Of Hemmingway, Rogers, and Atheism

"All thinking men are atheists."--Ernest Hemmingway.
(Paraphrasing) "When expounding your beliefs, be respectful of others'."--Carl Rogers.

          I really do not care for Ernest Hemmingway's style of writing. He took (perfected?) the notion of minimalism and applied it almost to the point of absurdity in most of his stories. That being said, I must offer kudos in his statement concerning atheism.
          Carl Rogers was a noted psychologist who is credited with the "Rogerian Arguement" (named after him), the overall point of which being that as one expresses their beliefs, they must remain respectful of the beliefs of others. I had done this several times in my life, ignorant of the fact that there was even a name for it.
          Approximately nine months ago I made public the fact that I am an atheist. The more I look to the sciences to explain life as I know it (in this way I differ greatly from the Deists), the more I am convinced that science provides the answers. I do not need the figurehead of any religion to substantiate my existence; I was created when a sperm cell entered an egg. At that point the genes from my parents were passed on to me, and as I grew older social and cultural influences helped shape me into the being I am today. I am an extremely analytical person, so Hemmingway's quote holds true for me.
          I am a Rogerian atheist in the sense that the motto "Live and let live" applies to my philosophy concerning this topic. I do not try to cram my belief(s) down anyone's throat, and I certainly do not get angry when someone expresses their belief in a faith or religion, or even attempts to tell me I am wrong for believing the way I do. No one has to like what I believe, but I do ask that they give the same amount of respect for my views that they want for theirs.
          So what is the point of this newest entry into my blog? Quite simply, it is to inform--and hopefully change--the mindset of the faction of hostile atheists that have made atheism their religion. These individuals are not content to allow anyone to have their own beliefs. No, they ridicule and aggressively pursue Christians (and why Christians only I do not know. There are several belief systems in the world) to the point of "being offended" by the Christian belief and way of life.
          On any given day I read one story or another on how atheists are offended by a cross in the middle of a desert, or on a municipal building, so they protest until the cross (or other religious symbol) is removed. Then there is the rumor that Pepsi will not include the words "under God" on their products that will display the Pledge of Allegiance for fear of offending someone, when in reality they will have offended several religious organizations by omitting it, and as a sidebar to that, as one individual pointed out, "...they certainly don't mind accepting money that says 'In God We Trust' when the item is purchased." The ideology of not offending anyone is ridiculously out of hand, for, as the saying goes, you cannot please all of the people all of the time, and organizing a crusade against someone or something for the simple reason of having something to argue over ("Rebel Without a Cause" syndrome, perhaps?) should not be viewed only as an exercise in futility, but a complete and utter waste of time as well.
          These hostile atheists are fanatics in their own right, and just like all fanatics, give a bad name to those of us who wish peace, prosperity, and happiness among all. I certainly do not get caught up in the game, and I never go elephant hunting with a B.B. gun. There is no injustice in allowing someone to believe in the god or gods of their choice. I am reminded of a scene from "Corina, Corina" where the daughter of Ray Liotta's character mentions that she has been "...talking to Mommy in Heaven." Liotta's character says (paraphrasing), "Honey, Heaven is a made-up place that people convince themselves is real so they can feel better about things." The little girl then says, "So? What's wrong with that?" That is the question I now put forth to all atheists who feel it is their obligation to keep stirring the pot: What is wrong with that? If it gets someone through the day, why should you be offended? If it is your contention that Christians or any other religious group are too weak-minded to see the truth, just allow this to substantiate that belief. Live and let live. Believe me, when all is said and done, none of this really matters anyway.