Atheist Joy: The Best Kept Secret

What can we atheists offer to the world in joyful appreciation? A huge question, an important question.

We cannot offer Santa Claus for adults; we can’t compete with supernatural grace that freely promises heaven.

But we can offer:

Clear, clean, logical minds uncorrupted by promises of the improbable and impossible; we embrace facts.

Logical consistency of our thinking makes us skeptics of snake oil salesmen (natural and supernatural).

Without fear of a supernatural punisher, we go wherever the microscope and telescope lead us.

Scientific advances far beyond outdated popular beliefs and prejudices result.

So we have cars, microwaves, computers, hybrid foods to feed the hungry, condoms to limit their number, etc.

We recognize that quality of life is more valuable than mere quantity of life.

We care for others compassionately, because our logical minds tell us this improves this planetary life for us all.

We support individual freedom and personal responsibility for everyone.

Believers in fairy tales don’t need to fear us; we respect fellow humans above ideology.

We enjoy reasonable amounts of learning, sex, love, eating, etc., etc. without guilt or fear.

We offer a wisely selfish morality that uses anything from tradition or science to improve our planet.

So we help our neighbors get more out of life even when the press is not looking; this helps our planet.

We atheists guarantee that anyone embracing atheism will never suffer for a moment after death.

After death atheists get exactly the same amount of happiness as any believer; we guarantee it!

Stephen F. Uhl, Ph.D., a former Catholic priest, is the author of Out of God’s Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism. He lives in the suburbs of Tucson, Arizona.