No God , No Good?

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seven billion persons can also be good without god

Ever since we were kids , our parents had one lesson to teach us ; "be good", they said , "don't pick on your friends...don't speak with you mouth full". And as we all know, that strategy always fails miserably...kids seem untameable. But parents don't give up. they strike back. They realise that giving orders is not enough..what they need is a punishment/reward system. "Tidy your room or there's no TV for you"...."Finish your homework and you'll have some ice cream".

It all seems inoffensive, and quite useful sometimes...until delusion settles in. For some reason, usual arguments become less and less effective, and some extreme measures are taken. It starts innocent enough with an imaginary figure: Santa Claus , the tooth fairy or the Easter rabbit. It might seem harmless and sane, but leading our kids into believing in non-existent entities can have damaging effects. Parents prefer to take it even further..they decide to mingle in God!

"If you lie, Jesus will come choke you at night", they threaten, "Cheating on your exams is a one-way trip to hell". Kids grow accustomed to such arguments. They begin to associate everything good, righteous and helpful with God. They watch their parents praise the Lord for the abundant rain, a salary raise, the food on the dining table or the return of a loved one.


Even worse, the media reinforce those assumptions by broadcasting certain content. From brave catholic men  rescuing old ladies from ravaging fires  to enlightened Hindu gurus saving people's souls and generous Muslim millionaires helping in reconstruction efforts of stricken countries, examples of religion-driven charity are countless. When was the last time we heard about an atheist's philanthropy in the media? Where are the news of the godless girl who helped a family in need or the religion-free businessman who invested in building  a school?

Atheists are good people in spite of everything that society tries to associate with them. We've been called science-fanatics, unsympathetic, detached and jaded. Are we here just to attack religion? I don't think so! We surely take great pleasure in debunking false claims, but in the end of the day we're simply human, humans with a better understanding of things, but still humans nonetheless  We cry, laugh, joke, get angry, feel frustrated...Yes we do have feelings! And yes we do lead active and fruitful lives! We do so much more than just discus evolution and the latest fossil findings. We go out there, reach out to people in need and help them. We change lives, mentalities and prejudices.

And the best part? We do it all for no return! We know there's no mighty lord to satisfy, no devil to fear, no heaven to conquer, no afterlife to prepare to. We do good because we can and want to. We do good because we care. Sooner or later people will realise that, and maybe it will be a turning point for humanity, a moment for everyone to reconsider what they've been doing and what for. But till then here's what I know...There's definitely no God, and that feels so fucking good!