Spot the bullshit . . .

A Manual for Creating Atheists

 

 "Manual for Creating Atheists" by Peter Boghossian.

Atheists - be counted

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) is pleased to announce the launch of Atheist Census at www.atheistcensus.com.  With the slogan ‘Numbers Matter. Be Counted.’ Atheist Census is a global project to count and capture a snapshot of the world’s atheists.  The census records people’s preferred title (e.g. atheist, rationalist, humanist, freethinker, etc.), religious background, education level, age, gender identity and country.

Help AAI demonstrate the atheist presence around the world!  Please contribute to Atheist Census and spread the word to your secular friends – “like” Atheist Census on Facebook, tweet about it, distribute it through any social media channel you use!  And be sure to check out the Atheist Census video on YouTube.

Please note that entries in Atheist Census are not personally identifiable. AAI take the issue of data security and privacy seriously, and Atheist Census’ privacy policy can be found here.

AAI is raising funds to help cover the cost of developing and running Atheist Census.  You can make a donation to help launch this project here http://www.atheistcensus.com/donate/- any amount you can donate will be greatly appreciated.

Dexter the atheist

Why I left Islam

Set your mind free!

"Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species."

This was the title of the meeting on Wednesday 4th. of the Brighton & Hove Humanists Society. Terry Sanderson of the National Secular Society gave a rivetting account of the circumstances and the furore that attended the publication of "Origins" and this was followed by an entertaining re-creation (written by Terry) of the historical debate between T.H. Huxley (“Darwin’s Bulldog”) and “Soapy Sam” Wilberforce (Bishop of Oxford).  Derek Lennard effectively took the part of Huxley and Terry Sanderson, appropriately attired and with appropriate accents played the Bishop. Keith Porteous-Wood, Director of the NSS, acted as the commentator.  There was some heckling from the audience.

These monthly meetings in the back room of the Lord Nelson have of late been very well attended but this particular one really packed them in. Some late-comers may even have been disappointed. It was encouraging to see a good sprinkling of younger people. Although handily placed the venue is not ideal because of "noises-off". It is a pub after all. If attendances keep up they will have to consider alternatives I think.

Science, where Religion goes to die!

A nice collage by Kyo Hanakara

Godbothering Exemplified

Those of us who follow various atheist blogs and discussion groups on facebook and elsewhere will be aware of the sudden visitor from outer space, the sudden alien posting from the "other side".  On the whole I think these visitations are to be welcome as they surely indicate the depth of penetration of the atheist awareness movement. Sometimes these visitors are seeking serious discussion about what they consider a valid point about the atheist/religious divide, sometimes they post purely self-indulgent rants only serving to display the extent of their self-indoctrination. In the last category is a comment recently posted by one Tally Smith on "Thank you Everyone" of the Atheist Bus Campaign website . This is the closing statement of her post:-

"May all those who think there’s absolutely no God or creator, have a second to ponder their belief the last second of their life so that they might see the vision and enter into heaven to meet their loved ones. Enjoy life. Live every day as if it were your last, and live your last day as if you will live forever in heaven or hell. Ask forgiveness of sins your last moment of breath and I think the creator will forgive and accept you. What could it hurt?"

I think Tally  is from the US  because elsewhere she makes reference to the American ABC and  she also exemplifies the fairly naive attitude to religious belief that still holds sway over large areas of the States. To give prosyletisers on this side of the pond due credit I think they would have adopted a far more sophisticated or oblique approach if venturing to advance some pro-religion argument on this particular blog.

What strikes one immediately about this comment is its insufferable smugness and air of superiority. The amazing assumption that she knows what is best for the rest of us who do not happen to believe in her particular Invisible Magic Friend.  Apparently she can read her IMF's mind and knows that if in our dying moments we do not revise our disbelief, he is not going to let us meet up with our "loved ones". Yes, it is rather  vindictive, but that's the god of the Bible for you. But try not to let this worry you too much. In the meantime "enjoy life" and live your "last day as if you will live forever in heaven or hell". Not quite sure how we identify our last day or exactly how we should conduct ourselves if we could. If we think we are going to heaven perhaps we could relax a bit? If hell, do we just give up? Not much practical advice there. 

And then we get to the business of sin. What exactly is it that make the religious so preoccupied with "sin"? Do they go about “sinning” all over the place secure in the knowledge they can always ask “forgiveness”? I don’t want to sound arrogant but, sincerely, I can’t remember the last time I did some “sinning” nor exactly what the sin was. Anyway might as well be on the safe side and ask the IMF for forgiveness so 

here goes: "Please forgive me my sins O Invisible Magic Friend". There, that's better. Yes, she is quite right, it didn't hurt.