posted at The Evangelical AtheistStatement of (dis)Beliefs
The following 10 statements are central to my view of the world. All posts to this blog are predicated upon the following:
1. There are no gods, demigods, angels, devils, fairies, ghosts, gnomes, imps, elves, demons, sprites, goblins, leprechauns, trolls, incubi, succubi, genies, mermaids, banshees or the like.
2. The concept of “supernatural” is absurd and meaningless. Anything that exists is completely and totally natural.
3. There is nothing that cannot be fully understood given enough study, sufficient brainpower and a firm grasp of logic.
4. Omnipotence is impossible. Don’t make me get into the heavy rock paradox. It’s old and tired.
5. If you say something exists, and I say it doesn’t, the burden of proof is on you. For you to prove that it does exist, you just have to demonstrate it to me. For me to prove that it doesn’t exist, I have to demonstrate to you every single thing that exists, and then you’ll just say that it’s invisible or that I must have missed it.
6. When there is sufficient evidence for something, I believe it. When there isn’t, I don’t. I’m funny that way.
7. Just because you call something proof, doesn’t mean it’s proof. Proof is at my discretion. My criteria rely heavily on the scientific method and my senses. That’s all I have. My heart does nothing but move blood around my body.
8. Religion, while not always destructive, has a long history of starting wars, inciting persecution and hindering the pursuit of truth and knowledge. Even a seemingly harmless faith will, given enough time, mutate into something obstructionist, dangerous or both.
9. While religion played an instrumental role in helping civilization past its infancy, it has done more harm than good for the last several thousand years. It is in the best interest of mankind that religion be completely eliminated.
10. The two most dangerous religious movements in the world today are Muslim Fundamentalism and Christian Reconstructionism. The destruction of these philosophies is the highest priority.
While it may prove to be fun to pick apart each of these points, I'd rather spend time right now on point 7.
It must be nice to be your own god because you get to come up with ludicrous ideas, such as, that you are the sole arbiter of what is proof. Surely, he or she has taken this position because it makes defending their faith in themselves that much easier, but it is completely illogical. First of all, if there is going to be any chance of discovering the truth of the matter we must let the evidence speak for itself rather than determining if the evidence can be considered proof prior to its discovery. Second, of all it assumes that the very things that they believe are proofs for the nonexistence of God can be solely understood in that manner. This is obviously not the case as there are many people who look and examine the world through scientific means, as I myself have done, and seen the proof of the existence of God. Now while I am not a big fan of relying on ones feelings, because you never know if it is the Holy Spirit or that bean burrito from Taco Bell, I have to wonder why (s)he so readily discounts intuition. Is it because deep down they fear they are wrong? Oh well, we will probably never know because I seriously doubt they would be willing to admit such a feeling.
At the same time I have to wonder if such a statement is a reaction to the well meaning but misguided apologists who argue that belief in Christ is logical. Faith in Christ is anything but logical and God readily admits it.
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Personally, I rejoice in the illogic of God in Christ, because the logical thing for a righteous God who despises sin would be to wipe us out. Instead, he came to rescue us poor miserable sinners.
1 comment:
I like his claim that "religion becomes destructive," (Number 8)...
because somewhere (obviously not from the scientific method or plain old history) he has gotten the idea that atheism never starts wars, incites persecution, or hinders the pursuit of truth.
Evy A, I guess when you get to make up everything you think out of thin air, you can say whatever you want. But when I don't take you seriously, please don't get get offended. You're own system really does not allow it.
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