My Imaginary God Can Beat Up Your Imaginary God
And why you don’t find too many atheists in jail
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by Elaine Gilmartin
My god values logic and reason, not blind obedience to some texts written thousands of years ago and reasserted over and over like a battering ram to continually reinforce the status quo.
My god encourages me to think independently and critically, to question endlessly and with an abundance of curiosity.
My god actually espouses the inherent value of all people equally, with no gender asserting dominance or authority over the other.
My god doesn’t think there is anything shameful about a woman’s body and so does not dictate dress code or behavioral prohibitions.
My god has no investment in anyone’s lifestyle.
My god thinks shame and guilt are useless emotions that undermine productive introspection and growth.
My god does not harbor delusions of grandeur, celestial chariots in the sky and pearly gates with tickets required for admission.
My god doesn’t command me to do anything.
My god doesn’t bless one country over others.
My god doesn’t expect me to bargain in desperate prayer for the life of a loved one.
My god belongs to no political party.
My god does not believe in exclusive clubs and resists the imposition of any belief system on others, as that is contravened by personal autonomy.
My god does not induce in me a sense of paranoia with every thought, feeling, or inclination judged by omniscience.
My god hates social hierarchies and does not believe any one person’s voice or perspective obviates the importance of other voices or perspectives.
My god cares about actual kids, kids who are scared and hungry and neglected, traumatized kids living through civil wars and unrest and fleeing poverty, not the abstractions of potential ones.
My god could not possibly care less about anyone’s sex life, with whom, how often, how many participants, what positions, with or without props, so long as participants are willing and capable of giving sound…
