Frivology

Wow, Grand Junction is just a hotbed of editorials these days. One more quick look at one of them before I go to bed. This one matches up their own issues with prayers before their city council meetings with Michael Newdow’s suit concerning the inauguration.

Beyond getting the history of ’so help me god’ showing up in inaugurations completely wrong, Mr. Wagner seems to have figured out why it is that atheists have such a wedgie about separating church from state:

What hurts for people like Newdow is the idea that there’s someone more important than themselves. Believing that there isn’t seems less like being an atheist and more a victim of narcissism. Indeed, the rage some seem to feel at the mere mention of religion, particularly by public officials, no matter what the context, seems outsized to the offense.

via:  Narcissism may drive opponents of religion as much as atheism

Okay, Mr. Wagner.  Here’s a quick lesson for you.  Believing there is no god does not equal believing that there isn’t someone more important than ourselves.  In fact, I’d turn the gun of narcisism right back around onto you, Mr. Theist.  When you pray, are you not often praying for something for yourself?  If you pray to, say, win the lottery, are you not presupposing that you are so very special to your god that you - above all others - should have your prayer personally answered?  As atheists don’t believe in that tripe, atheists don’t consider themselves above anyone else.  We are, in fact, made of the same matter as even you, Mr. Wagner.

Secondly, what is so wrong with each of us patting ourselves on the back every now and again?  When I was an evangelical, I had a very hard time watching people attribute some amazing feats that they did to God.  There were plenty of people who gave up drugs or alcohol and built better lives for themselves, and they never gave themselves credit for having the strength of will to do it.  They always thanked God for doing it for them. 

As humans, we are an amazing race, Mr. Wagner.  We are capable of beautiful and wonderful things, and by insisting that we could not do the beautiful and wonderful things we do without the hand of God, we are denying ourselves the simple pleasure of being amazed at nothing more powerful than each other.