"There is actually no such thing as atheism"

As I was discussing the topic of atheism and This Is Water by David Foster Wallace with a friend, he compared it to "beating a dead horse", a topic well worn, and that everything that can be said has been said about atheism. But, I think there is confusion needs clarification to help us better understand the difference between belief and worship.

"There is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship" -David Foster Wallace in This Is Water

While reading This Is Water by David Foster Wallace, the remark on atheism caught my attention, and made me refer back to the definition of atheism:

"[atheism is the] disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God of gods." -The Merriam Webster Dictionary

Atheism isn't about worship, it is about god, and belief in such a deity... or unbelief. As an atheist, I don't believe in god, therefore I don't worship anything in regards to my religion. The issue of atheism and worshipping is completely separate. If you believe in god, you can worship that said god, but that is because you believe in it/them.

Being an atheist means I am constantly misrepresented, misunderstood, even Wallace's statement shows this. Atheists are often painted as unmoral and lacking direction. What Wallace says is a reflection of a bigger issue, a question I face:

If I don't worship god, then who do I worship?

Yes, I think everyone does worship something, but everyone's something is different. Sometimes the something is somethings. I do think worship is a very specific and over dramatized way of saying that we are dedicated to things. I am dedicated to my success, I am dedicated to the success of my family, I am dedicated to find completion and happiness in my life. Do I worship this? I suppose.

Point is, I can be an atheist, still worship things, and still keep that separate from religion.

Being an atheist doesn't mean the absence of worship! I simply don't worship a god.

What Wallace said stood out to me, I respected what he said very much, and then he brought up religion in his work. It was then I felt Wallace didn't understand what he was saying about the belief I most identify with.

Call to action: Understand what you're saying and how much weight is carried in the words you speak. All I had to do was look up a dictionary definition and refute a statement I found offensive. If you are going to make a claim, think about how others will perceive it. Statements like what Wallace said was something I find discouraging and negative, and I think that everyone should be equally minded and know that what they say matters.