Why I'm Not a Dick

I’m sure my six followers are all wondering what in this world terrifies me the most, and even if you’re not, I’m going to share. Have you ever said anything along the lines of “How do you know what’s right and wrong if you don’t believe in god?” If the answer is yes, I’m scared of you.

To accuse everyone who’s ever posed such a question of being a sociopath might be slightly hyperbolic, but it’s also not far off. You can’t come up with any reason to be nice to your fellow living creatures except that, if you’re not, god might get pissed? On the bright side, we’re dealing with a person who knows he’s not supposed to rape and murder; I’ll put myself out there and argue that the more people we can get on board with that message the better.

That being said, there are better and worse reasons for not doing wrong. A good reason to refrain from rape and murder is that you yourself would rather not be raped and murdered, and can therefore extrapolate that others feel similarly. A good reason is that you know acts of violence devastate victims’ families and you take no pleasure in the devastation of others. A great reason is that you don’t want to. A bad reason is that god says you’re not supposed to.

For reasons I can’t fathom, people continue to cling to religion and feel it confers upon them a moral compass. If your belief in god stops you from raping and murdering, at least you’re not out there raping and murdering, but I do firmly believe that we’ve come far enough as a people to more deeply consider our system of ethics. If you’re going to insist on keeping god in the equation, why not ask your imaginary friend why he doesn’t want you to be a dick? Maybe there’s more to it than eternal damnation.

My brain is feeling fuzzy, so this post is a little disjointed, but I’m just sick of good behavior being considered the domain of the believer. I have no investment in the existence or non-existence of a higher power. I’m invested in things like cupcakes, Australian eccentricities, and my beloved doggie, Moira, but I’m also a pretty good person. It may hurt Jesus’ feelings that I don’t believe in him, but I can honestly say that today I chose not to do wrong for all the right reasons.