The Page and its Symbolism

I thought that it would be good to explain a little about the site and the meaning behind a few things that haven’t been explained yet, because the design of the site is not without purpose. This message is meant to explain four things about the design and concept of the site itself, and what the purpose and meaning of those things are. First, I will discuss why the Sith were chosen to be the focus of this ideology. Second, I will explain why I have chosen the colors for the site that I have chosen. Thirdly, I will explain what the quote at the top is supposed to mean, and lastly what the eyes are supposed to represent.

So then, first, why the Sith? There are a few really good reasons why the Sith were chosen. The first, is that it is a shot fired back at the religious community. When I learned that there was a Jedi church, at first I thought it was ridiculous. Then I came to realize that it makes just as much sense as any other religion, and perhaps more so. So for an atheist ideology, something completely nonreligious, the Sith became the obvious choice. Another reason is that the Sith are viewed in a very negative way, as are atheists by the religious communities. They are terribly misrepresented.

But wait, some may say, aren’t the Sith truly the "bad guys"? While, they are certainly presented that way, you can see that the code of the Sith itself is not inherently evil, though in fiction it has been used to perpetrate evil. So then, I thought it would be a positive thing to reclaim some of that ideology, show it in a positive manner, and show the great potential that it holds. That is why the Sith were chosen. So then, why the color scheme? This is extremely simple to explain, so I’ll sum it up quickly. I find it visually appealing, and also, red and black are generally considered to be the Sith color scheme. Beyond that, they are considered darker in theme, and there is quite a bit of metaphor at work here.

The quote at the top is a reflective of an idea that I had when I was coming out of religious belief. I was a hardcore fundamentalist Christian, a "spirit filled", born again creationist… the whole nine yards. As I broke free of those chains, and reached the point where I was truly an atheist, I went into a deep depression. In my mind, I had lost god, who was my friend and ally, I had lost all purpose and direction, and I had lost heaven. This also meant that everyone I had ever lost was suddenly lost to me all over again. I would not see them in the afterlife. I couldn’t imagine how I would live in a world without god. The quote at the top of the page illustrates the nature of my journey through what I thought was a dark world without the crutch of god that I had come to depend on for so much.

"Out there in the darkness, I thought that I would be lost forever… but once my eyes adjusted, I found, much to my surprise, that within this darkness, I had discovered hope.” Once I found that hope, the supposed "light" that I had lived in before seemed so very dim by comparison. I had never felt so alive, so empowered, so fulfilled… there was no comparison. This also ties into one of the reasons for choosing the Sith and the color scheme. It revolves around darkness, and that is how we are perceived as atheists by the believing world. We are in the darkness, and for many of them, we are the darkness itself.

So then, why embrace such a view of ourselves? First, because most believers will never see us differently; they can’t, because their views make such impossible for them. The second reason, and to me, the more important reason is that we know the truth. The darkness that they speak of is a place filled with wonder, freedom, and joy, a view of our existence much more full of life and understanding than they could possibly know. It is a satire and constant reminder of the views held about us, and I believe it helps us to see the views of those believers with a bit of pity.

Finally, what are the eyes? Some of you may recognize them, others will not. The eyes are an anime reference, and they were chosen with very specific intent. The eyes are attributed with many abilities, but the reason I chose them was because of their ability to see through illusions. These eyes are attributed with the ability to see through that which is not real. In addition, one of the major characters that possesses these eyes speaks in some depth about the nature of reality, and about how our beliefs shape the world in which we live, and how those beliefs can shape our reality.

This idea is not only thought provoking, but speaks to the nature of coming from a religious viewpoint to an atheist viewpoint, and how our reality changes because of that. Those who have never been religious may not understand this quite as fully, but I doubt that it will stop them from appreciating the idea of it. Our beliefs have a large part in shaping our reality, and our ability to see through the illusions created by religion allow us to see an incredible world that those chained by their faith will never be able to see.