Coming out of the (Jesus) Closet

by Rebecca Holm Krawczykowski 2L

When people hear the word “atheist” they think of militant, card-carrying members of the I Hate God Party who occupy all of their free time lying, cheating and stealing for fun because, after all, “atheists believe in nothing.” That is a perception not based in reality.

I do not believe in God, therefore I am labeled an atheist. I try to avoid using the “A” word because whenever I tell someone that I am an atheist, it offends them. When I say, “I don’t believe in God,” believers seem to hear, “You are stupid for believing in God.” I do not think people are stupid for believing in God. Nor do I think that my beliefs are any better than anyone else’s.

I was raised in a Catholic family. We went to church every Sunday and on every Holy Day of Obligation. To illustrate the hardcore nature of my family’s religious tendencies: we were not allowed to open presents on Christmas morning until after we came home from church. I went to religious education through the eighth grade, and I was one of the few people in my Confirmation class that actually took it seriously. I contemplated becoming a nun. I even went to a Catholic college because I thought it would strengthen my faith. It did not.

In my adulthood, I came to the realization that I cannot believe in God, no matter how hard I try. I cannot come out to my family because it would devastate them, and there is never a good opportunity. The only time I am ever in church with my family is for a wedding or a funeral, and neither occasion is appropriate for me to make my stand and not accept Communion. I hosted Thanksgiving this year, so I was in the awkward position of leading a prayer before dinner. I deferred to the family nun, bowed my head, and remained silent and respectful. It bothers me that I cannot be myself, even in my own house. My cousin is an atheist. Here is how he came out to his parents: “Mom and Dad, I’m getting divorced…and also I’m an atheist.” Yeah. Not good.

I cannot believe anything in this world unless it seems rational to me, i.e. based in fact and science. I do not have the faith that it takes to believe that someone can be born of a virgin or can come back from the dead. I will never, ever believe that people and dinosaurs lived together 6,000 years ago, because there is contrary proof . I believe that when I die, roll credits, because it is The End. It takes a special kind of person to have faith in something that cannot be seen, and yet amazingly the vast majority of people in this country have that faith. Either I am a total failure, or people are not being honest, or perhaps most people do not question why they believe what their parents believe.

I am not an evil person with no conscience. For the person in my class who “doesn’t know where [Atheists] would get a conscience,” consider this: religion does not provide people with a conscience, it provides people with rules to follow. Those are two completely different concepts. Either you are born with a conscience, or you are John Wayne Gacy. The simple point is that atheists cast aside the constrictive framework provided to them by religion, and they instead choose to exercise the freedom to live a life of integrity and decency, where decisions are based upon fact instead of faith.

All religions have their extremists, and they are the exception, not the rule. It is the same for atheists. Some atheists will do whatever it takes to stand up for what they believe in (or what they do not believe in, as it were.) We all know about the extreme atheists who file lawsuits to completely remove God from society. I am not saying that is wrong per se, but as a moderate atheist, I am more of a live and let live kind of person. I am not offended with “In God We Trust” on our money or “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. I take no offense to a “bless you” after I sneeze. (Yes, one time I actually got a “Bless you…oh…sorry, I forgot.”)

I am aware that I am the minority in a world of believers, and that I have to live in their world. That being said, believers should not rush to judgment concerning those who do not believe. Atheists are not worshipers of Satan…there is another group for that…they are called Satan Worshipers. Atheists believe in a lot of things…just not in God. And on that point, I think we should simply agree to disagree.

“Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, includ­ing those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

- US Constitution Art I sec 2

This was the original language of the Constitution before being modified by the 14th Amendment. Mr. Duffy wants to claim that the language of a con­tract doesn’t change over time, but I doubt he believes that the original language of the Constitution, clearly denying suffrage to slaves, should still be enforced. The the­sis of Mr. Duffy’s article, while difficult to parse, seems to be that John McCain is a better choice for President because he won’t (or claims he won’t) appoint judges to the Supreme Court who are motivated by a political ideology, and that Barack Obama will. This argument fails not only because of its speculation, but also for a lack of reason. Bad Supreme Court deci­sions can be overturned by the Court, just as bad decisions by the Framers can be amended. The ability to fix errors is built into our entire system of government (even if the “fix” will cost $700 billion).

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Students, Faculty and Staff welcome back! We genuinely hope your summers were enjoyable and productive, we only ask you to spare us the details in passing. Barely Legal is a self-explanatory column that delves into the lifestyle issues that confront VUSL. Read the rest of this entry »

“To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition, to know even one life has breathed easier because
you have lived, THIS is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson may not have graduated from VUSL, but I think it’s safe to say things worked out for him. It is that time of year again, and perhaps we should all take a moment to reflect on the good that surrounds us, and what more can be done at our school and in our community. The SBA recently held a blood drive with the American Red Cross. There was an outstanding turnout for this event, and it may turn out to be life saving for someone nearby. The SBA is also currently working on a children’s book drive, and if you can donate any children’s books towards that cause it would be greatly appreciated.

The Valpo Law Democrats have been putting together care packages to send to our soldiers in the Indiana National Guard that are currently in Iraq. Please consider getting involved with that cause. The Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) recently spent a Saturday volunteering at the Porter County animal shelter. The shelter can always use extra supplies, or even an hour or two every once in a while working with the dogs and cats would be a great help. The Boys and Girls club in Valparaiso is looking for after-school tutors. This is a great way to help the Valparaiso community, and it is also a rewarding experience. Get in contact with the Club if you are interested.

The Forum would also like to thank all our staff, and occasional staff, for writing articles or giving up time to make the paper successful. We would like to ask all of the organizations to get more involved with us, and to submit a monthly note describing any activities your organization has planned. This is a great way to keep our community more informed, interested, and active in what is happening with all of our organizations.

Sincerely, E.W. Gettemy