Friday, March 23, 2012

I’m No Longer a Liberal Atheist

I don’t believe in making decisions when angry, so when I became fed up with liberals and atheists a while ago, I promised myself I would sit down and give it some thought after I was no longer pissed off at liberals and atheists.

So, in a state of not being particularly hostile towards liberals and atheists, I gave it some thought… and I couldn’t help but start to feel hostile again. That can mean only one thing, in my mind: I’m no longer interested in being a liberal or an atheist.

It’s not as though you’ll notice some change in my opinions. I didn’t become a conservative or a believer. Rather, it’s come to my attention that my political views are entirely left of liberal, while my views on religion are largely post-atheist.

Not that you care, but I’m be happy to explain.

Politically, I have little or nothing in common with Democrats. They aren’t liberal, and they are not the ones from which I seek to distance myself. I’ve never been a Democrat, and I’ll probably never identify with Democrats, because Democrats are ideological whores. I cannot stand people whose opinions can be bought.

It’s not that Democrats are more pragmatic or open to negotiations, they’re just flat out political prostitutes, and I mean no disrespect to any men or women who sell their sexual services for money. I have immense respect for sex workers, and I don’t want them to think I’m comparing the hard work they do to that of the ineffective, ideologically empty Democrats.

But Dems aside, I also don’t share too many things in common with liberals, at least in a real sense. Our ideas may be the same, but liberals tend to find me unpalatable. This is because liberals are spineless, and even though I may share goals in common with liberals, they lack the will necessary to achieve anything. I have no respect for people who wish for the best but are too afraid to go out and do it. I see liberals as part of the problem, right alongside conservative hate-mongers.

I know I have said this all before, so it’s not as though this should sound surprising to anyone who reads my blog, and I can’t imagine anyone really cares. I’m more saying it so that no one is shocked when I point out I’m not a liberal anymore. This is more an FYI than a call for people to join me. If anything, I would rather none of you follow in kind because that would defeat the whole point.

I’ve also outgrown atheism. I just don’t have anything in common with atheists, or at least I don’t have any anything meaningful in common. Yeah, I don’t believe in gods, but so what? I never could relate to Atheists (with a big “A”). Besides feeling no community bond with Atheists (despite my best efforts), I have come to a point where I not only disbelieve in gods, I disbelieve in atheism. I think defining myself in any way based on what I don’t believe is pointless and does a great service to theists by acknowledging that theirs is the default.

I’ll still post all sorts of disrespectful, anti-religious content here, so there’s no reason atheists who enjoy what I write now will no longer relate to what I have to say. Rather, I just don’t want anything to do with atheism or atheists as a community. It’s not me, it’s you… I find most of you too angry and querulous. It’s rubbing off on me, and I don’t like it. I find religion funny, but too many atheists seem to hate religion, and this has in turn caused me to find I have little in common with atheists and atheism.

The anger I felt that spurred this whole introspection all came from liberals and atheists, and I don’t think I want anything to do with people who make me angry. And yet, I have come to the conclusion that it’s not that atheists and liberals disagreeing with me made me angry… it was the fact that I was supposed to be one of them. I was supposedly part of their community, but they showed no attempt to understand, empathize, or even consider some of the things I had to say, so it’s better if I just say “Fuck it” and disassociate myself.

I’m of the opinion that by not identifying as liberal or atheist, I can better tolerate liberals and atheists. When a liberal or atheist disagrees with me now, I can just treat it like I treat all other stupid people who disagree with me: by shaking my head and thinking, “Well, that’s liberalism/atheism for you.” I don’t take it personally when a religious person or conservative says something, and this is largely because I wrote these people off as know-nothings a long time ago. It’s time I do the same with liberals and atheists.

Sometimes, a little distance from a group of people makes them so much more palatable. I found this to be the case with religious people, that’s for sure. I hated religious people while I was still religious, seeing them as ignorant hypocrites unworthy of the label. As I became an atheist, that hostility subsided slowly over time, to the point where I have conversations with religious people now without so much as feeling the slightest tinge of anger.

I only get angry when I think someone should know better, and it’s come to my attention that atheists and liberals don’t know better, so I feel comfortable now just giving up on them as hopeless and looking for something new.

I just can’t stand to imagine myself as being ideologically compatible with any of you, but that’s okay. I always got along with my ex-girlfriends better after we broke up than in the final weeks of a relationship, when fights were frequent. I guess what I’m saying is, I just want to be friends with atheism and liberalism, and that I think it would be better if I saw other ideologies for a while.

16 comments:

  1. I love the line about not meaning any disrespect toward sex workers. Hilarious!

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    1. That's tough work. I couldn't stomach it. Seriously, I couldn't even stand on a corner for an hour... that is way too much standing.

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  2. I definitely hear you about not feeling part of the atheist community. I read a lot of atheist blog posts because I'm bored, frankly, but I don't see the point in joining a community based on what I don't believe. Might as well as join the No Homer's Society. Hey, I'm not named Homer!

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  3. The amazing thing is. I'm in exactly the same boat as you. The biggest left wing political party in New Zealand (Labour Party) is a radical left party compared to the Democrats, but compared with where I stand politically they're Conservative Right-Wingers. Even our Green party (formerly quite radical) is too moderate for me. I'm a member of revolutionary anti-capitalist group called Socialist Aotearoa (The Maori name for New Zealand).

    When it comes to atheists, particularly those I would classify as 'new atheists' I completely agree. Having such a one-eyed view is not helpful at all.

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  4. Sorry, but this was my immediate reaction and I think it has to be said:

    Ah, yes, the fussing about labels which has made the American left the powerhouse it is today. Don't let those bums in the Judean People's Front distract you! You'll get those Romans any day now!

    Moving on to the next item in the "the American left wing never learns from its mistakes" checklist, why don't you find some proposal with which you agree and which is actually gaining traction, and then tell us it has to stop because the people who are doing it are doing it with the wrong motivation?

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  5. It seems to me you are conflating Democrat and liberal as one in the same. I read this and see I am liberal, but not a Democrat as they are pussies. Demos are a party, liberal is an political philosophy/ideology.

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    1. As I said, I was never a Democrat, and I've always seen them as right of center. Liberals aren't much better, if only because so many of them vote Democrat.

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  6. no longer an atheist?! Hallelujah! :)

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  7. OMG! You jackass. This is your best work yet. On behalf of all liberals, I would like to say that we are proud to not include your fanatic views in our Bible.

    Also, we would very much like to remain friends, because you literally made me laugh out loud, which rarely happens in a blog post.

    This sounds like something I would have written if I were creative.

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    Replies
    1. If I made even one person laugh, it was worth the death threats.

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  8. Echoing John, this was a brilliant post.

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  9. So then everybody's wrong then, aren't they? :) you're weird, liberal Christian here.
    I must really know nothing!
    My feelings are about as hard as a semi erect penis. Lol

    Ir-relevancy.tumblr.com

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  10. I'm already beginning to regret my last comment...
    I shouldn't comment at four am...

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  11. Dang your like on it! (replying fast)
    Thank you for the words of encouragement... xD

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    Replies
    1. I have a little e-mail alert that tells me when I get a comment... though technically right now, I cannot even access my blog. I can comment with this other account, though. This one is only delayed because I was out mining gemstones all day.

      Delete

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