Paperdove - Partly about beer. All about me.

During President Obama's (I like saying that) inauguration, he mentioned non-believers on equal footing with Christians and Jews And Muslims. Evidently, this stuck in some people's craw (those with craws, anyway).

Let me say something once and for all: this is not a Christian nation, and never was!

That's right. Jefferson, the primary architect of our nation's principles (including liberty and whatnot), was a deist. He was not a Christian. In fact, he penned his own version of the Bible, in which he removed all the mythic nonsense about God, and Jesus being the son of God, and whatnot, leaving "the good bits," the bits about being a kind and generous person, the bits about performing good works, and so on.

George Washington was also a deist, rather than a practising Christian.

So, for all of you who think this nation was founded on Christianity: you're wrong. This is not a Christian nation. It is a nation containing a lot of Christians, but that doesn't make it a Christian nation. No: The United States of America is a secular nation, which means it's not a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or atheist nation; it is a nation that has no religion at all, and allows its citizens to pursue the belief of their choice.

This is important: if you believe in liberty, you must believe that the US is a secular nation, and that all people are allowed to pursue their own belief (or even lack of belief). If you believe the US is not a secular nation, then you forgo any claims to support of liberty!

(Also: you can't claim victimisation for Christianity when Christians make up 65% (or more) of the nation. Just so you know.)

Anyway, back to President Obama's mention of non-believers: as a non-believer, I am extremely grateful that the President gave me a nod, recognising that I too am part of this nation. Whether you like it or not: I am a part of this nation!

And you know what? Non-believers make better citizens. Yeah, you heard me right. Non-believers are better people. How do I know? Well, you know those "family values" Christian ideologues are always whinging on about? Atheists have fewer divorces than Christians. Let me say that again: atheists tend to have more stable families. Also, although atheists make up anywhere from 15% to 20% of the nation, they only make up about 3% of the prison population. Yes, it's true: atheists are less likely to commit crimes (or get caught, at least).

So stop your whining about how amoral all us atheists are. The facts refute this argument. Atheists are at least as moral as Christians, and probably more so.

Also, as atheism is merely the lack of belief in God, we are less likely to try to push our political agenda. Yes, I've heard the conspiracy theories about how all us atheists with our science are trying to disprove God by teaching evil evolution. That doesn't hold water: science is the process of testing our ideas against reality, so if science supports evolution, it's only because reality supports evolution. And if you don't believe that reality supports evolution, how about you stop taking just about any drug more recent than aspirin. Pretty much all modern medicine is based on the concept that evolution is true. And considering that prayer doesn't heal, good luck. (Prayer doesn't heal. Sorry. Don't believe me? Check out the girl who recently died because her parents prayed for her recovery, rather than taking her to a hospital.)

If I sound angry here, it's because I am. I'm angry at the people who believe that they have the only True Belief, and therefore should be the ones forcing their True Belief on others. I'm angry at those who believe that this nation belongs to only them and their select few Christian friends (all 65% of you). I'm angry that Christianity interferes with proper understanding of reality, pushing creationist bullshit under the guise of "academic freedom." (How about I start teaching every single fucking thought that races through my brain as the gospel truth? How's that for academic freedom? Academic Freedom entails academic responsibility to teach that which best fits our current scientific ontology, because that's our best understanding of the world as it is. Teach your fantasies in Sunday school. Or better yet, don't.)

Listen: I am part of this nation. Atheists (and this includes a lot of folks who call themselves "agnostic;" if you're not sure whether or not god exists, but think he doesn't, you're an atheist) make up 15% to 20% of the population. That number is growing. Get used to it. We are a strong and vital part of this nation, so stop getting your panties in a twist every time we're mentioned in public.

You want us to treat you with respect? Then start treating us with respect. Complaining that we are mentioned in a Presidential speech is not respect. In fact, it's disrespect. I'm generally a turn-the-other-cheek kind of person, but when you are intentionally being disrespectful, I'm more an eye-for-an-eye kind of person. If you want my respect, show me that you respect me as well.

Oh, and if I am disrespectful of particular bits of your belief (such as intelligent design), it's because you are holding that belief contrary to observable reality. I respect reality more than I respect others' beliefs. It's part of what makes me an atheist, I guess.