Whitney Beyer
The Broadside
I am an atheist.
Please, I ask of you, do not stone me should you encounter me in the parking lot.
I don’t believe in God, Christ, Heaven, Hell, or the afterlife – the logic just isn’t there for me. I believe in the here and now, and I believe in the golden rule most popularized by modern Christianity: do unto others as you would have done unto you.
While I’ve always tried to respect the beliefs of the 78 percent of Americans that identify themselves as Christian – ok, ok, minus the occasional sarcastic remark I make in my head – I’ve had a difficult time understanding why benevolence appears to be such a flashy and unnecessary production in the Christian world.
Call me crazy for asking, but when did people start thinking they need a reason to do good?
Perhaps this is just a matter of opinion, but good people don’t do good things out of fear of a divine power, good people do good things because it’s the right thing to do.
For Christians, however, it seems like more of a rite of passage – do good because the Bible says so and that’s your ticket to the land of milk and honey.
In some cases, volunteer work seems like a pissing match between Christian sects. Hey guys, let’s go build houses in Mexico for a couple of weeks so we can wear shirts that let everyone know we’re better Christians than them.
News flash: you all believe in the same thing.
Despite my lash of tongue toward the Christian faith, I do truly respect the beliefs of others because I know how much I appreciate others respecting my atheistic views (golden rule, anyone?)
What I don’t respect is the bumper sticker I saw on the car next to me in one of the campus parking lots last week. The sticker read: “No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace.” Huh?
I don’t know Jesus, but I certainly know peace. In fact, I’d be willing to submit that I am a more active advocate of peace and human rights than many Christians I know personally.
I’ve got some thick skin, but I found this sticker downright offensive.
I don’t care if you’re an atheist, a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, or a Jew – everyone should have a problem with this bumper sticker and its claim that there is no peace without the supposed son of God whose existence, by the way, has never been proven.
When it comes to peace, I’m going to stick with Jimi Hendrix: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
Maybe I’ll make a sticker that reads: “No Jimi, No Peace. Know Jimi, Know Peace.”
Now that’s a sticker I can get behind.
You may contact Whitney Beyer at [email protected]