Beliefs are not just beliefs that we can keep to ourselves. What we believe impact on how we act, behave and in a democratic society, our beliefs determine the leaders we vote for. Having the right and the freedom to believe in whatever we want comes with great responsibility. We can believe in anything we want, but we have an obligation to justify our beliefs to other people because it impacts their lives and well-being. Likewise they have a duty to justify theirs to us, because what they choose to believe in, also affects our lives and our well-being.

For example, if a woman and has just been raped and impregnated by a rapist and she would like to abort the baby, her right to choose to abort the pregnancy or not, will be impeded if the laws are set up by politicians who, because of their religious beliefs, believe that abortion is evil. Religions must and should justify and prove, if possible, that their beliefs are divine, imposed by an almighty God. Unless these beliefs come from divine origins, then we have no good reason to oppress individuals with our beliefs.

We can choose to believe in anything we want to comfort us and to console us. We can choose to believe that we are healthy even if our doctors tell us that there are cancer cells growing in our bodies. A wife can choose to believe that her relationships is secure even though she frequently finds lipstick marks and female perfume on her husbands shirt, who keeps telling her that his work keeps making him work long hours. We can choose to believe that our investments are safe despite evidence of financial markets collapsing around us. We can believe in ideas that comfort or console us but whether they are good or right for us, is a different matter.

What we choose to believe is not necessarily true and they may not necessarily be what are good for us.

In short, I feel it is important.

Many people have little or no understanding of religion, science and evolution. Many people are religious but they only see their religion from the perspective that their leaders want them to see. There is so much information that is being filtered for people: information that can shock, surprise or inspire people. Yet, I feel that the media, because they are profit-oriented companies, has a bias towards engaging in activities that are profitable. As a result, I feel they have become largely advertising machines, mainly publishing stories and ideas that are 'safe', 'sterile' and 'old'. I am doing this because I feel it is important for me to provide information that balances out the bias of information that exists out there.

My parents have been bothering me for several months now about how I turned atheist and it's getting out of hand. They talk to me for sometimes hours a night and don't listen to any of my arguments, but want me to listen them. I'm forced to go to church and they want me to take communion.

My grandma is very religious and she's just going crazy, she just wants me to "accept that there is just some things I don't know". My Dad always says that all atheists are negative because he says all the atheists he met were. My parents always say "you're just 14" and "we've been on the earth for a long time and I've seen the lord". God it's annoying.

Now my parents want to take away all my things, internet, video games, etc. because I "need to get focused". They think they can force me to believe. I can't show them some articles about myths about atheism because they'll punish me for sure. They're making my life very miserable and they blame my unhappiness in my atheism.

My Dad is also about to go to extreme measures like therapy and sending me to another school, A JESUS SCHOOL. They also think just because they're medical doctors they know everything and every time I prove them wrong they ignore me. Please, I want help, you guys have to do something, I don't care what it is, get me out of this hell. I choose to email you because you brought up what I always try to say, but they don't listen.