“I’m Catholic”
“I’m atheist”
“I’m Jewish”

Even if someone’s beliefs can’t be put under a specific religious category, everyone has their own opinion on how humans got here and how people should live their lives.  All of these different views come together to make a unique world, but religious differences have the potential to hurt or even end a relationship.

Because religious views generally have a great impact on a person’s lifestyle, differing views can cause conflict in relationships. An atheist may be incredibly uncomfortable if their significant other wanted to attend church every Sunday and prayed every day. Likewise, a person who is used to being involved in religious practices may feel like something is wrong with them if their boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t want to come with them to Bible study or other religious gatherings.

And then there’s the family. And the potential future family.
It can really become a hot mess of opinions, beliefs and arguments.

While this may be overwhelming for some, there are ways to cope with religious differences and make a relationship last. Taking turns attending religious practices can give both members of the relationship a look into a new religious lifestyle. Each person could take time discussing with the other what their religious views mean to them and what they do or do not want to do because of them. Essentially, a couple needs to reach a compromise that makes them both feel comfortable.

But sometimes a compromise may not be reached, and as hard as it is, you might have to let go. A dear friend just ended her relationship with her boyfriend of three years. She identifies with Christianity while he identifies with Atheism. She really wanted him to attend church with her and her family, and he felt that doing so was just buying into what he called “the mentality of organized religion.”  Most of their discussions about their religious differences ended up in arguments, and celebrating any religious holidays together made them both feel weird. Since they could not reach an agreement on these subjects, they chose to separate. After three long years.

Most of us don’t really consider religion when we’re looking for a mate, but we should. It’s hard to think about family and marriage when you’re making out with the boy you like from Anthro, but it’s even harder to realize how different your beliefs are when you’ve invested years into a relationship. And, sure, it’s 100% possible to be with someone who doesn’t believe the same things as you, but you definitely want to find that out before it’s too late.

And they have one? Who knew?

Today, December 23rd, is HumanLight. What is that? I have no idea, really, and either do the people celebrating it. It is supposed to be a family holiday, but because there is no set religion (and therefore, no set rules), people can choose to celebrate the holiday however they’d like.

All I know is this is another great reason to drink on a Tuesday. So, grab your holiday drink of choice and let’s pour one for our HumanLight celebrating homies!

Politically it is unfavorable, socially unacceptable and statistically unbelievable, but many American heroes wore the scarlet letter. Some people claim that the founding fathers of our nation were nearly all infidels including Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson and even Abraham Lincoln, stating that they had no direct belief in Christianity.

It wasn’t until the late 1950’s that “In God We Trust” became our national motto and was printed on paper currency to counteract “Godless“ communism. So if America wasn’t founded on Judeo Christian beliefs, where did these strong religious undertones come from, and why the hell is there a bible in every seedy motel in America…right beside the vibrating bed?

Next time you are on vacation open up that bible in your hotel and notice where it comes from. All bibles are distributed throughout American hotels by one specific organization. An evangelical society over a hundred years old founded by two traveling salesmen, Gideons International now makes sure 112 bibles per minute are distributed across the country. But it wasn’t until 1908 that numerous copies found their way into hotels, nursing homes and firehouses. Around the same time, “In God We Trust” was implemented on to our paper currency and “one nation under God” was put into the Pledge Of Allegiance. Originally, the piece contained no reference to any deity but when the threat of communism was plaguing America Eisenhower felt the need to instill religious values as a moral compass and symbol of national unity. Thus, blurring the lines of church and state.

Perhaps you have heard the saying: “There are no atheists in a foxhole”, but there are quite a few soldiers who beg to differ. As a result of Katie Couric recently evoking the statement on NBC’s Today, atheist civil rights groups are up in arms and after viewing The FX network’s “reality” docu-series 30 Days: An Atheist Among Christians, I learned a few important facts about America’s most oppressed non-religion:

Statistically, America is 75% Christian and as “one nation under God”, only 5% of our country is considered atheist. Shockingly, their approval and acceptance is lower than all other minorities, actually making the bottom of the list. When asked via survey, it has been discovered that American parents would rather their children marry any minority over someone with no faith in God or a supernatural power. When voting for president, women, homosexuals, and other minority groups had a higher approval rating than a candidate that was a non-believer.

The question is: Why are we so intimidated by non-believers and can we eliminate the great divide?

Atheists are not moral deviants nor does their belief give them an ethical carte blanche to wreak havoc on society. They are simply defined as people who hold no belief in a higher power, people who believe that in death existence is terminated. For some reason, the most scientific way of seeking truth in the world is tossed aside for supernatural mythology. There is nothing wrong with committing to a religion, but you would think something faith based would be more taboo than the rationalization of science.

Many people maintain that politics and religion are personal topics to steer clear of in passing conversation. But an open social dialogue is what keeps people informed and can be an open door to different points of view. Yes, saying “I am an atheist” is a dicey move, you may even get a blank stare from the crowd across the room, but it is important not to compromise your beliefs for acceptance. Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, Bjork, Roseanne, Bill Maher, Howard Stern, Lance Armstrong, Kathy Griffin, Ray Romano and Billy Joel have all professed their disbelief in organized religion and proclaimed themselves members of this highly controversial system of thinking.

Woody Allen, a devout atheist once said; “Not only is God dead but try getting a plumber on weekends.”

Amen to that…or woman for that matter.