Atheism Is the True Embrace of Reality (http://thehiberniatimes.com/2011/06/03/atheism-is-the-true-embrace-of-reality/)
QuoteBy Paula Kirby
Until 2003 I was a devout Christian. And I mean devout. I believed absolutely, and my faith was central to my life at that time. Various clergy thought I had a calling to "the ministry"; one even suggested I might have a vocation to be a nun. Now I am an atheist: the kind of atheist who is predictably referred to by religious apologists as "outspoken" or "militant." So what happened?
What happened was four little words: "How do I know?"...
A beautifully argued and written piece that really gets to the point of why a theistic world view is a false view.
"How do I know?"
Later in the article. My emphasis.
Quote...This is why subjective experience cannot tell us anything about God. Knowing what kind of god someone believes in tells us a great deal about that person – but nothing whatsoever about the truth or otherwise of the existence of any god at all.
And this brings us to something very important about atheism. Atheism is not in itself a belief. Few atheists would be so bold as to declare the existence of any god at all utterly impossible. Atheism is, quite simply, the position that it is absurd to believe in, much less worship, a deity for which no valid evidence has been presented. Atheism is not a faith: on the contrary, it is the refusal to accept claims on faith...
[
QuoteAtheism is not a faith: on the contrary, it is the refusal to accept claims on faith...
brilliant, the amount of Christians I've had tell me that atheism is a religion or it's based on faith...
A really good article...something you would never see in Texas, where the Governor asks people to pray for rain and calls for a nationwide gubernatorial caucus to pray for America.
In part 2:
QuoteChurches certainly pay lip-service to asking questions, of course; but never doubt that there are limits to the questions that are acceptable. "Does this verse mean this or does it mean that?": this kind of question — the unthreatening kind that stays within approved boundaries — is smiled upon. But be careful not to voice questions that suggest doubt!
There's never a critical bible class or critical biblical history class at a church that I've ever seen.
QuoteThe forces arrayed against the believer who dares to question, dares to challenge, are formidable indeed. Small wonder that many believers never truly stop to reflect on their beliefs from the perspective of asking whether they are really true.
Someone needs to sign her up here.
eta: Read some of the comments too.
QuoteIncreasingly we are shaking off the hobgoblins of belief, and in so doing we are discovering the joys...
What splendid writing.
Thanks for the link Tank, really enjoyable reading.
Thanks for posting this. It was an interesting read.
This has brought a tear of joy to my eye :D
Thank you very much for posting.