I'm Just Trying to Walk Here

A while ago, a nurse who works with us had a baby girl. She and her husband were keeping the name secret until it could be announced to the gathering family. The next night when I came back to work, I asked what it was. Elizabeth.

I said, "I thought they would chose a Biblical name since her big brother's name is from the Bible."

Another nurse said, "How is Elizabeth a Biblical name?"

I laughed and explained to her then said, "How is that I, the nursery pagan, know this, but you, a professed Christian, do not?"

She laughed about it but another nurse asked me what I meant by pagan.

The nurse I was laughing with said, "Janet's an atheist."

And I cringed and said, "No, I am a non-theist."

I got the usual grilling: Aren't you afraid? Of what? Of going to hell? No. What about the Bible? What about it? It's been proven that it is the true word of God. Has it?

I don't call myself an atheist because there is a fallacy within the construct of the word. Without God. This implies that there is a god, but the person chooses not to follow/believe in that god.

I do not believe that there is a omniscient ethereal being watching over every aspect of every human beings life.

I do believe that some pretty astute and compassionate philosophers have constructed pathways to guide us on our life journeys.

If your path includes a god, that's cool. Mine doesn't. Why can't that be cool with you?

This is what it comes down to: we all just want to have a life where we can love, be loved, feel safe and contribute something worthwhile.

So just let me walk here. I'm not hurting anybody.