This is a blog written by an Atheist in Hiding.
Who are you? I live in the United States, and I’m a man between the ages of 25 and 40. That’s all you get for now.
Why are you hiding? Because I haven’t yet worked up the courage to admit in public that I’m an atheist. Church and religion was a big part of my childhood and earlier adult years, and I’m still hung up on the idea that publicly denying the existence of god is a bad thing.
What are you afraid of? I’m afraid of rejection by my family and friends. I have many friends who are atheists or agnostics, but I also have many friends that I made during my years of going to church. They are good people, and as much as I wish it weren’t the case I do care what they think.
Did you used to not be an atheist? Yes. I was active in church as a child and had leadership responsibilities in my church in my early adult years. At one time in my life I called myself “born again,” the preferred title of the evangelical crowd. I’ve read the Bible (all of it) and was baptized (twice).
Why are you an atheist now? In the last few years I have adopted a skeptical worldview, which fits nicely with my scientific education. The skeptic requires proof before accepting a hypothesis, and as I’ve studied the world and read about the science that’s happening now, I have learned that the scientific laws humans have uncovered over the years are sufficient to explain how things happen. A bit of scientific understanding and some logical thought are all that is needed to explain most things, and there’s no need (indeed no room for) an all-powerful deity to justify the things we can’t explain.
Are you open to the idea that there may be a higher power of some sort? Not really. There are still some unanswered questions, but the scientific worldview doesn’t leave room for mystical and unexplained forces to explain things we don’t understand.
Are you afraid you’ll go to hell? If you don’t believe in god, then by definition you don’t believe in hell.
How is it possible to live a good life as an atheist? I am a humanist, so I consider my actions in the context of their impact on others. If a particular action will hurt or negatively impact another human being, it’s a bad thing.
