Religious Essays - Atheism

While not a religion, in a technical sense, Atheism is a belief system that is held to as rigidly by it's adherants as any other, so, in this instance, I will talk about my experiences with the people, rather than the beliefs themselves.
Atheists are just as likely, in my experience, to be narrow-minded as any of the people that they disagree with. I've also noted a tendancy to absolutism in many Atheists, just as it is in most Theists. While I consider a large number of atheists as friends, I find that they are often more difficult to talk to than many Theists, due to the common assumption that because I believe in something I cannot, or will not prove to their satisfaction, that I must be less intelligent than they are. What my intelligence has to do with my spirituality I don't know, and to be quite honest, it bothers me.
My spirituality isn't connected to my intelligence in any way, that I can percieve. Many Theists are intelligent, even highly so, just as many Atheists are.

While most Atheists can and do make (almost) convincing arguments, I actually don't see the difference between them quoting dead presidents and scientists, or Muslims, Christians, and Jews quoting dead "prophets". Just because someone else had a thought before you, doesn't make it true, in any case.
I also find it hard not to laugh when an Atheist asks for proof of the existance of "god". Why do they truly bother? I honestly believe that, for many, if a god were to walk up and kiss them on the mouth, they still wouldn't believe. In that light, why should I bother to even try to explain?
Now, don't get me wrong, there are times when asking for proof is a perfectly valid thing to do. Such as when a Theist makes what is essentially an unequivical statement that god DOES exist. Even I ask for proof, and I DO believe in Gods. But my reasoning is different.
As a rule, the people making those unequivical statements have no proof, not even the personal type of proof that I have found over the course of my life, beyond what they have been told, and I simply want them to begin to think for themselves.
In this, I definately agree with many Atheists, man-kind should not behave like sheep.
As for the Typical Atheist asking for proof, I usually end up wondering where theirs is. When the tell me that I am "living in a fantasy world" I am insulted, and they wonder why. They say that my gods are a fabrication of my mind, and yet offer no proof of their own that they are right and/or that I am wrong, beyond their own "feelings". How does that differ from the "personal proof" that I do have for my beliefs?
In my opinion, it doesn't.
In a simular vein, I am often told that I shouldn't base MY morality on my feelings of what may be, but rather on logic. But then, when asked what THEY base their morality on, the answer comes back the same. They too, when it comes right down to it, base their beliefs on feelings... gut instinct, if you will. What really is the difference?

Anyway, this is beginning to sound more like a rant than an essay, so I guess I should stop here with a final word...

If you are an Atheist, think about what I've said, and whether it applies to you or not. If it does, I have a couple of questions for you, keeping in mind, tbat I truly mean no offence, I just want you to think about it...

1. Do you not see the problem with that attitude?
2. What is it that makes you so sure that you are the ONLY one with the truth about god?
3. When it comes right down to it, are you really any better than the Theists that you look down on?


Bright Blessings to All

~Moon's Daughter~