The Robber Barrons

At Beth and Ann's send off a few weeks ago (Labor day gasp!), we (Leslie, Erica, Ann, Ann's friend Christy? and I) were discussing atheism and charity, lamenting that a good-hearted atheist didn't have many options for donating money that wasn't directly linked to a religious organization. We, the good-hearted atheists, want to help, we do, but we don't want our charity or volunteer hours tied to a ideological system that works against many of the things we believe it. It is hard to decide when and how to disclose that you're an atheist to someone. Most people seem shocked when I tell them I am an atheist, inspecting me closer like they will find a tail or the mark of the beast. Note to crazies: I can't worship Satan (God's first fallen Angel) without believing in God.

We moved to the subject of new Atheist churches springing up in urban centers across the country, including one here in Denver. We want a sense of community and a place to turn in times of crisis. We want a place to channel our resources to build something bigger than ourselves. We may even want to attend church picnics or raffles and have a place to take our kids after school. We are moral, decent people who want to be around other moral, decent people, but we don't want that tied to religious doctrine. We do right because we should, not because we believe our reward is in heaven.

I'm reading an NYTimes article about the new golden age of philanthropy. Interesting line - Put them together with Andrew Carnegie, famous for his freethinking, and three of the four greatest American philanthropists have been atheists or agnostics. (The exception is John D. Rockefeller.)

Check that out. Go atheists.