It has been said that all morality springs from god. I used to accept this statement as fact. God has a higher truth that man must ascribe to. The ability to lead a righteous life was based in the proposition that man could not by himself be a moral creature; that we were so corrupt by original sin that we had no internal moral compass. Most religions teach this and it is pure bullshit. From a moral standpoint I agree but when you look at morals they are an institutionalized expression of a deeper more resounding stock. Morals are the training ground of ethics. Religion is the purview of morals but ethics surpasses morals and allows each of us the ability to function collectively. Turning to religion, Religion suspends ethical ties because if religion is compared to the transcendent it fails miserably. In this conversation I wish to touch on two topics of benefit and responsibility.

We as the human animal have responsibility to ourselves and to the other. This is where the beachhead of ethics exists. Our lives must cut through that which cloaks in self in the darkness of dishonesty. All of the Abrahamic religions enter into the darkness of lies and twist them to their own ends for power and wealth and no greater example of this can be found then in the divine sacrifice. I am not at this point going to say that there is not a god. I am not going to say that there was not a Jesus. In fact I am willing at this point to stipulate there is. I intend to show the inhumanity of the proposition of all of Christendom namely the torture, death, and resurrection of the man named Jesus.

If scripture is to be believed, then Jesus existed alongside the father before the creation of the universe. He existed at a time before there was. His whole life and existence, his reason for being was already laid down before the creation of the world and of man. Taking a step back and viewing this fact one begins to see the ugliness. I am a father of two wonderful young women. My wife and I feed them their bottles, changed their diapers, and nurtured their bodies and minds. I love them without regard. I would die so they might live without a second thought. That is my choice and role as their father. I love them both fiercely. This is a sentiment held dear to most parents but god is different. He knew before there was a universe that of the death of his son for what amounts to a blood sacrifice. Christians point to John 3:16 as a beautiful, unselfish, gift to all of mankind when in all measure it is one of the dirtiest and inhumane crimes ever perpetrated. Why do I say this? I am human and by definition I am not god. My love for my children is flawed. I cannot truly love my children to perfection as I am imperfect. God is by definition perfect. Yet he can give up his own son to a sub-species to torture and kill. I do not know about you I would not want god as a father even if he gives me a Mulligan (do over).

Looking into the mechanics of the divine sacrifice Jesus came to earth to show us how live and die. He showed us the true barbarity that is man and this was god’s plan. The proposition of Christianity is that god so loved us that he sent his ONLY son to die for us. This is a warped and evil statement. Christ the son of god was murdered so that I might find favor with god. This is evil. Think, this is murder for profit. I am supposed to rejoice and give thanks for a murder. I am supposed to derive benefit from the senseless murder of god's son. Putting this story in a perspective that can be fully understood; I have a dog named Thor. Thor is my Seeing Eye Dog (Leader Dog). He is well trained. He protects me, guides me, allows me to walk in public safely, and he is my companion. On many levels I love and depend on him. I feed him, water him, bathe him, groom him, take him for a daily walk, take him to the vet, and shower him with love, praise and affection. A blind person and his Leader Dog have a relationship that touches on every aspect of both. In essence I am Thor’s god. I give him everything he needs to live well and I give his life meaning and purpose. In return I have his loyalty, devotion, and love. I have his worship. Thor decides to be bad (to sin against his god). He hikes his leg and urinates all over my new leather couch. I do not say anything to him but proceed directly to my daughter’s room whip her senseless and then shoot her in the head. I do this so I can forgive Thor for urinating on my furniture. This is the atrocity behind the divine sacrifice. We as a people have a problem with these actions in the mundane world but all of the sudden it becomes acceptable we translated to the transcendent. I will not benefit from a murder that occurred 2000 years ago but for me it is a moot point since there is not a god and there never was a Jesus.

So I am an atheist, what do I do now. Atheism is steeped in personal responsibility. I am a human and as such I am capable of extreme acts of goodness and evil but most of the time I operate in the grey area of ethical existence. As an atheist I refuse the offer of John 3:16 on ethical grounds. I do not seek forgiveness for my deeds rather I seek ownership of them. I do not need the blood of the carpenter to wash away my sins: THEY ARE MINE. I am responsible for them. I am the one who either by commission or omission transgressed my fellow man. I learn from my mistakes and sins. I live my life shunning the benefits of a murder that may or may not have happened. Atheism is the acceptance that we hurt ourselves and others and in the stark blinding light of day hold ourselves responsible for our actions and inactions. This is for me a superior attitude and action then absolving myself in the murder of the other. This allows me the freedom and obligation to right my wrongs and to have ownership of my life. It allows me to seek the forgiveness of other and the humbling that only ownership can convey. Many will say that this way of life is theism but it is not. It is a pragmatic and fundamental way of life that recognizes that we are individuals and as shuch can cause great harm. That we are members of numerous groups and society at large. It recognizes the personal responsibility of our actions as it affect ourselves and those we associate with extensions into society at large. It is the stone cold recognition that there is no god that will do our footwork for us.