Over
the last couple of years I came to the realization that I am an atheist. I
simply do not agree with organized religion. Any organized religion. I might
have briefly flirted with a few polytheistic pagan beliefs but that was
probably just a phase. And you know what? I don’t miss it for a second.
Religion is supposed to be where people get their moral center. Where they
derive a sense of right and wrong. But looking back on my life and the moments
where I learned the life lessons that guided me through life I find very few,
if any, of them have to do with the teachings of religion.
So
you might be assuming that without religion teaching me moral beliefs that I
must be some cannibalistic murdering sociopath. Nope, sorry to disappoint. I
don’t steal, have never murdered, and really don’t plan on doing so anytime
soon. I love and respect both my parents. In short I am still a moral person.
But where did I get these morals? Well, the simple answer is movies, sci-fi and
comic books. Not only do I follow the examples of these works but I can
certainly quote them far more easily than I could any Bible verse.
“With
Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility.” If you have ever read a Spider-Man
comic then you are all to familiar with this phrase. It first appeared at the
end of Amazing Fantasy #15, which
featured the first appearance of Spider-Man. Specifically this phrase refers to
the fact that Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, had the chance to stop a petty
crook but didn’t and then that petty crook went on to kill his beloved Uncle
Ben. And so it became a mantra for Spider-Man that has guided the character
since his inception. And to me I find it a valuable lesson to carry with me in
my own life. Even without the “great power”, I still have the responsibility to
act in my own life to help my fellow man. 
“Do
or do not, there is no try.” To be honest, the Star Wars Trilogy (the original,
not the prequels) has a whole slew of good advice on how someone should live
their life, but this is probably the one that I quote the most. Those few words
from the Jedi Master Yoda seem to have the power to inspire action when all
else seems to be against you. You will either succeed or fail so you must give
your full attention an effort to a task in order to succeed. This goes along
with Luke’s reaction to Yoda lifting the X-Wing from the swamp. “I don’t
believe it” to which Yoda replies “And that is why you fail.” If you do not
believe you will succeed then chances are you won’t.
“Don’t
Panic!” Anyone who has ever read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the
many book sequels it spawned should recognize those are the two words that
adorn the cover of said guide. No matter where you are or what you are doing
you should not panic and the guide constantly reminds you of this fact. It’s a
simple idea but one I think is important. Any given day I think of the many
things that bother me and realize that they are all insignificant if I simply
do not panic and deal with them.
“When
you’ve eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be
the truth.” Those words were spoken by perhaps the most famous literary
character ever and influencer of so many geeks, Sherlock Holmes. And when you
think about it, it’s not a bad way to observe the world. There are so many
amazing things that exist in this world and we should explore them, but at the
same time remain grounded in reality (I know, I’m a hypocrite for even
suggesting that).
While
there are any number of additional quotes I could use to show the morals I’ve
gained from comic books, instead I am going to just use the entire Justice
League as an example of how to behave in life. One should strive to be as noble
as Superman, as quick of wit as the Flash, as tough as Batman, as compassionate
as Wonder Woman, as insightful as Martian Manhunter and as creative as Green
Lantern. If I can strive to be any of those on any given day, I feel like I’m
doing pretty well.
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