As an atheist, I’m proud to say I DON’T KNOW. Heck I will even shout it from the rooftops. I don’t know how the universe came to be. The truth is no one does, no matter how concretely sure they come across, no matter how much they believe, deep down the one thing we all have in common is WE DON’T KNOW.
There are many theories as to how the universe came into existence, for instance, science gives us the Big Bang Theory (so do Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, but that’s not the Big Bang Theory I’m talking about here). Religion gives us the theory that some deity or another created the universe.
What happens after we die? Another good question with the same answer I DON’T KNOW. The truth is no one knows, but this question causes so much anger, delusion, violence, war, murder, hatred and FEAR, yes fear. The difference between theists and atheists is that atheists aren’t afraid to say I DON’T KNOW. Believers are so afraid to even entertain the concept that they don’t know the answers to these questions that they will bulldoze over those who deign to challenge their theory. Scientists relish the opportunity to challenge a theory. This difference is beautifully illustrated in the “interview” below.
O’Reilly’s smug condescension is simply a mask for his fear of the unknown and a weapon used to silence logic. Now look at what happens when Richard Dawkins is allowed to get a word in edgewise.
Another example of how theists stifle those who they see as their opponents (atheists are not the enemy, by the way, we just want to be allowed to express our own beliefs) is illustrated here, through violence.
And here, again through smug condescension.
Notice how the believers are trying to show hypocrisy on the part of the non believer by trying to prove she has faith in something… anything? What I find funny is their go to was money… something Jesus was adamantly against. It has always baffled me that religions and religious types don’t see their worship of the almighty dollar, euro, peso, yen, etc as flying directly in the face of their religious teachings, but I digress.
What theists need to understand is that atheists aren’t persecuting you. If you want to know who is really being run ram shod over, take a look at this.
In conclusion I would like to share a short back and forth I had on twitter with a self-professed Christian woman.
Her- Ain’t no such thing as an athiest . Pastor Anderson said so.
Me- Ooh, say hi to the pastor for me. Time for him to understand the difference between real and imaginary.
Her- Ignorance cannot be helped . I’ll just pray for you 🙂
Me- Why, so I can be ignorant too? Ignorance is bliss. Have a blissful day.
Her- Ignorance may indeed be bliss , but i’m not ignorant . Have fun rotting in Hell – literally .
Me- That’s very Christian of you.
Nice post. You speak the truth.
Great post. This kind of appealing to ignorance has been the favourite fallacy of religions for a very long time. I remember I was talikng to my step-uncle, and he was taling about an Indian guru who could do these “extraordinary” things, and his reason was: “Well, science cant explain it. Therefore there must be something beyound science there.”
In O’reilly clip we see the exact thing: “I’m throughing in with Jesus instead of you guys, because you can’t tell me how it got here.”
Oh really Bill?! Why not through in with Allah? Or with that Indian guru for that matter?!
I’m not afraid to say “I don’t know” in terms of being able to prove anything concrete. All I can really discuss is my personal experience with faith, with God. I share that when it seems appropriate, and respect everyone’s right to freely choose, and only ask the same in return. Though I may not agree with your choice, it’s yours, and you’re entitled to it.
I posted this on American Atheist:
As a kid I had no choice, from ages 8-10, my first orphanage was run by Pentacostal fundamentalists idiots and I was beaten severely and often if I didn’t conform. Many Christianis are the biggest assholes ever, I rarely find one who acts as taught by Jesus Christ.who may have made some good points which anyone could have discovered eventually Anyway. It is amazing the religious zealots who tell me all the things they assume I believe or don’t believe based on their preconceptions of what atheists believe. An atheist simply has no belief in an invisible entity most religions call god. I also don’t believe in pink unicorns either, or Santa Claus, but they are in the same group..