Sign this petition

From the petition:

Children have the right to their own thoughts, including their thoughts on religion. Because of religious hegemony around the world, children are herded into temples, churches, and synagogues without their consent and forced to endure dogma and superstition. The decision to take up a religion or remain free of religion belongs to an adult mind fully aware of the consequences such a decision will have. Usurping the right of a child to remain free of religion until they are adults is unethical, no matter the motivation of a parent.

Here’s the link: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop_forcing_faith/?e

Incoherencies in the book, “How Do You Spell God?”

I do not like this book very much at all, for the following reasons.

A religion is a bunch of big answers to the really big questions.

Okay, that’s fine.

[...] religions have real good answers to real big questions.

…That’s not fine. At all.

I would have less of a problem with this if the authors substantiated this claim, but they don’t. They just state it. And it’s patently false.

The way we see it, there are four big questions all the religions in the world try to answer:

1. “What’s our place in the world?”
2. “How can we live the right way?”
3. “How do we pray?”
4. “What happens to us after we die?”

If something answers these questions, it’s a religion; if it doesn’t, it isn’t!

WHAT?! With the exception of #3, this is a patent falsehood. We can amend the last sentence, however, to “If something answers these questions [and such answers are arbitrary and require faith-based belief], it’s a religion; if it [answers these questions (with the exception of #3, which is inherently religious) using sound reasoning to arrive at logical conclusions], it isn’t.”

Sigh. These people need an editor.

Here’s the next gem:

We don’t want all the religions to melt down into one big religion. This would be boring and would make the world very dull. It would be like having [...] just one flavor of ice cream.

No, no, no. This is a category mistake. There’s lots of flavors of ice cream because there’s no right flavor. You’ll notice, though, that there aren’t lots of answers to things like, “What color is the sky?” or “What is 4 times 9?” because with questions like that, there are right and wrong answers. Similarly, the “real big questions” that religion attempts (and usually fails) to answer also have concrete answers. There is no, “What’s your favorite flavor of what happens when you die?” We don’t know for sure what the answers are. We may never know, but that shouldn’t stop us from looking for them.

So, in a sense, the religions should melt together, if they knew what they were doing. At that point, though, it would cease to be called a religion, and would just be a collection of universally agreed-upon facts.

If you live long enough, you will meet somebody who hates religions.

I guess that would be me. Congratulations, reader, you’ve lived long enough!

One of the things people who hate religions say a lot is, “Religions divide people and teach them to hate each other.”

We say a lot of other stuff, too, but we’ll stick with that for now, I suppose.

This is ridiculous, and here’s what we say to people who don’t like religions: “Look around this world! Look at the people who are doing good stuff, the people who are giving out soup to hungry folks, [etc.] Can’t you see that lots of these people doing good stuff have a religion that taught them to do it?”

Not as many as the authors suggest, no. Furthermore, as charity organizations, religious institutions are miserably ineffective, as they have so many irrelevant overhead costs. How many more bowls of soup could we have given out had we not bothered to construct megachurches, marble alters, gold cross necklaces?

Then we say, “Look around this world at the people who are doing bad stuff. [...] Can’t you see that none of these people learned how to do that bad stuff from a religion?”

I’m looking. I’m seeing suicide bombers. I’m seeing holy wars. I’m seeing ruthless manslaughter in the name of religion splattering blood all over the timeline of history. The authors completely failed here.

We know that y ou can be a good person even if you have no religion.

Well, that’s certainly good to know!

[...] The teachings of religion are behind all the good things people do.

Whoa, there. Do I even need to address this?

People can come up with moral values on their own, without the help of religious doctrine. If we have any doubt, we can simply check out, for instance, the Richard Dawkins foundation, or any other charity that is not founded in a faith tradition. The teachings of religion are simply not behind every good thing anyone has ever done, and the claim that they are is quite frankly completely, wholly, and utterly wrong.

[...] when somebody says that religions divide people and teach them to hate each other, you should stand up and tell them that they are full of baloney.

Wait. So we’re saying religion doesn’t divide people… and then we’re calling for religious people to tell nonreligious people that they’re filled with baloney?

“Religion teaches people to love each other! If anyone tells you otherwise, tell ‘em to go **** themselves!!!”

The sad part is, one of the authors has a Ph.D… in philosophy.

The sadder part is, we’ve only made it to page four.

Why I am an atheist, part two

Having established in my previous post that we cannot know for sure whether or not god exists, the next step is fairly simple. The religious want to say something like this:

True, we cannot know for sure one way or the other; but that’s the point, isn’t it? Otherwise, belief in God wouldn’t be specifically based on faith. God’s ambiguity is in a sense almost part of the definition of God.

Sounds reasonable, right? Now:

What makes belief in unicorns, fairies, Harry Potter, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, witches, demons, spirits, ghosts, and so on any different?

We can go on ad nauseum. How about a nice list of obselete gods, just for good measure. We have, for instance, Acidalia, Aello, Aesculapius, Agathe, Agdistis, Ageleia, Aglauros, Agne, Agoraia, Agreia, Agreie, Agreiphontes, Agreus, Agrios, Agrotera, Aguieus, Aidoneus, Aigiokhos, Aigletes, Aigobolos, Ainia,Ainippe, Aithuia , Akesios, Akraia, Aktaios, Alalkomene, Alasiotas, Alcibie, Alcinoe, Alcippe, Alcis,Alea, Alexikakos, Aligena, Aliterios, Alkaia, Amaltheia, Ambidexter, Ambologera, Amynomene,Anaduomene, Anaea, Anax, Anaxilea, Androdameia,Andromache, Andromeda, Androphonos, Anosia, Antandre,Antania, Antheus, Anthroporraistes, Antianara, Antianeira, Antibrote, Antimache, Antimachos, Antiope,Antiopeia, Aoide, Apatouria, Aphneius, Aphrodite, Apollo, Apotropaios, Areia, Areia, Areion, Areopagite, Ares, Areto, Areximacha,Argus, Aridnus,Aristaios, Aristomache, Arkhegetes, Arktos, Arretos, Arsenothelys, Artemis, Asclepius, Asklepios, Aspheleios, Asteria, Astraeos , Athene, Auxites, Avaris, Axios, Axios Tauros,Bakcheios, Bakchos, Basileus, Basilis, Bassareus, Bauros, Boophis, Boreas , Botryophoros, Boukeros, Boulaia, Boulaios, Bremusa,Bromios, Byblis,Bythios, Caliope, Cedreatis, Celaneo, centaur, Cerberus, Charidotes, Charybdis, Chimera, Chloe, Chloris , Choreutes, Choroplekes, Chthonios, Clete, Clio, clotho,Clyemne, cockatrice, Crataeis, Custos, Cybebe, Cybele, Cyclops, Daphnaia, Daphnephoros, Deianeira, Deinomache, Delia, Delios, Delphic, Delphinios, Demeter, Dendrites, Derimacheia,Derinoe, Despoina, Dikerotes, Dimeter, Dimorphos, Dindymene, Dioktoros, Dionysos, Discordia, Dissotokos, Dithyrambos, Doris, Dryope,Echephyle,Echidna, Eiraphiotes, Ekstatophoros, Eleemon, Eleuthereus, Eleutherios, Ennosigaios, Enodia, Enodios, Enoplios, Enorches, Enualios, Eos , Epaine, Epidotes, Epikourios, Epipontia, Epitragidia, Epitumbidia, Erato, Ergane, Eribromios, Erigdoupos, Erinus, Eriobea, Eriounios, Eriphos, Eris, Eros,Euanthes, Euaster, Eubouleus, Euboulos, Euios, Eukhaitos, Eukleia, Eukles, Eumache, Eunemos, Euplois, Euros , Eurybe,Euryleia, Euterpe, Fates,Fortuna, Gaia, Gaieokhos, Galea, Gamelia, Gamelios, Gamostolos, Genetor, Genetullis, Geryon, Gethosynos, giants, Gigantophonos, Glaukopis, Gorgons, Gorgopis, Graiae, griffin, Gynaikothoinas, Gynnis, Hagisilaos, Hagnos, Haides, Harmothoe, harpy, Hegemone, Hegemonios, Hekate, Hekatos, Helios, Hellotis, Hephaistia, Hephaistos, Hera, Heraios, Herakles, Herkeios, Hermes, Heros Theos, Hersos, Hestia, Heteira, Hiksios, Hipp, Hippia, Hippios, Hippoi Athanatoi, Hippolyte, Hippolyte II,Hippomache,Hippothoe, Horkos, Hugieia, Hupatos, Hydra, Hypate, Hyperborean, Hypsipyle, Hypsistos, Iakchos, Iatros, Idaia, Invictus, Iphito,Ismenios, Ismenus,Itonia, Kabeiria, Kabeiroi, Kakia, Kallinikos, Kallipugos, Kallisti, Kappotas, Karneios, Karpophoros, Karytis, Kataibates, Katakhthonios, Kathatsios, Keladeine, Keraunos, Kerykes, Khalinitis, Khalkioikos, Kharmon, Khera, Khloe, Khlori,Khloris,Khruse, Khthonia, Khthonios, Kidaria, Kissobryos, Kissokomes, Kissos, Kitharodos, Kleidouchos, Kleoptoleme, Klymenos, Kore, Koruthalia, Korymbophoros, Kourotrophos, Kranaia, Kranaios, Krataiis, Kreousa, Kretogenes, Kriophoros, Kronides, Kronos,Kryphios, Ktesios, Kubebe, Kupris, Kuprogenes, Kurotrophos, Kuthereia, Kybele, Kydoime,Kynthia, Kyrios, Ladon, Lakinia, Lamia, Lampter, Laodoke, Laphria, Lenaios, Leukatas, Leukatas, Leukolenos, Leukophruene, Liknites, Limenia, Limnaios, Limnatis, Logios, Lokhia, Lousia, Loxias, Lukaios, Lukeios, Lyaios, Lygodesma, Lykopis, Lyseus, Lysippe, Maimaktes, Mainomenos, Majestas, Makar, Maleatas, Manikos, Mantis, Marpe, Marpesia, Medusa, Megale, Meilikhios, Melaina, Melainis, Melanaigis, Melanippe,Melete, Melousa, Melpomene, Melqart, Meses, Mimnousa, Minotaur, Mneme, Molpadia,Monogenes, Morpho, Morychos, Musagates, Musagetes, Nebrodes, Nephelegereta, Nereus,Nete, Nike, Nikephoros, Nomios, Nomius, Notos , Nyktelios, Nyktipolos, Nympheuomene, Nysios, Oiketor, Okyale, Okypous, Olumpios, Omadios, Ombrios, Orithia,Orius,Ortheia, Orthos, Ourania, Ourios, Paelemona, Paian, Pais, Palaios, Pallas, Pan Megas, Panakhais, Pandemos, Pandrosos, Pantariste, Parthenos, PAsianax, Pasiphaessa, Pater, Pater, Patroo s, Pegasus, Pelagia, Penthesilea, Perikionios, Persephone, Petraios, Phanes, Phanter, Phatria, Philios, Philippis, Philomeides, Phoebe, Phoebus, Phoenix, Phoibos, Phosphoros, Phratrios, Phutalmios, Physis, Pisto, Plouton, Polemusa,Poliakhos, Polias, Polieus, Polumetis, Polydektes, Polygethes, Polymnia, Polymorphos, Polyonomos, Porne, Poseidon, Potnia Khaos, Potnia Pheron, Promakhos, Pronoia, Propulaios, Propylaia, Proserpine, Prothoe, Protogonos, Prytaneia, Psychopompos, Puronia, Puthios, Pyrgomache, Python, Rhea, Sabazios, Salpinx, satyr, Saxanus, Scyleia,Scylla, sirens, Skeptouchos, Smintheus, Sophia, Sosipolis, Soter, Soteria, Sphinx, Staphylos, Sthenias, Sthenios, Strife, Summakhia, Sykites, Syzygia, Tallaios, Taureos, Taurokeros, Taurophagos, Tauropolos, Tauropon, Tecmessa, Teisipyte, Teleios, Telepyleia,Teletarches, Terpsichore, Thalestris, Thalia, The Dioskouroi, Theos, Theritas, Thermodosa, Thraso, Thyonidas, Thyrsophoros, Tmolene, Toxaris, Toxis, Toxophile,Trevia, Tricephalus, Trieterikos, Trigonos, Trismegestos, Tritogeneia, Tropaios, Trophonius,Tumborukhos, Tyche, Typhon, Urania, Valasca, Xanthippe, Xenios, Zagreus, Zathos, Zephryos , Zeus, Zeus Katakhthonios, and Zoophoros. And those are just the Greek ones. There are hundreds more listed here.

Belief (in any meaningful sense) in the existence of the members of the above list is simply not valid. It’s absurd; it’s incoherent; it doesn’t work. We should not believe in things for which we have no evidence, even if such evidence is contrary to the nature of the thing itself. God is no different.

… and that is why I am an atheist.

As a side note:

It seems to me there are two primary reasons why belief in gods or deities of any kind is still prevalent:

1. Profound flaws in the reasoning of everyday people.

2. The astoundingly, devastatingly effective indoctrination of children to believe obsolete, cult-like edicts.

Why I am an atheist, part one

I felt it would be a good idea to simply spell out why I don’t believe in god. After thinking about it, it was too long to compress into one post, so this is going to end up in at least 2 parts.

Let me first point out some avenues for belief that I have found to be unsound.

A1) Evidence of god in the world – intelligent design, miracles, etc.

Evidence of god simply doesn’t hold up. Nothing that we can observe in the world necessitates the existence of an infinite, all-powerful being. For example, how would an infinite being manifest itself in a finite form? It would be monumentally difficult, if not impossible. If god decided to show up one day as a 300 foot tall guy with a beard, how could we possibly know that it was god, and not just a 300 foot tall guy with a beard? (Example courtesy of Simon.) In other words, nothing in the world necessitates the existance of a divine being.

A1.1) Personal experience

“God spoke to me!” just isn’t going to cut it.

A1.2) The Bible

Similarly, “The Bible says so!” isn’t going to cut it either, because nothing gives the Bible any authority. Except the Bible. And then we start getting dizzy.

A2) Word tricks

God is perfect. Perfect things exist. God exists!!!

Hmmm.

I’m thinking of a perfect $100 bill. This bill would be more perfect if it existed in my pocket. Let’s see… Nope, didn’t work. Damn. Moving on…

First, I’ll start with those premises that my unbelief rests on.

1. God (by definition) is infinite.

Defense of this premise: God is necessarily infinite. If we make god finite, he ceases to be god.

2. God is wholly other.

Defense of this premise: By this, I mean that God is not limited in any way by reality as we perceive it. Again, obviously so: trying to make god fit into our human experience of the world is incoherent. God exists, if you will, on a different plane of reality. The implication here is that god is unable to interact with us, because by doing so, he would limit himself in some way, and no longer be god.

At this point, from these premises and our failed avenues for proving god’s existence, we can conclude the following: we cannot know one way or another whether god exists.

Now, at best, this might still lead to faith. After all, the notion of faith is based on our lack of certainty about god. At worst, we seem to be left only with agnosticism.

Next time, however, I will conclude that the only reasonable conclusion is not theism or agnosticism, but atheism.

Making fun of chain mail, part seven

Notes: Isn’t it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell.

For starters, the sentence should end in a question mark…

Seriously, though. What exactly is the argument here? Apparently, it’s something like, the world is going to hell because people ‘trash’ god. No, no, no, NO! Correlation ≠ causation! See: http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Ooh… or maybe it’s more like, people who ‘trash’ god are those responsible for the world ‘going to hell.’ Intresting. Have a look at Sam Harris’ The End of Faith. Or Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_war.

Isn’t it funny how someone can say ‘I believe in God’ but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also ‘believes’ in God).

Stuff like this makes me depressed. How much lower can people sink?

Point #1. No, it isn’t funny.

Point #2. Still haven’t mastered the whole “end-an-interrogative-with-a-question-mark” thing, yet, huh? (See? Question marks!)

Point #3. Insofar as we take “I believe in god” to be equivalent to “I believe god exists,” there is no reason that we can’t thereafter ‘follow satan.’ (gag.) I believe John McCain exists, but that doesn’t mean I follow him.

Point #4. I believe with all my heart in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Your religion is completely wrong and I hereby arbitrarily declare mine to be infallible. I will now go forth into the world to live by eons old doctrines that make no sense and corrupt young children such that my nonsensical dogma will live for centuries to come.

(I grant that point 4 was somewhat unrelated.)

…

Isn’t it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

The punctuation gods are going to freaking kill you, lady!  It’s my responsibility to appease them! Silence, please:

Here, oh holy masters of commas and question marks, is my humble offering; may you bless and protect this poor, misguided soul who has lost her way, and is ignorant of your heavenly symbols.

???????????????????????????????????????????

Amen.

That taken care of, the simple explanation is that people exist, whereas god doesn’t. So needless to say, you’re going to be more concerned with the thoughts of existent entities, rather than nonexistent ones. 

This concludes my shredding of this material. Suffice to say that I found it immensely enjoyable, and hopefully others did too.