While the focus of this blog is to promote secular concepts in opposition to religion, as well as to point out some of the inherent absurdities of popular faith, I feel as if a lot of the ire generated by the atheism vs. religion debate is misplaced. Both sides of the argument oversimplify each other, if for no other reason than to generate a series of straw men to be knocked down by a blunt and ultimately fallacious point. I would like to take this opportunity to stand in defense of faith, not from a position of biblical literalism or moral condemnation, but from the perspective of someone who does not believe that rationality and religion are truly diametrically opposed.
DesertBeing an Atheist is not about ruining other people’s religious parties or crapping on dogma. It is not about rebelling or being different. It is not about disrespect or an urge to crinkle the noses of the powers that be.
Being an atheist is about seeing things for what they are, unencumbered by myth, opinion or ritual. Its about understanding the natural urges that live inside you, rather than denying them, it’s about using that knowledge to guide and steer our humanity. It’s about seeing the beauty that is nature and understanding the minute and varied processes that shape and create the world. To see a river running is not a static thing as God had created once and always, but a river is a changing thing, a force of creation and change. Read more
From my outsider perspective, I've learned two things about devout Christians. And no, I'm not talking about those moderate, everybody get along, some of my best friends are Jewish and I don't hate gay people Christians, I'm talking about the super-duper double order of Christ with cheese Christians. One: They hate sex, that universal expression of love and affection with the ability to form lasting bonds between people regardless of background and even the power to create new life. Two: They're a-ok with violence, the force that has kept people apart since the beginning of time and even has the tendency to destroy life. In Christian fundamentalism's most recent attack on sex, or at least their woefully distorted conception of sex, they've instituted the concept of the Christian Side-Hug, or CSH, with the help of a terrible, terrible rap premiered at the Encounter Generation Conference.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster was invented in 2005 by Bobby Henderson, as a protest of the Kansas Board of Education's insistence that intelligent design be taught alongside evolution in Kansas schools. The tricky thing about the Flying Spaghetti Monster is that you cannot prove that he does not exist. If it were conclusively proven that the Flying Spaghetti Monster (or FSM) did not exist, then let's face it, life would be a lot simpler. Read more
Atheists: violent and bloodthirsty without Biblical reason.I am an atheist and I have a moral code based on human pain and suffering and empathy for others, especially those close to me. I also have a healthy fear of incarceration. Besides that I don't really feel it takes much to be moral. I was sitting at work one day eating lunch in a tiny little lunch room on my tiny 30-minute break when I got into a spiritual debate with a fellow human and a follower of the good Lord. Read more
God?I’ve heard a lot about this God bloke over the years and he sounds like a very nice idea but I must confess to some genuine misgivings about his existence. In fact I have a nagging doubt that simply won’t be shaken off despite hours of singing round a camp fire and sitting very still in a big room while a series of boring old men go on and on about their special book. Here are my top ten reasons why God doesn’t exist.
1 - I have never met him. I keep hearing people going on and on about how God is everywhere. Well I’m pretty well travelled and I’ve never once bumped into him. I also notice that lots of people claim they have heard him speak to them but none of them can give you a physical description. That’s pretty suspicious in my book. Read more
The Ten CommandmentsI've always been curious about the worthiness of the Ten Commandments and decided to take a close gander for myself and examine each of them one by one. Read more
The ExecutionI picked up the greatest comic book pamphlet EVER from Chick Publications- courtesy of King James Bible Baptist Church in the subway tunnels around and about Times Square, where apparently King James Bible Baptist Church is targeting all of the heathens- me definitely included.
The moral of the comic is the same as the majority of Christian literature I have chanced upon. Do whatever you want throughout your life, but do not scorn the Lord. Read more
One of the biggest questions facing humanity today is "Does God exist?" At the God Report, we will explore the different points of view regarding this question, and others concerning faith, religion, and the roles they play in this day and age. We encourage you to post your thoughts and questions about this HOT topic.
