Good deeds done by atheists.
Last December, during the Christmas shopping season, I found a credit card in the parking lot of a store. There was nobody else parked near the card and it was late at night, so it seemed unlikely that the owner was around. I called directory assistance and tried to find a phone number for the name on the card, but there was no listing. I called the only person matching that last name and was told that no one with the first name lived there. Finally, I called the customer service number on the back of the card and gave the operator the information and my phone number. Several minutes later I received a call from the owner of the card. She lived nearly an hour away, which explained why I couldn’t find her using local directory assistance.
The lady had already realized it was missing and had canceled the card, but was grateful that I had made the effort to return it to her. She thanked me profusely and asked if she could send me some money as a reward. I turned down the offer and said I was glad to do it. She then said “God bless you.” To this day, I regret that I didn’t tell this nice lady that I am an atheist. Not to be abrasive, but to spread just a little awareness of the fact that most atheists are good people. Her comment implied that she just knew that it was the “goodness of the Lord” which made me honest and helpful. In the United States, polls have shown that being an atheist is the best way not to be elected to public office. Despite all other prejudices, most people would rather vote for someone gay, female, Muslim, black, hispanic, or Mormon than an atheist.
This morning, I was at the post office using the automated machine to mail a small package. I overheard two other customers complaining about the machine which sold stamps being broken. The post office wasn’t open yet, and apparently neither one of them had a credit card to use the automated machine, which also sells stamps. I bought a book of stamps using my card and they gave me cash for the stamps. One left after mailing her letter, but the other had quite a few envelopes and was still there when I had finished. She thanked me (for about the third time). I suddenly recalled the story of the lost credit card, and when I told her she was welcome (for about the third time), I mentioned that I was an atheist and just wanted to let her know that a lot of atheists are nice people. She did not seem taken aback in any way, and I left in a good mood knowing I had won a small victory for the atheist community.
Please note that these two small deeds are nothing compared to things done by other people every day, many of whom are probably a lot worse off than I am. I am in no way trying to make myself look like a hero. The only point of these stories is to ask my non-atheist readers to realize that atheism is not a dirty word, and atheists aren’t some kind of immoral hedonists. Rather, we just don’t happen to believe in the set of religious stories you do, just as you don’t believe in the stories of Muslims if you are a Christian, or the beliefs of Christians if you are a Hindu.
If you are an atheist and find yourself being thanked for something which you think is just common courtesy, consider the situation and, if appropriate, put in a plug for the atheist community. We don’t have to be confrontational about it. Let’s just let them know we’re out there, we’re just like them, and we’re nothing to scorn or fear.
July 24th, 2007 at 9:54 am
I like that you are mentioning doing good things out of your own heart and not because your an atheist because not every atheist will just do good deeds. Same with everyone else in the world. But what I think is good about being an atheist is that you are more care free. No one has anything to prove and that goes for atheist’s too. So what people dont like you because your an atheist. That is becuase they are religious, but I dont think that anyone should try and stand out and say I am an atheist and look at all the good i do. At the end of the day I am sure every one has done something bad as well. Dont worry about what they want to do, being religious makes them happy. If they wont talk to you becuase you are an atheist then thats their loss. If they think that you are religious because they saw you do something good and they think you have a good heart, take it as a compliment and move on. There are plenty of racists, murderers, rapist etc that have done good deeds and may truly even have a good heart but they have done something very wrong. They could be of any religion or an atheist, but that isnt why they did what they did. If you are trying to make it so that every atheist should act in a certain way to try and be an example of what you want to make people beleive atheists are like than you wont get anywhere. You shouldnt be proud to be an atheist. you should just be proud to be alive and free and have the capability to expand your mind and live your dreams. Thinking about shoving it in peoples faces that you are an atheist after a good deed just isnt how I think you should go about it though. I have to get back to work. Lata Josh
July 24th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Thanks for the comment, Josh. Yes, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not saying that being an atheist causes people to do good things. Just as being religious doesn’t cause you to do good things.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Shawn,
#1 You have too much free time.
#2 I agree with Josh just do good thing because you are a good person, not because you believe or not, to me really who cares. The best thing about America is that we can choose what to believe. I however do not like how some people try to push their beliefs onto others. But you are just as guilty of spreading your word as any other preacher.
#3 I think its funny how you compared being “gay, female, Muslim, black, hispanic, or Mormon” to being atheist. Atheist is a choice, all of the others, except mormon are not.
Later Ryan
July 24th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Ryan,
1. I wish I had too much free time. This is just something I’m passionate about.
2. It’s true that we can choose what to believe and that is a good thing. But if it’s provable that some beliefs are harmful, I think we’d be negligent if we didn’t attempt to persuade people to reconsider.
3. I didn’t make those comparisons — click the link in the article and you’ll see those were the choices given in a poll. Also, being a Muslim is a choice, as is being a Mormon, except that most people who are religious are so not by their own choice, but because their parents raised them as such. If you raised children till they were adults and then asked them to select the one true religion based upon their own experience and knowledge, I think religion would be an inconsequential subject.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I’m with Josh on this one, I could easily say I did a kind act because I was sleepy, and even though sleepy people are normally thought of as lazy I wanted to change public perception. If I was that woman at the Post Office, I’m not sure how I’d take what could be considered random information.
As for people who say “thank the god…” I know enough people who have no ascribed beliefs, but still say it. Its habitual, and habits are hard to break, or so I’ve been told. Its much easier to set an example for others to follow and form patterns after then to get people to make conscious alterations to their behavior.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Scott,
I agree that it could be seen as random information. But the random information may make her think about atheists a little differently, and the polling results show that this is sorely needed in this country.
As for meaningless sayings (like “bless you” when you sneeze), I also agree that people say things without thinking, including “thank God you got here on time.” But when someone says “God bless you” when they thank you, I think it indicates religious belief. That’s the only reason I mentioned her comment.