Blasphemy. It’s a funny matter. I’m an atheist. Have been since I was about thirteen. It was brought into major definition for me when my brother was born. I adore my brother – I always have – so don’t think I treated his appearance into the world as a clear sign of the non-existence of god. Because that just wouldn’t be true.
What really made me think about it was when he was Christened. I had never been Christened – my parents just hadn’t thought about it. It seemed to them like a strange thing to do, particularly as my mother was (at best) agnostic. But when my brother was Christened, there was a lot of pressure in my family for me to become the indentured bitch of the almighty alongside him. I was really quite resistant and I couldn’t figure out why. I sat down and I thought about my thoughts on god carefully and reasonably, and came to the conclusion that I didn’t believe in god at all. Not even a little bit.
I had to be Christened in the end. And a strange affair it was indeed. I’ve never been really very comfortable with it, and slightly resent being forced to do it, although I don’t blame my parents at all.
All of this, by the way, is by way of an extended excuse to link to Jesus Dress Up! – which is clearly blasphemous and entertaining and a bit dodgy.