Guest post by Inquisitive Quandary

I recently met and started talking with Inquisitive Quandary on Twitter. I really like what they have to say about secularism, and I invited them to share some thoughts on my blog. Here’s what IQ has to say:

Hello Christy, thanks for the opportunity to share my story.   First off, the initials for my username, “IQ,” were unintentional. The name Inquisitive Quandary was intended to reflect the importance of not just questioning the things that perplex us the most, but questioning the very questions we ask ourselves.   

I’m no genius, nor do I dare assume intellectual superiority to anyone I come across. We all decide our own level of ignorance. Don’t be afraid to be wrong.  

I agree it seems mundane to question ourselves on the fundamentals we all take for granted – even the most basic concepts such as what you believe makes you, you. What do I like? Why? At a glance it sounds trivial, but how do you plan to really respect others’ desires if you don’t fully understand your own?   

I’ve spent the better part of my adult life trying to separate myself from the atrocious mind traps of vanity, fashion, masculinity, racism and even “common sense ”       

So while I don’t necessarily have a spectacular deconversion story, it is my decision to stand up and speak out against absurdity that best defines me. I’ve been openly atheist for most of my life, but it is the activist in me that has been recently awoken. My family is falling further and further into the grips of religion and I can no longer hold my tongue. Please don’t confuse my being incognito for cowardice.    

I couldn’t imagine leaving my family over something like a conflict of ideas. Never give up on the ones you love, no matter the cost. It is the adoption of secular humanism that has allowed me to see past the labels we all wear on our sleeve and see the world and the people in it in a much better way.    

Through the trolling, ignorance, and hatred lies a real person who’s just been misled. It’s reasonable to admit there are many that are unaware or unwilling to change. All we can do is try. Indifference has only ever had one outcome. So if I have to change the world to save my family or at least one person from bad ideas, I’ve got better odds than doing nothing.    

So if you value freedom of the mind,    

If you value compassion,    

If you value unity and community,   

Stand up and speak out! Let’s go change the world one good idea, one good person at a time. Consider, that’s the only way it’s ever happened.            

Thank you for your time – IQ