07.20.07
Keep Them Short and Sweet
In a few hours, I’ll be heading to downtown Naperville, IL for “The Party that shall not be named.” And then I’m taking a hiatus from the world (Minus one event) until I’m done with the new Harry Potter book.
In the meantime, here’s a project.
There are certain questions that atheists get asked all the time. If you search online, the answers we give are often long-winded when they don’t have to be. Yes, there are some questions that demand longer answers. But many of them can be answered in a sentence or two.
How would you respond to the following questions?
I’m not looking for simple “yes” or “no” answers, but rather answers that anyone can understand and any atheist can remember.
In the comments, please cite the question when giving an answer. And if I’ve left out a question (or you don’t like how a particular question is worded), leave those thoughts in the comments as well.
If this works, I’ll put out a PDF of the best Qs and As.
- Why do you not believe in God?
- Where do your morals come from?
- What is the meaning of life?
- Is atheism a religion?
- If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
- Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
- Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
- How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
- Why does the universe exist?
- How did life originate?
- Is all religion harmful?
- What’s so bad about religious moderates?
- Is there anything redeeming about religion?
- What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
- Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
- Are atheists smarter than theists?
- How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
- Would the world be better off without any religion?
- What happens when we die?
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Kat said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:20 pm
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Talk to a real live friend who can and will talk back.
What happens when we die?
We decompose.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
How could people have been wrong about leeches curing disease? Or bloodletting? Or goucho pants?
What is the meaning of life?
Whatever meaning you decide to assign to it. It’s entirely up to you.
globalizati said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:21 pm
It depends. If you define a religion as a worldview complete with common assumptions, a level of shared culture, and beliefs about the nature of reality, then modern atheism could be considered a religion. But for many people, including me, a “religion” must include a set of supernatural beliefs, so atheism, along with some other philosophies (like certain types of Buddhism) wouldn’t qualify as a religion. So, call atheism my worldview, but not my religion; the latter implies dogmatic belief.
Katherine said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:47 pm
# If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Talk to my friends and family who support me, and if possible, try and do something practical that will help the situation.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Well I’ll be wrong then, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I will start following a religion though.
globalizati said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Yes, actually. People who did not believe in God have done terrible things. Atheists do themselves a disservice by claiming that the sins of Stalinism were not by True Atheists. By the same logic, the Crusades were not carried out by True Christians. A Christian can acknowledge that not all who claim the title of Christian are infused with love for their neighbors and a passion for justice. And an atheist can acknowledge that lack of belief in supernatural religion is not really what we hope for. Rather, we dislike all unfounded mythologies, be they held by Christians, Muslims, or atheists who embrace Marxism. Atheists are as capable of religious people as perpetrating evil, and good.
In the same way that billions of people could be wrong about which God is the real one, how many Gods there are, and in which ways (if any) he has revealed himself. Once an idea about God that is compatible with human psychology, promotes group cohesion, and necessitates evangelism is created, that idea may spread regardless of its value as a truth claim. See Mormons for an example.
Why is a concept created by human intelligence’s tendency to assign motivation and consciousness to the existence and actions of other entities, be they other people, animals, or inanimate objects. It seems to me that entities (like the Universe or any part of it) are self-existent, lacking both an answer to the question of “why?” and the need to have that question answered, outside of humanity’s psychological needs. The answer to questions of “why” must be answered in the same place where the questions originated: humanity’s imagination and aspirations.
We don’t know yet. A possible answer is agglomerations of self-replicating organic reactions sheltered within rock crevices near deep-sea ocean vents, before bacteria existed to eat up the organic soup. A precursor to RNA could fulfill both enzymatic and information-storing roles, a process much-simplified from where evolution has brought us today. Improbably in any once case? Yes. But, it only had to happen once, and there were likely millions of precursors that failed.
No.
I like them. Well, most of them.
Certainly. Or rather, it’s more precise to say there are many redeeming things about religious people. Those who claim that there is nothing redeeming about religion must claim that those good deeds done by religious people occur in spite of the religious beliefs, instead of because of them. In my view, religion is a motivator and a salve for many. It can also be repressive and hurtful. Teasing out the frequency of each is a subject of endless debate.
That would depend on the nature of God, wouldn’t it?
No, there are many intelligent atheists, theists, and people in between. Many educated people are likely to become atheists because the popular forms of theism in our society contain assertions that are difficult to hold alongside an educated, scientific worldview.
The historical Jesus (as Christian scholars of various schools have proven) is rather hard to pin down. That some man named Jesus wandered around Palestine with a small following in the early 1st century is generally accepted (and only rejected by a fringe of atheists), but the nature of his teachings is hard to approach. We have early letters from Paul that never mention any miracles. And we have a lot of sayings in the Gospels in Greek, written down several decades later by men (some of whom claim to be witnesses, some who don’t) that were likely originally said in Aramaic. Maybe we should take the general approach of Albert Schweitzer; Christ was, like several others in his time, a failed eschatological prophet. He taught a rigorous, selfless ethic that made since if this world was about to be replaced by the Kingdom of God, a theme running through his teachings recorded in the gospels. The original meaning of these teachings, probably got reshuffled when the Temple was destroyed in AD 70, and the nature of what we now call Christianity only arose then as the earlier followers of the Way had what in hindsight was a gradual speciation event, slowly becoming separate from Judaism. What the real Jesus said and did is hard to say; it would take a prophet to know.
Who knows. No one’s ever tried it, and it will probably never happen. The tendency toward religion is so common for homo sapiens that it’s like other hypotheticals: Would the world be better off without pair-bonding? Would the world be better off without social taboos? Would the world be better off without nepotism?
(That said, can you imagine a world without hypothetical situations?)
No one’s ever come back to tell us, so it’s hard to say. The best assumption is that since our minds are processes rooted in the biological nature of our brains, our consciousness ends when those biological processes cease.
Bruce said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Just to get the ball rolling.
Why do you not believe in God?
I answer this two ways:
1. Because I do not have any credible evidence that there is a god and the universe seems to behave in a predictable manner and can be explained with a materialistic worldview which does not require any supernatural intervention.
2. Why do you not believe in Thor, Zeus, Ganesha, Big Foot or Santa Clause?
Where do your morals come from?
From the same place that yours come from: life experience. Even Christians who read the same Bible don’t have the same morals because they aren’t getting their morals purely from religion, they are getting them from a combination of all their life experiences, which includes the ability to use logic and reason to determine proper behavior.
What is the meaning of life?
I hate this question with a passion. It presupposes that there has to be some overall meaning as to why we are here on earth and hence that religion is required to explain it. How about just accepting that we are here and we should make the best of it.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
This is a logical fallacy. The number of people who “believe” in something does not have any bearing on whether it is true or not.
Is all religion harmful?
I think this depends on your definition of harmful. If you simply mean, “do all religions drive people to do evil things” then the answer is no. But if your definition of harmful is broader to include such things as mind control, purposeful deception, willingness to ignore reality and make decisions based on such ignorance, etc… then certainly religion is harming many people.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No one has the right to have their particular religious beliefs respected. What they do have is the right to have their own particular religious beliefs. I will respect your right to believe whatever you want, but I in no way have to respect what you believe. This is why it is perfectly acceptable to criticize religious beliefs, because your beliefs themselves are not protected and do not automatically have any right to be respected.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
First, the jury is still out on whether a historical Jesus even existed. Second, even if he did exist that doesn’t mean that any of the miracles he is said to have performed really happened. Do we accept people today who claim to perform miracles? People were more gullible back then (for example, they believed that words themselves could do actual physical harm). And of course the whole resurrection thing was written after the fact by people who didn’t see it and didn’t even know Jesus. Not very convincing.
What happens when we die?
Remember what it was like before you were conceived??? Good, then you’ll have no problem adjusting to death as well.
PrimateIR said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Too many questions Friendly Atheist. People will run from you in terror…and not because you are godless.
Vincent said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:57 pm
I have chosen to live my life in a rational manner, making decisions based on evidence. There is no evidence a god exists.
They started with my parents and have evolved over my life based on my experience and reflection.
none, unless you give your life meaning.
No. Religion is a set of beliefs and practices held by a community. Atheists don’t hold a belief and certainly have no unified practices.
Talk to my wife. Work out a solution. Do something about it.
No. Just to stop using that belief to make laws.
No, they weren’t. When you think of 20th century attrocities you think of Hitler, who was a Catholic (he may not have practiced, but he never renounced it), Somalia, Serbia, Iraq, etc. These were all committed by theists. Stalin is apparently the only atheist who makes the list, and of course his killings were not because of religion.
Well, everyone was wrong when they believed in lots of gods. Malaria is not caused by “bad air.” Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. We actually use 100% of our brains, not only 10%. People are wrong about many things.
Because it has to. That’s its nature.
I don’t know. I wasn’t there. There are hypotheses, and I believe some day people will figure out the best one and elevate it to a theory.
More often than not, yes. But it doesn’t have to be.
They promote a world where people accept something as true with no evidence, based solely on someone else telling them it’s true. In fact they treat it like a virtue.
There can be. The music is quite good. I like the architecture too.
Then he will judge me based on the life I have lived, how well I have used my talents, and how well I have treated others. If that’s not good enough, then I will be punished unjustly.
Depends on what you mean by respect. Actually, I take it back. No. People should be respected. Their beliefs should be irrelevant.
I assume they spread across the IQ test just the same.
I don’t believe in his hitoricity either. See Wikipedia “Jesus myth hypothesis” or Robert Price’s “The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man.”
Yes, though we’d miss some things it would be a net gain.
The same thing that happened before we were born.
Tina B. said,
July 20, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Why do you not believe in god?
Nothing I have learned, read or seen has made me believe in a god. The bible only reinforces my non-belief.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
In my opinion, it has a LOT to do with indoctrination by the parents from the beginning of most peoples lives and is passed down through generations.
infideljoe said,
July 20, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
Not enough evidence. When I meet him, then I’ll believe in him.
Where do your morals come from?
From my empathy and compassion for others. My parents.
What is the meaning of life?
Whatever you want it to mean.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
No, they should encourage believers to logically evaluate their belief in God. And they should encourage them to read the ENTIRE bible.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
No, but they were committed by some ISTS, communists and marxists. Hitler was a catholic.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Easy, lots of people were wrong about slavery and equal rights for women. They were also wrong about the Earth being flat and it being the center of the Universe.
Why does the universe exist?
Because, it can.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Like scientology and mormonism?
Are atheists smarter than theists?
Some are and some aren’t, stupid people can be found in all types of groups.
What happens when we die?
I don’t know and neither do you.
globalizati said,
July 20, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Crap, I forgot the short part. Feel free to edit.
The short versions:
Yes, but most atheists dislike all unfounded mythologies, including the Marxism and nationalism believed by many atheists.
Billions of people must be wrong about which God is the real one, and if he’s revealed himself, because they disagree.
There is no why, outside of the human mind.
We don’t know yet. Possibly agglomerations of self-replicating organic reactions (and eventually RNA precursors) sheltered within rock crevices near deep-sea ocean vents. It only had to happen once.
I like them. Well, most of them.
Certainly, religion is a motivator and a salve for many. It can also be repressive and hurtful. Teasing out the frequency of each is a subject of endless debate.
That would depend on the nature of God, wouldn’t it?
No, people on all sides of belief are intelligent. Many highly educated people reject theism because its popular forms are contradictory to their learning.
We can tease out that he was probably a failed eschatological prophet; he believed the world was about to be replaced by the Kingdom of God, and taught an appropriate ethic for that belief.
Who knows. No one’s ever tried it, and it will probably never happen.
No one’s ever come back to tell us, so it’s hard to say. The best assumption is that since our minds are processes rooted in the biological nature of our brains, our consciousness ends when those biological processes cease.
Jen said,
July 20, 2007 at 2:29 pm
1. Why do you not believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
2. Because there hasn’t been one concept of god over the milenia
My parents, my society, and my desire to make the world a better place
1. 42
2. Why does there have to be meaning? Can’t we just enjoy the ride?
Its a philosophy and a way of looking at the world, but there is no book or Pope or dogma. Atheists are only alike in that we do not believe in god(s), but we can believe anything else.
1. How could half of America vote for George W Bush?
2. That is a flawed logical argument
3. How could billions of people have been wrong about slavery?
It inspires people to rely on something that isn’t there, and to view the world in a non-skeptical way. If people don’t use logic and rationality in their decisions, there will be all sorts of negetive reprecussions.
They are still using the same thought patterns and flawed logic.
Nothing that can’t be found in secular groups,
Then he can punish me for not believing in someone who showed no signs of existing. He should have made robots.
No. Beliefs are not facts, and since they are changable and based on delusions, they do not need to be respected.
I don’t necessarily believe in a historical Jesus, for a myriad of reasons. If Jesus was real, that does not make him the son of a god.
We cease to exist. We are mourned. We are forgotten.
Susan said,
July 20, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Much as I like the response “Why don’t you believe in Zeus/Ganesh/The Flying Spaghetti Monster?” for the question “Why don’t you believe in God?” I don’t think it’s likely to lead the theist to the right conclusion. I think most theists would answer, “I don’t believe in Zeus/etc. because God says he is the one true god.” So it’s not really a good explanation of why us atheists don’t believe in any god.
Tao Jones said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:13 pm
* Why do you not believe in God?
In order to try and make sense of a world we didn’t understand, humans have come up with many stories that didn’t end up being true. The sun doesn’t revolve around the earth. The earth is not flat. There are so many gods that we have (and still do) believe in, that it seems far more likely to me that our notion of god is also a myth. We may not completely understand the universe but I’m more comfortable asserting my ignorance than in making up a story that explains everything. Looking at the universe with this honest ignorance is greatly inspiring.
* Where do your morals come from?
Morals are outward expressions of internal decisions based on the values of the kind of world we want to live in.
* What is the meaning of life?
42.
* Is atheism a religion?
No more than NOT collecting stamps is a hobby.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
The same things you do. I talk to my friends and family. I seek council. I talk to myself. Most of all I try to understand the situation as that generally gives me a good idea of what I should be doing about my situation. Attributing it all god or otherwise deferring the resolution to god tends to get in the way of understanding.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Not expressed like that, no. Atheists should be trying to convince others of the value of reason, science and “honest ignorance.” Atheists should also try to debunk myths that are most harmful.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
No, and it would be irrelevant even if it was true. Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by people who wore pants? Hey, wait a minute, YOU’RE wearing pants. (Well, at least I hope you are.)
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
When it comes to any particular religion, there are always more people who don’t believe in that religion than people who do. By this logic, how can anyone ever be right? In the past, most people believed the sun revolved around the earth and that the earth was flat. They were wrong. Religion is a beautiful and easy way to answer all of life’s mysteries so it has great appeal. My way isn’t easy and it’s at least as beautiful.
* Why does the universe exist?
Like the question on the meaning of life, this question just doesn’t compute. For a theist, this question would make sense, “Why did god create the universe?” There is no ultimate cosmic purpose.
Besides, where else would all that stuff fit?
* How did life originate?
Ask a scientist. I don’t know, though I would like to. My working theory goes something like this… Stuff exists. Given time, things will happen to stuff. The chemicals that represent the basic building blocks of life happen to be stable configurations of stuff. Life is a stable configuration of those chemicals.
* Is all religion harmful?
Not all religion is harmful, no. Not to me anyway. But even the most kind, loving and respectful believer is missing out on some awesome opportunities for personal growth that “honest ignorance” allows for.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
You mean those who “hate the sin, not the sinner?” Why else are there still debates about issues like same-sex marriage, stem cell research or even atheists running for office?
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Absolutely. The message of love in many religions is quite profound. The bible has many beautiful moral messages in it. None of these teachings are exclusive to religion, however. The messages of love certainly aren’t diminished at all if there isn’t a god.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
I’m certainly open to that possibility. Maybe I’m wrong and when I die I will be judged at the pearly gates. If so, I’ll gladly stand on my record. What kind of god would turn away a good and honest person based on such a technicality. Not one I’d care to believe in.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
You mean like sacrificing virgins or only your “reasonable” beliefs?
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
There is nothing intrinsic about atheism that would make an atheist smarter than a theist. However, people who are logical and can reason and think critically while looking at the universe with a sense of wonder (honest ignorance helps with that) do tend to be smarter. Those people tend to be atheists too. Also I think that having all the answers tends to stifle curiousity and can stunt intellectual growth.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
It’s not too difficult to separate the historical Jesus with the stories attributed to him that were written long after his death.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
I’m not omniscient so I can’t be sure, but religion is causing some problems today. If more people were logical, and could reason and think critically, then I think we would be better off whether those people believed in god or not.
* What happens when we die?
We rot. That’s not nearly as bleak as it sounds. Think of all the life lost so that we could eat and live to our 70’s or 80’s (hopefully.) Even if you are vegetarian, our system of agriculture is quite harmful to natural ecosystems. You don’t have to eat a cow to kill a cow. Decomposing and giving our nutrients “back to nature” is what makes us alive — part of the community of life. Surely it’s the least we can do considering all the damage we do to our environment?
* Would an infinite number of monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters really come up with the entire works of William Shakespeare?
Of course. This has already happened and it was all done by one monkey. His name was William Shakespeare.
sacred slut said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:22 pm
It would be very interesting to do a more formal (quantitative) survey of atheists’ views and publish the results. You’d probably have to do most questions as multiple choice, though, to enable the data analysis.
Mark said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
For the same reason you don’t believe in astrology or Santa. No evidence. Furthermore, “god” never gets meaningfully defined, so rational consideration is difficult.
Where do your morals come from?
People’s will to live happy lives, including my own. Evolution explains this well.
What is the meaning of life?
There is no meaning of life where conscious purpose is concerned. Each person gives his or her own life meaning. That’s the way it’s always been, no matter where the person gleaned the purpose they give themselves.
Is atheism a religion?
Is not believing in the existence of Santa a religion? Is even stating that Santa doesn’t exist or arguing against his existence a religion?
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Whatever comes naturally to me. Some worry a ton, others decide to act so as to improve their situation. And companionship and consolation are always nice.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Faith, the belief of inerrancy, and dogmatism are the problems. They can lead to things other than theism. But theism can cause its own set of ills.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Given that atheism does not of necessity entail beliefs, the above question is akin to blaming those atrocities on nonastrologers or those who don’t believe in Santa.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
The same way that they were wrong about alchemy and the position of Earth. The same way that so many children believe Santa exists. Human inclination to believe does not make a belief true. It says something about the person before it says anything about reality.
Why does the universe exist?
Why do snowflakes exist? Why does dirt exist? We can ask how they came to exist (if that even makes sense fot he universe) or how they persist in existing, but asking “why” presupposes purpose. We have not found purpose or a purpose-giver for the collection of all things that exist (a.k.a. the universe).
How did life originate?
Why does it matter, unless it can be proven to have come from a god who gave it purpose? Science leads us to believe that life formed from a combination of nonliving matter on early Earth. All that was necessary for the persistence of life were the parts, the organization, and the environment to allow for reproduction.
Is all religion harmful?
Is all science harmful? The answer to your question depends on how you define “religion” and “harm”, and what one does with religion.
What’s so bad about religious moderates?
In one sense, nothing. In another sense, they legitimize the actions of extremists and those who would legislate religion by not acting against them and thinking religion inherently worthy of respect.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
If this is asking if religion does any good, then the answer is “yes”. If this is asking if religion can be forgiven, then I would have to answer “no”.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Then I’m wrong and it will have been an honest mistake, based on the reality I know. What if you’re wrong, though? People have believed in the existence of countless gods. Individual believers aren’t statistically much better off than nonbelievers. And if what prompted the question is the threat of eternal torture, how is it moral for a god to torture me for honestly not seeing its presence? Sure if it’s at all fair it will show me it exists if my very soul (whatever that is) is at stake.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Should the act of believing something without reason to be respected? Should slaughtering and raping people because a god tells you to be respected?
Are atheists smarter than theists?
I don’t know. What I do know is that in at least one aspect of their lives, theists believe without reason. In that aspect, I would say atheists are smarter. But since theism isn’t the only faith-based phenomenon, atheists and theists could be just as irrational about other things.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
First of all, why privelage Jesus above other “historical” religious figures? Secondly, I don’t know if a historical one corresponding to the biblical one existed. Some people argue he didn’t. Third, if he wasn’t divine, it doesn’t matter to me if he existed.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
Only if people stopped behaving as they currently do under religion. Again, other ideologies can cause harmful behavior, too.
What happens when we die?
Our bodies decompose, giving back to nature, and everyone keeps on living. If we care about anyone else, let’s not have lived our lives in vain. Let’s make the world better off for us having lived in it.
Mitsu said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
I don’t think that’s necessary as long as we encourage critical thinking, intellectual honesty, and the questioning of our basic beliefs, not just religion, but everything we believe merely on faith. We may find that some beliefs stand on a strong foundation of facts and reason while others do not.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Then I guess when I get to the pearly gates and they tell me my name isn’t on the list, the first thing I’m going to do is find the suggestion box so I can tell God that his book is riddled with errors and contradictions and that he should really think about getting an editor if he doesn’t want to see more “lost souls” like me.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
I think a more precise way of putting it would be to say that the world would be better off without dogma and blind faith, for what good would it do to rid ourselves of religion if we ended up replacing it with the worship of the state.
Claire said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Ah, the KISS principle -it’s a good one, isn’t it? Thanks for the opportunity to clarify and condense! Here are my short-but-completes, nothing over two sentences (ok, one is three..).
I have seen no evidence for it, and no - the natural world and human achievement do NOT count as evidence.
Morals are a part of culture, you learn them (or fail to) as you grow up. Common decency and kindness are all you really need, and those exist quite nicely outside of religion.
That’s not a valid question - “life” doesn’t have a meaning. Nobody’s life has a “meaning”, but our words and actions can have both meaning and purpose, if we choose to give them such.
No, it requires neither faith nor belief.
Suck it up and deal, like an adult. How on earth should belief in a divine being that could have prevented horrible things but chose not to make a person feel better?
There’s no purpose in it - if a person is honest and thinks about it, he or she will likely convince himself. I can’t do another person’s thinking for them.
No, your “facts” are wrong, and it’s pretty much the opposite (insert one of a few thousand examples here). Where DOES this bullpucky come from?
Beliefs are not right or wrong, only facts are right or wrong, and belief is not a fact. Even if there was any kind of agreement as to who or what this god is and does, that’s still a faulty question - “everyone” really can be wrong.
The universe doesn’t need a reason to exist, it just is, and I don’t see why people think it needs one.
We have most of the answer (physics, chemistry) but there are many scientific unknowns waiting to be discovered that have nothing to do with any god.
If it causes people to do bad things, yes, and it nearly always does, even if sometimes it’s only minor badness.
If their beliefs are harmless, nothing, but there’s no guarantee that those beliefs will continue to be harmless. If faith is all they require, today’s harmless moderate may easily be tomorrow’s dangerous fanatic.
Truly, I have yet to find it.
It would make no difference to me. I’ve never seen any religious writings that portray a god worthy of worshipping or even liking. They are pretty much bullies and jerks.
Not just no, but HELL NO (so to speak…) (Insert one of a thousand examples of beliefs unworthy of respect here). There’s no reason a horrible idea should get respect just because it’s a religious belief.
It takes more intelligence to understand that to believe. You
decide.
Many, many religious figures have or may have had a historical
presence. It doesn’t mean any of them are divine.
Yes. A world full of people behaving decently just because it’s the right thing to do sounds wonderful to me. (Imagine me humming “Imagine” at this point…)
Nothing. Anything good or bad that we did or created may live on, but we do not.
And, there’s another question I hear a lot - Isn’t the world/universe a horrible cold and empty place without god?
No, it’s a place of wonder, freedom, and infinite possibility. I like it here.
stogoe said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I see no evidence or need for such a being to exist. Reality is better explained by leaving such a being out.
Selfishness and empathy - that guy is getting mugged. How would I want others to react if it were me being mugged? Etc.
I create my own meaning for my own life. I’m personally fond of the goal “have grandchildren” - the idea that I can propagate beings similar to me into the future is cool. But there are other meanings for my life, too.
Yes - religion isn’t the only cause of society’s problems, but it’s one of the major stumbling blocks.
Sure, but Stalin didn’t commit his deeds for Godlessness.
Who knows? Certainly not the priests. That it exists at all is good enough for me at this point.
self-replicating chemicals came to be billions of years ago, and then through descent with modification, became complex organisms.
When the chips are down, they side with the fundies every time.
The music can be beautiful, and community has its advantages. I’d rather not tie up community with obeisance to fanciful myths, though.
If the Christian god does exist, I still wouldn’t worship him. He’s a monstrous sociopath.
No. I’ll tolerate you having silly superstitions, but I’m still going to snicker at you for having them. Likewise, you can snicker at me for being a nerd, if you like. Or for not liking sports. Or not believing in gods.
If Jesus was a person and not an amalgamation of wandering messiahs and ancient myths, then he had some good ideas mixed in with some crazy ones.
Our bodies decompose, and our loved ones carry their memories of us with them into the future.
Becksi said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Where do your morals come from?
Human nature and reason. Supernatural dogma is unnecessary and sometimes against human nature and reason.
Is atheism a religion?
Atheists don’t believe in supernatural or have dogma and is therefore not a religion.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
I think everyone should learn neutral information about all relevant religions and atheism. They should hear arguments for and against the existance of God.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Religions and atheism are in constant competition over people’s minds. Religions have tactics that give them advantage in the competition: promises of heaven, threats of God’s punishment, evangelism, demonization and censorship… The competition is not about what is true or good for humans, it’s about who spreads most efficiently.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
If it turns out I was wrong about something, I will admit it! But It’d be horrible if something like the God described in bible actually existed.
Are atheists smarter than theists?
I don’t think there’s any evidence to believe that
Would the world be better off without any religion?
We would certainly be better off without some of the intolerant religions we have now.
Station Agent said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:52 pm
* Why do you not believe in God?
Well, strictly speaking I don’t believe in any religion. I go with a strict translation of atheism. Without theism. Isms are not good. God might exist, whatever. I don’t even care because it’s pointless.
* Where do your morals come from?
Process of elimination. Long process that. Started out Catholic, then threw my beliefs open to the other religions. They all fell short of satisfying, though I learned some neat tricks.
* What is the meaning of life?
Well we atheists have to formulate our own morality, but i would say the core of it is the golden rule. That’s not bad, for Jesus. I kid Jesus.
* Is atheism a religion?
No.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Hope.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Only if they ask.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Sure. That has nothing to do with atheism.
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Ha! That’s a good one. Billions of people eat at McDonalds.
* Why does the universe exist?
A giant spilled an ice tea.
* How did life originate?
Lightning through amino acid. I think.
* Is all religion harmful?
Not all. Most.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
They’re cool as long as they vote right.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
They all have some neat insights. Buddhism is not bad at all. The Sermon on the Mount ruled. They should make a movie about the Sermon on the Mount.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
It’s my natural ass in a sling hardcore.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No. People do all kinds of sick shit claiming it’s religion. Clitectomies and shit. No way.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
They seem to tend to be smarter.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
I think he was a badass warrior who liked nothing better than smacking around the Romans. All the polite shit was added to make the sect powerful.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
Sounds good in theory, but I somehow doubt it. We’d just fight over something else.
* What happens when we die?
Game over man. Game over.
Stephen said,
July 20, 2007 at 3:56 pm
* Why do you not believe in God?
- Why would I?
*Where do your morals come from?
- Reason and empathy.
* What is the meaning of life?
- Biologically speaking, to create more life. Humans are capable of infusing their lives with their own meaning.
* Is atheism a religion?
- How can the lack of something be that something?
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
- I enjoy life as best I can and find the solution to my problems.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
- Turnabout is fair play; if someone is pushing their god on me, I reserve the right to explain why I think their belief is unsubstantiated.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
- Some, yes, but they didn’t do these things because they didn’t believe in a god. They did those things because they had been poisoned by fundamentalist political and racist ideologies.
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
- How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to lack of belief in a god?
* Why does the universe exist?
- I don’t know. Were I to venture a guess, I would say because it can.
* Is all religion harmful?
- No.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
- The same thing that was bad about the average German citizen in the late 1930s and the early 1940s.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
- That depends on the religion, really.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
- That would depend on the god — but the existance of a god doesn’t necessitate the existance of an afterlife for human beings.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
- No; no belief, idea, or principle should be respected on its own merits.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
- Lack of belief in some being doesn’t have a connection to intelligence except that intelligent people are able to reason out answers and not need belief in an all-powerful being to provide easy answers.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
- He’s dead; why would I deal with him? His depiction in the “Gospels” is undoubtedly far from the truth. There are some nice traits represented in Biblical Jesus’s character, and there are some dispicable traits represented in Biblical Jesus’ character.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
- That’s a very broad question, but I would venture to say yes.
* What happens when we die?
- Our bodies disintegrate and become part of the Earth once more.
Claire said,
July 20, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Sorry, let me correct a typo in my response above…
It takes more intelligence to understand than to believe. You decide.
Countdown - 9 hours, 56 minutes until I have the new book…..
more atheist answers « stereoroid.com said,
July 20, 2007 at 4:08 pm
[…] atheist answers The following is in response to a post on the Friendly Atheist blog, asking for short-and-sweet answers to common questions about […]
brian t said,
July 20, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I tried to keep it short, but it was still long enough to be a blog post, so… my answers are here.
t3knomanser said,
July 20, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Why should I? There’s no compelling evidence. Do you make it a habit of believing in things for which there’s no evidence? If you do, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
Me. My ability to reason, to choose the sort of society I want to live in. Some credit probably goes to evolution for this ability.
What is the meaning of my kitchen table? Life is an observed property of certain arrangements of matter. It doesn’t have to mean anything.
No. As others have put it, “Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby.” Atheism is no more a religion than baseball.
I deal with them as best I can. I’m not the sort to notice troubling times until they’re past. I’m too busy working on problems to notice how big they are.
Personally, I think people should be convinced to stop using faith. To me, faith is a very dangerous proposition- the idea that something I believe is true because it is true. You can justify anything with faith. Since there’s no proof of any god, the only way to believe is through faith.
Hitler was a vegetarian. Should we oppose vegetarianism? The one common thread in all atrocities, whether perpetrated by religion or the state is faith. The Inquisition grew from faith in the Church. The Soviet Pogroms grew from faith in the State and dialectic materialism. The Holocaust grew from faith in unfounded racist ideologies.
Which god? Lots of people believe different things about lots of different gods. More to the point- at one point most everyone believed the Earth was the center of the Universe, that the process of biological reproduction could never be understood (it was too complex), and that rotting meat spontaneously turned into flies. Belief is a horrible way to find truth.
Why does gravity obey an inverse square law and not an inverse cube law? Why is the speed of light 3*10^8 meters per second? Perhaps we can answer these questions someday. Maybe they don’t have answers.
While we’re not 100% sure on the details. As best we can tell, the composition of the atmosphere of the early Earth was prone to producing organic molecules. Some of these organic molecules- that could for spontaneously- were able to replicate themselves. Over the course of millions of years, these molecules started to evolve into something that would eventually be recognized as life.
Religion is a set of rituals and behaviors. Faith, the cornerstone of religion, is a way of thinking- and a dangerous way of thinking. Faith- belief without (or contrary to) evidence- is always harmful. Can you have religion without faith? I don’t think so
The best qualities of religion can be maintained without keeping religion. So, in that sense- no. Religion offers nothing unique to itself that is valuable.
Then I’m wrong. Given solid evidence- meaningful, repeatable, verifiable evidence- I’ll happily change my position. My only goal is truth. Based on the information I have right now, the best guess I can make is that god doesn’t exist.
The believers should be respected. The beliefs? Would you respect the belief that members of the population must be sacrificed lest the planets descend into chaos? At one time, that was a real religious belief. Is that belief respectable? Is the belief that young women must be burned alive if they are accused of witchcraft respectable?
Are Steelers fans smarter than Jets fans? Atheists have a very different way of viewing the world- they demand evidence. This is a safer, more reliable way of viewing the world. The relative intelligence of the people involved has nothing to do with it.
The only “strong” historical evidence of Jesus is the Bible itself. Outside of that text, evidence is spotty at best. Within the Bible, there’s ample evidence of editorial tampering to make the “historical” Jesus better correspond to the prophecies of the “divine” Jesus. I’m not sure there’s any need to “deal” with anything.
No. It’s not an automatic “gimmie”. Disposing of religion isn’t enough- the problem is faith- belief without evidence. Demanding evidence of faith is viewed contrary to the entire concept- and that’s the problem. Without evidence, without something to verify, faith can be used to justify anything.
Our bodies are an amazing consequence of the rules of the Universe. Our mind is an ephemeral collection of electro-chemical signals encoded onto neurons. Our body is a complex machine that’s held together by a haphazard collection of poorly-mated systems that’s glorious in its complexity. And when we die- that system breaks down. The mind vanishes, the body decays. Everything that we were is gone. And that makes each death its own unique tragedy. The living lose something irreplaceable when one of us dies.
Raghu Mani said,
July 20, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
I don’t believe in God because I do not think there is enough evidence for the existence of one - and when I say ‘evidence,’ I do not mean it in the mathematical/scientific sense but rather in the colloquial sense. What would it take to convince me? I don’t know if I can precisely define it but there is a threshold beyond which I will have to abandon my disbelief and start believing. I may not be able to precisely define it but, if there is a God, he/she should know pretty much what it is.
Where do your morals come from?
Several places. First of all, I think that all social animals are born with some kind of innate moral sense. That moral sense is a product of evolution and enables the animal in question to survive as part of its society. In humans, the moral sense is a lot more sophisticated than other animals - probably due to our greater intelligence - but it is there in a lot of other creatures as well. On top of that innate moral sense is the moral climate prevalent in society today - ‘the moral zeitgeist’ as Dawkins puts it.
Even though religious people claim they get their morality from some holy book, I doubt if that is really the case. To illustrate, let us look at the attitude regarding slavery in the US. A couple of centuries ago, there was actually a debate as to whether or not slavery was correct. Today the answer seems self evident. Neither the Bible nor human nature have changed in the interim. What has changed is the moral climate in society which causes us to interpret certain passages from our holy books differently and ignore certain others.
What is the meaning of life?
If you are looking for some kind of ultimate meaning/purpose, I don’t believe there is any. But on a smaller scale, each individual can make his or her own purpose. That purpose can come from your life, work, family, friends and from the people around you - and it doesn’t have to be anything grandiose or noble. Right now my purpose in life is to avoid all things that have anything to do with Harry Potter - a battle I am going to lose because the wife and kids insist on dragging me to every Potter celebration in the area :-).
Is atheism a religion?
Not at all. There is no common dogma or central tenet that all atheists believe in. The only thing atheists have in common is a lack of belief in anything resembling a god. Just like ‘not collecting stamps’ is not a hobby, atheism is not a religion (sorry for restating that tired old cliche).
If you dont pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Frankly, I haven’t been in any dire trouble in my life - so I cannot tell how I would react if I were faced with such a circumstance. During the troubling times I have had so far, I have stayed up worrying but I never felt the urge to pray. However, just suppose I am so desperate that I do start praying at some time. As far as I am concerned, that proves nothing. A drowning man will, in desperation clutch at straws - that does not mean that he seriously believes that the straw will keep him afloat.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
As far as I am concerned, no. What atheists shold be trying to do is to get prople to think rationally and maintain a healthy skepticism about anything that they encounter. The problem is not religious belief per se, but rather any unquestioning, credulous belief in any dogma (whether religious in nature or not). Of course, religious belief is irrational and it is one irrationality I do not have - however, I am sure I am irrational in a multitude of other ways. We can never achieve perfect rationality - if we did that, we would cease to be human and turn into a race of robots. So any religious belief that is tempered with a little rationality and skepticism is fine in my book. In fact I would much rather deal with such a religious individual than an dedicated unquestioning Marxist (even though it is the latter who is the atheist).
Werent some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Well - yes an no. Hitler was no atheist - his religion was a mish-mash of his native Roman Catholicism and traditional German paganism. Neither were the Japanese in World War II - they were Zen Buddhists. Of course Stalin and Mao were atheists - however, the dogma they advanced (communism) is very similar to a religion in many respects. They both have one or more ‘holy books’, set certain people up as ‘prophets’, communism does not have a god but there is near-deification of ‘the state’ and the current leader and, of course, they both demand unquestioning obedience to the human authority-figures who are currently in charge. As I said in the above point, the problem isn’t religious belief per se but unquestioning obedience to any dogma.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
At various points in history billions of people believed things that are now universally accepted to be false. The majority of people on earth believed, at one time, that the earth was flat and that the sun went around the earth. Billions of people can be (and frequently have been) wrong.
Why does the universe exist?
In short, I don’t know and I am comfortable with my ignorance. Various religions provide various answers which do not satisfy me - they tend to raise more questions than they answer. I’ll wait till science comes up with some answers - and I won’t be disappointed if no answers are found in my lifetime.
How did life originate?
Here science has provided some answers. Evolution has been verified extremely well. Of course, for evolution to start you need some form of primitive life and here, there are few solid explanations from science. Still the many abiogenesis hypotheses are intriguing and one of them may turn out to be the correct answer.
Is all religion harmful?
No - quite the opposite. My family is full of religious people and, for the most part, religion has played a positive role in their lives. They aren’t anti-scientific troglodytes by any means. So long as religion is tempered with a little skepticism, some tolerance for others and an understanding of where the boundary with science lies, I don’t see religion as being harmful.
Whats so bad about religious moderates?
The answer of Dawkins/Dennet/Harris/Hitchens is valid - that the religious moderates provide cover for religious extremists. However, I’d consider that a fairly minor objection. Extremists abound in all areas of life and even if religious moderates didn’t provide them cover, they would find some other way to justify their existence.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
For some people, there is a kind of comfort and consolation that religion can provide that nothing in the secular world can replace. Some people need to be told that their near and dear ones who passed away are in a better place. Nothing that I, as an atheist, can say could possibly compete with that.
What if youre wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Yet another form of Pascal’s wager. The first problem with this question is that it treats belief like some kind of horse race - this question always sounds to me like ‘what if you put your money on the wrong horse?’ Unfortunately, I cannot change a belief as easily as I can change a bet. Belief is not some kind of switch that I can turn on or off at will. I could pretend to believe and I could do it so well that I fool everyone - including those closest to me. However, I would not be fooling myself and, if there is a god, I would not be fooling him/her.
So what if there turns out to be a God? Well, if it is a just God, then I feel certain that he/she will not be angered by honest disbelief. And if God is not just then no one, religious or not, can be sure of anything.
Shouldnt all religious beliefs be respected?
No. What should be respected is the right of people to believe what they choose so long as they do not try to impose these beliefs on others. While I don’t believe in yanking someone’s chain just for the heck of it, religion should not be shielded from reasoned criticism. Neither for that matter should atheism.
Are atheists smarter than theists?
Not necessarily. I have seen too many smart religious people and quite a few dumb atheists to make that claim. There does seem to be some correlation between level of scientific education and religious belief. I find that most people who are well educated in the sciences tend to either moderate in their religious views or non-religious. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you dont believe in his divinity?
Is this another way of phrasing the ‘trilemma’ of CS Lewis? I am not sure whether Jesus was a historical figure but even if he was, I see no reason to conclude that he was in any way divine. Lewis’s ‘lunatic, liar or lord’ options represent a false choice. There are many other choices possible - one of them being that he did exist but the account of his sayings/deeds in the Bible are either incorrect or embellished.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
I don’t know. The cynic in me says that were religion to disappear, we would find some other reason to fight with and kill our fellow human beings. Religion is just one excuse to make any enemy of someone else. If you look at all the conflicts in the world today, you’ll find that there are quite a few that are not religious in nature. Rwanda was mostly Christian-on-Christian violence (both sides were largely Catholic) and Darfur is mostly Muslim-on-Muslim (both sides mostly Sunni). Sri Lanka might appear to be religious in nature (one side being Hindu and the other being Buddhist) but the root causes are cultural/linguistic in nature.
What happens when we die?
The only thing I can say for sure is that our bodies become worm-food.
anti-nonsense said,
July 20, 2007 at 5:38 pm
* Why do you not believe in God?
Lack of any credible evidence, to put it simply. Why do you not believe in the gods of other religions, or leprechauns or teapots orbiting Mars? I simply cannot believe in something for which there is no evidence whatshowever.
* Where do your morals come from?
my ability to relate to the feelings of others, my sense of responsibility for the human race and the planet, and my desire to live in a society where I can be safe from molestation and other harm.
* What is the meaning of life?
There is no one single meaning of life, life has no intrinsic meaning, it just is. Whatever meaning your life has is what you give it.
* Is atheism a religion?
No, atheism has no dogma or doctrine and is not a unified philosophy, it is simply the absence of belief in deities.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
I try to solve the problems that are bothering me, if I can’t do that, I find some way to distract myself, I read a book, talk with friends and family, or treat myself to something nice.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
I think people should be encouraged to examine their beliefs and see if they hold up to scrutiny, that includes all beliefs, it’s dangerous to believe things without carefully examining why you believe them, because then people might be able to get you to believe in just about anything.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Sure, and some of the worst crimes were committed by religious people too, Hilter was a Christian and often stated that he believed he was doing God’s work. There are bad people in every group. In any case, none of the atheistic regimes that people denounce killed in the name of atheism, Stalin killed in the name of communism and Pol Pot killed everybody that disagreed with them, atheist or theist.
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
There are billions of people that are Christians, and billions of people that are Muslims, obviously one of those groups at least must be wrong, which proves that billions of people can easily be wrong about religion. Also, at one time, everybody believed that the earth was flat, that the earth was the center of the universe, and that the plague was a punishment for sin. Just because a belief is popular doesn’t make it any more likely to be true.
* Why does the universe exist?
Why does it need a reason to exist? It exists because it exists, I’m not sure there is a better answer then that. I don’t find that the various religious answers to this question make much sense.
* How did life originate?
We don’t know for sure, but scientists have come up with some pretty good theories on how life could have originated, It’s still an area of interesting speculation, look up the Urey-Miller experiment if you want to know about how some theories on the origin of life have been tested.
* Is all religion harmful?
No. not all religion is harmful in an of itself, but religion encourages belief without careful examination of the evidence (faith) and faith is extremely dangerous.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
there is nothing bad about them as people, but moderate religious faith makes it harder for people to criticize the extremists and thus helps to allow nuts like Fred Phelps and Becky Fischer to continue their insane and dangerous activities.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Religion does bring a sense of community, and some people have been helped by religion to get out of bad situations, but I don’t think those are things that cannot be attained in a secular way.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
What if you’re wrong about God and he doesn’t exist? Or what if the god that exists isn’t the one you worship? If I’m wrong, then it should be possible for somebody to provide credible, examinable, verifiable evidence to that effect. The moment somebody provides solid evidence that a god exists, I will freely admit I was wrong. I want to believe what’s true, I want my beliefs to reflect reality as closely as possible based on the evidence I have available, and right now the evidence I have available does not suggest the existence of a god.
Also, if there is a god, I hope that he/she/it would be just and fair and give me credit for the fact that I honestly felt what I believed was true and that I honestly tried to live a good life and do right by others.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Would you want to respect somebody’s belief that God wants them to shoot you personally with an assault rifle? Would you want to respect a belief that the entire population of the city you live in are actually demons and therefore your city must be destroyed with a nuclear bomb? Beliefs shouldn’t be respected just because they are beliefs, they should be examined on their merits.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
No, not necessarily smarter, I’ve known smart people that believed quite strongly in God, I’ve even known a few young earth creationists that were apparently very smart. Atheists do tend towards higher education levels especially in science however, atheism is much more common in college educated people then non-college educated people, and higher still in grad school educated people.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
I’m not certain that a historical Jesus ever existed, from what I’ve heard it seems that Jesus may have been a made up character created from stories of a lot of “messiah” figures that appeared around the time Jesus supposedly lived. But I’m not sure about that, I’d really have to do more reading and stuff about that.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
The world would be better off if everybody demanded evidence for their beliefs (ie didn’t rely on faith), since religion relies on faith, I think the world would be better off without religion, which doesn’t mean I support banning non-violent religious sects or anything like that, I hope that knowledge of science and logic will improve in the future and religion will gradually fade away.
* What happens when we die?
Nobody knows for sure, but it seems likely that we cease to exist as conscious entities. There is every reason to believe that consciousness is rooted soley in the brain and when the brain ceases to function, consciousness dissapears. This makes our own life, and the lives of those around us, incredibly precious, because once we are gone, we are gone finally and completely. We have to value this life because it’s the only one we get.
gamb said,
July 20, 2007 at 5:48 pm
* Why do you not believe in God?
The same reason you don’t believe in Zeus.
* Where do your morals come from?
Reason
* What is the meaning of life?
To pass on your genes/ideas. If you don’t like that feel free to make your own meaning. You have the freedom to that you know
* Is atheism a religion?
In the same way math is a religion.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
You actually do something constructive.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Should Christians be trying to convince others to believe in God? If it’s ok for you, it goes both ways.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Like who? Hitler? He often invoked Christianity to support him, and popular christianity did just that. Stalin? He was a marxist, that’s the key thing. Nothing is ever done because of atheism,
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
It’s easy. Billions of people are wrong about lots of things everyday. Belief does not imply fact.
* Why does the universe exist?
Good question.
* How did life originate?
See above.
* Is all religion harmful?
No, but unfounded belief can be.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
They legitimize unfounded belief.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Yep, it can comfort you and give meaning to your life. Doesn’t make it true.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
What if you’re wrong about Allah/Yahweh/Zeus/nameyourgod?
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No. You don’t respect racism. Not all beliefs need to be respected simply because they are believed. Respect the person, yes, and talk with them honestly.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
You can’t generalize intelligence from one fact. Some atheists are less smart than theists, and some theists are less smart than atheists. The question is meaningless.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
The same way you deal with the historical Buddha, I suppose.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
Who knows?
* What happens when we die?
People grieve, then after a few generations you’re forgotten completely.
Polly said,
July 20, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
No evidence/the Universe on the whole is hostile to all life.
Where do your morals come from?
Proactive-empathy mainly
What is the meaning of life?
That’s an illogical and meaningless question.
Is atheism a religion?
Is economics a religion? Atheism is an inference about the answer to a solitary question from lack of evidence.
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
I pace back and forth while wringing my hands all the while weighing options for solutions.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
NO. Atheists should encourage people to remove the impediments to reason from their minds.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Marxists were mostly atheists, but atheism was as relevant to their cause as the ubiquitous use of the color red.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
You tell me. Don’t you feel the same way about Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, etc.
Why does the universe exist?
“Why” presumes a purpose. Inanimate things don’t purpose themselves.
How did life originate?
I don’t really know. My uninformed guess: Some carbon chains probably stuck together billions of years ago and started accreting in a manner that gave them self-perpetuating properties.
Is all religion harmful?
To the extent that it must blind its followers, yes. But, it doesn’t have to be. But, religion that asks nothing also tends to produce nothing.
What’s so bad about religious moderates?
Besides holding irrational beliefs? Nothing at all.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Maybe, if it encourages people to maintain hope even in difficult circumstances.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
Then he’s hidden himself really, really well and is probably pissed at you for finding him.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Do you respect other people’s religions?
Are atheists smarter than theists?
They are generally better informed. But definitely not smarter, or dumber.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
I think he was more or less invented probably based on one or more moralists from Judea with a heavy dose of Gnosticism and Platonism.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
I don’t know. I think so. But, I don’t know what the religious-dependent would fill the gap with.
What happens when we die?
All evidence points to decomposition. Consciousness isn’t magic.
Casey said,
July 20, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
One word, Evidence. I learned to use rational thought and practical reason to examine the world. In my high school days I kept reading the bible and the books on comparative religion and wondered how one could be right and the other’s not? I looked at metaphysics and actual physics and examined the idea of a supernatural force that interacts in our lives. I saw no evidence, anecdotal or scientific, that proves the supernatural or the divine. On the other hand, in my search I was turned on to the majesty of the cell, the virus, the photon.
Where do your morals come from?
Many places. My parents tried to raise me to be skeptical and reasonable; they gave me the emotional and logical tools to face the world. School taught me science and art and led me to discover the origins of thought. Philosophy has taken it from there. Using reason, a touch of Socratic Method, and comparative study in philosophy I have shaped my own morals. Not only those but the day to day events of our lives shape our worldview and do so regardless of our religious beliefs. The evolution of morals is a constant thing and I take what the world and its collected knowledge as it comes to me.
What is the meaning of life?
The meaning of life is that it has no intrinsic meaning. Everyday, we wake up and try to create our own meaning. Life is the struggle to imbue our lives with meaning.
Is atheism a religion?
No. A religion implies faith and belief in a metaphysical or supernatural worldview. Atheism is the rejection of the supernatural, the metaphysical, and the divine. Atheism is perhaps best explained as the anti-religion.
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
I think, I cry, I talk with friends, family, and lovers, and I read. I cope. I move on and work toward getting myself out of troubling times knowing that no supernatural force will come to my rescue.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Not as such… I believe it is the call of the exuberant (or militant) atheist to hold up the hard mirror to religion and let the world see the imperfections and atrocities. I believe it is the call of all atheists to promote reason and logical thinking and to fight religious oppression and intolerance wherever it rears its head.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Yes. Stalin, Mao, Castro, Pol Pot, and others committed horrible atrocities; but they did not do it in the name of atheism. Atheists are people too and all people are capable of great evil. However that evil is fostered y the hateful teachings of religion. In the name of religion the average man rose up to slaughter his muslim brother in the ancient crusades and the streets of Palestine today. Because of the teachings of the priesthood and their bible thousands of women were burned at the stake and many more men and women were tortured in the inquisitions. Millions of jews, catholics, blacks, and homosexuals were slaughtered by Hitler and his Aryan Cult. Protestants and Catholics kill each other, Shi’a and Sunni kill each other, Jew and Muslim kill each other, Hindu and Muslim kill each other; all for no better reason than they are the wrong religion. Atheism has never advocated death and has never provided the encouragement for slaughter.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Because human knowledge is always growing and evolving. In our early days were small tribes of nomadic barbarians who wandered the land with no law and no science. Those who sought power claimed to have the power and knowledge from god and set themselves up as the leaders of the community. The law was not informed by reason or science, but backed up by divine fiat. This system remained for thousands of years and was changed through science and learning. The roman senate, Athenian democracy, the enlightenment, and modern science hae all changed the way we look a society and the universe. We will continue to expand our knowledge and clarify our worldview as the centuries pass. Religion is simply the superstitious relic of our ancestors waiting to be shrugged off.
Why does the universe exist?
Because of the big bang. Of course, you probably want to know what created the big bang. We don’t know, yet. However there are many theories. I believe the universe is an infinite system and that the big bang was caused by the big crunch and that this cycle repeats constantly. Obviously this is an open question that continues to be studied by theologians and physicists today.
How did life originate?
Amino acids forming unicellular organisms in the primordial soup of our cooling world. Unicellular organisms formed colonies and then formed multi-cellular organisms that formed all modern life. It is a scientific and reproducible process that has been studied by molecular biologists and evolutionary biologists extensively. For all we know, this same process could be happening right now around Proxima Centauri or an even more distant star.
Is all religion harmful?
I believe so, yes. Religion fosters hate, ignorance, and subservience. Almost all religions are built with the idea that there are those among us who commit heinous sins and are worthy of death. Almost all religions teach that the punishment for transgression or sinning is to be forever punished. All religions teach the existence and acceptance of the supernatural; ghosts, goblins, and the like. All religions teach tha the divine and the supernatural is above our reasoning and therefore we should distrust reason. All religions have stood in the way of scientific and social progress. All religions teach that we are worthless and that this life is a sham; thus we should bow down to an invisible master and his earthly priesthood. Almost all religions preach the idea of theocracy and rule by the religious elite. Reason, Acceptance, and Self-Reliance are crushed by religion. What religion does good for society has been done by secular authorities that much better. What good religion does for human beings is outweighed by the atrocities and the message of spite and fear and ignorance.
What’s so bad about religious moderates?
Nothing per say… However, religious moderates act as a smokescreen against the larger evils of religion. Whenever Falwell or Robertson or Coulter or Savage or O’Reilly or Phelps stands up and spews hate and ignorance and theocratic madness the people are ready t attack their ignorant and superstitious beliefs until a moderate stands up and says, they may be wrong but god loves you. They deflect the public away from the hard questions about religion.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Nothing. The “good” morals and values that religion teaches are universal to all human cultures that we can cultivate without an invisible dictator.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
I’ll be dead anyway, what will I care? Besides, if I was wrong there would be some shred of evidence that a diety or supernatural being has interacted with this world outside of the myths and legends of ancient man. So, I’m confident.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
I respect people, not religions. People are free to accept and belief whatever they will, but I and other atheists and freethinkers have an equal right to challenge those beliefs. As long as you are not trying to force your belief on me we will get along smashingly. If you try to tell me I am going to hell or that this country is being corrupted by gays and pagans, I am going to rip you a new one.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
The “historical Jesus” is only ever mentioned by Josephus outside the context of Christianity. Most of the “gospels” were written long after Jesus died and were based largely off of older mythologies. The myths and “miracles” of Jesus are similar to those of Apollonius of Tyana, Mithra, the cultic Orpheus, and a few of the myths attributed to Heracles, Horus, Gilgamesh, and the Elusian Mysteries. So I am not that impressed with the historicity of Jesus and/or the bible.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
Yes, yes, yes. Science would make great leaps forward, sectarian violence would be a thing of myth, and universal human rights would be a reality.
What happens when we die?
We cease to be. All that we were and are simply stops. Our memories and deeds and works will continue to exist beyond us. Our families and community will continue, be we will simply cease to be. This is the question and the horrifying reality that has driven more people to religion than anything else. We don’t want to believe it, we don’t want to accept it, but we have only a short time on this earth and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Make the most of it, don’t live in fear of an invisible dictator and don’t give in to hate and intolerance. Live, love, and leave the world better than you found it. That’s all any of us can do.
hoverFrog said,
July 20, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
Why do you not believe in Odin, Zeus or Osiris? I believe in one less god that you.
Where do your morals come from?
Typically learned responses to social situations. There is no inherent sense of right and wrong any more than there is a divinely inspired one. We are social animals and as such have evolved to cooperate in our groups and to empathise with others.
What is the meaning of life?
Propagate your species. However i think people look for meaning where none is actually required. It’s the wrong question.
Is atheism a religion?
No. You may as well say is logic a religion.
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Typically I do something about the situation rather than waste my time on my knees talking to the air.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Yes, in the same way that intelligent people should convince someone who believes that the moon is made of cheese that they are wrong. We correct mistakes through logic and debate. It isn’t a conversion or crusade, just education.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
I think that the lack of religion is secondary to the political aims of these people. You’re referring to Hitler, Stalin and others who held radical political views and are also reported to be atheist despite the fact that no real evidence for this exists. Furthermore the atrocities are relatively few compared with those caused by religious agendas. I say few but you may counter with the number of dead Jews in WWII for example and I’d have to say that it was the technical efficiency of the killing given the superior weapons of the era and not the agenda behind it that led to so much wasted life.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Until relatively recently people thought the earth was flat. Some people actually still do. Public opinion isn’t necessarily a measure of accuracy.
Why does the universe exist?
Why would it not? Why would there need to be a why?
How did life originate?
A complex chemical, electrical and physical set of circumstances occurred. Given the size of the universe it is actually very unlikely that life would fail to spontenously occur. More likely than a creator deity anyway.
Is all religion harmful?
Without a doubt. Ignorance is never the best option and religous fervour harms everyone it touches.
What’s so bad about religious moderates?
They are misinformed and either unwilling or unable to question their relgious beliefs.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
Not that I can think of.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
I suppose it’s always a possibility but I’d rather live my life as a sceptic than accept some story without question.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No more than you would respect someone’s political beliefs. A belief should be strong enough to be challenged otherwise it is simply dogma.
Are atheists smarter than theists?
As an atheist I like to think so but I don’t have any real evidence. I do know that the bible belt in North America has lower exam results than the less religious North East but there are considerably more factors involved than religion.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
About 2000 years ago there were a whole string of “miracle workers” and religious leaders. Jesus was most likely a healer or travelling preacher whose reputation was blown out of all proportion.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
Certainly. No more hiding behind some old book.
What happens when we die?
We cease to be alive. Why would you think that you enter a state that is any different from the one you were in prior to your birth? Worse religion teaches that people who don’t fit the right profile (A Jew or Atheist to a Catholic or a homosexual to a Christian) are destined to suffer unspeakable torment after death simply because of an accident of their birth. Your religion is largely derived form the place you were born after all.
Everyday Atheism said,
July 20, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
Because the only reasons people have for believing in God are psychological, rather than empirical.
Where do your morals come from?
My natural compassion and being brought up to respect the rights of others.
What is the meaning of life?
The meaning, or significance of life is that it has value. The fact that it ends makes it infinitely more valuable.
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
I seek the comfort of friends and family, and search for solutions to my problems.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
I think we should point out the flaws in theism, because religion has such a large impact on our world.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Simple, they all believe in mutually exclusive deities.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
It depends on which one it is.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Should all alien abduction stories be respected?
Are atheists smarter than theists?
No, we just ask different questions, and have different standards of evidence.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
He never calls me, so it isn’t much of an issue.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
I know I am better off without it. You should give it a try.
What happens when we die?
Our bodies decompose, and get recycled back into nature, but the impact that we’ve made on the word lives on. What we do in life echoes an eternity.*
*from Gladiator – I’ve always liked that line.
The Vicar said,
July 20, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Why do you not believe in God?
Observation of physics and history shows that a loving and all-powerful God cannot exist. People like you say that no other kind exists. So no kind of God can exist. You change your story, I’ll change mine.
What is the meaning of life?
You don’t ask for the meaning of sleep, or electricity, or nectarines, do you? They’re just there. Why should life be any different?
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
A vanishingly small number. Many more were incited by a relative handful of atheists, I’ll grant you, but the actual actions were overwhelmingly undertaken by believers.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
You tell me; if any one religion is true, all the others are false, so billions are wrong anyway.
Why does the universe exist?
The minute you posited the existence of an undetectable being who is all-powerful but insists on hiding from the entire world, you sucked all the meaning out of the word “exist”.
Is all religion harmful?
Depends — are all lies wrong?
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
What if you’re wrong about God (and He’s unwilling to forgive you for getting Him wrong)? The chances of winning the lottery are nearly the same whether you buy a ticket or not. I’ll risk it.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Don’t be silly. The Old Testament says that Jews should kill all the inhabitants of just about every city in the world, including nearly all of the United States (Deuteronomy 13) — and that’s a mainstream religion.
Are atheists smarter than theists?
On average? Yes. In specific? Well, I hate to sound conceited, but there are two of us here, and only one of us didn’t know the answers to these questions…
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
Last I heard, the only people who really believe the Jesus of the modern New Testament is historical in toto also believe the earth is less than 7000 years old and that God cares more about your sex life than whether you kill someone. Remember that question about “should all religions be respected?”
Would the world be better off without any religion?
Dunno, but it’s hard to imagine that it could actually be any worse.
And seriously, FA? Naperville? That’s, like, small town America after the Republican pod people hatched and sucked all the personality out of the real inhabitants. Although I’ll give them credit for having the honesty to make the local Republican Party headquarters out of a gas station in 2006. (Wish I had taken a picture!)
Liberal Debutante » Blog Archive » Hemant's Project said,
July 21, 2007 at 12:19 am
[…] the friendly atheist, made a list of questions he wanted people to answer in the comment thread. He wanted the answers to be short and sweet, and […]
Geoff Arnold » Blog Archive » Short and sweet said,
July 21, 2007 at 1:27 am
[…] Atheist poses a set of common questions for atheists, with the injunction to keep the answers short and […]
HeIsSailing said,
July 21, 2007 at 2:05 am
• Why do you not believe in God?
Actually, there might be one. But until he parts the skies, peers down at us and announces his presence with a giant megaphone, we will never know, will we?
• Where do your morals come from?
Same place yours do. From various influences that we happen to revere.
• What is the meaning of life?
The worst of the Monty Python movies.
• Is atheism a religion?
Blast, I don’t know. Does it matter? Whether the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’ still does not bring God into existence.
• If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Same thing you do. We chew our nails and pace the floor. We both talk to ourselves too.
• Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
We should dispense information, free from church creeds, and let people make up their own minds.
• Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
Ummm… yeah I guess so. What’s your point, ya jerk?
• How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Remember the TV ad that claimed Slim Whitman sold more albums than Elvis and The Beatles combined? Next question.
• Why does the universe exist?
Why does this question exist? Because humans assume there must be an answer.
• How did life originate?
I think we will know the answer to this when we find out why the universe exists.
• Is all religion harmful?
Is atheism a religion? Wait, you already asked that. Pass.
• What’s so bad about religious moderates?
They make debating Fundamentalists much more difficult. They believe in things like local floods and Theistic Evolution. Heresy I say!!
• Is there anything redeeming about religion?
What is this stale talk of religion? I thought you had a relationship.
• What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
If John Hagee is right and I am wrong? Honestly? I will spend an eternity in Hell.
• Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Have you seen the latest YouTube responses to the Blasphemy Challenge from the French Realian Clone Masters? You gotta love UFO cults.
• Are atheists smarter than theists?
Is a Realian Clone Master smarter than Martin Luther?
• How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
I think the worms dealt with him a long, long time ago.
• Would the world be better off without any religion?
My honest, uninformed opinion? No.
• What happens when we die?
I don’t remember. I have to rent Beetlejuice again for the authoritative and inspired answer to that question.
GM_Scorch said,
July 21, 2007 at 7:55 am
Why do you not believe in God?
Evidence up until now points to the negative.
Where do your morals come from?
Morals come from dogma. Ethics come from logic.
What is the meaning of life?
Multiple Meanings:
Biological Reason: To procreate and spread into every ecological niche.
Individual Reason: To experience and enjoy oneself for the duration one has.
Societal Reason: To minimize the pain and suffering of others.
Is atheism a religion?
Lack of belief is not a belief.
If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Observe what is causing trouble, examine it, and work out a solution.
Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
Nope. If it makes them happy and as long as they keep it to themselves then let them believe what they want. Its when they go from “I believe…” to “You should believe as well..” (sometimes followed by “I’ll make you believe…”) that you should start worrying.
Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
And some of the worst atrocities throughout all of history were committed by believers. The committers belief had nothing to do with the atrocity. They are bad people to begin with.
How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
Believing something to be true is not the same as it being factually true. For example: the majority of the worlds population believed the earth was flat and the universe rotated around it.
Why does the universe exist?
Why is a subjective question that is just an exercise in mental mastrubation. How is much more interesting and fulfilling.
How did life originate?
Either evolved from primordial goop long ago in our oceans or was seeded here by meteorites or comets.
Is all religion harmful?
No. You might as well ask if all drugs are harmful. They are to excess. Same with religion. All things in moderation.
What’s so bad about religious moderates?
Nothing. They are trying to find a common ground in a bad situation and more power to them.
Is there anything redeeming about religion?
It kept ancient kings from tearing things apart, it preserved history and knowledge during dark times, and it generally kept us from barbarism and gave birth to modern day civilization. But now that we are grown up, we no longer need the crib and pacifier.
What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
If God does exist then he/she/it will be something that none of us have gotten right in defining. The afterlife will be something we cannot even comprehend now. On the other hand if the fundies are right and you go to heaven and just fly around and sing praises all day long then I would prefer Hell or annhilation of conciousness.
Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
Respect is earned.
Are atheists smarter than theists?
Nope.
How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
The same way I deal with all the rest of the messiahs around that time. There were hundreds of em (one thing Life of Bryan got right). Jesus just happened to be the one who won out the “Messianic Idol” show and got the recording contract and 2000 years of apologists revising his biography.
Would the world be better off without any religion?
Nah. It makes things more colorful.
What happens when we die?
Probably true answer: We de-compose.
Wuss out answer: No one knows. We will find out when we expire.
Rolf said,
July 21, 2007 at 10:34 am
* Why do you not believe in a God?
As I have personally never been provided with any evidence of God’s existence, I have no reason to believe. Thus non-belief is the default position.
* Is atheism a religion?
No atheism is not a religion. Nor is it a belief system. Atheism is a way of being. Atheism is the acceptance of what my senses tell me is reality here and now. Atheism is a world view that embraces a reality supported by empirical evidence. Nothing is made up or manufactured to supercede reality or fact. There is no need to draw a distinction between ourselves as human and a supposed supernatural entity that judges our actions and controls our destiny. I personally don’t need to read anything more into the events in my life than my experience of events themselves. The con