Wipe Away Those
Nagging Non-Doubts
Ken
From: "Rationalist"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: May 15, 2002 4:06 AM
Sirs.
I had the good fortune to be born into an atheist family. All but one of my own descendants (a weak Christian but who rejects the Jesus Christ nonsense) are all atheist. My friends are all atheist. I am in the company of intelligent people who are strong of character and have no need of the belief in supernatural beings. There is no greater feeling than to know you are your own person and do not have anyone attempting to manipulate your mind.
People think they are atheist because they doubt that there is a god. Later, they might claim a re-run of the road to Damascus myth and probably, in a weak moment, have a need of something their own character cannot provide, fortitude. Some have other motives!
Depending on the amount of indoctrination one has been subjected to it certainly makes it more difficult to resist that nagging thought that you are being watched. Resisting it is the most glorious experience, for you truly are dispensing with the damaging myths embedded in your mind by other people and a whole new horizon appears.
I often had people challenge me with, "you wait until you are in a tight spot, then you will turn to a god for help" Having served in the Royal Navy (Air) during WW2 and piloted aircraft until my 65th birthday, one might say that many things happened to contest that statement. In tight spots never once did I, or the many ex-service people (atheist) that I know, (or knew) ever have to rely on anything but our own fortitude -- true atheists.
Throughout my life I would meet people who said they did not "believe" but had nagging doubts. I would encourage them to get a Bible from a second-hand book store (costing a few cents) and keep it in the car. Whenever their hands got dirty or they needed to wipe oil from the dip-stick, just rip out a page to wipe away the grime and dispense with the page. This way they could overcome the fear that this book was any more important to them than, say, the local newspaper. With each page confidence in themselves will grow: the fear of gods, retribution or any such religious fantasy would disappear and then, only then can they say "I am Atheist, I am my own man".
Thanks for your site.
Ken
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