The word 'atheist' itself is misleading and should not even be necessary in our vernacular. We don't have a word for someone who doesn't believe in fairies, dragons, Santa Claus, leprechauns, the Easter Bunny, or Bigfoot.
Until fairly recently here in the U.S. a common saying for an unexpected or surprise occurrence was a 'Black Swan event', until someone in Australia said black swans are quite common there. Misinformation doesn't become fact simply because it's repeated many times, believed by many people, or the doubters are shouted down (or worse).
Atheist description in 'No Religion' post on a ministers' blog I recently read mis-stated the atheists' stance - they do not reject god, only say that there is no proof for god (or other supernaturals). We're all born atheists, until we are indoctrinated by our family, friends, and so on; the fortunate few who were born into an atheist home or who managed to overcome the dogma forced upon them may become atheists themselves. There is nothing you have to believe to be an atheist. Not believing in a god is the only qualification required. Beyond that, an atheist can believe in anything at all. Also realize that most believers are atheists as to any 'god' but their own - only theirs is the right one. Nor is atheism a religion. Because of the stigma associated with the word, many atheists now call themselves free-thinkers, humanists, skeptics, secularists, agnostics, non-believers, and more. There have been and still are far more atheists than you know; just a few are here, and include Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect -- “I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.”, Xenophanes (540-478 BCE) Greek philosopher -- If other animals wanted to create gods -- “If oxen, lions, and horses had hands and could make fashion of art, they would fashion gods in their own image.” Then there's Epicurus' (341-270 BCE) famous quote:
We did not and do not require any "book" to give us morals. Homo-sapiens managed for at least 100,000 years without writing at all (blending with other homo-cousins as we covered more and more ground). We then managed about 3500 BCE to develop early Sumerian cuneiform writings, followed shortly thereafter (3200 BCE) by ancient Egyptian writings. Those included inscriptions of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (2613-2181 BCE), didactic [lesson teaching] literature from 2040-1782 BCE, and the Love Poems of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE).
How is it that we had no "morals"? Why did we need the particular god of Abraham to provide "inspired rules" written about 1000-700 BCE, during the bronze age (or maybe iron age, cuz of that inability to conquer those plains guys [Judges 1:19] who had the iron chariots)?
Writings in a desert tribal language, into stories that advocated wiping out other tribes, owning/selling other people (including your own daughters) gave us "morals"? See here for a tongue-in-cheek look at some other "biblical morality".
I think I prefer the religion of Abraham (Lincoln, that is) "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad." Millions and millions of people are good without "gods".
Until fairly recently here in the U.S. a common saying for an unexpected or surprise occurrence was a 'Black Swan event', until someone in Australia said black swans are quite common there. Misinformation doesn't become fact simply because it's repeated many times, believed by many people, or the doubters are shouted down (or worse).
Atheist description in 'No Religion' post on a ministers' blog I recently read mis-stated the atheists' stance - they do not reject god, only say that there is no proof for god (or other supernaturals). We're all born atheists, until we are indoctrinated by our family, friends, and so on; the fortunate few who were born into an atheist home or who managed to overcome the dogma forced upon them may become atheists themselves. There is nothing you have to believe to be an atheist. Not believing in a god is the only qualification required. Beyond that, an atheist can believe in anything at all. Also realize that most believers are atheists as to any 'god' but their own - only theirs is the right one. Nor is atheism a religion. Because of the stigma associated with the word, many atheists now call themselves free-thinkers, humanists, skeptics, secularists, agnostics, non-believers, and more. There have been and still are far more atheists than you know; just a few are here, and include Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect -- “I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.”, Xenophanes (540-478 BCE) Greek philosopher -- If other animals wanted to create gods -- “If oxen, lions, and horses had hands and could make fashion of art, they would fashion gods in their own image.” Then there's Epicurus' (341-270 BCE) famous quote:
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
We did not and do not require any "book" to give us morals. Homo-sapiens managed for at least 100,000 years without writing at all (blending with other homo-cousins as we covered more and more ground). We then managed about 3500 BCE to develop early Sumerian cuneiform writings, followed shortly thereafter (3200 BCE) by ancient Egyptian writings. Those included inscriptions of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (2613-2181 BCE), didactic [lesson teaching] literature from 2040-1782 BCE, and the Love Poems of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE).
How is it that we had no "morals"? Why did we need the particular god of Abraham to provide "inspired rules" written about 1000-700 BCE, during the bronze age (or maybe iron age, cuz of that inability to conquer those plains guys [Judges 1:19] who had the iron chariots)?
I think I prefer the religion of Abraham (Lincoln, that is) "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad." Millions and millions of people are good without "gods".
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