957Chatterton AntiTheism

The Burden of Proof

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

The burden of proof is the responsibility to provide evidence for a claim. It rests on the person or persons making the claim.

In keeping with the theme of my blog, I'm talking about the existence of god. The existence of God has been claimed in thousands of different ways and each god claim has had the same amount of evidence. None of them have met the burden of faith.

Burden:

Faith is not useful when it comes to meeting one's burden of proof. As a matter of fact, faith is exactly not meeting the burden of proof and still believing. This is passed off as virtuous as a way of replacing legitimacy.

It is often argued that the burden of proof does not need to be met due to faith, or that the burden is met by way of faith. This is utter nonsense, even just as the indemonstrability negates aforementioned accomplishment.

This leaves the faithful believer's shoulders weighing heavy. Try this burden, try it without a leg to stand on. You would be flattened.

The Shift:

As soon an honest person realizes they can't meet their burden of proof, they abandon their no longer held belief. However, many are not honest and will instead try to trick people by shifting the burden of proof onto the person waiting for proof before acceptance. This is appropriately considered a logical fallacy.

Essentially, what the person committing to fallacy does is say, "I am right by default, and you must prove me wrong." Theists using this illogic must portray all atheists as gnostic, meaning the atheist believes positively that there are no gods, in order to accomplish the appearance of not being accountable. In other words, this fallacy also requires another fallacy, the strawman, in order to be successful. This level of dishonesty disgusts me.

And we know it's dishonest because the theist will prove his/herself rational enough when they dismiss other claims that are defended with the exact same logic. For example, can you prove there isn't an invisible pink unicorn standing right behind you? No, but even the theist will admit that this doesn't justify belief.

More fallacies:

I have often encountered a barrage of fallacies that follow my pointing out the above logical flaws. These fallacies are usually, special pleading, a solipsistic cop-out, and an ad hominem fallacy.

For special pleading, they'll assert that God is exempt from the rule with little explanation. This is ad hoc, meaning that it is logical inconsistent and, therefore, logically impermissable.

The solipsistic cop-out here is asserting that logic, somehow, does not apply to God because he is "above logic" or "he can violate logic because he invented it." This is also ad hoc and can immediately be dismissed.

The ad hominem fallacy is simply an irrelevant attack on a person's character. It is usually used solely to cop-out.

Conclusion:

When an inability to meet one's burden of proof is mixed with dishonesty, all you'll get are further assertions that can't be backed. In other words, the desperate grasping of straws only further justifies the rejection of their claims.

Do We Need Religion To Be Moral?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

What are you, stupid?

What is Morality?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

I have mentioned in countless posts that morality is composed of sympathy, empathy, and reciprocal altruism; that it is reasoned and argued for the purpose of figuring out how best to maximize happiness and minimize suffering.

I've put off writing this for a long time because there was one component missing. That is no longer the case.

Science:

It’s the very fact that we can make determinations of what causes the most happiness and least suffering that renders morality a subject for social science.

It would be considered a social science because, so far as we can tell, it isn't necessarily a natural occurrence. Regardless of whether natural or societal, we do know that murdering an innocent parent of young children would have catastrophic consequences, rather than merely having to believe that to be the case for no apparent reason. We are able to gauge the suffering that something will cause, and happiness as well.

We, through exercising our common sense of morality, have abolished slavery, freed women of much of their oppression, and awarded gays many of the rights they deserve. We have done so because we have determined that the aforementioned leads to far more happiness than it does suffering which would be none.

I suppose it would work to the advantage of homophobes wanting to kill gay people if everyone held to the notion that morality cannot be determined, only asserted based on popular faith. Think of it as innocent until proven guilty except that guilt cannot be tested.

Justice:

Since the primary goal of morality is to maximize and minimize happiness and suffering respectively, it can be safely concluded that revenge and retribution are not valid forms of justice.

Justice, meaning that things are as they should be, cannot accommodate measures that do not reverse damage. Killing a rapist, or sending them to Hell, does not un-rape the victim. Hitler going to Hell does not un-murder six million Jews. All that will have taken place is the original injustice plus more violence, which also has the negative affect of endorsing violence as a problem-solving method. I think history has proven how detrimental that is.

Instead, justice calls for rehabilitation and restitution since the two can reverse damage, improving upon the state of the world. In other words, happiness is best derived from the fruits of a person's actions when that person is reformed.

Prisons should only exist to limit the environment a person can affect until reformation.

Definition:

The one part I was missing was the justification for using my definition of morality. As already stated, my definition serves the purpose of getting the best possible ratio of happiness to suffering. But why my definition?

No other definition has any purpose for us. If morality is righteousness to God, of what meaning does it have for humanity? It's just a slave code of obedience responsible for countless atrocities. It's highly detrimental to humankind.

Simply put, if your definition of morality leads to suffering, it's not good, it's bad. And isn't that the point of it all?

Conclusion:

This post is a simple introduction to my views on morality, but I hope it serves both as a guide and as argumentation the next time a theist ask you where your "moral barometer" is.

Atheist Quiz of the Week #4

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

I hold the edification of the atheist community as paramount to combating religion. After all, "know thy enemy." Use this quiz to measure the depth of your knowledge.

Atheist Quiz of the Week #1
Atheist Quiz of the Week #2
Atheist Quiz of the Week #3
Atheist Quiz of the Week #4

Atheist Quotes of the Week #8

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

This week, I've decided to give you great atheist quotes in the form of easy to download and easy to share pics. Enjoy! :)

10) Friedrich Nietzsche

9) Elizabeth Cady Stanton

8) Thomas Paine

7) Bertrand Russell

6) Robert Burns

5) Gloria Steinem

4) Charles Darwin

3) Penn Jillette

2) Prof. Simon Blackburn

1) Christopher Hitchens

Conclusion:

If you want more, you can find them below. :)

Atheist Quotes of the Week #1
Atheist Quotes of the Week #2
Atheist Quotes of the Week #3
Atheist Quotes of the Week #4
Atheist Quotes of the Week #5
Atheist Quotes of the Week #6
Atheist Quotes of the Week #7
Atheist Quotes of the Week #8

Dear Door-Raping Proselytizers

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

If you've ever been woken up by door-knocking god-botherers before, you know ever too well how agitating it is.

I decided to take it upon myself to write a printable notice you can put on your door so Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and whoever else won't wake you from your more important slumber anymore. :)

Dear Door-Raping Proselytizers,

You cannot claim to be godly when you come knocking on someone's doors at such an ungodly hour.

I'm probably sleeping, but I will never be discombobulated enough to be fooled by your nutty cult, which includes but is not limited to:

A talking snake and talking donkey
Jonah living in a fish for three days
Only one single language before the Tower of Babel
And a man who had herculean strength until he got a haircut

On top of that, the morality of your holy text is atrocious. It says to kill gays, that women are subservient to men, and even endorses slavery.

Most of humanity is vastly morally superior to that garbage. You're insane if you think that ignorant superstitious desert-dwellers have anything to teach me!

I'm not buying your fairytale and if your knock on my door, I will hose you like a dog!

Have a nice day! ☺

Top Ten Atheist Books 2

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

Keeping the atheist community well-informed, well-read, and well-equipped is essential to having a better world. Fortunately, it's also a passion of mine. By learning from great minds, I have evolved my thought processes, fine-tuned my arguments, and expanded my mind in ways I hadn't imagined before.

There are movies and documentaries but books stand as irreplaceable tools for becoming more learned. Here are some of the best atheist books! :)

10) Atheist Universe by David Mills (2006)

Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism is a very remedial introduction to the religious debate. I got this overwhelming feeling that I was having my hand held through the very basics. I became so bored by this that I switched to the audiobook version.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great book, but it's most appropriate for the less well-versed among us. I'd especially recommend Atheist Universe to your average theist as it is superb for correcting the misconceptions of atheists.

9) Nonbeliever Nation by David Niose (2012)

Nonbeliever nation was a great read for me as it laid out the state of American pop-culture and the future of American politics. David Niose explains how the rapidly growing secular population, along with its increasing vocalization, will change the political climate, all the way from religious legislation to gay marriage to climate change.

What Nonbeliever Nation does so emphatically well is walk you through a detailed exploration of how this change is coming to be.

8) The New Atheism by Victor J. Stenger (2009)

Besides the god awful cover, The New Atheism argues, being an extension of God: The Failed Hypothesis, for a naturalistic view of the universe and how invoking God explains nothing. Stenger pushes forth the idea that honest inquiry in areas such as science and philosophy have handed atheists the intellectual and moral high grounds; and the future as well.

7) The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens (2007)

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever is as the title suggests. From Ayaan Hirsi and Salman Rushdie to Mark Twain and Bertand Russell, The Portable Atheist is an anthology of writings from the greatest minds to have ever caressed the innards of vocal atheism.

I was reading this book when I found out Hitchens died. That's the only reason I put it down before finishing it.

6) Mortality by Christopher Hitchens (2012)

Mortality is an absolute must read as it addresses the fear of death and every grapple hold it can lay on a person's psyche. This was the Hitch's last book as he died only three months later. But, in his death, he pushed through the typical fear with distinguished courage, going on with debates and other writings, including this fine piece. That was the heart of Mortality: not letting impending death impede your living or you mind, refusing the comforts of the ever deluding faith that preys on the vulnerable.

Hitchens died with both eyes of reason open wider than the Atlantic. I intend to do the same in my time.

5) The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris (2010)

The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values argues that morality can, in fact, be studied by science, despite what most people may think. Morality being a recurring theme in debates on religion necessitates it be addressed in this fashion. Fortunately, Sam Harris has much to say that will enlighten us. It's enlightened me and vastly strengthened my argumentation.

4) A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence Krauss (2012)

The annoying question "WHO created the universe?" always gets on my nerves. That question is both begging the question and ad hoc since God is offered as the inconsistent non-answer that puts an arrogant smile on the faces of people pretending to know things they don't know.

What Lawrence Krauss does, among many other things, in this book is transform the honest person's answer from "I don't know" into a mesmerizing explanation of what "nothing" really means. Thanks to Krauss and honest inquiry, there is one less gap in which God can dwell.

3) Freewill by Sam Harris (2012)

The idea of freewill implies that things can happen out of nowhere; no definitive causes. What science has revealed to us is determinism is the actual reality in which we operate. Sam Harris' Freewill expresses that fact more clearly and thoroughly than any other source I've ever read, even more so than Daniel Dennett has managed.

That and the cover is awesome! :)

2) Godless by Dan Barker (2008)

Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists, Dan Barker's autobiography, walks the reader through the ever so common transition from faith to reason. Dan Barker, who co-founded the Clergy Project with Richard Dawkins knows very, not only what it's like to "lose faith in faith" but, what it's like to lose that faith from behind the podium.

This is not a journey I know first-hand since I identified with the word "atheist" when I was 12, making this book even more enlightening and exciting from page one.

1) Deconverted by Seth Andrews (2012)

Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason is an autobiography by Seth Andrews (The Thinking Atheist) which chronicles the infamous faith crisis of a former prolific Christian radio host.

In all honesty, TTA's book is the only one on this list I haven't read. It is a must read, especially for anyone who's ever watched one of his podcasts.

The Thinking Atheist podcast

Conclusion:

Top Ten Atheist Books 1

Christians and Atheists: Who's Attacking Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

Christians in America, and many other places, are saying they're under attack. Fact of the matter is, they're half right. You see, it isn't their religious liberty that's under attack, rather the zealotry often carried along side of it.

Victimhood:

A major aspect of equality is that your rights end where another's begin. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "Those who would trample under foot the freedom of others, deserve it not for themselves." The problem here is that so many Christian radicals are, in fact, impeding the freedom of others.

The proselytizing of children at public schools where attendance is legally compulsory, is fought for by the religious zealots, infringing upon the religious liberty of those children and their parents. Those indoctrinators, when blocked will whine and cry about THEIR freedom being cut off like the hypocrites they are. They cast themselves as the victims in this way to gain the sympathy vote. However, they are not the victims of inequality, they are the assailants of the destruction of equality in favor of theocracy and Christian supremacy and they ought to be crushed by the US constitution.

The right to bigotry is NOT covered by equality, it is opposed by equality.

Censorship:

Often, the accusation that someone fighting for equality or merely speaking an opposing view is infringing upon someone else's rights is nothing more than a tactic to turn people against that person and/or have them censored.

This tactic is deployed most often by those who're trying to hide their bigotry and hatred behind the mask of a freedom-fighter. The truth is they are freedom-fighters, in that they are fighting against freedom to evade entering into the marketplace of ideas where they would perish. A tactic serving this purpose is dishonest at its level best.

In other words, they know their bigotry is bigotry and their hatred is hatred, but want to protect themselves from that fact being exposed. They are demons wearing angel wings, a fashion choice that is a must to retain the power of persuasion.

Political Power:

I mentioned the sympathy vote in a figurative sense. Now I will mention it in a literal sense.

In order to legislate one's religious beliefs, one must have the voters on their side. Many lies are told to accomplish this, but portraying oneself as the underdog is, perhaps, the best one when it comes to gaining a constituency comprised of those you've fooled.

This political power, once gained, manifests itself in the form of the consciousness clause, strengthened bans on gay marriage, and the denial of various women's rights.

These attacks on our freedom are a direct assault on the constitution, equality, and the whole goddamn republic itself. I am not surprised their agenda doesn't include my freedom, my rights, or my sovereignty because neither does their doctrine.

Conclusion:

Christian supremacists, we're not attacking you, we're protecting our equal rights.

Atheist Quiz of the Week #3

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Atheist Quotes of the Week #7

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

This week, I've decided to give you great atheist quotes in the form of easy to download and easy to share pics. Enjoy! :)

10) Jon Stewart

9) Isaac Asimov

8) André Gide

7) Christopher Hitchens

6) Matt Dillahunty

5) Eric Hoffer

4) Stephen Jay Gould

3) Salman Rushdie

2) Thomas Huxley

1) Bertrand Russell

Should Christians Be Regarded As Citizens?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

note: This post pertains to the United States, but I'd still love to hear from you, regardless of where you live! :)

"No, I don't know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under God..." - George H. W. Bush

The above quote is an example of the hate American atheists have to endure. As a matter of fact, atheists are constantly on the receiving end of accusations of treason.

Fact of the matter is, this is nothing more than the pot calling the silverware black. I'll go ahead and say this doesn't apply to all Christians, but don't insult my intelligence and tell me that many American Christians aren't extremely unamerican.

History:

The lie that America is a Christian nation is regurgitated constantly. While the populace is largely made up of people who identify as Christian, the government itself is secular, as per its constitution.

I feel like no one's ever reading the first amendment of the Bill of Rights which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." or as Thomas Jefferson once phrased it, "a wall of separation between church and state." If that wasn't clear enough, Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli states, "the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

Obviously, this is a huge hurdle for religious zealots who desire free-range to force their religious beliefs on others. In the past, they have had some success fusing their religion with the state. For example, they placed "In God We Trust" on our coins and notes in 1863 and 1957 respectively. Furthermore, "under God" did not even exist in the pledge of allegiance until 1954, which makes sense as "under God, indivisible" is a blatant oxymoron.

In other words, Christian supremacists are rejecting the intentions of the founding fathers in favor of hijacking America for themselves. Who're the traitors here?

Equality:

Freedom of religion implies freedom from religion. Imagine being forced into a Baskin Robbins and being forced at gunpoint to pick a flavor. Sure, you can have any flavor you want, but what if you don't want ice cream? Where's the freedom there?

Simply put, religious zealots are in favor of equality so long as its a step up for them or they're losing a debate. Otherwise, they'll try to legislate their religious beliefs, such as with bans on gay marriage, bans on atheists serving in a state seat (overruled by the Supreme Court), or denying women contraceptive coverage in public institutions.

It is organizations such as the Freedom from Religion Foundation and American Atheists which are fighting for equality, to protect the US constitution. Yet, they are the ones deemed unworthy of American citizenship.

Censorship:

Whenever a religious zealots obscene and baseless assertions, like "gays are immoral," "women should obey their husbands," or "atheists deserve eternal torture," are challenged, they accuse the the challenger of infringing upon their right to free speech or religious liberty. This is nothing more than an ad hominem attack designed to incentivise people to self-censor.

When I call someone out on being insanely morally deluded, I am not preventing them from saying anything, nor am I telling them they're not allowed to believe in the bullshit. If you think otherwise, you necessarily think that the use of free speech is a hindrance to contrary speech. Our society does not need to ration its speech. Speech is unlimited; there is room for everyone and even if there weren't, no one is more entitled to free speech than anyone else.

Similarly, whenever someone shouts "I'm entitled to my opinion!", they are hypocritically implying that the other person is not.

In other words, they will accuse you of telling them to shut up as a way of getting you to shut up. Don't fall for it. Protect your free speech.

Conclusion:

If you won't respect others' freedom from your religion, get the Hell out of my country.

Top Ten Atheist Songs 5

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

This is my fifth top ten list of atheist songs. This now makes fifty songs that I've enabled to direct download! Who knew there were this many? Enjoy! There's way more to come! :)

note No, I did not forget Dear God by XTC. They're on the first list.

Top Ten Atheist Songs
Top Ten Atheist Songs 2
Top Ten Atheist Songs 3
Top Ten Atheist Songs 4
Top Ten Atheist Songs 5

10) "Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who

Download Song

9) "Satan Is My Motor" - Cake

Download Song

8) "Listen Like Thieves" - INXS

Download Song

7) "Judith" - A Perfect Circle

Download Song

6) "Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)" - The The

Download Song

5) "One of the Three" - James

Download Song

4) "Love Is My Religion" - Ziggy Marley

Download Song

3) "Fuck Me In The Ass Because I love Jesus" - Garfunkel and Oates

Download Song

2) "None Of The Above" - Duran Duran

Download Song

1) "Sunday in Reality" - Cynthia Carle

Download Song

Is Hell Just?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

The existence of Hell is often invoked for consolation, in that those who have done wrong to you or someone you care about will "get theirs when they die."

Fact of the matter is, this concept skewers our sense of justice and has nothing to offer in terms of morality.

Morality:

Morality is composed of sympathy, empathy, and reciprocal altruism. It is reasoned for the purpose of figuring out how best to maximize happiness and minimize suffering. Does the concept of Hell contribute positively to this?

Hell is a place people who've committed finite crimes go to be infinitely punished. It is infinitely disproportionate and, therefore unjust.

What is the punishment you brutally raped and murdered someone? Eternal torment. What if you knowingly spread AIDS? Eternal Torment. What if you robbed bank? Eternal torment. What if you stole a piece of fruit to feed yourself and your starving younger sister? Eternal torment.

How is it all of the above receive equal punishment? Does God, the ultimate source of morality, not distinguish between actions that vary in morality?

Heaven and Hell are products of black and white thinking. In terms of morality, they speak only of the ineptitude of desert dwellers only imaginative enough to create a logical contradiction of a deity. They most certainly cannot instruct us in our morality.

Justice:

Hell is a place people go to for infinite punishment for committing finite crimes. It is, by definition, impossible to deserve.

I've said it many times; revenge and retribution are not valid forms of justice. Does sending Hitler to Hell unmurder six million Jews? Does sending a rapist to Hell unrape the victim? No, it only serves our lust for vengeance, which has senselessly stained our history with blood.

Rehabilitation and Restitution are, in fact, valid forms of justice. Even if Hell did rehabilitate a people, what's the point when they will never affect anyone ever again? And why would they be condemned to continue suffering when they're better?

What about restitution? Who is being repayed here? Is it God? If so, how does the worst possible torment repay him? Are we really to believe an omnibenevolent God is so sadistic that pain can act as a form of currency? Sounds like the devil to me.

Obviously, the concept of Hell is devoid of any real justice.

Deterrence:

The threat of Hell is used as a control mechanism. In one sense, it does work, in that it can have a massive affect on one's psychology. In another sense, it fails miserably; in that it puts makes people act good.

Now, theists will disagree and say that it does make people do what is right. However, when they say right, what they really mean is righteous. Righteousness is obedience to God. Quite frankly, I'm not the biggest fan of a god that tells you to kill gay people, says women are to be subservient to men, and that you can't wear mixed fabrics. Righteousness in accordance with the scripture would not serve society, as a society that throws away equal rights and polyester is anything but ideal.

On top of that, in consideration of the unforgivable sin, unfettered thought becomes the gravest of fears.

Of course, the believers in Hell will claim the thought of Hell will deter you from murdering, raping, etc. What they will refuse to mention in this context, is the fact that all you have to do to get away with sinful actions, except blaspheming the holy spirit, is ask for forgiveness, as if that undoes damage.

This loophole cancels out the deterrence fact of Hell. It's like a getting caught laundering money and simply having to pay off the right person to evade prison.

Conclusion:

Hell is just. Hell is just bullshit.

Atheist Quiz of the Week #2

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Atheist Quotes of the Week #6

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

The following are words that can make any religion cringe. For those whom have pried our eyes open despite the raging dust storm of lies and fallacies will cringe. We'll smile. (I know, it may be overly grandiose.)

10) Douglas Adams

"God... vanishes in a puff of logic"

9) Tim Minchin

"'Evolution is just a theory!' It gives you hope, doesn't it, that maybe they feel the same way about the theory of gravity... and they might just float the fuck away."

8) Walt Whitman

"Pointing to another world will never stop vice among us; shedding light over this world can alone help us."

7) Kevin Smith

"Belief and non-belief has waxed and waned for centuries. This time atheism is here to stay."

6) Robert G. Ingersoll

"Ministers say that they teach charity. This is natural. They live on alms. All beggars teach that others should give."

5) Isaac Asimov

"I have never, in all my life, not for one moment, been tempted toward religion of any kind. The fact is that I feel no spiritual void. I have my philosophy of life, which does not include any aspect of the supernatural."

4) Thomas Edison

"I have never seen the slightest scientific proof of the religious theories of heaven and hell, of future life for individuals, or of a personal God."

3) Stephen King

"The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance...logic can be happily tossed out the window."

2) Oscar Wilde

"Truth in matters of religion is simply the opinion that has survived."

1) Carl Sagan

"Think of how many religions attempt to validate themselves with prophecy. Think of how many people rely on these prophecies, however vague, however unfulfilled, to support or prop up their beliefs. Yet has there ever been a religion with the prophetic accuracy and reliability of science? ... No other human institution comes close."

Conclusion:

Go on. Get a cigarette. Clean yourself off. :)

Atheist Quotes of the Week #1
Atheist Quotes of the Week #2
Atheist Quotes of the Week #3
Atheist Quotes of the Week #4
Atheist Quotes of the Week #5
Atheist Quotes of the Week #6

Top Ten Atheist Quotes

Top Ten Atheist Quotes 2

Top Ten Atheist Quotes 3

Can Atheists Be Converted?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." - Luke 12:10 NIV

This is the one unforgivable sin. No matter how sincerely you ask for forgiveness after blaspheming the holy spirit, Hell is your fate.

Blasphemy:

Being an atheist does not necessarily mean you've blasphemed against the spirit. Then again, atheists raised in religion rarely think the God of the Bible to be even as remotely as good as the theists claim. This has, for me and countless others, lead to condemnation and ridicule (precisely what blasphemy is), of the god of the Bible, Qur'an, and other texts. When something is found ridiculous, it's only natural to make fun of it, whether you're saying 'God must be a repressed homosexual.' or doing this...

Proselytizing:

I am never surprised when theists knows drastically less about their religion than I do. I wear my atheism and antitheism both on my sleeve and am, therefore, compounded with proselytism on a constant basis.

They'll tell me about Jesus, I'll usually correct them on certain details, they'll be surprised I know so much, I'll shame them for not knowing very much, educate them on the unforgivable sin, and be on my way. It, however, is not always that simple.

Cop-out:

Often I'll hear the excuse that I didn't really mean it when I rejected the holy spirit. When they do this, they are implying they have psychic powers. It is nothing more than a dishonest tactic to justify continued proselytism. Why would they do this. Sometimes, it's wishful thinking, but other times, the proselytizing is a ploy.

I've noticed that converted atheists are often put front and center before a congregation. This alleged miracle is used to strengthen people's faith, often right before the collection plate is passed around. In other words, it isn't that so many Christians don't know atheists can't be saved, it's that they are using the atheists. All they need is a way around that pesky unforgivable sin concept.

Conclusion:

I've rarely seen a Christian whose actions were close to actually being in accordance with the scripture. There are two reasons why that is the case: they are ignorant of their own religion or they don't really want to follow it. Whether it is one or the other, the resulting actions will be the same. In the case of the unforgivable sin, I will undoubtedly continue to be bothered by faith peddlers. I will continue to educate or debunk them.

Top Ten Atheist Organizations 2

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

Where there is religion, there is an urgency for antitheism. It is no secret to my regular readers that I care deeply about the atheist community, especially in its edification. Below are ten resources that should serve that very purpose and more.

10) Atheist Nexus

The Atheist Nexus boasts that it is the largest coalition of atheist organizations in the world. Even better, it is an active online community of freethinkers.

I have written many times on the need for atheists who breathe closet to find a friendly community of like-minded individuals. Living in the closet is no way to live at all, which makes possible retreats, even online ones, vital to the person's quality of life.

9) The Brights

The Brights is more of a manifesto of atheists who have declared that none of their world views contain supernatural elements than anything. The Brights attempts to unite like-minded atheists to collectively endorse certain values. Malproductively, the Brights has gotten heat for seeming too arrogant by name. Personally, I consider this heat unwarranted, even if understandable.

8) Center for Inquiry

As the CFI says in its mission statement, "The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values."

If it isn't obvious enough, I fully support the above ideals. Through freedom of thought, the marketplace of ideas, and secular morality, a better world could be within an arm length of achievement. Of course, ideals and actions are different things. Fortunately, the CFI does indeed ac, whether through their grassroots branch, or their child organizations, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism.

The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Council for Secular Humanism

7) Secular Coalition of America

The Secular Coalition of America not only advocates in favor of the atheists of America, they actively lobby congress in Washington D.C. and have strategically stationed their headquarters there. D.C. is ideal, not only for lobbying, but also as a rallying point, making the American atheist's voice louder and, therefore, more powerful.

6) Institute for the Secularization of Islamic Society

The ISIS is an affiliate of the Center for Inquiry. It is made up of believers and nonbelievers alike who want a secular society free from religious zealotry.

They boast an elegantly commendable set of ideals such as religious liberty, freedom of speech, emancipation and equality for women and LGBT individuals, secular education, and the marketplace of ideas.

5) James Randi Educational Foundation

The James Randi Educational Foundation works toward debunking supernatural claims of all varieties. Founded by a conjurer/magician who once exposed Peter Popoff on Johnny Carson, the organization has made many an enemy of self-proclaimed psychics, faith-healers, miracle workers, exorcists, etc.

Furthermore, JREF offers $1 million to anyone who can demonstrate any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. Shockingly, the prize has not been claimed since it started in 1964.

4) Camp Quest

Camp Quest is a secular alternative to religion-based summer camps. While kids of all religious backgrounds are welcome, Camp Quest is directed at atheist families who want their kids to be happy and far far away so the parents can have some alone time for the summer without worrying that their children are being indoctrinated.

Let it be noted, Camp Quest is strongly against the labeling of children.

3) Black Atheists of America

Religion permeates the black community so much that being it has become a cultural identity inseparable from race. What this means is that the usual stigma attached to atheism is only amplified, leaving so many black atheists to breathe closet air.

2) Atheist Alliance International

The AAI is a federation of atheist organizations. The purpose their existence to ensure cohesion amongst these organizations, strengthening them in the process.

The AAI is as dedicated to the atheist community as I. For example, they are the ones who initiated the Atheist Census linked below.

Atheist Census

1) Recovering from Religion

Recovering from Religion provides support to anyone who's recently left religion. Most atheists who've lost a religion are plagued for long periods of time by lingering misconceptions about atheists.

Not only that, RfR works to edify the atheist community, providing educational resources for all who need it.

Conclusion:

There isn't a lack of resources for the atheist community. One must simply look. If you would like to share a resource, please leave a comment.

Top Ten Atheist Organizations
UK non-theist organisations

Taking Faith on Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

Faith is believing in something without evidence. It is bolstered as the highest virtue and the pathway to truth by countless religions.

In reality, faith, by definition, has no validity and its usage should be shamed.

Virtuous:

It is drilled into theists that having faith is a good thing. This is backed up either with the empty promises of Heaven, Hell, and a better quality of life or through emotional experiences, such as with song.

Fact of the matter is, the actions of faith tell another story.

The Spanish inquisition, the Crusades, the Salem Witchcraft trials of 1692, and the Holocaust are all due to faith. I challenge any faith-pusher to supply me with an example of something caused by faith that was as good as the Holocaust was bad.

There is a holocaust against homosexuals going on right now in Uganda on the basis of Leviticus 20:13, the verse that tells people to kill gays. If the Ugandan government did not have faith in the Bible, what would be their justification, let alone motivation, for systematically murdering gays?

If faith is to be consider a virtue, it must be proven that faith causes more good than it does bad, and it appears to have already been proven otherwise.

Truth-Seeking:

How does faith arrive us at the truth? Can faith even be distinguished from biased guessing?

Faith is meant to override evidence, reason, and logic, all of which have proven their merit through the fruits of their usage. They gave us solar energy. They gave us computers. They gave us the Polio vaccine. They have delivered unto us a new treatment for cancer though modified dead HIV cells.

The things attributed to faith, in terms of knowledge, are necessarily not demonstrable. When faith is used to "determine" something, it is no more reliable than word of mouth. In contrast, empirical evidence does not change on dishonest whims.

Truth-seeking via faith leads people to believe scientifically proven to be false assertions such as Eve was made from Adams rib, snakes and donkeys can talk, The entire Noah's ark story, and that the smallest seed is the mustard seed. In terms of Christianity, believing based on faith is a great way to be totally wrong.

Competition:

What use could faith be when multiple faith based beliefs contradict each other. They can't all be right and there is no discernible difference in validity. All this does is cancel out all faith based beliefs that are in conflict.

If a priest is telling me to have faith in Jesus and an imam is telling me to have faith in the Prophet Mohammed, and I had to decide between the two, a coin toss would be as good a method as any.

Furthermore, there are an infinite number of possibilities that could be asserted. There could be an invisible pink unicorn staring at my genitals right now. There could be a singing teapot orbiting the Sun outside Mars. There could be a raging anti-gay Republican who isn't homosexual. Any of these could be asserted without proof and would warrant the same response; being dismissed without proof.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, faith is a lousy way to do your thinking.

Atheist Quiz of the Week #1

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Atheist Quotes of the Week #5

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

Quotes are often repeated because many consider them useful in edifying the public. I however have a different regard for this week's installment. Rather, I want to ask you just how obvious the following are. They may be eloquent. They may be enlightening to some. For you, do they only reiterate thoughts you've had thousand-fold, finally to be articulated?

10) Henry David Thoreau

"I do not see why the schoolmaster should be taxed to support the priest, and not the priest the schoolmaster."

9) Robert G. Ingersoll

"I cannot see why we should expect an infinite God to do better in another world than he does in this."

8) Mark Twain

"The Bible has noble poetry in it… and some good morals and a wealth of obscenity, and upwards of a thousand lies."

7) Sigmund Freud

"Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from its readiness to fit in with our instinctual wishful impulses."

6) Sam Harris

"Only the atheist realizes how morally objectionable it is for survivors of a catastrophe to believe themselves spared by a loving God while this same God drowned infants in their cribs."

5) Denis Diderot

"The God of the Christians is a father who makes much of his apples, and very little of his children."

4) Thomas Paine

"As to the book called the Bible, it is blasphemy to call it the word of God. It is a book of lies and contradictions, and a history of bad times and bad men. There are but a few good characters in the whole book."

3) Dan Barker

"You believe in a book which has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd, and primitive stories; and you say that I am the one who is mentally ill?"

2) Ernestine Rose

"It is an interesting and demonstrable fact, that all children are atheists and were religion not inculcated into their minds, they would remain so"

1) Richard Dawkins

"There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it."

Conclusion:

Leave a comment if you think you've figured out a theme with most of these quotes. :)

Atheist Quotes of the Week #1
Atheist Quotes of the Week #2
Atheist Quotes of the Week #3
Atheist Quotes of the Week #4
Atheist Quotes of the Week #5
Atheist Quotes of the Week #6

Top Ten Atheist Quotes

Top Ten Atheist Quotes 2

Top Ten Atheist Quotes 3

Was Jesus a Blasphemer?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

The Bible certainly contains its contradictions, but one stands out as the basis for Christian belief. And it makes Jesus a blasmphemer

Compare this verse in John to the first commandment.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6 NIV

“You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20:3 NIV

Not only does the first commandment dismiss the premise of Christianity, it has other implication as well.

Miracles:

It is often said by Christians that the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the true messiah and are still waiting for him. Considering the above contradiction, I wonder who could really blame them.

The Bible, therefore, can't be taken as a reliable account of why the Jews would have rejected the purported Jesus character, besides looking to the theme of this post. Regardless, we can take the Bible on its word for the sake of argument, as Christians are typically quick to cite the miracles performed by the sexy hippy.

Not only did not all the Jews see his miracles first hand, who's to say he was performing witchcraft. After all, what is the apparent difference between the two?

What if Jesus was healing a blind person and somebody shouted, "Witch! Witch! He's a witch!" He would have been killed earlier than reported if not for the fact that Bible only appears to have something against female witches, as opposed to warlocks as well.

Simply put, for supernatural explanation, there is an equally valid supernatural dismissal.

The Trinity:

Jesus being the son of God does tend to lead apologists down the road of defending the illogical trinity. All I really have to say it is that it seems suspicious that Jesus' words would translate into a pure redundancy.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to me except through me."

Obviously, he's referring to God as a separate entity, making himself into a means to violating the first commandment.

"New" Testament:

Often times, the unflattering "Old" Testament will be discarded by Christians with one simply phrase, "It doesn't count anymore." It is, as well, applied as an excuse for the contradiction, the usual implication being that the unchanging God they worship changed his mind. Well, Jesus would have to disagree on that one.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:17-19

Maybe he shouldn't have said, unless he wanted to be called least in the kingdom of Heaven.

Conclusion:

Human error is the cause of the incredibility of the Bible. An omniscient god would not have dictated such a grand flaw in a story, let alone make any errors.

Top Ten Reasons I don't believe in a god

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

I am often asked why I don't believe in God. My answer is usually brief, but at times, I have to provide on elongated explanation. Below are a ten of the reasons I became an atheist.

10) God of the Gaps

Every time something is discovered more or less conclusively, it is discovered to be natural. Consistently, the scientific method has led us further and further away from resorting to supernatural explanations and, therefore, away from God.

What this has indicated to me is that the truth does not rest at God's stoop.

9) Inconsistencies

Of all the contradictions in the Bible I was aware of at an early age, one has always stuck out.

Jesus said that no one gets to God except through him. However, the first commandment says not to have any god before Yahweh. Of course Jews, or rather Romans, killed him for blasphemy as the Bible and Jewish holy texts say to.

When I asked someone why the Jews didn't believe in Jesus, the answer I got was that they didn't think Jesus was the messiah and that they were still waiting.

Who could blame them, besides the German Nazis?

8) God of Perpetual Ignorance

I was a enthusiastically curious child. I would often ask the adults around where clouds come from or certain animals eat others. Nearly every time, I would get something like "God made clouds because they're pretty." or "God works in mysterious ways."

Isn't wasn't too long before I realized that no one was telling me how the world really worked. As a matter of fact, the answers I received were the result of failure to swallow one's pride. I knew they should have been saying, "I don't know," instead. How could I trust anyone who can't admit when they're wrong? I found it irritatingly dishonest and stopped asking them questions and opted to just figure things out for myself. This drove me to science and science drove me towards evidence-based reasoning, an honest truth-seeking method and enemy of faith.

7) Security Measures

I remember being seven and looking up in a church parking lot wondering why "thou shall not test the lord." We're not allowed to doubt God, test him with prayer, or say anything that contradicts the doctrine. We, instead, must have faith.

This always reminded me nap time in Kindergarten. There was this one kid I would play a game with during this time. He would take something, put his hands behind his back, and bring them forward, telling me to guess which of his fists the object was in. Everyone is familiar with this game, probably called "pick-a-hand," but this kid would always say "if you pick my right hand, I'll open my right hand. If you pick my left hand, I'll open my right hand."

When I started to realize that religion was always telling which hand to pick, I decided not to comply any longer.

6) Empty Promises

Being raised in the Christian faith, the promise of Heaven (as well as Hell) was driven into our skulls along with divine mandates.

The problem was I've had been given broken promises before. How was to know Heaven was any different? I was told to have faith no matter what, but having faith in something doesn't make it true. I would only know whether Heaven was a reality when I'm dead and have no neurological function with which I can know things. I felt like I was getting ripped off by a carrot and stick.

5) Attribution

For many theists, every time something good happens, God has blessed them. But, when something bad happens, God works in mysterious ways.

I heard this repeatedly throughout my childhood. This is not a god of the gaps fallacy. Even worse than filling a gap in our knowledge with a non-answer, God is invoked in place of actually understanding a simple to understand situation. Once I had realized that they used God as a sticker they could smack on any situation so they could warp their own perception of reality in their favor, I saw their faith-maintenance "praise reports" as nothing more than biased anecdotal excuses to keep believing.

4) Cop-outs

As a child, whenever I had a question about God or the Bible that was hard to answer, the answers I would get were either obvious lies or a plain cop-outs.

Even the first time I encountered "You can ask God when you get to Heaven." I knew there was something inherently wrong with it. A lot of the time, I was asking something that challenged the very existence of God. When I asked a question like that, being told to accept a conclusion in order to accept a conclusion is less than convincing.

3) Moral Inferiority

Morality is composed of sympathy, empathy, and reciprocal altruism. That morality is reasoned, as it has been throughout history, for the purpose of figuring out how best to maximize happiness and minimize suffering.

I always knew that, even if I couldn't always articulate it. I just always thought there was something wrong with an omnibenevolent being that endorses slavery, says women are to be subservient to men, and says to kill gays. All the ill-conceived excuses in the world couldn't wipe the doubt caused by that from my mind.

2) Unfalsifiability

The key to making an empty promise convincing is to make demands for proof seem unreasonable.

Many safe-guards are put into place, each an attempt to make God, by definition, impossible to prove wrong. What this adversely does is make God also impossible to prove right. When I was a little kid, this didn't really hinder what little faith I really had. But, when I was introduced to other religions with other gods equally unfalsifiable, I noticed a logical flaw. I knew that all unfalsifiability did in a world with more than one religion was create impasses.

No one could better justify Christianity than someone else could justify Hinduism or anything else. They couldn't all be right. I knew that if I were to be sure I was right about my religion, I needed proof. The god I was taught to believe in, however, was setup in such a way I could never get that proof.

1) Evidence

The burden of proof lies on the person making the positive claim; therefore, in the absence of evidence, belief is unwarranted. I learned this on my own at the age of 12.

Conclusion:

At the end of the day, I am an atheist because I refuse to not think.

Are You a Role-Playing Atheist?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

Atheists, like gays, have a closet of safety. Whereas I dismantled my closet, others still keep theirs for those rainy days. This post is not about atheists in the closet; it's about those standing in the doorway.

In:

The reasons many atheists stand in the doorway of that oasis of a lie are mostly the same as why many are in it entirely. It really comes down to the severity of your circumstances.

An atheist of a Mormon family in Utah and an atheist of a Unitarian family in Los Angeles are easily contrasted. However, what they fear is common to them: Ostracism, oppression, bullying, and the loss of freedom. The only difference is that the Atheist in Utah is surrounded, 360°, by potential hostility, whereas the LA "heathen" is far more likely to have visible, physical communities to which they can escape.

But escaped prisoners are still sought after. To many theists, an atheist out of the closet is just red meat.

For that reason ever too many atheists role-play as a red herring. They may have real friends they can talk to or a community on Twitter, such as I, with whom they can converse freely, but half of their life is a lie, out of apparent necessity. That's still better than being constantly berated with proselytism and the callous stinging oppression of hate-filled theists.

To them, in light of alternatives, that closet can be quite cozy at times; a comfort zone.

Out:

Atheists come out of the closet for a myriad of reasons, all obvious. They want to be true to themselves and others. They want to be free. They often find religion as despicable nearly as much as I do. They want to sing the injustices and flesh out the lies. Maybe they simply want to encourage others to come out.

Why Aren't Atheists Angry?
The Atheist Census
The New Atheism Movement

However, fear is very much a part of their lives and that fear is fodder for restriction. Speaking on the ugly head religion rears at them and others is something they may realize the importance of, but they'll only practice it at that limited capacity known as "circle-jerking."

What, for atheists, circle-jerking accomplishes is just about nothing. Most want more, but don't think they can have it without risking the quality of their lives. Well, they're right.

Around:

Atheists, such as myself, do not have a problem socializing with like and unlike-minded people. If anyone gives me a problem, the knowledge and argumentation I've accumulated over the years is always there for me. I am, in all ways, happy because of it.

Happiness was always within my reach, so long as I stepped away from the closet. When I did, I found people who think like me, who truly welcome me for what I am, people who prove I've had not one real conversation previously. I found nothing to fear. I tore down my closet. I put a book stand in its place.

Conclusion:

Whether in, out, atheists often wear a mask to avoid trouble-making theists. I say let's give them trouble and take away a closet-free world.

Top Ten Atheist Organizations
The Atheist Out Campaign
The Atheist Census

Is Being Gay Immoral?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By Matthew Chatterton

No, you fucking moron.

Atheist Quotes of the Week #4

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Chatterton) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

By: Matthew Chatterton

This week's quotes come from some great/hilarious minds as usual. Repetition isn't always that fun but I am, however, tapping into a seemingly bottomless pit of brilliance when I reference great minds as the ones who follow.

10) Benjamin Franklin

"The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason"

9) Brad Pitt

"When I got untethered from the comfort of religion, it wasn't a loss of faith for me, it was a discovery of self. I had faith that I'm capable enough to handle any situation. There's peace in understanding that I have only one life, here and now, and I'm responsible"

8) Emo Phillips

"When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me."

7) Kate Smurthwaite

"Every single [religion] believes in this Heaven on the basis of faith and faith, by definition, is believing in something without evidence. And, personally, I don't do that because I'm not an idiot."

note: This is also know as the atheist bitch-slap.

6) Richard Dawkins

"I believe that an orderly universe, one indifferent to human preoccupations, in which everything has an explanation even if we still have a long way to go before we find it, is a more beautiful, more wonderful place than a universe tricked out with capricious ad hoc magic."

5) Stephen Fry

"I'm afraid I don't believe there is such a thing as blasphemy just outrage from those insecure in their own faith."

4) John Adams

"The United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

3) 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"

2) Isaac Asimov

"To surrender to ignorance and call it God has always been premature, and it remains premature today."

1) Jimmy Carr

"When I was a kid, I used to have an imaginary friend. I thought he went everywhere with me. I could talk to him and he could hear me, and he could grant me wishes and stuff too. But then I grew up, and stopped going to church."

Conclusion:

The only thing I don't love about the above quotes is that I didn't come up with them.

Atheist Quotes of the Week #1
Atheist Quotes of the Week #2
Atheist Quotes of the Week #3
Atheist Quotes of the Week #4
Atheist Quotes of the Week #5
Atheist Quotes of the Week #6

Top Ten Atheist Quotes

Top Ten Atheist Quotes 2

Top Ten Atheist Quotes 3