This is the third installment of a 13-part series exploring the Atheopagan Principles, as described in my essay “Godless Heathen“. To read the whole series, click the tag “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud at right.

Principle 3 of Atheopaganism is, I am grateful. But constraints of language make even this seemingly simple concept obscure and confusing. Grateful for what? When? All the time? How is that possible?

This is because “grateful” is an adjective, and as such appears to describe a quality to characterize a person: Bob is red-haired, blue-eyed, right-handed, and grateful. Right?

The way the English language addresses gratitude implies that it is something you either are or aren’t, like being tone deaf or French or coffee-colored. But that isn’t correct.

Gratitude is something you do. If it weren’t bad English, Principle 3 would be, “I DO gratitude”.

Gratitude is a way of filtering and interpreting information…