Recently, I have been bombarded by attacks against my religion or, rather, my lack thereof. Let me start by clarifying what I believe: I am an agnostic, which is simply a person who does not claim to know the essential nature of things, such as God. I am also a Humanist. Humanism is a philosophy that endorses universal morality, the ability to determine right and wrong based on rationality. Basically, Kurt Vonnegut said it best when he stated that "being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead."
In the past few weeks, I have been called a coward for my beliefs. I ponder how relying on myself, my own decisions, and my own morality makes me a coward. I do not gain my comfort from a higher power or a religious group. I gain it from myself, by doing the "right thing." Now, I'm not saying that all people of faith are cowards. However, if you only worship a God in fear of what you might face in the afterlife or because that was just how you were raised, then yes, that's cowardly. All I ask is that you question your beliefs and believe them because that is what you feel is right, not just because it was what you were told was correct and not because you fear eternal punishment.
I was also asked why I celebrate Christmas even though I am not a Christian. While it is true that I do not celebrate the birth of a savior on December 25th, I do celebrate love, hope, the spirit of giving, and the human spirit. Christ embodied all of those messages. You celebrate the man. I celebrate the message he stood for. Are we so different?
So, to recap:
True cowardice is doing as you are told,
fearing what you do not understand,
and judging anything different.
Real strength is questioning what you are told,
doing what you believe is right,
and trying to understand others.
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