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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
 Posted - 10/14/2011 : 19:19:21
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PZ Myers is accepting submissions to the question "why I'm an atheist."
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/10/08/call-for-submissions/
I'm sharing my response here since PZ is likely getting many entries and I might not have the privilege of getting posted on Pharyngula.
I am an atheist simply because I don't believe in God, gods or anything supernatural. I cannot prove otherwise but the onus is on the claimant to present credible evidence, not just arguments from ignorance (complexity, beauty, science doesn't know everything, etc.) and other logical fallacies.
I never believed in gods, even during the years that I attended Christian kindergarten and elementary schools. I took the Bible stories as just that -- stories. And classmate's claims that God wrote the Bible made no sense to me. God was just so...not there.
I went through a supernatural phase though. In the 1970's, I was intrigued by Leonard Nimoy's In Search Of, pyramid power, the Bermuda Triangle, Nostradamus, and other pop pseudo-sciences and pseudo-profundity. And Disney's Escape from Witch Mountain had me trying to fly with the mere power of my thoughts. I could feel myself flying with my eyes closed but not when opened. Darn reality.
Also, it took some time for me to completely reject superstition. I had to be careful of my thoughts lest the universe use me as an ironic example, like choke to death on a vitamin pill, or instill cancer if I got too happy or full of myself. Perhaps it was due to residuals from Christianity and/or cosmic karma crap. I got over it. Now, there's no more universal score keeper. Exciting! Now I can simply be responsible for my actions, not thoughts, and balance my personal needs and desires with social responsibility and environmental stewardship. No gods required. |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2011 : 19:09:43 [Permalink]
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...and it might sux. Me write pretty some day.
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
 Posted - 10/15/2011 : 22:14:09 [Permalink]
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| A very straight forward logical and honest explanation. I think it's well written Thor. SS |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2011 : 12:30:08 [Permalink]
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| I agree. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2011 : 15:28:15 [Permalink]
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The declaration of independence.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."
Abraham Lincoln spoke these words at the Gettysburg Address:
"That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Americans have always held close to their Judeo Christian roots. It is very much what the founding fathers envisioned and expressed. This is why over 40% of Americans are Christians unlike UK where over 70% are monkey believers.
To declare one is an Atheist in America is akin to a gay being sodomized and declaring the constitution protected his rights but never cared about the consequence. No, they exercised their inalienable rights even as they allowed themselves to be violated by the well endowed. |
| Edited by - justintime on 10/17/2011 06:23:16 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2011 : 19:17:23 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by justintime
The declaration of independence.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." |
That would mean my mother and father endowed me with those rights. After all, they created me.| Abraham Lincoln spoke these words at the Gettysburg Address: |
Yes, he did. So what? Find mention of the Christian God within the body of the Constitution, and you'll have found something interesting.| Americans have always held close to their Judeo Christian roots. |
How many Biblical edicts are embodied in the Constitution? Only one that I can tell: don't lie. Heck, the First Amendment is diametrically opposed to the First Commandment.| It is very much what the founding fathers envisioned and expressed. |
You haven't read the Federalist Papers, have you?| This is why over 40% of Americans are Christians unlike UK where over 70% are monkey believers. |
In 2009, 77% of Americans called themselves Christians. Where did you come up with the 40% number? Oh, I see: obviously to you, some Christians aren't really Christians, because they might also be "monkey believers."| To declare on is an Atheist in America is akin to a gay being sodomized and declaring the constitution protected his rights but never cared about the consequence. No, they exercised their inalienable rights even as they allowed themselves to be violated by the well endowed. |
So you're just a racist, homophobic creationist, justintime? |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 06:49:01 [Permalink]
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The four horsemen a discussion among 4 renown atheist Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.
What one is left with after listening to them is their appreciation of the good that has come from religion, the spiritually uplifting music, the beautiful architecture of the churches, the charity etc.etc and then the negatives....Institutionalized religion.
What was strange was the conclusion that this conversation would be very normal in UK because 80% of the population in the UK are not god fearing people but secular atheist.
What is also very common in the streets of London are the pissing and puking outside pubs, the riots and hooliganism, the disparaging class struggle etc. etc.
You cannot create a science out of Atheism anymore than you can create humans out of monkeys. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 06:55:24 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by justintime
What is also very common in the streets of London are the pissing and puking outside pubs, the riots and hooliganism, the disparaging class struggle etc. etc. |
Except for the lower crime rate than the US, of course. Never let a pesky fact get in the way of your dogmatism, justintime.| You cannot create a science out of Atheism anymore than you can create humans out of monkeys. |
Atheism isn't a basis for science. Nice straw man you've got there. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 07:10:15 [Permalink]
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| The high crime rate is attributed to the 60% of the population that are not Christians. Duh!!! |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 08:32:54 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by justintime
The high crime rate is attributed to the 60% of the population that are not Christians. Duh!!! |
Then if 80% of England's population isn't Christian, they should have a higher crime rate. They don't. Your argument is dead. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 10:00:54 [Permalink]
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| Just give the argument three days, im sure it'll get ressurected. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 10:40:27 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Originally posted by justintime
The high crime rate is attributed to the 60% of the population that are not Christians. Duh!!! |
Then if 80% of England's population isn't Christian, they should have a higher crime rate. They don't. Your argument is dead.
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Did you not see how it was becoming a national crisis in London. Rioters going from city to city. Looting, burning, carnage. Have you seen that scale in the US?
Did you not read about the media corruption with News Corp and the level of involvement from the police all the way up to high levels of governments.
The US has more violent crimes because they also have very lenient gun laws and a larger population 300 million many times more than the UK. |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 11:11:28 [Permalink]
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Don't feed the trolls.
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| Edited by - ThorGoLucky on 10/17/2011 11:13:13 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2011 : 11:16:26 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by justintime
Did you not see how it was becoming a national crisis in London. Rioters going from city to city. Looting, burning, carnage. Have you seen that scale in the US? |
2011 English riots: four days, $315 million in damages, 3,443 crimes committed, four deaths, police were issued plastic bullets but used none.
1992 LA riots: six days, $1.5 billion in damages (adjusted for inflation), 3,600 fires set, 53 deaths, over 8,000 National Guard troops, soldiers and marines sent in to restore order, with live ammunition.| Did you not read about the media corruption with News Corp and the level of involvement from the police all the way up to high levels of governments. |
And you think you can pin that on atheism?| The US has more violent crimes because they also have very lenient gun laws... |
So by your logic, Christianity leads to lenient gun laws.| ...and a larger population 300 million many times more than the UK. |
And so now we all know that you don't know that crime rates are typically discussed as per capita measures. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Why I am an atheist
