January 2011
54 posts
“We have people who think you should throw battery acid in the faces of little...”
– Sam Harris (via corruptpolitics)
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 8
What’s your political alignment? Does your atheism influence how you vote and how you feel on issues?
I’m a registered Democrat, though I’m not really a party person, so I guess I’m more of an independent voter. I’m a progressive, therefore pretty liberal. And, of course my being an atheist influences my vote and opinion on issues. If I see anything on the...
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 7
Except for God, do you believe in anything supernatural or pseudoscientific? (Ghosts, alien abductions, spirits, souls, demons, psychics, magic, Harry Potter, etc.)
I don’t believe in any of those things. I’ve never seen or heard tell of anything that was even remotely convincing. I’ve seen a lot of tricksters and charlatans, and some pretty good magicians, but a...
: The Slanted Playing Field →
squashed:
Monopoly is a good game for libertarians. Everybody starts out in the same spot. The rules are clear and understandable. There’s a lot of luck—but enough skill that you can feel good about winning. And it’s just a game. We don’t need to shed any tears for the losers.
To succinctly…
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 6
How do you feel about so-called “militant atheists” such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris?
Militant has two definitions for both it’s role as a noun and an adjective. They are as an adjective “vigorously active and aggressive especially in support of a cause” or “engaged in warfare.” As a noun it means “a militant...
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 5
Did you lose any friends because you decided to be an atheist? Did your family flip out?
I don’t believe I’ve lost any friends and my family didn’t really care. I’ve had a very fortunate experience as compared to some. I think it’s because my family was always willing to let me think for myself and weren’t the most pious in the community. As for my...
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 4
Do you think religion is obsolete and should be wiped completely off the face of the Earth, or does some good come out of it?
I do feel that religion is obsolete both morally and as a means of describing our world. Should it be wiped out? I’m not sure. Some religions are harmless at worst so I don’t see how wiping them out would be needed. But, there are some that are...
7 tags
Should we censor NPR or say fuck off Project 21?
There has been a lot of different news stories in the media about the Arizona shooting. Some about real topics, others simply about talking points, and some even made up controversies. I heard about one such fabricated news event on The Young Turks just the other day. They didn’t fabricate anything themselves but they brought the bullshit to attention. While TYT may be an opinionated...
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 3
Are you a more outspoken or more apathetic atheist? Why?
I would say that I’m a bit more outspoken then most. I have little reservations about speaking my mind in most situations. Though I do try to be considerate about it, if I have something to say I am happy to say it, even if those listening won’t like it. I think that everyone should feel secure enough to speak their...
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 2
What religion did you grow up with? Did you have positive or negative experiences with religion?
I was raised in the Mormon church. I have very few positive experiences there. Most were negative, or at least uncomfortable. The ones that were good were centered around friends but had nothing to do with the church itself. I remember being bored, uneasy, and treated as an after thought...
15 day challenge for atheists
Day 1
At what point did you know you were an atheist? Why did you become one, what were the factors leading up to the decision, if you weren’t always one?
The day I was exposed to what an atheist is. I was raised Mormon but never felt comfortable there, and I always thought I had more explanations for things that the authority figures in the church didn’t provide or think of. For...
Can Atheists Do Anything right? →
Why do theists tend to frame atheism as bitter and angry? Greta says it pretty well I think.
But I think there’s another reason so many believers reflexively frame atheism as bitter and nihilistic.
It’s because they have to.
It’s because accepting the existence of good, happy atheists undercuts so many of the rationalizations for their beliefs.
When you believe you can...
