Secularism, Atheism, Agnosticism, and Discrimination

     I often get the question as to why I'm an atheist, and why I do not call myself Agnostic. The answer is a lot simpler than it seems. You see, Theism and Atheism address one question, the question of belief, Theism is the position of those who believe in a deity, Atheism is the lack of belief in a deity. When it comes to Gnosticism and Agnosticism, the gnostic position is one of knowledge, one who knows whether there is a deity, or one who knows there isn't one. Agnosticism is the position that one does not, or cannot know whether there is a deity, or not. 

     Secularism in its most common, and basic definition is the understanding that religion, or religious affiliation has no place in government, and that all religion -even lack thereof- need to be hel equally under the law. This does not mean that any religious group, or atheist group  can discriminateagainst any group, simply because they disagree with the other group's creed. If it did, it would be absolute and complete anarchy. I mean, Muslims would discriminate against Jews, Jews would discriminate against Christians, Christians would discriminate against atheists, atheists would discriminate against theists, and we would have a big fat mess on our hands as no one would actually tolerate each other. 

     And then, there is discrimination. A lot of Conservatives seem to believe that they can discriminate against any group they like (the flavor of the month seems to be LGBTQ) and not have to suffer the repercussions from the very values they claim to hold dear, such as the value of the free market. Indeed, it seems Conservatives have the right to discriminate against Muslims, Atheists, people in Polyamorous relationships, and gays without having to suffer from backlash from the community when they stop frquenting the guilty establishment. They can vote with their money, but people who disagree with them shouldn't be able to. This shows the typical martyr mentality religion tends to give people. "No, sir, I will not frequent your establishment because you support <insert minority> rights. But if you stop frequenting my establishment because I stand against those rights, you are making a martyr out of me, and you are persecuting me". No double standard there. The Religious Right is rapidly dwindling, and the generations which support it are dying. More and more people are fleeing churches because the core of what is being preached is actually in direct contradiction of the younger generation's values, and morality. A morality which, by the way, is greater than that of those who claim to have the higher moral ground. Every generation tends to redefine morality, eventually achieving a rather peaceful cohabitation between people who follow different creeds. Live and let live, disagree respectfully, and let people believe what they do. The opposition is actively trying to force its version of morality down everyone else's throat. and attempting to destroy any chance we have at peace, simply because they believe they have a divine right to do so.

     Churches are losing people, not because atheists are spreading the words of Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, Hawking, Darwin, Krauss, and others, but because their values belong in the Bronze Age, and have no place in a civilized society. Religious values have had to change in the past to accomodate for the growing Civil Rights Movement to abolish Racial Segregation, yet seems to be unwilling to evolve in order to abolish sexual segregation, or even religious segregation. It is not about being smarter, or more knowledgeable than others, but rather about being more compassionate, and showing more empathy towards one another. Yelling at a dog simply because it is a dog doesn't make sense. Belittling a Mexican child because he isn't America is just as senseless, and cruel. Nobody asks to be who they are, they just are. Try to understand that, and try to live your life with more compassion, empathy, love, and understanding than what we see all over the World.