What Do You Believe In.....

With so much debate and rage out there about what one should or should not believe in, I have decided to make my post today completely self-centered. The question I posed to myself wasn't what I don't believe in, but what I do believe in.

Just to put the record straight, yes, I'm one of those heathen Atheists. Not one of the smug ones who likes to loudly proclaim that those of faith are responsible for everything that's wrong with the world, mind you. I just don't believe in God or a God, or Gods. That's it, nothing exciting or radical. No excuses, I just chose to believe in myself and my choices along with the consequences of those choices, a long time ago. I guess I'm just too independent and opinionated to believe that there's somebody or something else pulling the strings in my life.

That's enough of my non-belief, the point of this post was to do some self-examination and figure out what I do believe in, so here goes:

1. First and foremost, I believe in myself. If I screw up, I screw up. No one else is responsible for my mistakes.
2. Thanks to my parents having sex at just the right time, I was conceived then born.
3. Because of the position of Earth in our solar system, we are living on a life sustaining planet that is second to none, from the evidence I've seen so far.
4. As per the previous item, I also believe that we are well on our way to destroying it, and that just pisses me off.
5. I believe in my 16 year old son, no matter what stupid things he may do. Even on those days when I wonder if there's any thought process of substance going on in his brain, I still believe in him.
6. I believe that there are truly horrible people out there, and it has nothing to do with a devil. It's all about those pesky choices again, but sadly most people find it so much easier to blame something else. Why should they bother to go to all the work of taking responsibility when there's such a convenient scapegoat.
7. The bible and all other "religious" writings and beliefs were/are ideas conjured up in men's brains, which were/are used to control other human beings. Yes, I said "men". I'm hard pressed to remember a significant female character in scripture who wasn't sneaky, evil, oversexed, misguided, or just plain stupid. Explains why the fundies consider we women lower life forms to be used and abused at will.
8. And finally, I believe that one day humans will have the guts and strength to free themselves from the slavery of religion. Consider giving free will a try. It's second only to orgasm in my book as the most exhilarating, empowering sensation you'll probably ever experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

What I Believe In.