Bumper Stickers

Do you have any atheist or humanist bumper stickers on your car? I have a few.

I just dropped my daughter off at school and another parent saw my bumper stickers. He approached me and he had a bumper sticker in his hand — a red atom with an atheist “A”. He showed it to me and said he is too afraid to put it on his car. It was really sad.

I told him I liked the sticker and he walked away as I got my daughter out of the car. 

I wish I would have said more. Other than a couple of people shaking their heads in the grocery store parking lot, I haven’t had any problems with the bumper stickers on my car. I should have told him that.

I’m not a talkative or social person, but I really regret not saying anything. Maybe I’ll see him another time. 

Come on, Toledo! We shouldn’t have to be afraid!

Have you ever had problems with the bumper stickers on your car?

Atheism and My Eating Disorder Recovery

I am currently working on a memoir about mental health and atheism, and I love sharing bits and pieces when I can. Today I want to share about my eating disorder recovery — something very relevant to my present-day life.

I’ve been very vocal about how becoming an atheist had a profound effect on my recovery from schizoaffective disorder. It made me come to terms with my psychotic symptoms, trust the science behind my medications, and keeps me grounded to this day. These are all very noticeable effects and I tend to focus on my schizoaffective disorder when I talk about mental health.

However, I have also struggled with an eating disorder since the 6th grade and I find that much harder to talk about. There’s a lot of shame associated with it and it’s an issue I am still struggling with now. I recently returned to treatment for my eating disorder and it’s been very difficult.

My atheism doesn’t just affect my recovery from schizoaffective disorder; it has also helped me sort through my feelings and behaviors associated with my eating disorder.

For example, I know no one is to blame. Not god. Not the devil. Not my family. Not even myself. There are often many factors that cause and fuel an eating disorder and religious teachings have no place in that explanation. 

I also know my recovery is up to me and no one else. I need support, but it will be my own hard work — not god — that gets me out of this mess. Forget about prayer and believe in yourself. 

Eating disorders are complicated mental illnesses that need comprehensive treatment backed by science and research. They are hard on the body as well as the mind. When I recently returned to treatment, I had an appointment with a gastroenterologist the same week as my first therapy appointment. Since then I’ve had several tests and procedures done. You have to attack an eating disorder on all fronts and that often means trusting your doctors and science. God isn’t going to heal you.

Being an atheist also motivates me in recovery. I know we get this one short life and there’s nothing after it, so I want better for myself.

I am definitely a work in progress and my recovery from my eating disorder has been hard. But I’m still here — going to all of my appointments, challenging my thoughts, and trying to live a healthier life. I am glad being an atheist has given me a healthy perspective on recovery as well as life. I know I’m going to make it. 

 

I discuss my eating disorder quite a bit in my upcoming memoir. More details to come!

Update/Speaking Engagements/New Poem

I am working hard on my memoir and new poetry. I can’t wait to share more with you as the projects come along!

A couple of speaking engagements I had planned needed to be rescheduled. The new dates are:

Dec. 19th — Humanist Community of Silicon Valley
Jan. 23rd — Fellowship of Freethinkers Dallas

My speaking engagements are about my books — poetry and mental health from an atheist perspective. If you have a group that would be interested in a presentation, please let me know!

 

Here’s a fun new poem I’m working on:

 

Meant to Be

On this cold December day,
heat radiates where my thighs meet
ignited by your sugar sweet lips.
Can you taste my bliss?

Let your love flow through me
like a river of honey and salt.
I’ll swallow your desire whole
even if you tie me down.

Kiss our future
because we’re ten miles from yesterday
and nipping at the heels of tomorrow.
Move forward from here.

Societal duty or seal of passion?
Put a ring on my finger
and call it a day.
I knew by the end it was meant to be.

Let me fix my lipstick
so we can rejoin the party.
With a pair of gold stilettos
I leave my footprints in the snow.

 

My poetry book, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy, gives an atheist perspective on being a Midwest Mom. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. (Signed copies are available at freethoughthouse.com.)

I am also available for speaking engagements.

How do you respect others’ beliefs?

Let me start this post by saying I’m doing my best to not be a dick about things, but I do have some honest questions.

Do you respect others’ beliefs? What does that look like?

This weekend I am giving a presentation to a Unitarian Universalist church promoting my books. At this church, there are many different beliefs — atheists, humanists, Christians, Wiccans, etc. I was told that they all respect each other. I am very curious to see what this church is like. 

Do any of you have experience with UU churches?

Is it possible to respect others’ beliefs? Do you just avoid the topic? Is avoiding the topic part of that respect?

Sometimes when I hear of someone’s religious beliefs or affiliations my perspective of that person changes — and I’m sure others feel the same about me.

Living in the US I often see the religious right infringing on the rights of others and attempting to dismantle the separation of church and state. They dismiss health issues, LGBT and women’s rights, and deny science. In these circumstances, a vocal few are affecting the lives of many. 

How do you respect people with those beliefs?

Are there good Christians out there? How do you “live and let live” with sayings like “hate the sin and love the sinner”. Does that ever really happen?

Is it possible to separate a person from their religious beliefs in the way that you view them? Strip everyone down to being merely human?

I would like to think so and I feel it is something I need to work on. 

 

I’m very excited about the presentation this weekend and I look forward to learning more about this group at the UU church. I think it will be a good experience.