Why atheism ?
Atheism simply means (a) without & (theism) the belief in a god or gods. It is not a belief system but simply the default position when one has no belief in a god or gods.
This is a great book by George H. Smith called "Atheism: The case against god.". A very intellectual book that covers most if not all of the theistic arguments and shows conclusively why they fail. This book is not only read by atheists but by theists as well and is known as THE book on atheism. Click on the the picture to the left and you can buy this book for yourself right now ! Yepper, I used to be a xian. A Mormon to be exact. I even went on a mission for 2 years. When I came home I was put to work in the bishopric and given a position of authority. Little did I know then that a few years later I would drop my god belief and accept logic and reason. It all started when a buddhist monk asked me to "Look at the world as it is, not how I wanted it to be.". This opened my eyes to objectivity, and was the starting point from which I lost my faith.
First off it’s not what most of you might be thinking. I’ve never had a reason to be "angry at god" and I have nothing against my former church. I had a lot of great times in my church and knew some great people. I believe everyone has the right to believe what they want, but I draw the line when others try to force their beliefs upon me, or if they insist that their belief is true. To assert that something is real or true, one must present evidence of their claim. Extrodinary claims demand extrodinary evidences. If you believe in god and believe that giving 10% of your income each month to your church is the right thing for you, then give away. It’s your money, it’s your life, have at it. However if you try to get me to conform to your views of morality, to your ideas about how social issues should be handled, well, I’m always willing to listen to new ideas, just make sure that you give mine equal respect if I decide not to agree with them. If your belief can not hold up to scrutiny, and in the end, all that you have is your faith, then you can not in fairness say that your belief is true or valid.
Many people turn to " faith " as their reason for believing, but this line of thinking rarely holds up. I lost my faith when I realized what faith actualy was, and that it wasn’t a valid reason to believe in a god or gods, or anything else for that matter. Faith is nothing more then " wishfull thinking ". Theists cling to it, as I once did, as if it somehow validates their desire to believe in something. However if one were to examine their faith closely, they would find that their reasons for believing aren’t rational ones, but emotional ones. Theists believe because they want to believe and for no other reason. This can be proved by asking any theist one simple question, " Why do you believe in god X, and not all of the others ? ", or as Stephen Roberts said so elequently, "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." Under closer examination one will discover that all religions make the same basic claims, that there is a god, that said god has messengers, that certain things will happen, and that their god has given them a book of rules, and someone to tell them how to live them. The conflict comes when these different faiths begin to assert themselves as being true, or as being the only right one. Muslims insist they are right for the same reasons that Xians assert they are right, for the same reasons Shiats, Jews, or any other faith asserts they are right. The specifics may be different, but the claims are all the same, and none of them have any valid proof or evidence.
So that’s why I’m an atheist. Simply, because " faith " is wishfull thinking, and no amount of wishing ever made something real. If you would like to learn more about atheism, and why I don’t believe, I invite you to check out the atheism catagory and read my posts there. I invite anyone to ask me whatever questions you would like regarding my lack of belief. Feel free to email me, or contact me.
From the page: “”I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”"
Again there is Confirmation Bias.
Only the bias is mine and I will confess it. What other religion not only instructs on the proper way to love your fellows as you love yourself and seek not to boast or seek glory but rather to be a humble servant of a Creator that uniquely created you to spend eternity with Him.
It’s just not rational one could say. But it has worked for millions of people for thousands of years. Yet people are flawed and fall subject to all manor of destructiveness even under the aegis of religion. The evil all round us makes the fact that God exist all the more rational a confirmation of this. And there is my bias. What else works in so perfect a way? When this truth is tested in reality I fail but am lifted up by no other means than my Lord and Savior.
One can find nits and pick away at the splitting of hairs but truth and logic are that there are axiomatic moral principles that will not ever occur unless by intelligent design. Like the irreducible complexity of the eye ball or blood chemistry it’s a proof that can be denied or obfuscated about yet will still stand like the Christians against the lions. Christians will die knowing the rational and logical truth that is integral with the heart and the head. It is called the faith that will move mountains.
So confirmation is not a head only proposition and divorced from the heart one can easily gain the bias wisdom of solipsism. Knowing no other truth but your own. Buddha sat before the wall and was enlightened.
Yet another xian who doesn’t understand that when you anthropomorphisize the beginning of a system that it only becomes natural that your bias would align yourself with that perception.