The Atheist Christian

I was out having a beer or three with a very good friend this evening. He's been having a rough time of late; he is plagued by anger-fueled self loathing, and I was simply there to provide an empathetic ear. (and beer.) He had just finished a tear about how he feels compelled to punish himself and hurt those he is angry at by hurting himself when, uncensored by conscious thought, I shocked myself by saying "dude, what you need is redemption."

He gave me a look that mirrored my own astonishment. It sounded like something a TV preacher might say, but without the "dude". At the same time, I knew I was right.

Redemption is the thing that christian philosophy has over all the others. Redemption. Forgiveness. It is powerful, transformative. The turning away from your more selfish/animal nature and choosing to live by compassion and concern for others. The idea that your wrongs or others' need not be avenged. The idea that you do not have to drag around all that hurt and rage from you past like a big bag of rocks; that you can put it down, learn from it and move forward. The idea that if you hate who you are, you do not have to continue to be that person; you can choose to be a new person, reborn from the old. You can choose a different path.

Choose! Redemption is a choice. Forgiveness is a choice. Its never too late.


dude.