to see that religion has become more of a staple of how "cool" someone is than a belief. I especially love how the mainstay of american counter-culture is either Atheism or Satanism. Of all the Atheists or Satanists, I'm guessing the vast majority were raised by Christian parents. I'll also almost assure you that a vast majority within that group did it as nothing more than an attempt to stand out. If you're trying to stand out, why fit the mold at all? Fuck Atheism and Satanism, they aren't hardcore enough for you, you individual, you. I mean seriously, why do it half-assed? If you're trying to base who you are on your false faith and beliefs then go the distance! Become Sikhist, become Zoroastrianist, become something way the fuck out there.

It isn't like you'll be a true member of that religion in any case. You'd just be Sikhist as an overlay of supposed Atheism as an overlay of Christianity. If you really believe that there is no God, if you really believe in Satanism, then explain your religion to me. In fact, don't. Your beliefs are just as valid to you as mine are to myself. They don't need explaining.

However, I don't honestly care if you're Satanist, or if you're Atheist, or any of it. Believe what you want to believe, but believe it. Don't stand in line at Food Lion and have a conversation with a bunch of your goth kiddie friends about how Atheism is "cool". Don't say that Satanism is "awesome". Effectively, if you're one of these people, I'm sure you think to yourself "Gotta tell Jimmy I'm Satanist so that he thinks I'm kewl, but oh my goodness if mommy finds out, no T.V. for a week!"

Rant off. If you ever go into Food Lion and see a bunch of goth kids standing in line talking, don't listen. Go to another line. They will make you stereotype all goths as idiots.

As an edit, I'm not trying to discredit anyone's religion or lack thereof. Your omniscient, omnipresent, intangible God is just as valid as my omniscient, omnipresent, intangible God. You're Atheist? Fine, but be one, don't do it to fit in. You're some other religion - Satanist, that long one I don't feel like copying and pasting, I don't care. It's just as valid as my religion. The moral of this story is - choosing a religion based on how many of your friends are or aren't part of it... that's right up there with lighting yourself on fire because the neighbor did or didn't.

As a second edit, the second paragraph is aimed at people who have chosen a religion for the cool factor. I didn't mean, and don't mean to imply that everyone follows a religion solely for that reason - rational thought tells us if that were true, religion wouldn't exist.

What I effectively tried to get across with this is that while not everyone who chooses an alternative religion (by that I mean a religion aside from the one you were raised on) I'm certain that far and away you'll see plenty more people choose an alternative religion of any kind to stand out than is reasonable. I just think that it's rather ignorant and stupid.

If I've offended anyone, I didn't mean to. I'm not trying to say anyone's religion is baseless. You could create your own religion for all I care, just so long as it has personal value to you and isn't simply to say "Yeah, I'm part of my religion. I created it. Isn't that cool?".

The best comparison I can think of is, wouldn't you think it rather stupid of someone to choose a sexuality solely for the sake of being cool, or standing out? Exactly. Now apply that to religion. Isn't it stupid? Not everyone does, but when they do, I just think it's stupid.