Radical Atheist

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I debate with theists a lot. I’m a member of a debate forum where the atheist/theist ratio, based on active members who debate in the religious threads, favors the atheist/agnostic/non-Christian contingent. However, the theists that do stick around and debate frequently are pretty good at defending their opinions. They’re an active, contentious bunch, just what we need to keep some balance.

In all honesty, every debate between theists and atheists should begin with the challenge to produce physical and convincing evidence that their god exists. Until that challenge is met no further assertions should be allowed. The primary contention has not been resolved.

However, if we insisted that whenever we debated a theist, whatever the topic, they first answer the challenge to the very existence of their god, we would quickly become strident and annoying even in our own eyes. Atheists would become too much like theists in that regard.

So we mention god as often as theists do. Is that a problem? They should be pleased, free advertising. Besides, they need us. Who else would there be to blame for all the bad stuff if everybody became Christians?

You wanna talk technology? I can go on for hours on that topic without once mentioning any religious concept, even by analogy.

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To accept any brand of theism entails accepting certain assumptions as established fact. All religious belief systems have a creation story. It may be interpreted literally or figuratively, but the underlying assumption that the universe was created by a particular god must be accepted as literal truth and fact to be a member of any particular sect of religious belief.

In rejecting religious belief, atheists also dismiss the presumption that any god created the universe.

However, beyond implying the rejection of religious creation stories, atheism does not provide further guidance as to what to think about the manner in which the universe came in to being. Unlike the vast majority of religions, atheism isn’t a belief system. Atheism is a single point of disagreement with other people over the idea that it’s plausible that any particular god exists. There are many things that atheists believe and disbelieve. The fact we’re atheists only pertains to a single one of the disbeliefs.

Some atheists just don’t give a damn about philosophy or science. They could care less how we got here. They have lives to lead and no time for foolish speculation about things we can’t possibly know at this point in time. We tend to call folks like this practical and level headed.

Others of us are fascinated with understanding how everything works and what it all means. There are many names for us, one or two are complimentary. We follow the findings of scientists, philosophers and thinkers who enlighten us and increase our knowledge, which we expect to result in wisdom.

Accepting scientific explanations about life and the universe and philosophical musings on our place in nature are not obligatory. No atheist is obligated to agree with science. It’s an option, one of many that don’t entail believing in gods.

Scientific explanations of reality are incomplete and never absolute. Some people can’t tolerate a lack of absolutes, so they invent them then proclaim their inventions to be absolute. “It is because we say it is.” Not a convincing argument. My standards for belief and agreement are too high to be satisfied by religious belief. I was a theist, I’ve been there, I’ve walked that road in total sincerity and with unbridled passion for many years. Theism in general and Christianity in particular are not unknown to me. I’ve made their arguments and fought for their validity. I’m completely comfortable with dismissing them as irrelevant in the quest to understand nature on their own merits. Having scientific and philosophical explanations that hold together better and explain nature in terms that don’t require a suspension of good sense and skepticism is an added bonus. It’s nice to have but isn’t the reason for my rejection of belief in gods.

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