I'm feeling sorry for theists.

This all started because I got an Alpha Course pamphlet on my desk. (It was placed as a joke.)

We all have those 'awareness' moments. The sense of 'I' and sometimes they can be pretty intense! Impending, unstoppable death. Why are we here? Looking at your family and realising one day you will say a final goodbye to them and hope that they understand the joy they have brought to your life. Weighing up whether you have done enough positive things to merit people thinking you are a good person. Railing against injustice in the world and overcoming a feeling of powerlessness when things are wrong in society.

Blimey, no wonder people turn to a religious comfort blanket!

The benefits are obvious:
They say you will go to a heaven and be blissfully happy FOREVER! (Because this wonderful planet is not good enough.)
That a benevolent being is looking after you. (Provided you accept the correct being - there are, after all, SO MANY false gods! Irony.)
You will have a moral compass. (Because you didn't have one before - think of it as a free gift when you join.)
And be a better person. (Although you are not allowed to say that - that's rude. But all the gang secretly know it.)

But choosing and believing in what is (statistically a certainty) a lie/ misrepresentation/ false hope/ a con/ cult/ wishful thinking/ ignorance/ brainwashing/ threat/ etc. [delete as appropriate] is such an injustice to understanding.

So it might make them happy. I'm not authorised to deny them their happiness. Good luck to them.

Some claim to have no doubt. And these are the ones I feel most pity for. It's the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and denying all possibilities. A fear of being wrong. To have that sense of being special, the Earth being made specifically for YOU, taken away.

Am I a shameless zombie, denying a god's loving light? Am I ungrateful whelp, deserving of a punishment from a all powerful being? Am I tainted by a devil's knowledge, intent on corrupting the kind and good? Am I clearly too STUPID not to see what makes religious people so blissfully happy?

No.

My mind is open to all the possibilities. I have been vainly trying to find some, any, evidence for existence of a god. I would go to an Alpha course with an open mind, but I could not bear the thought of being 'taught' by someone who has closed their minds to the possibility that they don't need their metaphysical metaphors to lead a good life.

I have NEVER met an atheist who has stated that there is no god AND states that there is no evidence that they would accept to change their minds. Theists on the other hand HAVE to think this way. (It's 100% or nothing!)

And the insulting fallacy is that some theists see this as a weakness. (Hey! They could be persuaded!) Or have the cheek to call us close minded!

And this is why I feel so sorry for theists.

Just bask in the chaos of nature, the almost infinite random possibilities that lead us to this exact point in time, appreciate that we are creatures made from stars, that there is wonder in the expanses of space, beauty in a single grain of sand, that all life on this planet is connected...

We are all monkeys with big brains. If only some of us would use it more.

I'm a happy atheist! So why don't people believe me?!? Aarrggh!!!

I posted this on the Heaving Dead Cats blog and I thought it deserved a post on mine too. One of the accusations I have had made at me, several times of the years, is that I cannot be a happier person than someone who has discovered their imaginary friend. (Or has a 'relationship' with imaginary friend, or discovered the 'truth', or 'opened my eyes', or had an 'experience'... blah, blah...)

"Being an atheist has made me a happier person. I adore the wonder of nature, the chaos of life, the randomness of quantum physics, the vastness of the universe, the possibility of ‘god particles’, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, seeing true altruism in strangers, learning about different cultures, art, music and love.
I love being free to enjoy, appreciate and have these experiences without having to worry about offending any non-existent creatures. Sheeple (I love that term!) only demean themselves by having to attribute their ignorance to ‘god’."

Seriously, how could I be happier? (OK, Arsenal in the Champions League final, grrr....) I have a great family, fantastic job, my health, kind friends and a sparkling wit only matched by my innate charm and wisdom. If unfortunate things happen, I don't whine, blame, pray, sue, beg etc... and I certainly don't (in a weakened state) seek an imaginary friend. If you are an optimist, you don't need false hope!

We do NOT have a 'god shaped' hole in our hearts. That's just another bl***y stupid metaphor created to convince the weak minded. (Create a problem and sell the only 'cure' ) Having a 'god' in my life would mean I would have a new 'priority' - above my family, above my ambitions, dreams and humanity. And if you are the sort of person willing to do that for some perceived reward in one of the many afterlifes on offer, then well done. Just don't expect me to be impressed.

I am happy. And if you can't understand that, then I truly pity you.
(Rant over) ;-)

Hindu funeral pyres

There is a debate that has now reached the British High Courts about whether a devout Hindu should be allowed to have an open funeral pyre for his death.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7960489.stm
When words such as 'dignity' and 'human rights' are used, then it will invoke powerful emotions in all who take an interest. As a humanist and an atheist I can see different sides of the argument.

1) He sincerely believes that it will benefit him in the next life.
2) Open air cremations are an important part of Hindu culture.
3) There is currently no provision for an open air cremation.

I personally am not against the idea of an open air cremation. And Mr Ghai agrees that there should be regulation involved. But what does concern me is the argument used.

Religion. A religious right?

It seems that the religious trump card is being played again. Why should this have any bearing on the case?

Seriously. Think about it. Do you think I would stand a chance in court if I said that, "I am an atheist and I demand an open funeral pyre in accordance with my non-belief!"

Personally, I would LOVE a big fire (and fireworks) but I really don't think I would stand a chance in court. Mind you, if Mr Ghai gets his wish, then I think I might actually have a go... (Actually my inevitable death will be the subject of a future post.)

Good luck Mr Ghai, it DOES mean a lot to you and your family and, as we are a multi culture country, I sincerely hope that there will be a decision in your favour made in the High Court.

As of yet, no decision has been reached.

Offering prayers

So soon after writing a post about how I dealt with the question of death and my father. My mother is ill and mortality rears its head once more. :-(
I have had genuine prayers offered for my mum to get well soon and I really do appreciate their thoughts and concerns. (As I've said, the vast majority of christians are a nice bunch!) Some christians haven't mentioned that they will pray but have offered their best wishes and thoughts. I wonder if they are worried how I would react when offered a prayer. Trust me, I would NEVER scornfully dismiss it or criticise a well meant wish.
I see it as a genuine wish for something good to happen. I wish for good things to happen! It's human nature to want to see good things happen.
Being a atheist, I will not be praying for any reversal of the condition. I have the knowledge that science will alleviate most of the pain and that modern medicine will offer the best chance my mum has. Sadly, in some people's eyes that may seem rather callous - but if that's what they think then I seriously doubt they would understand why I would pity THEM.

Explaining death to atheist kids.

I would have to say that my boys are probably agnostics. (Let's get that out of the way.)
But are they missing out on a vital part of growing up? Are they more 'evil' than they should be? Am I doing them a disservice by not getting them baptised 'on the chance there might be a god' and more importantly (in some minds) am I deliberately denying them a place in an afterlife?

Fact: My boys are fantastic. They are all extremely caring individuals. They share with each other and with their friends. They are polite and very respectful to other people even when they have not been appreciated for being so. They are quite altruistic and never expect a reward for being so. I am very proud of them all. Quite simply, if there are any gods out there who still think they deserve to go to a place of eternal damnation, then grow up.

My middle son has started to worry about what happens after you die and I think that we have given a balanced viewpoint. We have told him what some people believe: afterlives, reincarnation and let him think about that. What I say is that you remember people, and your life is changed by knowing them. They will have affected you in a variety of ways - some inspirational, some as a warning, some of them will be key factors in how you interact with the world around you.

When my father passed away, he had a humanist service. My boys all drew pictures to put on the coffin of happy things they remembered. As they have grown, I tell them about things my father did. They like sport for instance, which when my father was a younger, fitter man, loved to take part in. (It's in the blood, I tell them; although it seemed to skip a generation with me...)

And that is where a kind of real immortality emerges. My father lives on through my deeds and actions. I learned a lot about being a father from... my father. When I look at my boys, I hope that I will provide inspiration that will last for generations.

No mysticism, no religious 'comfort blanket', no wishful thinking, no lies...

I have told them the truth and I believe it to be a happy one. :-)

Darwin's deathbed conversion? And mine..?

With the celebration of Darwin Day still ringing in my ears, it was curious that one person mentioned to me about Darwin's conversion on his deathbed to christianity.

It's taken a few days for me to give it the consideration it deserves. I have given a few links at the bottom of this article (neutral, atheist and religious).

Number 1: The story has been discredited. All the evidence available suggests that this was a extremely unlikely event. Lady Hope seems a rather biased witness and members of Darwin's own family, who were present, deny such an event took place.

Number 2: Even if he did, so what? The evidence for evolution is still intact. Creationism is still a ridiculous conclusion as an alternative.

Sadly a desperate attempt to discredit a great man's life work. Yet, even today, there are people who still propogate this lie as a 'fact' to prove they are right. (Top tip - At least have the courtesy to do a tiny bit of research first.)

And finally... Some of my family are religious. If it helped them, then I would agree to a full blown, bells and whistles, super lovely christian funeral. I WOULD BE DEAD so it wouldn't matter to me. Sad to think that they might consider me spit roasted on a red hot poker suffering eternal torment if I didn't. :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathbed_conversion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Hope
http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CG/CG001.html
http://brethrenassembly.com/archives/692
http://www.creationtips.com/darwinconversion.htm

Hats off to Richard Dawkins who says that he wants his death recorded so there will be no possible accustaion of a deathbed conversion. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzZ7VkDGuPc