Monday, May 24, 2010

Can An Atheist Contribute to Society?

Now that I am an evil apostate, what good can I possibly contribute to society? Can I give meaningful service?

Hmmm, let's see.

On three separate occassions, my BIL called me for help. He owns a rental property and needed my help to prepare it for renting. I helped change locks on the doors. I helped install a swamp cooler. I helped wire in a new light in the basement. I fixed a broken outlet. I lit the pilot light on the water heater and furnace.

That, right there, is easily $100 worth of work that I did. Seeing as how I did electrical work, I could charge even more. But I gladly did the work for free. I didn't even ask for gas money to drive to the project.

Just today...

My sister called asking for my help. She just bought a new washer and dryer and needed help installing them. Attaching the gas supply to the dryer proved to be difficult to do, and, as usual, I was the hero who flew in and saved the day.

By the way, a year or so earlier I spent hundreds of hours at my sisters house doing an extensive remodel. I re-plumbed the entire house. I ran new gas lines. I re-wired much of the house. I not only re-wired much of the electric, but planned out and installed totally new electrical in their basement kitchen. I wired in a switch for the garbage disposal, wired for a range hood, installed GFCI outlets, and wired for the dishwasher, stove, and dryer.

I have a neighbor who doesn't have a car. I will occassionally drive her to a doctors appointment or to the grocery store.

Sometime this week...

A friend of mine needs help installing a new floor in his sisters house. I don't know how many hours that will take, but I could probably ask $60 at the minimum.

Another friend has a project where some electrical work needs to be done. I'm not sure what all it needs, but I could probably ask between $60 and $120 for that work as well.

The fact is...

When I'm not at work, I'm at some project giving someone free labor. When I do electrical work for someone, I'm saving them about $60 per hour.

And I don't give these services because the bishop assigned me to. I don't do it out of the fear of god. I do it out of the goodness of my heart and my genuine desire to help others.

And it does make me happy.

A very common misconception that people have about atheists is that since we don't believe in god, we would slit your throat for $5. But atheists are the most peace loving people of all. We don't feel it necessary to fly planes into buildings. We don't find it necessary to knock on your door and tell you how wrong your beliefs are. We don't judge you. As long as you're not a threat to society, we couldn't give a shit less about what you do or believe.

The truth about atheists is that we understand that our time to be alive is limited, so we try to make the most of every moment. We help people because we want to, not because god will damn us if we don't.

Just look around. Most of the violence in the news is caused by some religious fanatic who thinks that his god wants him to blow up everybody.

People love religion and yet religion produces violence.

People despise atheism and yet atheists are very non-violent people.

You don't have to be one of us, but before you judge, take a second look.

3 comments:

Brandy said...

I can totally relate! I don't know how many times the AH and I have helped his god fearing, family financially. I'm happy to help until it seems to become a habit then I get annoyed. With that said I still continue to help because I don't want them to do without the necessities. I'm so much more compassionate now that I have deconverted and that's saying a lot because I was very compassionate before but also very judgmental.

We are all people and we all need help from time to time. Too bad the atheist can help better than their god. We actually hear them and see their needs.

http://theagnosticswife.wordpress.com/

sorry, I deleted the comment above I forgot to add something to it.

Mormon411 said...

Thanks for that comment Brandy. It was just yesterday that, after work, I went to yet another friend who needed a project completed. I laid down a new floor in his kitchen. Today my knees and legs are killing me. It was a lot of up and down work. He wanted to pay me but I refused it.

Yes it is amazing how much credit is given to "god" for all the good that takes place in the world and yet it is all done by generous people, god-fearing or not. God is amazingly absent.

☼ Dayna said...

Great blog! As an exmo now atheist, I believe that's the best description/rationale of atheism I have seen. Simple, honest and non-combative.

Bravo to you for this whole blog. It's great.