My Older Style of Writing

You know what is somewhat depressing? Looking back upon your older works, your old posts, your old writing, poetry and short stories. Reading back through them, having a good laugh, thinking about how you used to view the world. Looking back and realizing that you have not improved at writing in the slightest.

I was recently looking back upon my post "I Wish You a Merry Christmas" and marvelled at a few things. I noticed that since then, my religious and political beliefs have matured and settled. I noticed, upon reading through this post and a few others that my writing used to be much more interesting. I could make sentences flow together and sound exactly how I wanted them to without any effort at all. There was no worries of using the correct words, as everything just flowed from my head to the page. I could write three or four pieces in the space of two hours.

And the writing was good. I really enjoyed it, and I was good at it, at least in my opinion.

These days, it seems that writing the way I used to is harder. It takes more concentration, which I cannot seem to muster these days, and I can never seem to work out how to just sit and write. The atmosphere is never right, despite almost always having writing materials.

I wish so much that I could simply write like I used to. Without effort, without a hint of self consciousness. Write without worrying about what people would think, and write what I truly felt.

Until next time...

I am not a Heathen

I don't know what is with people. I don't understand them at a really basic level, but sometimes they are spectacularly insane. At work on Friday, a woman came up to me and asked me if I believed in the "power of Jesus, and his power to save my soul from eternal damnation."

I don't think it is much to ask not to be asked these types of questions out of the blue while I'm cashing people through, but this is actually the second time this has happened to me. I've been given religious pamphlets before, but usually they don't talk to me much.

Anyways, I said no, because as you may or may not know, I am an atheist. In response I was called a heathen. Then I had the angriest parts of Leviticus quoted at me. The parts of it that have stones being thrown at various sinners.

Now, I don't think I'm asking a lot for these people not to quote the Old Testament at me. They could at least quote New Testament at me, maybe John 3:16. That would at least make sense. No, though. Angriest parts of the angriest book of the angriest half of the bible. That and being called something I am actually not.

I am an infidel.

I am a very proud infidel, but one who isn't trying to convert everyone.

I am not a heathen. They are pagans who worship germanic or scandanavian gods or godesses.

I am technically a Pagan, but not really. I am only a Pagan in the sense that I do not worship the Abrahamic god. I instead worship no god.

I am not a heretic. I have been called this as well by the way, by someone who asked me if I had found Jesus. I said no, and pulled out my copy of The God Delusion to do some counter-proselytizing. At this point I was given a terribly dirty look, and was called a heretic.

Strictly speaking, a heretic would have to believe in a god to begin with. I would then be branded a heretic, and promptly excommunicated.

I am an infidel, I deny the divinity of Jesus, I reject the notion that there is any sort of god.

Frankly I think the politically correct term, regardless of what word may actually be correct is simply an atheist.

Until next time...