Why I'm an Atheist Part 2 by DarkSyde

Why I'm an Atheist
by DarkSyde
Tue Nov 15, 2005 at 09:54:04 PM PDT

Life is a gift to all of us. And yet, when one is an atheist, they are sometimes bothered by perhaps well meaning but nevertheless annoying theists, who accuse them of not caring about the life of anyone or anything. It's an odd reaction, because for the atheist, this life is it. In our view, we humans get a few decades on average, a tiny arc of consciousness across the infinite ocean of space-time, a blink of the cosmic eye, in which the universe can be uniquely aware of itself through each of us. And accepting that there is likely nothing afterward, nothing but the comforting non-existence that preceded conception, makes this time far more precious to the atheist, than many theists seem willing to contemplate.

* DarkSyde's diary :: ::
*

Once again, a fair warning to all, this might be offensive as hell to some. Just try and understand that even though I think religion may be crazy or irrational, that doesn't mean I universally dislike religious people or that I think everything they do outside of religion is worthless. Point of Fact: This two-part series came about last evening during a friendly e-mail exchange with a Kossack friend who is definitely a believer and s/he happens to be someone whose integrity, character, and compassion, I greatly admire.

Now a foreword and a suggested code of conduct since the post got so distended: Take some time to decide if something is really worth your time to respond to, there will be trolls on both sides looking to agitate you anyway they can.

Your religion may be inspiring to you. It may have stories that are inspiring to me. It may have mnemonic value; critically important value at that. It may be rich in tradition and culture, it may encapsulate important events in human history. It may offer hope to people who have no hope left. It may serve as a useful insight into human nature. Humans may indeed have a preexisting facility to acquire belief systems similar to the one for language. It may provide a valuable ethical and behavioral framework. It may spread like a virus and mutate like bird flu. I don't necessarily think you are weak minded for buying it, I think enculturation and peer pressure is some powerful gumbo. But this diary isn't about any of that.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/15/23544/992

Didn't finish it, but that's ok.

written.

Does DarkSyde's diary have any comments on the new age Indigo Kids (purple haze on photograph when taken with "aura" camera and tied to "harmonic convergence effects" that through evolution are producing humans that that see/hear through to the other side of death)?

I ask only because I like DarkSyde's writing style - not as a flame on the topic. But I do wonder about new age and the atheist.

"That's not a sacrifice - that's a stunt."

Loved it. Thanks for posting.

what it is, or what it means. Maybe they really DO have no god or gods! And the rest of us do, hee hee hee.

Me, I think you have to separate religion and spirituality. Religion is easy to reject (it's kooky for sure), but spirituality? I like to believe there's something to spirit.

that whole thing by dark syde is a good read, both parts. :thumbsup:

I just don't understand how Christians can get past the "doesn't make sense" part - DarkSyde makes some of the absurdities of Xtian beliefs seem as obvious as air and gravity.

You're not DarkSyde, by any chance, are you, NAO?

Well, first, it would be shameless for me to heap praise my own writings.

And unlike DarkSyde, who was a skeptic "at about age 3 or 4 years", I believed in the whole Santa Claus thing, North Pole, Elves, Flying Reindeer and all, until I was 18 or 19.

But I do feel a kindred soul in DarkSyde, and I like his/her style of direct confrontation and unapologetic dismissal of the claims of religion.

Reminds me of Sam Harris. Have you read "The End of Faith"? It's a real treat, 'don't miss this one' book. It's a extremely coherent case against religious faith, deadly serious but also full of dry humor zingers blasting religion that will knock you over.

I usually buy a couple of gifts for myself since Santa stopped coming around.

I've been really bad.

I could wait for the local library to get it, but since I live in the buy-bull belt, it doesn't look promising.

Besides, Sam Harris writes the kind of books you want to keep, not borrow.

It makes no sense for YVHW to kill off every living thing on earth with a flood or any other psychotic method of genocide if he can do whatever he wants and his goal is to engender love for His masterful and benevolent rule. It is in fact an act far, far, to the right of Hitler and Ghangas Kahn combined; it makes those two pikers look like candy-stripers. And the flood is just one of many monstrous acts.

One of the reasons I stopped believing in the Judeo-Christian God was the above--why would anybody worship such a sadistic SOB???