To begin this article let me start off by saying if you define yourself as an Atheist please read the following words very carefully, actually read them 3 or 4 times until you understand.

I, “Echo” am not here to judge you… I, don’t have an opinion either way about you being an Atheist. The content within this article are my observations, not my opinions but what is actually happening in reality. So please [[[ DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY ]]] if you are an Atheist, go on with your beliefs I’m not trying to change your belief system or how you want to define yourself.

To start lets clarify what it is to actually have a belief.

be⋅lief

1.something believed; an opinion or conviction: a belief that the earth is flat.
2.confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof: a statement unworthy of belief.

3.confidence; faith; trust: a child’s belief in his parents.

4.a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith: the Christian belief.

(link to reference page)

Having a belief in something is basically having come to a conclusion. So what we have here are a world of believers and non-believers, ironically the non-believers, non-belief becomes their belief.

Ideally this is how it works for the believers. A group of people say we’ve looked back over all of time, we’ve looked back over history since man has kept a record and after our rigorous unbiased investigations of history and reality this is our conclusion, this is our set of beliefs.

If one would like to question their set of beliefs then they (the believers) will produce the evidence that substantiates their findings e.g., Bible, Quran, Bagavaghita, Scrolls or any other ancient text or findings.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the non-believers.

How it works for the non-believers is EXACTLY the same. A group of people say we’ve looked back over all of time, we’ve looked back over history since man has kept a record and after our rigorous unbiased and scientific investigations of history and reality this is our conclusion, this is our set of beliefs.

Although the non-believers won’t put a name on anything like God, Jesus, Buddha, Jehovah for example nameless or not they now have a belief that there is NO GOD.

a⋅the⋅ist

1.a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
(link to reference page)

Let me quickly summarize to make sure that we’re on the same page here. Whether you want to call yourself a believer in whatever faith (Christian, Muslim, Buddhist) or if you claim there isn’t a God… you have a belief. Your belief implies that you’ve done the research, you’ve investigated, gathered all the facts and as such you can say for certain that your conclusion of this evidence is the absolute truth.

If you can see this, observe that this isn’t my (Echo’s) opinion this simply is the way things are.

I’m not making anything up, the facts are… there are people who believe in god and they label themselves one of the many god believing labels e.g. Scientologist, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Jew, Muslim, Wicken, Born Again Christian, etc. Opposite of them on the other side of the same coin there are people who don’t believe in god and they label themselves any number of labels mainly, Atheist.

What I would like to talk about today are the Atheist, the so called non-believers. I’m fascinated and amazed by people who call themselves Atheist for a number of reasons. The reason for my fascination primarily is being an outsider looking at the believers and non-believers (Atheist) I can clearly see that they are one in the same.

For as much fighting and fussing that goes on between the two groups (believers and non-believers) they fail to see just how similar they truly are. If one takes the time to seriously look into the fundamental mind of a believer and non-believer you will observe that their BELIEF in a god or lack thereof is divisive, destructive and gives rise to conflict, fighting and great suffering in the world.

In my observations Atheist are very quick to point out that the believers of a god are the reason for wars, fighting, killing, etc. What the Atheist fail to see however is that fundamentally the same thought process that brought the believers to their conclusions about there being a god is the same exact thought process that brought the Atheist to believe there isn’t a god.

The believers and non-believers are similar in several ways. They both subscribe to a belief (in god or no god), they both have spokespersons e.g. authors, preachers, reverends and they both organize to protest their rights to believe what they believe. Above all the most shocking similarity is they both have annoying bumper stickers! To my surprise Atheist even have advertisements in public places and websites that ask for donations to support “the cause”, just like churches.

It is apparent to me that the Atheist mind certainly has good intentions and sees the devastation that has been brought about in this world by the many different faith based religions. It seems as though the Atheist mind sees that because the different religions have taken a stance, because they have come to conclusions, these steadfast absolute conclusions are what give birth to fear, conflict and war.

In seeing this obvious pattern of divisive and destructive behavior the Atheist does not subscribe to a god, the Atheist does not allow themselves to be trapped in the box of religion because obviously it manifest the great horrors and suffering in the world.

The Atheist mind has certainly taken a step in the right direction, they’ve stepped out of the trap, they’ve stepped out of the box but the irony is that they have simply stepped into another trap, another box.

The person who calls himself an Atheist has just traded one label for another, what they are painfully not seeing is that subscribing to any label is what causes conflict, aggression, hate, fear, war and all the rest of it.

Being an observer like myself standing on the outside of this whole beautiful mess one can see that the only difference between an Atheist and a Christian is the spelling of the two words. FundaMENTALLY the Athiest and Muslim share the same mind, they share the same process of thought. This process of thought has given them the audacity to claim truth for themselves one way or the other… god or no god.

If the Atheist mind can go deeper and find it WITHIN himself to not limit himself and this reality with a labels then perhaps he can come to a wonderful realization. Before the Atheist mind can come to this realization he must quiet his mind, be humble and set aside all of his research, scientific proof, book knowledge, etc., if one can do this then perhaps the Atheist mind will find out that… he doesn’t know.

There is a great sigh of relief that comes with not knowing. There is a wonderful weight that is lifted off of ones consciousness in the realization that one simply does not know.

When you subscribe to an idea, concept or set of beliefs and give yourself the label Atheist or Christian or Jew, etc., the flag you’ve raised above your head now requires that you constantly have to maintain and defend your label… your conclusion. People will continually want you to prove your conclusion wrong, and you will be all to happy to do defend and justify your label. The problem with proving your beliefs, justifying your conclusions is that you don’t have any energy to live in the NOW, you’re constantly defending knowledge and thoughts from the past.

The believer and non-believer BOTH have to take care to fastidiously maintain the walls they have built up around themselves. The moment a person claims to be an Atheist or Hindu in that same moment there will be someone trying to prove you wrong and you will naturally feel inclined to justify or prove that you are correct, that your way is the way… this is the truth! Whether you are a peaceful passive believer or non-believer your belief in a god or no god, implies conflict with the other.

If it weren’t for the constant building and tearing down of these walls (labels) that eventually breed conflict, fear, aggression and war it wouldn’t be a problem. The facts are however that because people have come to their individual conclusions and beliefs the world is full of fearful people who absolutely KNOW they have the truth and a world like this will never know peace.

The purpose of me writing this article is to hopefully reach at least one Atheist and perhaps point out that what seems to be a non-aggressive act in calling ones self an Atheist does in fact imply aggression. You could be the most peaceful, kind and loving person on the planet the moment you call yourself an Atheist you are (for lack of a better phrase) waging war on all the believers in god.

I would ask all Atheist who may come across this article to set aside all your beliefs, all your research and proof that there isn’t a god… and ask yourself one question.

Please don’t casually ask yourself this question, don’t simplify it… really go deep with it and sit with it. There is the definition in the dictionary of Atheist and it says“a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.” What if there were no dictionary, what then?

If you can humble yourself and see that the act of applying a label to yourself be it Christian, Buddhist or Atheist will eventually lead to conflict perhaps you might consider stepping out of this box. Perhaps in seeing this reality you won’t be fooled by the comfort that yet another label brings. Perhaps you’ll see that in calling yourself an Atheist your subscription to this idea, definition, conclusion or belief is the only thing standing between you and the truth. The truth is… you, like me and everyone else on the planet doesn’t know.

When someone asks you is there a god or what is your religion perhaps instead of blocking yourself with an impenetrable wall of a labels like Atheist, Jesus or whatever you can simply say I don’t know. When you say I don’t know you leave the door open for conversation, you are open for discussion… you don’t have to prove anything!

You will find that if someone does approach you and asks you about god or church and you say I don’t know they will go on to explain matter of factually how the world came to be and why reality is the way it is but when you say “I don’t know” there isn’t any conflict there, you don’t give them any reason to argue or become aggressive.

Now that you have spoken the truth “I don’t know” you have the energy to listen to this person and observe them completely. When you have complete energy and are listening to them totally without agreeing or disagreeing, without blocking or denying them it will be easy to see how they HAVE TO TELL YOU their truth.

Don’t judge them but see it for what it is. They are fearful, confused and afraid just like you and in order to deal with this fear they must tell you the way, they must have you agree with them because if they get you to agree with them then they take great comfort in that. It can also be said that if you do not agree with them some people will revel in your not subscribing to their belief and they will take great comfort that YOU are wrong, that you are going to hell and all the rest of it.

The magic here… the real revelation is that in acknowledging that you don’t know you then have the energy to find out!

Whatever it is that has given you and I life and created all the wonders and beauties of the world, the trees, the butterflies, the clouds, earth, wind, water and fire… surely it can’t be summed up by our words, ideas, books, knowledge or labels. However beautiful a language we devise, whatever ideas, poems, verses we come up with to express our ideas about reality, god or no god those words and ideas will only keep us from whatever it is that is actually the ultimate unspeakable truth.

I can see that the Atheist mind is so close to this realization, you’re (almost) ready to say, I don’t know and not knowing is a beautiful loving way to be.

Go deeply Atheist, find it in yourself, you’re almost there… whatever it is that gives rise to this reality, whatever it is or isn’t that gave you and I consciousness trying to describe it with ANY label including “Atheist” will only frustrate others, cause conflict, bring aggression, pain and war.

If you want peace in the world like I do, like everybody does deep down then see this label for what it is… a trap, a limitation, a box and step out… free yourself. There is no shame in not knowing, I (Echo) don’t know and I can tell you standing naked in the winds of truth without clinging to anything is the most loving and liberating action you can take. Not knowing is what will bring peace to you and the world.

Peace and love to you all, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes.

“I was an Atheist until I found out I am god”