Tag Archives: Five Atheists

Five atheists who ruin if for everyone else…

Fascinating article by Ian Murphy and found on Salon.com regarding the above, five famous atheists who, according to the author, make all atheists look bad:

http://www.salon.com/2012/08/04/five_most_awful_atheists_salpart/

The author’s choices are fascinating, but the one that I found myself most agreeing with is the last of the five, S. E. Cupp.  I have watched a couple of episodes of MSNBCs’ The Cycle, a show that features a grouping of four different hosts including Ms. Cupp, and one of the episodes I saw featured a guest (I forget who) who was promoting a book about his philosophy of being.  Anyway, the hosts of the show and the author eventually ventured into the subject of religion and Ms. Cupp mentioned she was an atheist.  As an atheist myself, I thought this was a refreshing thing to hear.  While I do not share Ms. Cupp’s conservative philosophies (of the four hosts, she represents the “right”), I was curious to hear what she had to say about her atheism.

What followed was rather depressing and goes right in line with what Mr. Murphy wrote about Ms. Cupp.  Her statements on her atheism were bizarre and bordered on self-loathing.  When the segment was done, I couldn’t help but wonder how someone goes through life apparently hating a part of oneself.

Or does she?

Afterwards, I wondered if Ms. Cupp’s atheism was real or simply a tool for some other goal.  Was admitting to being an atheist her “clever” way of denigrating atheism?  A couple of times she noted how she envied people with religious convictions and wished she could experience that element in her life.  Pity us poor atheists, she appeared to say.  For we live a life of wandering, without having a God to look up!

As I said before, I’m an atheist.  Unlike Ms. Cupp, I’m comfortable in my skin.  I neither envy or miss religion.  However, neither do “look down” upon those who are religious.  I’ve lived in enough places and experienced enough cultures through my life to know that what works for me may not work for others.  Thus, if there is any one abiding philosophy I abide by, it is that one should strive to do what makes one happy inside, provided that doing so doesn’t hurt or annoy others.  (If there’s one thing I can’t stand is someone who thrusts one’s own philosophy, religious or not, onto others).

But to live your life as a self-described anything and talk as if that particular aspect of your being is a burden to you seems like such a colossal waste of time and energy.  If you aren’t comfortable being an atheist, then by all means stop being one.  There are many philosophies and religions out there.  Instead of going on about how much being an atheist brings you down, why not instead use that energy to look for something that will instead lift your spirits?

As the saying goes, life is too short.