PISS OFF

I was born and raised a Jew in a Christian country. My best friends and many of my cousins (due to a "mixed" marriage) were Catholic. I spent most of my formative years immersed in the ideology and dogma of two of the west's "great" religions.

I have since looked carefully at Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Islam, and have a great deal of respect for Zen. I am, however, essentially an atheist. I sometimes refer to myself as a Quantum Gestalt Humanist. I can no more prove the non-existence of (one or more) God(s) than you can prove the existence of any God(s).

But I have faith. I have faith that my life has purpose, as does yours. I have faith that the universe is unfolding as it will, regardless of what you or I believe in. I have faith that the Sun will rise tomorrow and that two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen will make a molecule of water.

I have faith that the "fact" of evolution is far more mysterious and wonderful than any story told by the authors of the Bible, and that this world is absolutely amazing and beautiful and wonderful.

I'm also quite convinced that the religious right would gleefully hang me by my ankles merely because I don't share their "beliefs", and that is something I will not tolerate. Frankly, I don't care what you "believe" in, or what your faith says is the way the world works. It's really none of my business. But the moment you start trying to tell me how I have to believe, how I have to live my life, and that I am wrong or evil or bad because I don't agree with you, is the moment you and I go our separate ways.

Believe what you want, you Christian zealots and fundamentalists, but DON'T TREAD ON ME.