Two More Atheist Stuffs

Morality

Let me try to get this right. If I say that I doubt the existence of any gods thus far divulged by humanity, people like Steve Harvey, Oprah W., the late George H. W. Bush, and millions of others will stamp me an immoral and untrustworthy person no matter how I live my life. Bush would even deny my citizenship (with all due respect for his pardons for the Iran-Contra criminals).

If I say I believe in a god, especially if it’s theirs, then I am not branded quite as despicable. And if I’m a truly saved Southern Baptist, my behavior becomes irrelevant because I believe and done got saved (once saved, always saved). If I say I believe, even if it is a god damn lie, it’s good enough.

I doubt that any believers feign atheism. But I am certain that many atheists or agnostics, by either omission or action, pretend to believe in a god when they do not or have serious doubts. I have, on occasion, either gone along with something religious or kept my mouth shut about it, and sometimes I still do. It’s not an easy thing to do either way. While I am not closeted, I don’t wear atheist on my shirtsleeve (except for this blog) because it makes my life and that of my spouse safer.

What is so wrong about doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do? Do we all need biblical reference or religious dogma to back up our choices of right and wrong? The truly sad part of this is that I suspect more than a few agnostics and atheists buy into the myth that religious people are more moral because they belong to a religion or believe one of those gods exist. There is no evidence for the claim that believers are more moral than atheists. We’re all just a bit brain washed!

For all of us, morality exists on a continuum and may change with circumstances. But what is more immoral, judging others as bad or evil simply for what they believe? Or, judging people based on their behavior regardless of religion or spiritual path?

Numbers

When research groups like Pew, Gallup, Harris, and others attempt to determine something, they take a poll by asking questions. Why would someone say they are atheist or do not believe in god if it might cause them a problem? Try this.

Q> What religion are you? A> Ummm….none.
Q> Do you believe in God? A> Ummm, uh, kind of, yes, I think something.
Q> Do you masturbate? A> Absolutely not. Never.
Q> Do you think God is watching you? A> What?

One guy called The Atheist Experience and claimed 95% of people believe in a god. His estimate went unchallenged and only his logic error was addressed. I agree with what Christopher Hitchens opined on the topic of percentage of believers and non-believers. I think that much more than 20% of US Citizens are atheist (although a yes or no answers can be hard to get). Only a small percentage of us admit/claim/embrace it. No one knows and will never know how many or what percentage do not really believe in any gods.

When I read the Pew numbers for the central Texas county I live in, it claimed 60% were nones; meaning they do not practice or align with any specific religion. Every atheist in this county falls into that group, including me, whether we admit atheism or not. However, there are certainly exceptions.

If you want more, this link has an excellent article on the subject.

Bill

When was the last time you prayed?

About a year ago a midwestern friend asked people to pray for rain. I thought, if god exists he should make it rain there. It did! In fact, I think they’re having problems with floods now. Apparently, sometimes folks need to tell him when to stop. I also tend to pray when I’m upset. I’ve invoked deities with things like god damn it (or dad gum it), Jesus Christ (or the family version of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph), Oh, God!, good god (or good grief), god help you, god only knows, bless her (or his) heart, and so on.

My last in earnest prayer was reciting part of Mark 9:24, I believe, help my unbelief, which is an alleged quote said by a father during a scene in which Jesus performed an exorcism on the man’s son. That prayer was more than ten years ago as I was dealing with doubts about religion and god.

Roughly five years later I openly embraced my own atheism. My only prayers since might be called sarcastic blasphemy by some. I do not seriously pray. I would not pray if I ever came to believe in some god. I do not say amen after someone else prays, but I do (for now) sit or stand quietly while they pray or say some form of grace or meal blessing. I’m not sure how much longer I will cooperate with the holding of hands since I see that as me participating in the act of prayer.

What about people who believe in gods, especially the Abrahamic one, and never pray? Are they theists, deists, or practical atheists, as the Catholic church claims?

I have always thought that what people do matters most. I have never bought into the once saved, always saved; or what people believe matters more than what they do. In my mind, it fits well into what we do matters more than what we say.

I can’t recall ever being told that it is a sin to not ever pray. Is it wrong to never physically and verbally acknowledge a god, even if you do believe in one or more?

I no longer pray because I am mostly convinced (97.7%, if you need a degree) that no gods exist, and if they did, prayer would still be nonsense. When I prayed it was because it was a big part of the religion I practiced, not because I thought it was working. I prayed for dead people to be in heaven and I prayed for sick and dying people to recover. The sick got well, the dying died anyway.

Of the 80 or 90 percent of people who claim to believe in some sort of deity or woo-woo, how many never pray, never go to church, never practice a religion, and never dance naked around the fire during a full, or new moon?

Bill

What is Reality?

I forget the exact words of my friend’s conversation with me. It must have been after one of her trips to Austin for a Deepak Chopra thingy. At the time she was New Age and I was trying to be a practicing Roman Catholic. She did not criticize my religion, but I am sure she thought it wrong (as did evangelicals, Lutherans, and the anti-organized religion crowd, and me today). Something she said led me to a question.

I asked, What about reality? She said, don’t be negative and depressing. I was surprised by her dim view of what she considered reality. Indeed, she’d had a shitty life for the most part, being married to a hopeless misogynistic alcoholic. But my friend’s negative view of reality and her refusal to consider it still troubles me years after. Hers was not a unique way to see the world.

Many people deliberately shun all forms of reality. And in my opinion, the same goes for human nature and truth. That was not the only time she assumed she knew my thoughts and motives. The discussion of reality stopped.

Some years prior to that, a professional therapist looked at me and said, “We each have our own reality.” I understood her comment as a mental health professional, considering how individual psychological perspective effects behavior. While I may have bought it at the time, I was skeptical then and don’t agree with her now. Schizophrenics and hypochondriacs may think they live in their own reality, but that reality is part of the illness. It is not part of physical reality, except to them. It is not true (voices or illnesses).

What is imagined does not necessarily exist, although the discussion goes on and on. Because hallucination is a real thing does not mean what is imagined physically exists.

Apparently, reality in the sense of the real physical world is not as simple as many of us see it. However, most of us only deal with our immediate surroundings—the reality we live within. The reality we can sense.

Few of us are philosophers or physicists in the professional or technical sense. Most of us claim to have some form of belief in a god/higher power/supreme being, or some form of yaddy yadda woo-woo, whatever. That belief often goes beyond the point of I think god is real to there is a god. It’s okay to believe (own reality) whatever, but belief or faith does not make it real.

Said belief is either fun, gets one laid, or makes one superior to others. Equality is wonderful. But we seem to want to feel superior to others and to have them acknowledge our better-than-you-ness. The accoutrements of beliefs and corresponding religion make for problems which too many believers are in denial of or blind to (but not all).

In order to solidify objections, we want to engage in the demonizing of others. This is done at every level from the presidency (not just this one) and the popes and virtually all religious leadership, down to the most ordinary of people, some not even practitioners of any religion.

Reality is real stuff. Real people, places, and things. It is not an idea, not a may-or-might be, or any possibility. Reality is what is. You can see it, taste it, feel it, smell it, and hear some of it. If you either want to, or for some reason must, believe something else: fine. It’s not real.

Bill

Why Do You Believe?

A lady who phoned the internet show, The Atheist Experience, said, “I cannot imagine how anyone could be an atheist.” Despite a long and patient discussion with the show’s co-hosts, she never really changed her view, outlook, or conclusion of what it means for someone to identify as atheist. She saw atheism as the rejection of an existing god, of her own personal spirituality, and the exact opposite of what she believed. She saw it as the flip side of the same belief coin that she applied to herself. When the hosts would try to explain her error, she would interrupt with defensive or attacking arguments. It’s entertainment.

Watching the show is a good lesson about human nature and communication. It is educational. However, for many believers, the puzzling question is indeed how anyone could not believe.

When callers identify as believers, they are usually invited to explain why they believe in a god, have some specific metaphysical world view, or follow a certain religious tradition or dogma. This is usually when there are silent pauses on the part of the caller. That’s understandable.

In day-to-day life, believers are seldom challenged to explain or show how they arrived at some theistic view, so they are ill-prepared to logically present salient facts regarding their belief (often a certainty to them) and how or when they came to such a conclusion as there must be a god. The internet is replete with arguments defending belief or faith. Those I have read are fallacious illogical tripe that eventually falls to pieces before melting into a just because it’s true and I have faith defensive stand. Or worse, because the bible says so.

I like to hear people explain why they believe in a god, a higher power, an invisible force or energy, or whatever it is that causes them to conclude that the high and mighty one exists. It reinforces my own conclusions. However, I do find most honest explanations refreshing for two reasons. One is that, while I’m comfortable with what I think, honesty and sincerity feel good. The other reason is that I get to listen to someone talk through what they believe. So, here are some of my favorite reasons why people do believe in god.

I don’t know why. I just do.
Ninety-five percent of all people believe, so I must be right.
God personally spoke to me or showed himself.
Things exist (universe, people, magic). The only possible explanation is a god.
I define god however I like, and that is what I believe in.
I prayed for something and it came to be, thus proving to me that there is a god (what else?)
It is beneficial within our society for me to say I believe and to act that way because it brings social privilege, economic gain, and personal protection.
It is what I was taught as a child. I have always been a believer.
Everyone will hate me if I do not say that I believe in god. I would be rejected and ostracized, as I have done to others. (That could also be a closeted atheist.)
I don’t want to spend eternity in Hell and I’m afraid of dying and other things.
It is just obvious that god exists. What else could it be?
I’m hedging my bets. If there is a god, I win. If not, I’ve lost nothing.

I think most people who believe in supreme beings and spirits make their claim for cultural reasons. Those reasons are based upon social and educational factors (indoctrination), not on intuition or logical analytical thinking. Therefore, many fundamentalist religious groups want to teach intelligent design as science and religion in public schools. Apparently, they agree with me about the indoctrination part. May I suggest additional required courses in argumentation and basic logic?

Bill

How I see it: Bibles

The Source

I once balked on an atheist’s blog because the writer implied something about all atheists. He said we all view the bible as fiction. While I did not agree with that description, my real squabble was with saying anything about all atheists beyond some sort of negative conclusion regarding gods. Atheists debate, argue, and many of us commit logical fallacies, especially the owner of the blog I questioned. I recall no response by him, but one comment by another atheist did make me wonder.

Her comment questioned me directly as to what we (presumably we atheists) should call the bible (or how we should see it). I did not respond. I cannot answer such a question quickly because I would be presuming to speak for how others should, or do, see something and identify it. However, I can state how I personally regard the collection known as the bible. I can also explain why I see it as I do. I can further say why I think it incorrect to refer to the bible as a book of fiction. While I don’t care how others refer to the collection, especially if their motive is antagonistic or trolling for reactions, I feel my opinion should carry as much weight as the original blogger; and I was asked.

My Background

While I grew up religious (Roman Catholic), my world was not dominated by bibles or thumpers. I went to a religious school through 8^th grade, but I only recall studying a lot of Catechism for eight years and Bible History in 7^th and 8^th grades (textbook and academic course title).

We had religious paraphernalia in our home, but I recall no bible. So, I was not indoctrinated into a bible-based form of Christianity during my formative years, although Catholic liturgical practice (Mass) included several bible readings according to a liturgical calendar which is followed closely today by several main-line protestant denominations. This probably left me with a more flexible view of scripture compared to those raised in bible-based and sola-scriptura faiths (protestants). It was many years before it dawned on me that everything in the Catholic Mass is based in some fashion on the contents of the bible.

I have attended a variety of protestant churches (I married a protestant) over the years during which I gained a greater appreciation for, and knowledge of, the bible. I have studied the bible and read all of it, including the additional books of the Catholic bible, and others for comparative analysis. I’ve read most books more than once or twice. I have read and researched various versions (side by side) and miscellaneous translations. I have taken and taught courses about the bible. For years I taught what is called Bible Study in many forms and attended same. I became something of a lay expert on the bible. I also became very aware of people reading and studying the bible and the various views and ways to interpret it.

Understanding the Bible

Hermeneutics is the study of the various ways to interpret the bible and other literary texts. How one interprets the books of the bible is important, especially for people who apply metaphysical value to them. While there may be others, there are four main types of bible interpretations: literal, moral, allegorical, and anagogical.

I have never considered myself a literalist in biblical interpretation (or in much of anything), but I confess to using all four variants in interpreting scripture. When atheists (and some believers) challenge biblical content, they are often told that they are misunderstanding the text. This is often the case when a literalist is challenged and needs to jump into an allegorical or anagogical defense because literal interpretation is often what the atheist is doing, and what the biblical defender has been doing. Such arguments become a silly game, especially when one or more participants are basically biblically ignorant.

Is the Bible True or the Word of God?

The bible was written by humans. To believe or say otherwise is nonsense. To get around this fact, the claim of being inspired by god works well. But then the problem becomes how we are to determine which religious documents were inspired by god (or an angel). That water gets mighty muddy, but someone made such decisions regarding the biblical cannon, and the result is scattered scripture within all three Abrahamic religions, and fractured Christianity being lost within itself.

Can such variety be both true and the word of god? Not in my opinion. But it is a fact there are many bibles. None of them are original documents, and they do not all agree. All of them have been tampered with in one way or another over two millennia. All must be read in languages other than the original (Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek [not Latin], all now dead languages) which confounds already questionable authenticity.

The number of books in the bible and what they say are not agreed upon. If there is a god, one would think that He would have been a better steward of the only valid communication he has ever made with his creation.

I attended an event at a church this weekend. I saw no visible signs (a cross or something) to determine its denomination, so I looked it up. They claim to be Christian in some new age, inclusive way. They also state that their biblical interpretation is metaphysical. Ok, but what they are claiming is to be philosophically interpreting the bible which is a highfaluting way to say whatever. That makes truth relative (or subjective) and literalists would have a fit.

The so-called word of god seems subject to human opinion so much so as to negate any god’s involvement with the bible.

Then What is the Bible?

Try this familiar children’s tune.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! … The Bible tells me so.

The original poem for this was in a novel and used to comfort a dying child. But this is not biblical, and it is not being used for any reason other than to provide solace and perhaps courage in the face of death (in a book of fiction). But notice that justification and truth are supported by reference to the bible. The bible says so, therefore it must be true.

Other descriptions of the bible include fiction, wisdom, poetry, history, and religion. Indeed, the bible contains all of this (although much of the historical value is questionable). I prefer the last. It is a book of religion. Classifying the bible as fiction is confusing even though it is without doubt fictional in many ways (parables are not true).

I do not believe any god exists, but even if one or more did, I seriously doubt they would claim any authorship of what we today call the bible. If you want to refer to the bible as fiction, that is up to you. Much of it is. If you want to claim all atheists see the bible as fiction, you’re wrong. I do not.

Shalom,

Bill © 5/7/2019

I beleive a lot of things, the existance of any god is not one of them

I read this post (link below) and have been struggling to figure out how to repost. This is the best I can do. It is relevant because she makes a good point.

A friend once asked me this, “I know what you do not belive, but what do you believe?” What a great question to ask anyone! But she should have added, “and why do you believe that?” I responded with my answer (and a blog post), but I think Sophia provides a good answer.

It is not very important that I do not believe in god. What I do believe is what defines me and should be what identifies me.

Even the word atheist is not the best one for it, but it’s all we have (for now).

I am posting this because I think it is worth your time to read it.

Click on the link below to find it.

Bill

I am an Atheist, not a “non-believer”

A to Z Challenge: Tarot True Theist Telepaths Talisman (T)

Talismans – are objects held or worn to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortunes. Simply put, they’re lucky charms. Requires belief otherwise it is jewelry. I have worn Saint Christopher, Miraculous (Mary) medals, crucifixes, and scapula in my life. They were talismans. What I might wear today is jewelry.

Tantra – is a type of Hindu or Buddhist scripture, or the rituals and practices described therein. They deal with meditation and sexual techniques. More fun.

Tarot Cards – are used in fortune telling. Fun, but woo-woo.

Telepathy – is mind reading, as in mental. Read anyone’s thoughts with ESP?

Teleportation – Beam me up Scotty (he never said that). Don’t we wish? Someday, maybe.

Theists (theism) – are persons who deny that gods do not exist. I say there are no gods. Most agree with me in every case except one. Close, right?

True-believer Syndrome – is a wow. It’s very real. Many continue to believe in the reality of the paranormal despite overwhelming evidence of fraud. People still follow psychics, religious charlatans, phony channelers, faith healers, taro card readers, and other phony mediums despite proof they are fake. (Political figures?) No amount of logic or evidence can shatter their faith, which is why such fakes are as abundant as ever.

A to Z Challenge: Suspended Superstition as Satan and Sasquatch Shoehorn Saints (S)

Suspended disbelief – is the willing suspension of disbelief by dropping one’s critical faculties and believe something surreal. We sacrifice realism and logic for the sake of enjoyment. Suspended is temporary and not permanently expelled. We do this for fun regarding fiction or to play with things, but it is not the same as believing.

Superstition – is what all religion is. It results from ignorance, fear, trust in magic, or false conceptions of cause. It is an irrational abject attitude toward things supernatural, nature, or a god. The RC Church warns against superstitions, such as burying a statue of a saint upside down in your yard to help sell your home. Yet, it is essential for them to believe that the Eucharistic wafer is a physical god. Since Protestants do not share that, they perform the superstition less often in most cases and with far less flair and drama.

Saints – are dead people whose souls are determined to be in heaven. It is also a colloquialism for a nice living person. When people pray to saints, they are requesting the saint put in a good word with a god. This is known as intercessory prayer. It’s mostly a Catholic thing, even with Mary. Prayers to saints are not prayers of worship like to a god. Saints are like influential uncles, only in heaven and part of the inner circle.

Shoehorning – is the term for forcing some current event into one’s religious agenda. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell said god caused or allowed the 9-11 attacks because of “liberal civil liberties, feminists, homosexuals, and abortion rights.” These two loonies openly claimed a god killed thousands of innocents because he or she did not like how Americans behaved. Anyone who believes and follows (one is dead) this kind of asinine thinking is an asshole who does a lot for the rise of atheism in America. Thank you. There are no gods and frankly, I am pleased with that.

Spiritualism – is the belief that the human personality lives after death and can be communicated with by special people called sensitive mediums. Frauds have been exposed repeatedly, but people still believe this shit because quacks are good. TV shows or not, this crapola ain’t real.

Sasquatch – is big foot. He ain’t real either, but I did see him in a coffee shop once.

Satan – is the perfect scapegoat. Not real either. I don’t believe this form of evil exists. What stirs in the hearts of men and women is another issue. Created not by some nonexistent god, but by a real man and apparently well understood by many men and women, particularly self-proclaimed people of god.

A to Z Challenge: Noah’s Natural NDE in Neverland (N)

Natural (and unnatural) – is not good. Unnatural is better. Who is the skeptic now? Try this: dying of cancer is natural. Injecting deadly chemicals into your body so you might live longer is unnatural.

Things present in or produced by nature are natural. Cows making milk when unnaturally inseminated is natural, but humans sucking said milk from cow’s teats and drinking it is unnatural. According to Dr. Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled) peeing in your pants is most natural.

Natural is not always good, safe, or healthy. Salt is natural but people avoid it like the black death (also natural). Much homeopathic medicine is unnatural but claims to be natural. Anything supernatural is unnatural and you need something like a god for that. Fighting is natural, turning the other cheek is not. Google all natural (space) and what do you get? Soap, makeup and foundation, deodorant and anti-perspirant, dog food (without natural tree bark), face wash and more soap, food and coloring, foot powder and on and on, all of it unnatural. Yet all of it made with natural ingredients. Do you recall the scandal about high fiber bread with saw dust in it? It was natural wood. Fleas on dogs is natural, flea collars are not. This can go on, but that would not be natural.

Near-death Experiences (NDE) – are an interesting phenomenon. I had surgery last year and recovery from anesthesia was panicked and wild for me. They semi-restrained me until I became conscious. I asked what it was that caused my panic and the anesthesiologist told me not to worry, that it was normal and happens often. He did not answer my question. It was not a NDE, but had it been, it sucked. I think it was the medication to bring me to consciousness (shocking?).

Most NDE research and reporting is badly tainted with one-sided interviews intended to imply life after death – heaven or hell. Out of body experiences (OBE) are often folded in. While I don’t question that these people indeed had experiences, I do question how it proves anything since the phenomena is easily explained by neurochemistry. It’s not a god and not a demon. It is biochemistry.

Noah’s Ark – is a myth, pure and simple. When I taught Genesis in Bible Study, I was often asked by skeptical believers if I believed the story, and if it were possible. I thought it a myth then and think so now. I also know that it is a common myth in many ancient religious texts/beliefs, along with a flood of the entire Earth. Floods certainly did happen, but there is a specific amount of water on earth and it never changes. Evidence of the wooden ark has been sought for almost 2,000 years with no success. But I love the Unicorn song and how it explains their absence. See video below to hear it.

Nihilism – is a philosophy many anti-atheists (believers) insist is the only possible choice for one who happens to conclude that an invisible man in the sky is unlikely. Most atheists I know not only reject nihilism but claim the exact opposite about life and its purpose being of high value with little likelihood of an afterlife. I know many believers who wish to expedite death, Armageddon, and a second coming. You must be evil if you don’t see that as being pretty god damn nihilistic.

A to Z Challenge: Insanely Incredulously Intelligent (I)

Incredulity is the quality or state of being incredulous = disbelief. Such a big word applies to little old, seriously old, me. Synonyms: disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, mistrustful, negativistic (say it’s not so!), questioning, show-me, skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, unbelieving.

I Ching (Book of Changes) – is ancient Chinese text with 64 hexagrams, which is the number of possible combinations of six broken or unbroken lines that represent two primal cosmic universal principles, yin and yang. Six is curious because five would be the more favored number by Chinese. However, theories supporting six are reasonable if not solid. Those in tune with the tao (path or way) have deciphered meanings to come up with some good fortune-cookie wisdom, but little has changed world-wide. Much more than what one can learn in a book or two apparently requires extensive philosophical study.

Illuminati – was a secret society founded in 18^th Century Bavaria with a political agenda which was to happen through subterfuge, secrecy, and conspiracy. Paranoid conspiracy theorists (PCTs) believe the Illuminati still exists. PCTs, and other similar groups, believe we are nearing the end of civilization as we know it. They are closely tied with religious fundamentalist and UFO/alien cult groups. If I named names, you would recognize some. What people believe is scary.

Intelligent design (ID) – is a process by which creationists attempt to stake a scientific claim to prove god exists and created everything. It is, of course, a metaphysical claim. Sadly, many people think that evolution and natural selection (and if you like, chance) disprove, or are attempts to disprove, god. While the arguments can be made, such arguments do not logically say that the existence of god is precluded by natural selection. Both are possible. A god could have designed natural selection. ID is weak despite its many advocates (see junk science).

Insanity – is when a person suffers from a serious delusion. When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called a religion. (Robert M. Pirsig)