Don't Judge Me

by Scott Spillane

I grew up an Irish Catholic. I was baptized, had ten years of CCD and was confirmed at age 15. Through all those years I felt like a fraud. I didn’t believe, yet I was forced by my religious mother to attend church and CCD.

I shouldn’t blame my mother though; she was just trying to teach me what her parents shoved down her throat.

I always felt uncomfortable saying “I am an Atheist” Why should I feel uncomfortable? That’s not fair! I’d like you to try an experiment and tell a religious person you are an atheist. You suddenly are treated like you are the scum of the earth or you have to listen to all the myths in an effort to “bring you back from the dark side”.

It’s bad enough that religion is shoved down everyone’s throat, then someone dares to exercise their right not to believe and they are dubbed “the devil”. Guess what? I don’t believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny either.I am a good man. I don’t kill people, I don’t bang my neighbor’s wife, I don’t kick the crap out of my kids and I don’t cheat on my wife.

I have the right to not believe and you have the right to believe. All I ask is don’t try shoving your beliefs down my throat and I won’t laugh at the fact that you pray to a cloud.

Image courtesy of theage.com