Don't Confuse My Words

by Jason Alan

I think the sad part of this post is that it will reach those that don’t need to read it.

But I’m going to write it anyway.

Don’t confuse my words, or anyone’s words for that matter. I am what some would call an agnostic atheist. In simple terms (not that you need it simple, I just don’t feel the need to go into it at length), it just means I am atheist in that I don’t believe in any gods, but an agnostic because I have come to the realization that I just don’t know and have no way of knowing. That being said, I will sometimes come down on religion and judge it harshly. Disagree with me all you want, but do not confuse that with me saying you shouldn’t have religion, or that you shouldn’t be able to pray, or that you shouldn’t be able to build a church. I’m not even against praying in public schools, as long as it is done properly. When a tragedy happens, for example, if the teacher says let’s have a moment of silence, some can pray and some can sit there. That’s fine, it includes everyone. It’s teaching one religion and not learning about any of the others that would be a problem.

You need to be a Christian.

What if the response to that was ‘Why? Jimmy is a Jew, is there something wrong with him?”

What’s more important? What religion you are, what color your skin is, your sexual preference, the size shoes you wear?

Or maybe what’s important is are you physically hurting, killing or stealing from people? Are you actively lying consistently? It extends beyond that, of course, to animals and the planet on which we all reside. Is the earth better off because you’re on it? If yes, then good, keep it up. If no, change it.

I will also sometimes tell able bodied people to stop sucking off the government teat and get out and do something, but somehow this is twisted to mean I am not sympathetic to the poor or that somehow I’m a right wing nut. First of all, I may be a nut, but I’m certainly not right wing. I stand firmly in the middle and agree with ideas from all sides of the political spectrum. Second, I am poor, and I’ve been poor all my life. I was homeless for three years before I decided to get food stamps, and only did it for two months. I could have done it earlier, but I lived off 60 bucks a month from the plasma center and whatever I could get at Half Price Books for what I found in dumpsters. Now that was a lot of walking for usually only a couple bucks or less. It’s hard work being that poor, and I understand scraping by.

The point is, I may call parts of your religion stupid, or I may call the whole thing dumb, but I support your right to say the same things about me and the ideas or thoughts that I express. I will call other things out as being ignorant that have nothing to do with religion as well. Doesn’t matter. You can also block me too, or never read my blog, but if you are confusing and/or twisting my words, I got two of them for you that are very simple to understand. Fuck you.