Infectious Logic: Why Your Wonderfully Unsaved 

Existence Terrifies the Pious

If you’ve ever politely refused a prayer circle, casually mentioned that your Sunday mornings are reserved for actually sleeping, or watched a well-meaning relative’s face crumple upon hearing the word atheism, then you know the drill.

Your simple, reasoned disbelief is often met with the kind of wide-eyed panic usually reserved for finding a mouse in the kitchen. And why? Because the default assumption is that atheists are morally bankrupt, tragically sad, and desperately searching for the sacred comfort blanket they threw away.

Let me stop you right there, friend.

Stop letting others project their fears onto your truth.

That discomfort you see in their eyes? That frantic desire to save you, correct you, or, failing that, label you? It’s rarely about you. It’s about the unspoken, terrifying doubt your peaceful, functional, and demonstrably non-evil life reflects back at them. If you can be good without the fear of hell or the promise of heaven, what does that say about the true foundation of their goodness?

That, my friends, is a threat to their entire communal comfort zone. And when that happens, they grab the nearest spiritual weapon: The Stereotype.

Welcome to the blog for the wonderfully unsaved. This is the Secular Strike Back podcast’s official blog. I’m here to tell you that celebrating your evidence-based existence is a revolutionary act. Let’s dissect the five spectacular misperceptions about atheists and remind ourselves that our moral compass, built on empathy and logic, doesn't need a divine blueprint.

The Mechanism of Fear: Why We Are Targeted

Before we tackle the myths, we need to understand the source. Many adherents of Christianity (and other dogmatic faiths) rely on a foundational narrative: Without God, life is chaos and meaninglessness. Your successful, ethical life directly contradicts this required chaos.

When someone attempts to silence you, convert you, or engage in outright Christian gaslighting—suggesting your logic is flawed just because it defies their feeling—they are engaging in Christian projection. They fear the fragility of their own belief system and attribute their own potential for chaos onto the person who dared to think critically.

They call your conviction "infectious logic" intending it as an insult, but I say: wear that badge proudly. Your secular reasoning is a threat because it proves that goodness exists outside their narrative.

Five Spectacular Myths That Need a Reality Check

The intellectual honesty required to be a genuine atheist is profound. It’s not simply shrugging off a dogma; it’s choosing a path of continuous critical thought and accepting the beautiful complexity of the universe without easy answers.

Yet, we are constantly bombarded with tired, worn-out assumptions that make me want to pour myself a stiff drink (or maybe just point them toward a book on basic philosophy).

Here are the magnificent five stereotypes we need to decommission:

1. The Myth of Mandatory Immorality (or: "So, why don't you rob banks?")

This is the classic, the patron saint of terrible arguments. The assumption is that if we don't fear an invisible celestial dictator, we must descend into hedonism, chaos, and general criminality.

This stereotype reveals more about the speaker’s self-control (or lack thereof) than it does about the atheist.

“If the only thing stopping you from being a terrible person is the fear of eternal punishment, then frankly, I’m glad I don’t share an elevator with you.”

The Reality Check: Our morality is not outsourced. It is rooted in empathy, societal contracts, and a deeply reasoned understanding that causing unnecessary suffering is detrimental to ourselves and the only world we know we have. When you base your actions on the measurable impact they have on living beings, your ethics become far more robust than those based on following arbitrary ancient rules. Our secular ethics are intrinsic, not transactional.

2. The Bitter Rebellion Myth

Ah, the "Mad at God" trope. This chestnut suggests that every atheist is merely a rebellious exchristian, stomping their feet because God didn't grant their parking space or save their goldfish.

This is a lazy attempt to dismiss critical thinking as mere emotional baggage. They can’t grasp the possibility that we simply do not believe because the evidence is lacking. They need a narrative of pain or rebellion to justify their rejection of our reasoned worldview.

The Reality Check: True atheism is not rooted in bitterness or rebellion. It is rooted in intellectual honesty. We didn’t choose disbelief; the evidence and reason guided us there. Once you’ve internalized the power of reasoning skills, it becomes impossible to unknow what you’ve learned. I’m not angry at the concept of Zeus, and I’m equally un-angry at the concept of the Christian God. I simply recognize them both as products of human imagination.

3. The Absurdity of Hating a Non-Existent Deity

This is closely related to the rebellion myth. How many times have you been told, "You hate God so much!"?

Excuse me while I experience a moment of existential cringe. This is like accusing me of "hating" a unicorn or being "furious" with Santa Claus for not bringing me a pony. If I don't believe something exists, how can I spend emotional energy hating it?

The Reality Check: When Christians accuse us of "hating God," they are projecting their own deeply emotional attachment and sense of betrayal experienced by those who have left the faith. Our position is one of intellectual negation, not emotional warfare. If anything, what we critique is the institution of Christianity and its harmful ethical outcomes, not the non-existent figurehead.

4. The Soul-Crushing Nihilist Stereotype

If atheists don't believe in heaven, eternal reward, and a grand divine plan, then surely, we must find life utterly meaningless, right? The narrative is that we must be sad, hopeless, vacant shells marching toward the grave without purpose.

This is perhaps the most tragic projection of all. Many believers require the promise of eternity to justify the suffering of this life. They cannot fathom finding meaning and profound joy in the finite.

The Reality Check: Quite the opposite. Because we know this is the only life we have, it becomes infinitely precious. Meaning is not given to us; it is created by us. We find profound meaning in shared humanity, the pursuit of knowledge, the beauty of the natural world demonstrated by evidence, and fostering genuine connections. Our purpose is the legacy we leave for future generations, not the score we accrue for a ticket into the VIP section of the afterlife.

5. The Covert Missionary (Secretly Believing)

This is the most insidious form of Christian gaslighting. When they can't convert you, they resort to the whisper: "Deep down, you know God is real. You're just resisting him."

This is the ultimate refusal to accept your conviction. They suggest dedication to secular reasoning and evidence is just a temporary phase, a mask covering deep-seated, undeniable truth. It's a way to maintain the illusion that everyone inherently believes, and that non-belief is merely a tragic error.

The Reality Check: My conviction is that I have reached my conclusions through rigorous self-examination, vast reading, and honest engagement with reality. My disbelief is not a feeling I am fighting; it is a position I have intellectually arrived at. When others try to invalidate this, remember: they are trying to protect their communal comfort by refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the opposing viewpoint. This is a classic symptom of atheist discrimination disguised as concern.

Stay Skeptical, Embrace the Chaos

What we are witnessing is a collision between absolute certainty and intellectual curiosity. And guess which one tends to win in the long run?

Your presence, your reasoned kindness, and your success without divine instruction are inherently disruptive. The chaos your presence inspires is not your fault; it is the sound of a rigid narrative snapping.

As atheists, exchristians, and skeptics, we have chosen the harder path—the path of evidence over faith, empathy over dogma, and genuine, earned goodness over rule-following. We understand that true secular ethics demand more of us, not less. We have to work to be good, because there’s no cosmic reset button or promised reward.

When we are accused of lacking a moral compass, we can stand firm on our demonstrable actions.

Your integrity is not for sale, and certainly not for rent to an imaginary landlord.

Conclusion: The Power of Reason

To my fellow deconstructors, skeptics, and happily unsaved: You are not anomalies. You are the product of robust critical thinking and a commitment to truth, wherever it may lead.

The next time someone attempts to shoehorn you into one of these tired stereotypes, take a breath. Recognize that their fear is often a reflection of their own hidden doubts. See it as a chance to be a bridge, to demonstrate that a life based on evidence and humanity is not sad or sinister, but vibrant and profoundly meaningful.

Own your conviction. Embrace the power of reason. Let your thoughtful neighborly conversation be the proof that understanding different worldviews can be a bridge, not a threat.

Celebrating your wonderfully unsaved existence is, in fact, the most revolutionary act of all.

Call to Action:

Ready to dismantle more toxic narratives and laugh about the absurdity of it all? Join the conversation! What is the single most ridiculous stereotype you’ve had projected onto you? Don’t forget to subscribe to Secular Strike Back’s YouTube channel, and subscribe to our newsletter on our official Secular Strike Back website for more discussions on secular reasoning, atheist discrimination, and the joy of life without gods.

Sincerely,

Kim McPhail

Host of Secular Strike Back