When I was a child, in Indiana, being raised by pretend christian alcoholics from Arkansas, and surrounded by what I know NOW was one of the LARGEST KKK chapters in the nation, I rarely heard the word atheist. I did hear the word Heathen, pronounced Heathern.. cause that's what my mama called us kids "You little Heatherns!"
I don't think it ever really occurred to her that she and daddy were heatherns too. Theyy were raised as Southern Baptists, sorta. Any how.
I heard the word 'Atheist' in a Evangelist's' Come To Meetin' Tent' when I was about twelve. I don't recall anythiing about the sermon that old fool preached(hollered, with spit flyin' in the kerosene light)
but I clearly recall the dreadfilled hush that oozed over all the sweaty, hot and sober crowd there that night. That scared the sheit out of me. That silence was deafining. And then he spake thusly " If any among you know of a filthy A-thee-ist raise your hand and we shall call Gawd down to punish and chastise this class One Sinner!!" "Halleluja, they screamed in unison!!! The wages of that sin SHOULD BE DEATH" The preacher-man screamed out! Over and over they screamed back at him hossannahs and yes Gawd.....Yes Looooooward!" As soon as he bent to accept a sip of lemonade provided by one of the sisters, I took a powder. Shit! Were there any A Thee Ists out there in the dark??? I ran to my house and got my oldest little brother to come back with me. It was still going on. We sat shaking but enthralled!
I looked up atheist after that and it did sound scary. NOT believe in GAWD?? Ohhhhhwee! You'd end up in Hellfire and Damnnation for eternity sure as hell! ( I cussed alot at 12 too) Any way. I grew up, was a hippy, smoked some doobie along the years, became a Pagan and then looked at the concept of Atheist again, from a totally different perspective.
" The term theism derives from the Greek theos meaning "god". The term theism was first used by Ralph Cudworth (1617–88).[5] Atheism is rejection of theism in the broadest sense of theism; i.e. the rejection of belief that there is even one deity.[6] Rejection of the narrower sense of theism can take forms such as deism, pantheism, and polytheism. The claim that the existence of any deity is unknown is agnosticism, and can be compatible with theism and with atheism.[7][8][9] The positive assertion of knowledge, either of the existence of gods or the absence of gods, can also be attributed to some theists and some atheists. Put simply theism and atheism deal with belief, and agnosticism deals with (absence of) knowledge; they are not mutually exclusive as they deal with different domains."
This from Wikipedia is pretty close to what I came to understand.... and though it took a minute to let go of GAWD all together(I CALLED myself Pagan, but I hedged my bets a bit. Gawd was still out there somewhere scaring the crap outta me.) I KNOW atheists now. Personally and up close. They are NOT boogers or devils either. Plain old hard working people who 'JUST DON'T NEED or Believe in a Diety' as a necessary accoutrement to being a human...See? Now that's not a damn bit scary, is it? :)
Take care of yourselves ya'll. Love ya lots.
Me
