There's a nice little chart our there on the internet, showing different models of "traditional biblical marriage":

That's all traditional according to the Old Testament!!

To be honest, I would be quite against my husband having any more wives besides me, or concubines, and I would DEFINITELY contest to marrying his brother should something happen to him (since we obviously don't have any sons). Yes, the old testament also mentions homosexual relationships and seriously condemns them. But that is Old Testament anyways, whose laws have been revised by the New Testament (see food laws).

And what does Jesus say about same-sex relationships. Nothing! Seriously?? Yes.

Ok, what does Jesus say about love in general? According to Jesus' teachings, love and compassion should be the supreme forces in all of his followers (sounds a little bit Buddhist to me!). He teaches to love thy neighbor; he himself sat with the outcast of society, the prostitutes, the lepers, and other people deemed scum by the pious ones. He never judged but welcomed everyone with open arms. It is him who said "he, who is without sin cast the first stone". According to the bible, Jesus was the only human being ever without sin, and since he was not judging so should no-one else.

But what are the so-called godly Christian followers today doing? They are judging. They want to take the opportunity and right from people to live in a secure and acknowledged relationship together, with all rights and authorities to take care of each other in all situations of life. I am married, and I want everyone else in this world, who wants to enter into this commitment, to be able to do so as well. I want good people to be able to adopt chidlren, who were cast away, and give them a good home and the love they need to grow to become strong members of this society.

You know what I think is really sad? That I, as an Atheist, have to teach Christians about their faith. I have read the bible cover to cover and studied it intensly for years. I am an Atheist because I am convinced from the bottom of a heart that there cannot be a God. I have dedicated my heart to science and the things I can see and smell and touch. I believe in enjoying the life we are given and to try our best to leave this world better for our children. Not because I fear any retributions or punishment later in life but because I feel that this is the right thing to do. If I believe in anything, it is love, and its power to change everything, one heart at a time.



Linking up with Amanda:

Dear Kindergarten... (Serious Rant!!)

I have a problem with Lily's kindergarten; mostly her teachers, and the state government's kindergarten education curriculum, which states that "religion is to be treated equal to other educational goals", according to the principal, an appointment to discuss our grievance a couple of weeks ago.

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS??????

I have lived in the United States for four years, where, at least officially, religion is not taught in public schools. I know, that the Conservative Right has sneaked in its Christian propaganda, and it has deteriorated the public school system in the US tremendously. Seriously, no-one will take US students serious in international competition if Creationism is taught instead of true science. Introduce an OPTIONAL class on religion class and be done with it!

But back to the issue at hand: When we signed Lily up for kindergarten, we explained to the principal that we were an atheist family and inquired on to which extend Lily would be exposed to Christian propaganda. We were assured that there was "some" religion included in the curriculum, since topics like Christmas would be discussed, but that the kindergarten was very much secular (since it is being financed by the town). Only a few month later, Lily mentioned "God" for the first time. She mostly sang songs about it that she had learned in class, and Richard and I decided to ignore it. But recently, the religious indoctrination has gone way overboard. A few months back, Lily pointed at a cross, telling: "Look, Mami, that's a cross and means God's love!". We explained to her that a cross was just a cross and that God was a fairy tale, like Snow White, even though some people consider it real.

Several weeks back, Lily jumped into my bed in the morning, exclaiming: "Mami, Jesus lives in my heart!!". That was a shock in early morning! Again, we explained to her that the Jesus she's being told in kindergarten about is a fairy tale, and that she held the people she loved in her heart.

Today, driving home from Lily's swim class, we were talking about JJ, her Grandma Cat's little dog who had died last summer. She asked me: "Mami, did JJ die on a cross??" I asked her why she thought that; she answered: "Well, Jesus died on a cross, so I thought everyone's dying on a cross".

Folks, who thinks that it is a good idea to tell little kids stories like that?? I am pee'd off beyond what I can express here. And the difficult thing is, that we don't really have a choice putting her in a different kindergarten. It's the only one in town, and all her friends are going there. We have thought about sending her to the Montessori a couple of towns away, but she had such a hard time finding her place the first time, and we decided to move and settle down for good in Germany in order to provide stability for the girls. Once she goes to elementary school, she had to make a completely new set of friends again, and Lily needs stability so much.

So we'll just have to grin and bear it; another 18 months until she goes to first grade and will be in ethics class while the sheep can go and listen to some more Christian indoctrination, brought to you by Bavarian State Government!

National Coming-Out Day

I am a straight, white, female, atheist supporter of equal rights, tolerance, and co-existence. I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend, who longs for a world, where no-one is discriminated against because of looks, gender, skin color, race, ethnics, sexual orientation, faith (or the lack thereof), etc. Today is National Coming-Out Day. It is a day where also Atheists, who are according to some recent surveys the least trusted group of people in the US, stand up and proudly acknowledge themselves, along with many other minority groups, especially gays, lesbians, and transgendered people.

Along with a large group of atheist friends, I also have several gay/lesbian friends. Some of them have defied conventions and risked persecution and punishment for standing up for themselves and their partners. I am ecstatic about every one of my gay friends, who actually manages to get married, because this is something that even today, in the 21st century, which people claim is the most enlightened of all, many gays and lesbians are still banned from enjoying the same benefits and security that is so normal for us straight people. Not so long ago the case of an elderly couple from California has made headlines and proved that even the best preparation for the worst-case scenario can be simply voided by government officials. Why do things like that still have to happen in our society? Why are people forced into hiding just because some people don't approve of their life style? My message to all people who are against gay marriage: Don't marry a same-sex partner and move on! If you are a minister and your church has a negative standpoint towards gay marriage, fine, don't officiate one. Marriage, however, is more of a legal nature today than a religious. Marriage gives me certain benefits and rights. Thus, no-one should be prevented from entering into such a contract with another competent person. This should be reflected in federal law, and if you are an elected official and consider same-sex marriage objectionable, well, get over it. You are a CIVIL SERVANT, so it's your duty to serve all citizens. If you can't do that, resign from your office and become a private citizen yourself.

In this sense: Happy Coming-Out Day to everyone. Let's work together for a future that truly offers the same opportunities to all people.

9/11 Project

As announced earlier on this blog and my Facebook page, I have started reading the Qur'an. I am doing this out of personal interest, and to understand more of a religion that has been in the focus point of much criticism and misunderstanding since the horrible attacks by a few fanatics on this day 9 years ago.

Before I start writing about my first impressions, I want to clarify that even though I personally am an atheist, I do not hate religion, none of the many faiths out there. I even think that for many people religion is a good thing since it helps them to have someone to turn to in difficult times and definitely provide a good social network. This issue has even come up during a brunch of our Atheist/Agnostic parent group some time ago. Many atheists miss this type of social connection many churches provide but don't find it in their hearts to join just for the company and actively deceive the congregation on how they truly feel. I myself know several wonderful people, some of whom have invited us to join them in their congregations, which we had to decline. This, however, never hurt our friendship, because we agreed from the beginning to disagree on certain issues and leave it with that; additionally, we were always honest about our feelings and convictions. Our friendships are based on the most simple principles of love, tolerance, and respect, which most faiths teach to begin with.

Unfortunately, there are people, like said Mr. Terry Jones, the members of Westborough Baptist Church in Topeka, KS, and fanatics of any faith, who use religion as a tool and a justification to hurt others. This leads me to my preliminary favorite passage of the Qur'an. As in the translation by Sahih International, the Holy Book of the Muslims talks about these fanatics:

"2:13 And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not. 2:14 And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers." 2:15 [But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly. 2:16 Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided. 2:17 Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see. 2:18 Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path]."

Especially the picture of the lighted fire that will turn into darkness so reminded me of Mr. Terry Jones and his planned burning of the Qur'an. Indeed, he lighted a fire, even if by now only a figurative. He managed to be in the spotlight of attention from all over the world. But this spotlight was a dark one, which could easily ended in more deaths of innocent people. He, along with all fanatics, who call themselves "reformers" of their faith, are walking a dark path ending in nothing but chaos. The only way for them out of this mess they have brought themselves into by their very own pride and vanity is to turn around, go back to the beginnings, really READ the words and don't interpret them to fit their ideas.

This all might sound like a heavy load from an atheist like me, but as I said before, I respect religion and all people of true faith, it is just not for me. I am just a person who tries to leave a positive trace on this planet and who dreams of a better world for her children.

In this sense: Let's commemorate the victims of 9/11, who were of many races, nationalities, and faiths. Let's commemorate the innocent victims of two wars that ensued these attacks and together as one work for a more peaceful future for everyone.

Letter to Mr. Terry Jones

Dear Mr. Jones:

I am writing this letter on behalf of every right-minded person on this planet. First of all, let me congratulate you on getting world-wide attention for your despicable plan. If I had a say in matters like that, an utter and total media ban would be ordered for spectacles like the one you are planning for this Saturday. The reasons for that are simple: your master plan all along was to get attention to humiliate and provoke an entire religious community over the fanaticism of a small minority. In my opinion, NOT reporting about your “protest” would have been the way to go, because it would have been the only way to counteract your malicious plan, because that’s all it is. Your behavior has nothing to do with being a good Christian, even an educated atheist like I can clearly see that, and I am sure that true Christian communities all over the world are turning away in shame from your actions.

I think I am speaking the minds of many if I say that your behavior resembles more that of a stubborn and unruly child than that of a reasonable adult. Are you even aware that your actions will endanger Western peace and developmental aid workers all over the world? In burning the Koran, you plainly display the ignorance many Muslims dislike about the Western societies. Instead of educating yourself about what Islam truly teaches by actually READING the Koran or invite Muslim scholars and members of the Islamic community to open discussion, you display a disregard, disrespect, and unbelievable ignorance towards a religion that is clearly the younger sibling of Christianity and its millions of faithful followers.

You should be ashamed of yourself, and everyone who supports you as well. I definitely know that Jesus, who you claim to be your Lord and Savior, would cringe and turn away in disgust knowing of your plans. Jesus’ message only contains love and tolerance for EVERYONE, not just the ones who think like you. I obviously know what I am talking about, because even though I am an atheist I care to educate myself, and even though we dare to disagree I have nothing but love and respect for my religious friends, whichever religion they may follow. All those dogmas and concepts are clearly foreign to you, a pastor, who should lead his congregation in the true words of Jesus. When have you last dared to open up the Bible and truly let Jesus’ words speak to you? I bet it has been a long, long time, and in the meantime, hatred and ignorance has consumed you to a point where you spit on Jesus’ message by burning the Holy Book of your brethren.

As a small attempt to counteract the magnitude of damage to the entire Western world and especially the true Christian communities, I will take the opportunity on this Saturday, September 11, 2010 to buy a copy of the Koran and start reading it. I have planned on doing that for a while, so why not start now? And I call upon every enlightened and truly tolerant, open-minded and loving person to do the same. Instead of allowing that this 9th anniversary of a tragedy caused by a fanatic minority will be marked by yet another act of ignorance and provocation, let it become known as a day where people come a little bit closer in tolerance, respect, and understanding. Let’s reach out to a community, which does not think so much different after all, and attempt to understand them a little better. Thus, I am calling for “Read the Koran Day” this Saturday; join me and others to broaden your own horizon by READING, not BURNING the copy of the Koran you obviously already own. In the end, you might be glad you did.

Sincerely,

Stephanie M. Powell

Dear Bigotry...

I think all of us have those moments, where we're just completely flattened by other people, either positively or negatively. I had one of these experiences of the less pleasant kind the other day when I was browsing around on my facebook news feed page and came across a new album labeled "Muslim". It was more or less a photo documentation of a little boy having his arm crushed by a car as punishment for stealing some bread. I agree that this punishment is totally cruel (if it was real at all, since an oftentimes omitted seventh picture identifies the scene as a stunt and shows the boy completely unharmed afterward); what I deeply disagree with, and what had me fuming was the ensuing bashing of Islam by people who claim to be Christians but never even read the bible and talk about Islam and its values without ever having read a single page of the Koran. Even as an atheist I can say that I've read the bible and the Koran is actually fairly high up on my to-read list, just to be informed. This person has been known to criticize everything non-American without actually having traveled enough to be able to compare.

I am well aware, that Islam is by far not the most peaceful religion out there. The Koran explicitly states that the new religion should be spread, if necessary by conquest. While the Judo-Christian religion does not favor violent conversion itself, it clearly says that genocide to clear the country out of foreign faiths is the way to go (see the Old Testament, the story of King Saul). Given that Jesus had probably no intention of his teachings becoming such a world-wide hype, he would be outright appalled if he knew that people were killing and oppressing others to spread the faith (let's think back to the crusades and the missionaries in Asia). Even today, atrocities are committed in the name of Jesus. Let's just think of the current Iraq war; ex-President Bush claims that God himself ordered him to attack Iraq, which is probably the greatest crap I've ever heard (my personal theory is it was Chaney via the White House intercom system; Bush is not known for his high IQ after all). Thus, thousands of modern-day crusaders march out under the blue-red-and-white banner of their leader to invade and Americanize yet another country that does not bow to their demands (as we all know, the USA is God's chosen country, right?). Atrocities such as the torture of innocent people in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and the rape of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, who was attacked repeatedly by several GIs before being executed along with three of her family members.

But these incidents are conveniently ignored when it comes to bashing the obvious enemy: Islam. Cruel punishments that are executed by a backward government or even just lynch justices under the cover of Islam are dragged into the spotlight to denounce the whole religion. That similar punishments are written down in the bible are again ignored. It is further ignored that only about 150 years ago in Texas people were hanged for stealing a horse, and only during this past century people were killed for loving someone of a different skin color (even if the pictures portrayed what the anti-Islam league claims it is, it would look like a rather unofficially lynch practice rather than a punishment handed down by the government).

So my question now is: Do the atrocities committed by US soldiers in Iraq not count because it affected only brown people who are not Americans anyways and cases like those of the little boy are dragged in the spotlight to denounce a whole faith? Definitely seems like it. I know several Muslims myself, as well as Christians of different faiths, Buddhists, and people from all corners in the spectrum of atheism and agnosticism. And believe me or not, there are good people among all of those groups, as well as bigots who abuse religion as something to hide behind. Even though I am an atheist myself, I see all people for who they are, no matter their faith. I don't see their every actions as based on their religion, but as coming from their own free will.

Does the Koran say that for stealing a loaf of bread your arm shall be crushed by a car? I don't think so, since cars were't quite mainstream yet when the Koran was written. Actually, the maximum penalty for stealing under Sharia Law is the amputation of the hand, but this sentence cannot be handed down to a child, and not if something inexpensive was stolen, especially if food was stolen due to hunger (get your facts straight before speaking up!). Does the Koran have some punishments that are completely out of proportion under today's consideration. Definitely, just like some of the punishments in the Bible (which also supports mutilation for theft!). Do some backward people still apply them today to portray their power? Sadly yes, and this applies for both Muslim and Christian societies. The only way to get away from this kind of society is continued developmental aid in form of infrastructure and offering alternatives. But sadly it seems as if it is in the interest of the World Police to maintain the status quo in those countries, which then leads to complaints that those countries are the breeding ground of fundamentalism and terrorist activity (see: vicious circle).

PS: I also love the bigotry of certain people, who love to stress at any occasion how great and free America is just to turn around and oppress other people's opinion (= Freedom of Speech). I'm off now!

Faith No More

I am an atheist. When I am asked for my religious views, I answer "none", since atheism is not a religion. I offer my thoughts and support in the face of tragedy, and of course my practical help, but no prayers, since I don't pray and wouldn't lie about something like that. A couple of weeks ago, I officially joined the ranks of the ever-growing number of atheists in Germany, consisting partly of those who just want to evade the official church tax, and some who are really atheists. I probably was the only atheist, who was still an official member of a church, even though I hadn't been there in forever. Probably the most difficult thing about being an atheist was telling my family; my mom, however, made it easy for me when she asked me whether I would join them for the holiday service, already anticipating my answer.

My journey to become an atheist was not an easy one. This may sound weird, but I have quite a religious career behind me. Born and raised a German Lutheran, I experimented with a few cultist rituals as a teenager, just to become a Jesus Freak a couple of years later. This phase I also outgrew, and started to seriously think about the meaning of life. A former friend of mine, who was an atheist back then, once told me bluntly: when I die, I'll be gone rotting in the ground. That's it. For me, reading my way through Far Eastern mythology and Buddhist philosophy at that point, was just not ready for what I have now come to understand to be the truth. My truth at least, since as a tolerant being, I accept everyone else's truth as well, as long as they accept mine. This is called respect, and when it comes to religion, or the lack thereof, respect is often the least on people's minds. This is the reason why I really enjoyed the atmosphere at our Atheist/Agnostic parent group. Even though we had the common interest of raising our kids to become informed adults, we had many different view points within the group that everyone respected. The discussions, if they turned to religion, were always respectful and interesting.

Why I abandoned religion? Easy to explain: first of all I have learned that believing in a god or gods is simply not inside me. I tried, oh yes, I did, but there's still nothing. Then, there's the fact that most religion out there right now has more to do with controlling its members and amassing wealth than actually living according to the rules. Prime example: the Pope. He calls himself Peter's successor, God's voice on earth, and millions listen.. This man lives in a palace in his own little state, wears only the best robes and tons of jewelry. He has an entourage and a standing Army (even if it's only the Swiss Guard). What do you think would happen if Jesus showed up here tomorrow? I'd say Temple Scene 2.0!! Yes, I actually read the book, that's why I know what I'm talking about. I like Jesus' message, minus the "Son of God" part. It's about peace and tolerance, coexistence and support. I think Jesus would jump down a cliff the very moment he realizes how many people died in his name. And I'm sure the same applies to many other religions. Their worshippers today have distanced themselves so far from the roots and adapted rules and rituals to fit their needs rather than stopping, reading up on the issue again, and really asking themselves "WWJD" ("WWMD", "WWAD", or "WW*insert applicable deity here*D"; if it's Kali, killing and pillaging would actually be the right answer!).

I simply had to get this off my chest. I am not a bad person just because I don't believe in religion. I try to be the best person I can without expecting any reward for it in another life, I just hope to be remembered as the person I was by my children. I am tolerant and gladly grant others' their own point of view without belittling them for it; and all I ask in return is the same courtesy. No-one will ever be able to "convert" me, because, as I mentioned before, religion is just not inside me. Still I am still a happy person, living my life to the fullest, since this life is all I have. The only support I need comes from my wonderful hubby, who is an atheist enjoying science documentaries just like I do. We plan on raising our daughters to be independent, conscious individuals, who look for answers in themselves and not to what other people tell them. This is often not the easiest way, but at the end of the day, it's the only way that makes us truly happy.