Anyone that knows me should know that I am an atheist. I was raised without religion. I would even dare to say that I was raised anti-religion.
So tell me, though I am not familiar with him myself, and do not by any means claim to be an expert on the christian religion, how is that I, a good old hell-bent atheist, ended up a better christian than 90% of the christians I know? Now, I am not talking about the get-out-of-jail-free-card sort of southern baptist brand of christainity or Jerry Falwell and the Church of Hate either. I am talking about WHAT JESUS WOULD WANT. Now, of course, no one can really be sure. But from what I’ve read and what I’ve picked up, I feel….
Jesus would want us to help each other.
Jesus would want us to give away our money.
Jesus would want us to sacrifice our time to the needy.
Jesus would want us to not judge others.
Jesus would not want to punish people for loving one another.
Jesus would not want to ruin people’s lives.
Jesus would not want to give more money to the rich.
Now listen up. Compare me to most christians. My job is teaching special education in a poor community. I deal with the kids everyone gives up on. I give up a good, oh, 12 hours of my day to these kids, sometimes more. I spend hundreds of dollars on my classroom every month, just to get my kids supplies.
Look at all these wounded “christain”‘ republicans. They bitch and moan about gay marriage. Really? You think Jesus wants to condemn people who want to love eachother? Really? They give more thought to saving the “life” of an unborn fetus than they do to –innocent civilians in Iraq –hungry people here in our country and all over the world or –those babies that are already born without homes. Really? Jesus loves those fetuses! They want hard-working millionaires and other privileged populations to not have to “give up” all of their income that they deserve. Really? Actually, it’s easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. Or so your pal Jesus once said.
Here is my take on it: it is so much easier to wrap up “pro-life” and “protecting the sanctity of marriage” and condemn sinners (when it’s convenient) and forgive others (when that fits your agenda) and call it christian morals than it is to actually BE A CHRISTIAN. It is so much easier to do what they do, than to get up every morning and try to do the impossible, to really help people, like I do every day.
So really, roll around in your money, got to church every Sunday, condemn those you hate and fear, piss and moan about taxes, and call yourself a fucking christian. I will be laughing my ass off when the god I do not believe in let’s me into heaven before he let’s you.
(please note I did not capitalize “christian” for stylistic and personal reasons.)

5 comments
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November 9, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Rj
What is it like to be raised without religion? I almost envy you.
November 15, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Ryan
I have been puzzled by alliance between big business interests (R) and Christians (R). Jesus hated wealth. I immediately thought of that story with the camel when I saw the title of this post but yeah; Jesus basically told that guy if he did not give away most of his money he would not be going to Heaven.
My guess is that in the 50s, when the godless communists threatened to change the world Christians saw Laissez-faire capitalism as the antithesis to communism. It seems like a natural fit only because it is so commonly paired together in today’s world but as you did a pretty good job of pointing out: it makes almost no sense.
December 5, 2008 at 12:47 am
Anonymous
You’re rather high and mighty, aren’t you?
December 14, 2008 at 11:48 pm
ash
ooh, a home-grown atheist? Isn’t that kinda rare? Like most I know, I became one after I just couldn’t take the lies of Christian (Catholic) schooling & church…and realized some fun things about the bible, like how effed up it is! and yeah, I think the atheists I know are way more responsible and nice that the xtians I know.
December 15, 2008 at 5:44 am
Dollface
Great post. I was raised without a religion too and I also think I’m more generous and open-minded than my Christian peers.
To Rj — Being raised without a religion is great…you can sleep in on Sundays and you don’t have to worry about sinning. The emphasis in my up-bringing was more on being a good person for the sake of helping others, not because you’re trying to get into heaven.