Atheists: Come out, come out, wherever you are

[delalluvia]

Maybe an echo of "God speaks Hebrew" or "God speaks English"?

Islam has the strangle-hold on that idea.  You have to be able to speak/read Arabic in order to read and understand God's wishes in the Qu'ran 'properly'.  No other way is acceptable. 

God only communicates in Arabic you see.   

[Giancarlo]

I was raised atheist. My parents are atheist and I'm probably the only hispanic person who hasn't been baptized, and who has no idea about the bible and such. Along with my three siblings of course. It was hard to grow up atheist in a profoundly catholic culture, though. We were shunned sometimes. And my grandma really thought we were going to hell, and spent half her life trying to make us believe in God but failed terribly.

I have been baptized but that was because of my grandmother. She is a hardline catholic (looks like the baptism didn't do much for me lol... I'm chasing a hot boyfriend). My parents are agnostic (my mom is more of an atheist then my dad, but he is still an agnostic). So you're not alone... my mom put on the catholic thing to please her mother (mostly out of respect). In my culture family is very strong. Much stronger then it is in the US. You probably are simliar to me.

[Impish]

Sam Harris wrote an essay responding to the recent book "The Language of God," written by a well-respected scientist who has abandoned all ability to reason.

It's a two-page essay, and well worth reading:

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060815_sam_harris_language_ignorance/

Cheers!

[ednbarby]

Oh, MAN.  Harris was right - I for one am deeply disturbed.  Well, in the general sense, of course, but specifically that Collins' book is not a hoax.

This quote from Harris stood out:

If the beauty of nature can mean that Jesus really is the son of God, then anything can mean anything.

I have *got* to get my hands on The End of Faith.

[Shuggy]

If the beauty of nature can mean that Jesus really is the son of God, then anything can mean anything.

This is literally true and can be proved mathematically. It follows from the fact that a false proposition implies any proposition.
If one number equals a different number, then suitable adding and multiplying can show any number to equal any other number.
(eg if 3=4 then 3x3=3x4=4x4, ie 9=12=16)

"You mean, if you accepted that 2=1 you could prove that you are the Pope?" someone asked Bertrand Russell.

"Yes," Russell (in essence) replied. "The Pope and I are two but if 2=1 then the Pope and I are one, therefore I am the Pope."

[nakymaton]

Thanks for the link to that article, Impish. Harris is really a fantastic writer... and I am horrified by the book he's reviewing.

[Mikaela]

Well, at least that book, scary as it seems, made me decide to come out here at last. 


I'm an atheist too, very firmly so - and a card-carrying humanist.  I do take humanism and respect for human rights very seriously.

I left the church as soon as I came of age, - remember trying to explain the big bang theory to my (horrified) classmates while still in children's school.  I'd found that in a book and even then it - and the theory of evolution - made more sense to me than what we were being taught in (the very religious) school we were attending.

Didn't see the need to join any organization to prove my personal viewpoints, but eventually joined the humanist organization in my country a few years back because I wanted to contribute to their strength in numbers. A substantial membership base is needed if there is to be any chance of the humanist voice being heard and not disregarded in debates on religion in schools, a possible division between state and church, etc. I live in one of the most secular countries on the planet, where religion according to polls plays next to no role in the life of about 50% of the population (though many of those do in fact passively remain on the Church's membership lists). But we've had a small Conservative Christian backlash here recently too - inspired by the US, unfortunately, but not anyway near that kind of magnitude or impact. And anyway the sheer popular complacency about the status quo makes it difficult to change things in a direction that is equally respectful of everyone's outlooks on life, or that distinguishes better between private worship and public equal respect for all. (By and large, Lutheran Christianity is still the official way to go.)

[Impish]

Well, at least that book, scary as it seems, made me decide to come out here at last. 

Welcome, Mikaela!

I'm curious about the country you live in.  Can you share?

In his book (The End of Faith), Harris mentions that countries with higher rates of atheists also have lower crime rates, better health care for all, lower numbers of the homeless, etc.

He uses it to counter those who argue that scoiety cannot be moral without religion.

As a humanist, you're probably already aware of this website, but here's a link, just to make sure:

http://www.secularhumanism.org/

Also, a website that lists other sites related to atheism and humanism.

http://www.webofreason.org/

Again, welcome to Atheist Pride!   

[ednbarby]

Something that's occurred to me in reading here and the article just posted:  We are basically raising our son atheist.  When people who take part in organized religion ask us what church we belong to, where Will was baptised, etc., we always politely say something like "We don't belong to any church right now."  If they press us on whether we're planning to raise our child with no religion (and you'd perhaps be surprised at how many people have done that), we say "We're going to expose him to all the options out there and let him make his own choice when he's old enough and ready to do so."

Here's the thing.  How come none of us ever asks these yahoos why it is that they're raising their children to believe in mythology?  Oh - that's right - because we don't assume that choosing to go one way or the other with organized religion determines whether you're moral or not.

I'll tell you what - I pity the poor fool Jehovah's Witnesses who dare to ring my doorbell next.  I plan to invite them in, sit them down, and give them some iced tea and an earful about why it is that they're not living completely fulfilling lives by choosing to believe that God exists.

 

[Momof2]

I am Catholic, my husband is Catholic so of course my children are Catholic.  We both have very strong beliefs but I also give my children the option to explore different things and other religions.  We live in a small community in the Bible belt.  Most people here are Southern Baptist.  When we first moved to town, the fine Christian folk in this community came to see us while the big moving truck was out front.  The first thing out of everyone of their mouths was "Where do you go to Church?."  When we told them St. Francis they all with their mouths hanging open would say "Oh."  I told my husband it was like we just told them we were drug dealers or worshiped Satan.  Now none of those sweet neighbors talk to us.  We are the forgotten one.  I think it is funny that as soon as you believe differently than someone else you are wrong.  I have never and would never say what any person believes is wrong.  That is the right of every person to believe in what they want.  I have a lot of friends that are agnostic.  We are very good friends and they will every now and then let their children go to church with ours.  Our "Baptist" friends on the other will NOT let their kids go to church with ours.  So funny.