What the heck is god anyway?

I still don't understand what people are talking about when they talk about god. And, in many ways, I'm not exactly convinced they do either. And when I talk about god in this case, I am talking about the god of the Abrahamic faiths.

When people say they believe in god, what exactly are they believing in? Often, they say this god is the creator. Okay, well, what the heck does that mean, exactly? Are they talking about a physical being that builds things...like a construction worker? Or, is this a creator that dreams things into existence? Where did he get his materials from? Is there a stockpile of various bits and pieces that he assembles everything from? How exactly does this work? And why? Why has this entity built the things it has? What is the point of it all? The purpose? Why would an entity build all of this? Was it all just to have beings that can worship him?

Many argue that god is like a watchmaker...that if you look at a watch, it has a creator, and therefore we must as well. That for a watch to work, it has to be perfect, and can only been created by an intelligent, skilled being. So, does this god assemble us, as if we are watches? Are we individually handcrafted? Does this god have hands? Is god an actual physical being? And if so, was god born from someone or something? Where did god come from to start with? How does he create all of this stuff he is credited with making? Beyond saying that god is a creator, there seems to be few answers to explain his involvement in it all.

They say god is love. Well, what the heck does that even mean? Does this love create things? They say god is all around us. Well, what exactly does that mean? Where? In what form? How? Is god some kind of gas? Is he in the air? I just don't get it.

And then, there are those that seem to argue that this god is watching us at all times. He knows when we are sleeping, knows when we are awake, knows when we've been bad or good...and when we die, he gets to decide if we will live for an eternity in heaven or hell. Did god create heaven and hell? What are these things? Are they actual places? Are we going to be actual beings there? Or floating ideas? What will we be? Where will we be? What will we see....other than other dead relatives, apparently?

Many see god as the answer to everything. He is the creator. He has made everything around us. Everything we see is proof of god. But, to me, the god explanation raises far more questions than answers. And no one seems to have these answers. They insist that god made it all, but offer no explanation beyond that. What the heck is this god? No answer. No clarity. Nothing. 

There is NO Atheist Movement.

Am I an atheist? Ya. It appears that I am. I cannot escape from the idea that I am. Face it, I am. It's not the easiest thing to admit in this religion obsessed world, when so many people you know and love are believers. But, face it, I'm an atheist.

Today, I read, for the first time, about the "atheist movement" and I shuddered. Atheist movement??? What is this! Atheism is NOT a movement. It's not as if it is a religion. There are no popes, priests, imams, or anything of that nature. There is no central spokesperson. It doesn't need a spokesperson of any sort. It is not a movement. It is what it is. It is a natural state of being before indoctrination. It is not an organized belief. The vast majority of atheists prefer the logic of science over the dogma of religion, however, that doesn't define atheism. Atheism is what it is. It is not having a religious belief or affiliation. Organized movement? No way.

There is no need to proselytize atheism. It is not something that needs to be proven to anyone. The proof for atheism lies in the complete absence of proof of any kind of god or gods. It speaks for itself. No atheist speaks for any other atheist. Some people would like to put Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens or other famed atheists on top of the heap, as some kinds of leaders. They aren't. They are not leaders. They are atheists. They have their views which are open to like, dislike, challenges, praise or what have you. They don't speak for me. They don't speak for anyone but themselves. They are who they are. We all are who we are. That's it. No leaders. No followers. No churches. No dogma.

So, when I hear someone say "atheist movement", I sort of feel like they are missing the boat and not understanding what atheism is. Mind you, this is my opinion and my opinion only. Like I said, I do not speak for other atheists. I challenge strongly this notion of a movement. I don't see atheism as being a movement nor needing a movement.  It does not need leaders or spokespeople. It is not that kind of -ism. It is not a religion. It is not a system of governance or finance. It is not a cohesive belief system. It is not even a belief system, period. So, how can their be a movement?

Some are arguing that because of years of persecution, there is a need to band together to fight religion. Not really. No. I mean, you can stand up against religious superiority and persecution without a cohesive movement. We know persecution is wrong, right? Therefore, we fight persecution because we are humans who know that it is wrong. One does not need to be an atheist to fight against persecution.

Is disagreeing persecution? No. Can people hate, criticize, mock, dislike or laugh at atheism? Of course. Who cares. Go for it. It doesn't change facts that exist that make atheism a logical conclusion. It is not something that has to be fought for. There is no jealous god or hyper sensitive prophet needing defending. Dawkins and Hitch don't need defending. They are grown men who can stand on their own two feet (well, unfortunately, Hitch can't anymore...RIP). They don't need defending. They defend themselves quite nicely, and good on them. They take tons of criticism and they deal with it (must stop using present tense for Hitch) in their own way. So, no, atheism is not some movement. It isn't meant to be on the same plane as religion. There should be no grand fight for followers like the other religions have. We don't have to claim that we are the "fastest growing religion in the world!" because it doesn't matter. You either accept it or don't. There is no number count. You are either with logic, or with a religious belief system. Your choice. Up to you.

To sum up, as if I haven't already....atheism is not and should not be seen as a movement. Again, my opinion. My view. I speak for no other atheists. That's the point. Atheists are atheists. They think for themselves. They represent themselves. They view the world in their own way. Period. Each is responsible for their own beliefs. This is mine.