WHAT’S REAL? GOD IS NOT
A Realistic View on Belief in Gods and Religions
by
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I do not believe in any Gods, religion, or the devil. I have been this way all my life, although I was raised in a religious environment. I was taught about God, the Bible, and I was taught to believe. I was never taught notto believe by anyone—that was my decision. I made that decision based on what I could and could not accept. I never could accept, or believe, that God exists, even when I knew all my friends did.
I could not, mainly because I had never seen him and didn’t know anyone who had. I always thought anyone as big and powerful as God should be seen by everyone. When I was about eighteen, I brought that thought up to some of my friends; we got into a big disagreement because they said it wasn’t about seeing, but believing. Since I was outnumbered about ten to one, I shut my mouth. When I was around them again, and they talked about God, I wouldn’t say anything, or I would go along with what was said as if I believed, but I didn’t.
Later that same year, I came to terms with myself. I realized that I had to be who I am, and accept only what I can accept. If that meant being the only one among my friends, or the only one in the world, who didn’t believe in God, then I would stand by what I could accept, and be honest with my friends by telling them. Most important, I realized that I must be honest with myself. I have had long and short-term friendships, which ended when it was found out that I didn’t believe in God. I have been called many names—stupid, not normal, the devil, a lost soul, a hypocrite, crazy, and the list goes on. I am none of these things. I am human.
One of my friends called me an atheist when I said that I don’t believe in God. The tone and manner in which he said it made the word atheist seem like a low and dirty person. Then he added, "You must believe in the devil." After I told him that I was not an atheist or agnostic, I asked him why he thought I believed in the devil. His answer was, "If you don’t believe in God, then you must believe in the devil."
There were about seven or eight more people in the room during this conversation, so I asked them if they agreed with him—all but one said yes. When I explained to all of them that I didn’t believe in the devil, I saw a look of puzzlement come over their faces. They all asked, almost at the same time, "What doyou believe in?" My answer to them was, "Myself." As self-centered as that might sound, I’d rather believe in something I know is real, than believe in something I know is not real.
I’ve met several people like myself, who openly admit that they don’t believe in God, or the Bible, and like myself, have been made to feel outcast by friends or coworkers. I know there are many more people out there, who are scared to admit their true feelings because they don’t want to be treated like outcasts. I know why people believe in God and the Bible, but they don’t know why I, and people like me, don’t believe.
This is the purpose of my book: to show the other side of the coin, because you can’t get this on a radio or TV program; they only give one side of the coin. I know my book will raise many questions, which some religious people have thought about, and some they haven’t thought about. I can’t—and I am not trying to—change anyone’s religious belief, only the individual can do that, if they want to. All I ask of the reader is this: Keep an open mind, as you read why a person like me doesn’t believe in any Gods or religion.
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About the Book
I do not believe in any Gods, religion, or the devil. I have been this way all my life, although I was raised in a religious environment. I was taught about God, the Bible, and I was taught to believe. I was never taught notto believe by anyone—that was my decision. I made that decision based on what I could and could not accept. I never could accept, or believe, that God exists, even when I knew all my friends did.
I could not, mainly because I had never seen him and didn’t know anyone who had. I always thought anyone as big and powerful as God should be seen by everyone. When I was about eighteen, I brought that thought up to some of my friends; we got into a big disagreement because they said it wasn’t about seeing, but believing. Since I was outnumbered about ten to one, I shut my mouth. When I was around them again, and they talked about God, I wouldn’t say anything, or I would go along with what was said as if I believed, but I didn’t.
Later that same year, I came to terms with myself. I realized that I had to be who I am, and accept only what I can accept. If that meant being the only one among my friends, or the only one in the world, who didn’t believe in God, then I would stand by what I could accept, and be honest with my friends by telling them. Most important, I realized that I must be honest with myself. I have had long and short-term friendships, which ended when it was found out that I didn’t believe in God. I have been called many names—stupid, not normal, the devil, a lost soul, a hypocrite, crazy, and the list goes on. I am none of these things. I am human.
One of my friends called me an atheist when I said that I don’t believe in God. The tone and manner in which he said it made the word atheist seem like a low and dirty person. Then he added, "You must believe in the devil." After I told him that I was not an atheist or agnostic, I asked him why he thought I believed in the devil. His answer was, "If you don’t believe in God, then you must believe in the devil."
There were about seven or eight more people in the room during this conversation, so I asked them if they agreed with him—all but one said yes. When I explained to all of them that I didn’t believe in the devil, I saw a look of puzzlement come over their faces. They all asked, almost at the same time, "What doyou believe in?" My answer to them was, "Myself." As self-centered as that might sound, I’d rather believe in something I know is real, than believe in something I know is not real.
I’ve met several people like myself, who openly admit that they don’t believe in God, or the Bible, and like myself, have been made to feel outcast by friends or coworkers. I know there are many more people out there, who are scared to admit their true feelings because they don’t want to be treated like outcasts. I know why people believe in God and the Bible, but they don’t know why I, and people like me, don’t believe.
This is the purpose of my book: to show the other side of the coin, because you can’t get this on a radio or TV program; they only give one side of the coin. I know my book will raise many questions, which some religious people have thought about, and some they haven’t thought about. I can’t—and I am not trying to—change anyone’s religious belief, only the individual can do that, if they want to. All I ask of the reader is this: Keep an open mind, as you read why a person like me doesn’t believe in any Gods or religion.
About the Author
I was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in the Brewster projects.
My grandmother raised me. She told me my mother died when I was two months old, and she was sixteen years old.
The only information she could give me about my father was his name and he was from Cuba. Schools I attended were Lincoln, Russell, Cappron, Sherrord and Northern High. In high school I was on the track team and ran the 440. Also I achieved the rank of Master Sergeant in the R.O.T.C. program. In 1957 I joined the Michigan National Guard. In 1962 I was drafted into the U.S. Army. I served 21 ½ , years, retiring in 1983. I have five children, ten Grandchildren, and seven Great-Grandchildren.