Home » Blogs » Jesterspace's blog

I'm the kind of person he wrote this for..

Jesterspace's picture
Submitted by Jesterspace on October 31, 2006 - 4:07am.

"I'm writing for the kind of person who would rather the doctor told them the truth."

This quote from Richard Dawkins rang true to me. I was in a similar situation a few years back. I was hospitalized. At the time no one was sure exactly what was wrong with me. We had narrowed it down to either a tapeworm ova or a neurological condition. I had done some research, and was pretty sure it was a neurological. My doctor was hoping for the tapwworm (Honestly, because if it was, it was curable - in my opinion). While I was lying in the bed, the priest was wandering around, doing communion. When he came to me and asked me if I wanted his assistance, I just smiled. 'Sir, I thank you for wanting to help. But if you really want to help, go find me a doctor. I have some questions for him.'

'Do you desire communion?'

'No.. those wafers are far from filling.' (fighting the urge to call them crackers or ask for Nacho-cheese flavor)

'Do you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?'

'You didn't read my profile, did you?'

'Um.. no.. it's been hectic today..'

'True.' (We had just gotten power back from the 'Great Blackout' of 2003. - as an aside, that was one of the glimmers of hope for the species. There were no mass riots, very few lootings, and we all just DEALT with it. A lot better than Katrina) 'But you should know, I am an Atheist. So I will not be needing connuniuon, prayers, or novenas.'

He looked at me quizzically. 'Don't you fear Hell?'

'Which one? The one with Purgatory and Limbo? The Lake of Fire? The absence of god?'

At which point, my neurologist came in.

'Excuse me. The one who can help me in THIS life is here. We can continue this later if you want'

The minister left. The doctor shook his head and smiled. 'Poor guy.. that's the third person who did that to him today.'

'Hopefully it'll happen more. So.. what's the diagnosis?

I guess I am the kind of person Dawkins wrote this book for.

"Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a dissolute imagination the like of which has never been seen, atheistic to the point of fanaticism, there you have me in a nutshell.... Kill me again or take me as I am, for I shall not change.

»

Oh man I almost hurt myself

Submitted by Voided on October 31, 2006 - 4:56am.

Oh man I almost hurt myself laughing at the doctors response.

On another not I hope you're doing as well as you can with whatever was going on.

Jesterspace's picture

Much better

Submitted by Jesterspace on October 31, 2006 - 6:19am.

I am. What's going on is Multiple Sclerosis. I had an exacerbation and spent most of the summer in the hospital this year. Now I work doing peer councilling for the MS Society. I recently was able to walk with just a cane. A great improvement over parapelegia over the summer. My aunt told me 'It's a miracle!' I responded with 'Wow.. so science had nothing to do with it? Because I never knew you could get a miracle in an IV line..'

Old religious Italian. She dosen't talk to me about religion anymore. thumbs up

One advantage.. my mother has broken away from HER catholic delusion due to this. She's seen me fight this, both personally, and seeing me help others with it. And I 'came out' as an Atheist to her before the MS hit. At first, she thought it was because of some 'sin'. Then I introduced her to one of the ladies I work with. Thr most devout and 'pure' catholic I've ever seen. She has it too. One night after dinner she said to me 'How do you live without god?' To which I responded 'The same way we all do. It's the nature of life to live'. So I sent her the google video 'The root of all evil'. That cinched it. I'm really proud that I was able to free a family member. Best thing is, she has stopped blaming herself for my illness. And that allowed her to accept and go on. So indirectly, my MS helped her be cured of Theism thumbs up

"Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a dissolute imagination the like of which has never been seen, atheistic to the point of fanaticism, there you have me in a nutshell.... Kill me again or take me as I am, for I shall not change.

Hambydammit's picture

I admire you.

Submitted by Hambydammit on October 31, 2006 - 6:40am.

I admire you.

Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin

http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism

Wow, way to turn around an

Submitted by Voided on October 31, 2006 - 7:09am.

Wow, way to turn around an old standard out of the conversion tool box, I wonder if I would have thought of such a thing myself. This is a really cool story man.

Jesterspace's picture

Thank you. When the people

Submitted by Jesterspace on October 31, 2006 - 9:36am.

Thank you. When the people who use their brains say that to me, it means something.

Jesterspace's picture

I'm an Atheist, not a miracle worker

Submitted by Jesterspace on October 31, 2006 - 9:47am.

II've said it before.. 'Sometimes, reality throws you a bone'. And I had motivation. I saw the woman who raised me right suffering for something that wasn't her fault. I couldn't just let her torture herself. And the aunt was a nosy busybody and deserved a swift kick in the theology. I'm pretty fortunate. My sister never really got hooked, nor I. And with my mother free, I have great hope for my neice and nephew. Now if we could just get him off his Yu-Gi-Oh addiction.. But THAT one, I paraphrase Dr. Leonard McCoy 'I'm an Atheist, not a miracle worker.'

Looking back at that line, the irony of it hit me like a wet trout to the forebrain wtf

"Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a dissolute imagination the like of which has never been seen, atheistic to the point of fanaticism, there you have me in a nutshell.... Kill me again or take me as I am, for I shall not change.