why I'm an atheist...

[IronUnkind]

You're an atheist because it makes you feel witty?

[David Sklansky]

"Are you arguing against a God as defined by the religons of the world or are you arguing that an "intelligent designer" does not exist.

My take:
God defined by religons = 0% chance of being correct
ID or some force out there = Unlikely but too soon to tell. There are just way to many unknowns. Our true understanding of the basic foundations of the universe is zero."

Back up to fourth.

[Phil153]

I was expecting a typical boring sex story on opening this thread. The quotes were refreshing. I disagree with many of them though.

[ QUOTE ]
Blaise Pascal:
Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions.

[/ QUOTE ]
I disagree with this. Some of the most brutal and barbaric races and dictatorships had atheist philosophies.

[ QUOTE ]
Bertrand Russell:
And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's so much about vanity but having an open heart.

[ QUOTE ]
Epicurus:
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is a bit simplistic. It's possible to create a system which, given its freedom, will create undesirable outcomes. One example is capitalism. Another example is parenting. Parents could prevent their kids from ever stealing from, killing or raping anyone by giving them a lobotomy when they're young. The fact that they don't doesn't mean that they're malevolent. In fact, any degree of freedom which an omnipotent being passes on has the potential to result in evil. Epicurus is way off base here.

[ QUOTE ]
Carl Sagan:
You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is not entirely true either. Belief can come from a lack of intelligence, a lack of interest, or a misinterpretation of the evidence. Among smarter people, it's mostly the latter. Given the rigour required for clear thought and the huge number of fallacies the mind is vulnerable to, I think it's reasonable that many believers actually think their position is sound.

[ QUOTE ]
Steven Weinberg:
With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, it takes indoctrination and tribalism. Or are you claiming that most Germans/Japanese/Americans soldiers (i.e. Vietnam) are not good people?

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
This is a bit simplistic. It's possible to create a system which, given its freedom, will create undesirable outcomes. One example is capitalism. Another example is parenting. Parents could prevent their kids from ever stealing from, killing or raping anyone by giving them a lobotomy when they're young. The fact that they don't doesn't mean that they're malevolent. In fact, any degree of freedom which an omnipotent being passes on has the potential to result in evil. Epicurus is way off base here.


[/ QUOTE ]

The reason I think this analogy fails is because parents aren't omnipotent.

[madnak]

[ QUOTE ]
Of all the quotations you cited, only the first has any value aside from rhetoric. And even the first is surely used primarily as rhetoric, as you have used it in this case.

[/ QUOTE ]

The rhetoric can stimulate thought, but yeah. Style over substance is what motivates people. Most of these figures have written profound essays about the subject (and not always from an atheist perspective), but most people just roll their eyes at profound essays.

Anyhow, we're atheists. We get to indulge [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
You're an atheist because it makes you feel witty?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, he's an atheist because it makes you bristle.

[IronUnkind]

[ QUOTE ]
No, he's an atheist because it makes you bristle.

[/ QUOTE ]

I only bristle at certain types of atheists.

[FortunaMaximus]

The others you tar?

[IronUnkind]

[ QUOTE ]
Back up to fourth.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're more capricious than Yahweh.

[IronUnkind]

[ QUOTE ]
The others you tar?

[/ QUOTE ]

Too busy poisoning wells and eating children (i.e. "my Christian duty"). Haven't you read the Bible?