I couldn’t help notice over the last few days a number of stories I saw online about a famous character has now been declared an atheist. Its not something anyone should find unusual: think of all of the television shows where one or more of the lead characters are portrayed as non-believers. That’s good in my opinion because it normalizes in peoples minds that yes, there are atheists in the world.

What I found most interesting about the stories I had read though, was that the character being written about is Batman. Yes, a fictional character, like those on television, but more so, a comic book character. I read no less than 5 different headlines about this announcement over the past few days.

I don’t view this revelation from the publisher as being harmful to the character at all. Were there actually readers and moviegoers wondering whether or not Batman believed in God? I doubt it. Just as in any television series or movie where there’s a character that’s an atheist, it’s about the quality of the show or movie and no one actually cares what some fictional character believes or doesn’t believe. Its make believe.

I’m also one of those that don’t care about which entertainer is an atheist in real life. I don’t base my being an atheist on anything they say or do and frankly, have never met anyone that does.  I also don’t care if the person happens to be a believer.

I notice people posting quotes by actors and personalities on my Twitter feed declaring their non-belief as if this or that person has some special sort of wisdom. I’m neither inspired or impressed by anything any of them say.  My life and my being an atheist is not affected one jot. Okay, great, so you’re an atheist. So what? In the same manner that no one that I know has the same reaction to my being an atheist.

So no, it doesn’t matter that Batman is reveled to be an atheist any more than it does anyone else. That this was even a story to begin with is ridiculous. But then, comic books may never be the same.