All babies are born without a belief, without knowledge, without critical thinking or logic. Therefore, as babies grow and start to absorb knowledge, they will readily believe what is taught to them. Since the first people that has direct access to their “belief development” are the parents, kids usually acquire the same religion as their parents.

When a belief has been indoctrinated since the time we were young, it becomes a core belief, and many of our choices and decisions and opinions will be traceable to that core belief. To many people, even death cannot change that core belief. To break that core belief will be like uprooting a tree from its roots. It’d be like terminating the source of their being, their “meaning of life”, and their “purpose”.

Digging deep in introspection, being unforgivingly honest with yourself and questioning your belief is not for the faint of heart. My becoming an atheist did not happen overnight. It started with questions. I wanted to understand. I wanted to open my mind. I didn’t want to blindly conform to something simply because my family and society said so.

When I finally had the courage admit to myself that I do not believe in any “god”, I felt… free. I finally felt complete freedom. I owned my life. As poet Henley wrote in the poem Invictus, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”

Life as an Atheist

Before I became an atheist, I was Catholic. I’ve read the entire bible. I went to mass on Sundays. The only change I guess is that I don’t pray or read the bible anymore. Everything is still pretty much the same. Actually, I may be living my life in a better way because I actually find ways to solve my problems when they come, and not rely on a prayer.

One of the most common questions atheists are asked is: “If you don’t believe in any god, you don’t have a reason to do good?” We do. I think atheists do good things more sincerely because we do it out of the goodness of our hearts, not to earn imaginary points so we can go to some imaginary heavenly castle in the sky. We do good things because it is what’s right and it’s what feels right. We don’t need religion to be moral people.

Being an atheist has not changed my respect for other religions. I think the freedom to practice a religion or not have any religion is a human right. I respect all religions. I don’t think there is one right religion, or one religion is better than another. All religions are religions.

What I do have a problem with are people with religious intolerance. Well, intolerance in general, really. Let us all respect other people, even people who do not believe in the same things we do.

Respect should be default; not earned.