Atheists: The New Evangelicals (Part 3: The Continuing Search)

Continued from Part 2...

And so there we have it. Older atheists such as those in WASH are bitter and curmudgeonly, and younger atheists such as those in the Beltway Atheists are arrogant and dismissive. Both groups seemed intolerant, and anyone who wants to be an atheist only has these choices to look forward to, right?

Of course not. The broad strokes that I've painted these two groups with go against the very creed implied in this blog. There are many different facets to everything, and in order to equivocate, one must look at all aspects. First of all, one common aspect was their atheism, which I share. Second, all seemed educated, well-read, and interested in a sense of community. Unfortunately for me, all these aspects alone were not enough to establish a relationship with either of these groups. The vibes of arrogance and intolerance were too much for me to deal with, because I came to realize that I was not simply searching for a group of atheists with whom to hang; I was looking for a community to where I would feel comfortable taking my future children.

Now, where could that community be? Where could one find tolerance of all, where the goodness of humanity was thought to be universal, where there was a unity of spirit focused on the improvement of life here on Earth? (You can tell where I'm going with this...)

The very first moment I set foot at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, I felt comfortable. I'm not a fan of congregations, because there's a little too much groupthink for me, but after sitting through the service (which was about unity through humanity and not through worship) I got to know the members and the spiritual education that was offered. To say that they were ecumenical is an understatement. Acceptance was a way of life, as was fostering a spirit of improvement, not just of the self, but also of the community and the planet. Focus was not on any hypothetical afterlife, but on the here and now. Good deeds were performed not to score points for admission into heaven or good karma, but to benefit the one mortal life we lead.

So it seems like I found a place where my family and I could go once a week and have a good time. Hooray! Yet there is still this little voice inside telling me that I'm being a hypocrite for praising a church, when the whole idea of organized religion rubs me the wrong way! But then I realized that it's not about me anymore. I have a child on the way; this is about her. I've already discovered my own path to truth, and it took a long time. By teaching my child what everyone believes in, she'll better understand the world and its people. And I feel this is the best place for her to learn.

No belief can be forced upon another. Just as democracy cannot be spread at the point of a gun, religion or atheism cannot be spread by animosity. The message has to be relayed by example. If a person is good and reasonable, then conversations can be held. With conversation comes education, and with education, ignorance and irrationality will hopefully be purged. It's not that truth will set us free, but truth will allow us to leap further.