Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Misconceptions of an Atheist

This one's a bit old, but it means a lot to me.


I’m an Atheist. People hear this from me and are often surprised, because they assume that atheists are completely immoral and promiscuous people. I’m definitely not the first person you would think of to be slapping old people around or out clubbing seals for pleasure. I don’t do these things because I know they’re wrong. I wouldn’t steal even though the only consequence is man’s law. I personally try to live a good life. I don’t do drugs or engage in shady behavior. I treat others well and try my best to do good things, not to get into a heaven or because a holy book tells me to, but because I know in my mind that it’s right to not harm others.


I remember when I was younger and Christian I had never really thought about what I believed; I just went with it because it was what everyone I knew believed and I’d never been shown any different. My brother has always been my role model and at some point in my childhood, he became an Atheist. He told me a lot about how he didn’t believe and I always felt horrible because I “knew” he would be going to Hell someday. Once I myself started doubting my beliefs, I started questioning and found that I may have been wrong all along. Science made so much more sense to me and I felt horrible about it, like I was evil for not being religious. I asked my dad about science and religion together, trying to find a common ground, but it felt like he was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. There were just too many contrasting ideas. When it comes down to it, I put my belief in science without the religious aspect and I feel fine about it. Life is not meaningless to me because of my lack of faith. Life has all the more meaning because I know I have only one life, with nothing after. Why waste it? 

Many people think all Atheists will confront anyone with a religion and bash them as much as possible, calling them stupid for their beliefs and explaining why they are so much more intelligent. I myself am very passionate about my thoughts on religion and will back them up if asked, but I will never purposely look for an argument to insult someone on their ideals. In the end, religions and lack there of are just different ways of thinking. If the way you think leads you to be good and content person, we have nothing to bang heads over and good on ya. I even like learning about different religions, not to mock them, but because it is interesting to know how differing people think. Learning about Hinduism, Islam and other religions of the world is something I want to do because it will teach me about aspects of culture that I have no understanding of. (Another misconception that Atheists are know-it-alls. I have so much to learn it’s ridiculous.)

People also expect that just because Atheists are often very passionate, they are close minded to anything involving religion. This is often true of the creator aspect, but not on some of the morals in many beliefs. Things like being kind to your neighbor and other thoughts of peace are incredibly agreeable. I actually continued going to youth group long after I knew I was Atheist, not just for the ping pong and fun people, but because we talked about real world problems and how you can deal with them without hostility. Although religion has lead to bloodshed and bigotry, the basics of it are surprisingly peaceful. Atheists can fall into all the stereotypes they have against them, but the ones who do are atheists for all the wrong reasons. The ones who have truly thought about what they think and have come to a decision, not through rebellion or teen angst, are the ones who you will have no trouble at all coexisting with.


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Blog Reviews Dos

NATE YO: His "write a riff" is really well done in the way that it shows a metaphor between high school and a fish tank. High school isn't like the real world, but we're stuck in here for now. Like fish. And the food sucks. Like fish food.

Till Human Voices:  The poem called "Affair with the Sky" is amazing. The descriptions in it are so vivid, that I can sense everything in it. The feelings, sights, sounds, smells. The full story itself is wonderful too.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Blood and Bone

When she left
I held it like a lead child

against my chest
cold and heavy
with shoulders hunched
and eyes without windows
because you
you can't look at this
you're not allowed
to take part in this
and all that wanted to bleed
upward to the throat
bled somewhere else
trickling warmly downward
into the brutal
mortal
blood and bone.

- Martin Williams

Monday, December 5, 2011

Dear Future Tierney

Dear future me,

I don't care if you're married, or have kids, what kind of job you have, where you live, as long as it's what you want.

I hope you are a part of something larger than yourself.

I want you to have helped people. Not for karma, not for the fame of doing good, but for knowing that people who were without, are now with.

I hope you have traveled, and did not give up your dreams of being a foreigner because it was "too expensive" or "sidetracked".

 I want you to have an appreciation for the naive.

I hope you've never said "you'll understand when you're as old as I am.": You know you hated that.

I hope that you haven't lost your passion for where you stand; doesn't matter where, as long as you know it's right.

But most of all, I hope you are happy.

Amazing Grace by George Watsky

Watsky. This dude inspires. 
I used to think I was a Marxist
Now I go to less marches
It's not that I don't want to start shit
But I don't want to start shit
Unless it's where my heart sits


I don't keep a knife under my seat
To join the revolution and spill blood in the street

I used to ask strangers if they believed in a God
To see if we were peas in a pod
And if they didn't agree with me
Then I'd argue and try to be smarter
Thinking I'd hear people applaud


But I'm getting older
And I'm getting dumber
Or least I know less

Than I did when I was younger

This life is too top-tier
And it's like we just got here

We're more than an Uzi on a navy plane
Or Lazy Susan cruising on the gravy train

We're the tingle up your neck
When you see the sunset
Filter through the dust
As it settles on the Waves of Grain


Yes, the Waves of Grain on the stolen land
Theft is as American as a Cola can
Yeah, it was sold to Sam
Tell it to the mother of the little girl
On the trail of tears as she holds her hand


Damn it, this was built on something ugly
But with all my heart, man, I believe in this country
The beauty of our constitution
Have you read it lately?
I swear, it's really pretty lovely

It's really splendid
It's like our forefathers penned it

It's like they meant it
It's like they dreamt
That all the fences that divide us would eventually be mended-
Or rather torn down
...

- George Watsky

Monday, November 21, 2011

Blog Reviews

Goku Blog : I love this blog because of its free speech feel to it. Every line has something really meaningful or cool to it, and that's awesome. My favorite line is the last one, "Hakuna Matata, take a breath and restart.". Whoever wrote this has some champ skills. http://jadenjtheboss.blogspot.com/

Traffic Cones On Churches: Their remember blog is sooooo good. The word choice, personality, message, everything, is awesome. I really want to read more from them. http://trafficconesonchurches.blogspot.com/

Aileen's Blog: I enjoy her blog about remembering, because it makes the point of saying we should credit those who influenced us when we were young, not just important figures like presidents and such. She also quotes my favorite children's book "Oh, The Places You Will Go" by Dr. Suess. http://aileen-blog-juneau.blogspot.com/




Sunday, November 13, 2011

Remember...

George Harrison (In his Jesus phase)
Last words. They seem to be so important when someone passes, but why? It's just a phrase. Some are well thought out, beautiful last words, but you don't always know when you're going to die, so really any words could be your last. Never the less, they're often told at funerals, written down as quotes and remembered by people to be a snapshot of who you were as a person.
It always seems as though famous people have the most meaningful of last words:
"Love one another." -George Harrison
"It's better to burn out, than to fade away" -Kurt Cobain
"I die hard, but am not afraid to go." -George Washington
Mozart being a champ as usual
And my favorite..."The taste of death is upon my lips. I feel something that is not of this earth." -Mozart
It makes me wonder if these words were planned, or if these people were really as amazing as their last words make them seem. Either way, hearing those words makes you think of the person in the way their last words represent them. Harrison, a lover, Cobain, a rebel, Washington, courageous, and Mozart, unprecedented. All are accurate descriptions if you ask me. So maybe last words are important, not only for you, but to your loved ones as well. They are an eternal embodiment of who you were and are hopefully a meaningful depiction.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Post

A majestic walrus strolls through a field of daisies.
This is a practice post. Whoop.