An Epiphany

My last blog post garnered way more attention than I thought a cartoon that I borrowed from another blogger deserved.

But the comments from people I know (the anonymous commenter's can go fuck themselves, I don't care what they think), and a conversation with a friend today got me to thinking about some stuff.

Most of the people who visit my blog are other bloggers. Some are my atheist buddies, but a lot of them are people of some sort of faith. These are people I like and respect and whose friendships I cherish.

I can't think of a single one of these bloggers-of-faith who put up posts quoting scripture, telling inspirational stories designed to get the reader "right with God", or condemning other people for what they believe (or don't believe). For the most part, they just keep that shit to themselves.

So I got to thinking maybe I should try to do the same.

I haven't made any secret about the fact that I'm an atheist, so hammering away on the subject isn't really giving my readers anything they didn't already know.

Apparently they don't find it very fucking entertaining or enlightening, just as I wouldn't find it entertaining to hear about how much God loves me every time I visited their site.

I'm sure as shit not going to change anyone's mind and am not certain I would want the burden of having done so if I did. I understand that people's faith is important to them. For some, it recharges their batteries, gives meaning to the world around them and helps them get through life without totally losing it on a daily basis.

To each his own. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson (because I'm too fucking lazy to google the exact quote), "What another man chooses to believe or not believe neither breaks my bones nor picks my pocket."

You know, it would be one thing if this blog had some HUGE national or international audience who turned to me for their atheistic talking points for the day. But it's not.

I've never been exactly sure why people visit my blog. It's always been a bit of a mystery. It isn't really "about" anything. I don't have a consistent theme. It's pretty much whatever the fuck pops into my head that I think I might be able to share in an entertaining way.

I'm not compromising my point of view, or letting other people determine my content. I'm simply going to make a conscious effort to tone it the fuck down a little and not go out of my way to offend actual, real life friends that I care deeply about.

I won't always succeed. I am who I am. So don't expect this blog to become totally free of any discussion about religions. But I'll try to be a kinder, gentler, asshole.

I may even start up a separate blog dedicated to all of the atheist stuff where I an yell and scream and wave my arms to my hearts content without throwing it in the faces of the people who come here for other reasons.

If I do, you can betcher ass it will be linked on my blogroll.

That is all.