Bullshit!!

The very definition of atheist is the absence of belief in a deity.  I haven’t been writing to this blog, nor have I been very active on Twitter for the past month, however I have been trying to keep up to date on anything atheist-related with my daily Google Alerts. Almost every email I get seems to have a link to some faith-based post trying to get their point across that it takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to be a believer. I’ve seen many articles and comments that seem to conclude that since science doesn’t have all the answers with respect to the beginning of the universe or evolution then God must exist.  Bullshit!!

All of those arguments stem from the logic (I use the term loosely) that since science doesn’t have all the answers there must be only one answer – dog (sorry, feeling a bit dyslexic today).  Since when does anybody need science to conclude one way or another the existence of god. Yes, I do have complete faith in unbiased science and I am a firm believer in evolution.  However, neither of those has anything to do with my disbelief in a sky god. My lack of belief is based solely on the fact that there has been nothing in my life that has ever indicated that there is a higher power at work. There is no solid proof for god.  The Bible is bullshit and there is nothing that would indicate otherwise.

It’s called personal belief for a reason – it’s personal.  Therefore, keep it out of schools. Keep it out of government.  And, most of all, keep it out of my face.

Chris.

Atheism is not a belief system nor a religion. I am fed up listening to people say that it requires a certain amount of “belief” to be an atheist or that atheism itself subscribes to it’s own tenets and values and that establish it as a religion. I know it has been said millions of times before, but atheism is only a personal stand that there is no god, deity or higher power. Nothing more.

I hold an atheistic view. I believe there is no god. There it is – the “B” word. I believe there is no god because there hasn’t been a single instance in my life to convince me otherwise – no experience, no fact – all fiction. My use of the word believe is accurate. I cannot prove nor disprove there is a god, therefore my belief is based on the evaluation of evidence (or lack thereof) and as a result is the most logical response when I pose the question “is there a god?”. Belief, in the religious context, is completely different. Those who believe in a deity need no irrefutable evidence at all to conclude that a god exists (to answer those of you who will no doubt bring it up, the Bible IS NOT a valid source of proof). That in itself constitutes belief based on superstition, stories and nothing more.

One mistake I see a lot of atheists make is they feel a need to defend their position. The onus is not on the atheist to disprove god – it is the responsibility of those who insist there is a god to show us the proof and evidence of such a beings existence. In a court of law (at least in the Western world), it is the responsibility of the prosecutor to prove the defendant’s guilt. A declaration has been made that an individual is guilty of a crime and it is therefore the job of the person or party who made that declaration to prove it so. It is not the duty of the accused to prove his or her innocence. Obviously there is much that can be said for either side of this analogy, however the point I am attempting to make is that when you make a bold declaration about anything, it is YOUR job to convince me that you are right and that your argument is logical and sound. It is not up to me to prove you wrong.

You may ask where I am going with this. On a daily basis I see and read debates between theists and non-theists that get way out of hand. They usually start calm and then escalate into childish name calling. If atheists truly understand what it means to be defined as an atheist, they would see no need to defend themselves. It should be as simple as – “Based on the lack of irrefutable, non-corroborable evidence the theistic community has presented to date, there is nothing you can say that will persuade me to believe in a higher power.” Or better yet, don’t respond at all. It weakens the atheist position when we get into these petty arguments. The passive response will always win the argument. When you start to get all heated up and feel the militant need to defend your position that is the point at which you have started to build up atheism as a belief system.

I agree that it is frustrating living in a world that is ruled by fairy tales and possessive & misogynistic “gods,” however at least we are dedicated enough to weed through the bullshit without getting caught up in the emotions and attacks of those who will needlessly continue in their attempt to convert us heathens to “the dark side.” Stay strong my atheist friends. We have a long, up-hill battle ahead of us, but the truth will always prevail. And remember – remain calm and focused. Let’s leave the childish name calling to…….the children.

Chris.