Agnostic
Top 10 Comment Hotbeds [or Posts Sharply Debated]
Okay. A little blast from the past today…
Here are the top ten most commented blog posts in the past year.
And as you’ll see in a minute, there’s a distinct flavor to these posts.
[That wasn't planned.]
Now, if this is your first time visiting, you might get the wrong impression about this blog.
[If you ARE a first time reader, check out the Must Read section for an overview of classic Fallen and Flawed.]
But these posts accomplished what I set out to do: exchange ideas with those who don’t share my beliefs.
Like I said before, I’m not satisfied sitting in my camp and stiff-arming those who are different from me. Whether they like it or not, I want to be in front of those who don’t have Christ.
Moreover, I’ve grown enormously in my confidence of the Gospel and my respect for and understanding of non-believers, which wouldn’t have been possible if I’d chosen to stay in my camp with my back turned to the OTHER camp.
So, enough of pleasantries. On to the posts.
All you need to know is that with each entry I’ve included the title of the post, a summary [in italics], my commentary on the comments and then the number of comments as of today.
Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
An Open Letter to Skeptics: A deliberate, thoughtful reply to a skeptic that evaluates a common accusation, addresses the perception behind this accusation, and then corrects it. Even though this post has the fewest comments, I think this post takes the cake for the LONGEST comments. Not complaining, because I learned a lot from the banter, especially from “Rob.” [31 comments]
Blissfully Plastic Moral Base of Humanism: What does the meaningless, value-absent creed of humanism have to offer? It might surprise you. Good, robust and somewhat diverse discussion here. This was an interesting discussion for me personally because I felt completely inadequate. Like I tread into water I didn’t belong. [35 comments]
Robert Madewell [Interview with an Atheist]: Former evangelical Christian tinkers at the edges of Christianity with thought-provoking challenges to his Arkansas and blog neighbors. Great, diverse dialog, including a rambling Taoist and quasi-prophet. [38 comments]
Matthew Blair [Interview with an Ex-Atheist]: Meet Matthew Blair. Reforming legalist and dog groomer extraordinaire. Robust discussion from both sides of the camp [believer and non-believer] that did a great deal to help me think more clearly about my beliefs. [45 comments]
Six Pastors Who Influenced My Life: Bottom line: Six ministers that changed my life. Innocent enough little post, but somebody didn’t like one of the pastors I chose–at all!–and, well, things got out of hand. [51 comments]
Eshu [Interview with an Atheist]: Curious atheist Eshu of Bridging Schisms gives us a look into his life…including the unlikely hero who’s inspired him. Nothing outright controversial here, just good, robust and diverse dialog. [54 comments]
Deviant Doctrine to Avoid: Jason Westerfield: Is prophetic rising star Jason Westerfield misguided, misunderstood or merely manic? Posted on March 9, 2009, this comment thread has been growing slowly but steadily ever since. [Helps that this particular post shows up as result no. 3 when you search Google for "Jason Westerfield."] [73 comments]
Reader Dissent [Christ Is Not God]: A biblical defense of the deity of Christ to a Jehovah’s Witness. This thread started harmlessly enough with banter between me and a JW. Then things got very interesting when former JWs arrived…. [103 comments]
Luke Muehlhauser [Interview with an Atheist]: Agnostic Luke Muehlhauser enjoys being a critical thinker who’s intolerant of weak arguments–either atheistic or theistic. Kudos to Luke who tried to answer every single objection thrown his way. His energy is off the charts. [106 comments]
John Loftus [Interview with an Atheist]: Atheist John Loftus was a philosophy instructor at a secular college when he decided to walk away from Christianity. Except for a few juvenile posters, this comment strand maintained a certain amount of respectability. Good exchange, for the most part. [110 comments]
10 Questions with an Atheist: (((Billy)))
**Part of the 10 Questions with an Atheist series.**
First things first: The cat to my left is NOT (((Billy))) the Atheist.
It’s William of Ockham…
Better known as the Singular and Invincible Doctor. [You'll see why he's important in a minute.]
(((Billy))) either forgot or neglected my request for a picture.
He did send me a very intriguing story. One told in ten answers to ten questions.
One you can read, right now, if you just keep moving your eyes down the screen.
That’s it. You got the hang of it.
1. How would you describe yourself: atheist, agnostic or skeptic]? Explain.
I have gone from a soft theist (elementary school) to deist (junior high) to universal deist (high school) to agnostic to atheist. I am an atheist (note that my blog is, after all, called (((Billy))) the Atheist). I see no natural phenomena which cannot be explained through natural explanations.
At the same time, I am somewhat agnostic. I know that, dealing with supernatural phenomena, I cannot ever be 100% sure that the supernatural does not exist as it is impossible to prove a negative. So call me about .00001% agnostic.
I am also a skeptic. I am a firm believer in the scientific method, including the self-correcting mechanisms within the scientific community. I am highly skeptical of professional skeptics.
2. When did you know you were an atheist? Did it scare you or was it a non-issue?
I realized that I was an atheist on (about) my 42nd birthday. I had been comfortably agnostic for about 20 years and really did not see any reason to question my world view.
My agnosticism grew out of a thoroughly naturalistic upbringing. As a kid, I saw a great deal of mountains and national parks (I grew up in the national parks — literally (Dad was a park ranger)). All of our road trips through the southwest included long, and wonderful, discussions about the geology of wherever we were driving. I learned, at a very early age, that any rock formation, no matter how bizarre, could be explained through volcanism, erosion, deposition, fault lines, thrusts and folding, and other natural geologic processes. It never occurred to me, as I got older, to look for any explanation for the universe other than a natural one.
In the summer of 2007, I discovered the atheosphere. I lurked for about three months. Then I began commenting. As I commented on various blogs (Atheist Revolution, You Made Me Say It, No More Hornets, the Spanish Inquisitor, Ordinary Girl, and many others), I began to learn more about, and refine, my belief system. I realized, eventually, that agnosticism was an intellectual cop out. It did not fit the evidence I saw in the world around me.
Deciding that yes, I really am an atheist, did not scare me. If anything, it made me feel more comfortable with myself.
3. Ever suffer persecution as an atheist?
No. I have had way too many people try to witness me, but have never been persecuted.
4. What do you want to accomplish with your life?
Back in high school, we were told to come up with quotes, sayings, or statements for our senior pictures in the yearbook. I wrote down that my goals were “To leave the world a better place than I found it.” The advisor told me, point blank, that only God and Jesus could make the world a better place and that I, as a hopeless sinner, didn’t have a prayer of achieving my so-called goal unless I embrace Jesus as my saviour. I left the area under my name blank. And this was at a public high school.
That goal is still the same: I really do want to leave the world a better place. I have helped to create a national historic site for the National Park Service. I provided security for the Search and Rescue teams (actually, for the team providing support for the S&R teams) in New York City back in 2001. I served in the army. I served in Louisiana after Katrina. I also work two or three forest fires a year. The difference I make is small, but it is a difference.
Other than that, I want to be able to travel. I want to be able to retire when I am ready. It works.
5. Who are your heroes? Why?
My heroes? Damn. Tough one.
One is Pete Seeger. I learned about the labour movement through his songs and writings. I learned about the civil rights movement through his music, and the music he popularized. I learned about human rights, the dream of peace and equality. Plus, he and I have the same vocal range, so he also taught me to sing (well, what passes for singing, anyway).
William of Occam is another hero of mine: his idea that the simplest explanation is usually the simplest fits perfectly with my naturalistic outlook. And the fact that he came up with the idea centuries ago is even more impresseve.
Another hero is Frank Herbert. He awakened a love of science fiction (beyond the space operas) and literature. Plus, his treatment of the interrelationship between humans and the environment, along his treatment of messianism (if that is a word (if not, replace it with a real one, please?)), are remarkably accurate and, at the same time, frightening.
6. What would you like to accomplish with your blog?
I’m not sure what I want to accomplish with my blog. I really do not expect to deconvert anyone but I will continue to add my voice to the body politic in defense of progressive policies, human rights, and reason. And I will continue to fight against faith-based government and authoritarianism.
7. What’s your favorite part about being an atheist?
Ben & Jerry’s Karamel Sutra Ice Cream. And the secret handshake.
Honestly, it is being able to hold (albeit long range) conversations with people who can challenge my assumptions.
8. Are there any Christian concepts that you respect?
I respect the thoroughly ignored idea that wealth is not everything, that those who are better off should help those less fortunate, and that we should help all people, not just our ‘neighbors.’
The supernatural bullshit (which is about 99.9% of modern Christianity) I can definately do without.
9. Does it irritate you when Christians try to share their faith with you?
Yes Do I Look Like I Need to be Saved? outlines it quite well).
10. Were you ever a Christian? Would you go back?
I actually still consider myself a Unitarian Universalist and, when visiting my folks in Maine, attend their church. However, by virtually any definition one wishes to use, I have never been a Christian. And I see no situation which could possibly send me over to the irrational side of humanity.
(((Billy))), thoroughly enjoyed your unique story. Thank you so much for sharing. Anybody have any questions, comments or concerns? Take a crack at it in the comments below.
10 Questions with an Agnostic: Lorette C. Luzajic
**Part of the 10 Questions with an Atheist series.**
This is a first in my 10 Questions with an Atheist series: a bona fide agnostic.
Who’s my agnostic? A prolific writer named Lorette C. Luzajic.
Lorette writes seven columns across the web, has published hundreds of poems and a few short stories, and freelances articles on just about any topic.
She has two books: The Astronaut’s Wife: Poems of Eros and Thanatos, and Weird Monologues for a Rainy Life.
I first ran into Lorette at her Pillars of Faith series on Daniel Florien’s Unreasonable Faith blog.
I liked that she hadn’t completely defected from theism, so I asked her for an interview. She kindly accepted.
Without further delay…Lorette Luzajic.
1. How would you describe yourself: atheist, agnostic or skeptic? Explain.
Right now I guess agnostic and skeptic describe me best. I prefer to say I’m in the process of “converting to reason”. A phrase I came up with the other day kind of sums up where I’m at: I can’t be sure there is no God, but I’m becoming less and less certain that there is one.
2. When did you know you were an agnostic? Did it scare you or was it a non-issue?
Twenty years ago I broke away from the destructive chains of fundamentalist Christianity. For two decades I explored complementary faiths. I was drawn to very mystical things and continued to study the message of Christ, but not in church. A year and a half ago, I joined a very progressive, social-justice oriented church and was blessed by tremendous healing within an incredibly loving sanctuary. My teacher, the Rev. Brent Hawkes, is one of the most tremendous human beings in the world.
I am also blessed to have a Buddhist monk teacher and friend over the years who gives perspective to my ups and downs.
Through the years I also studied mythology and women’s history, and stopped believing ‘other people’s’ faith meant they were hell bound a long time ago. Faith is an expression of God, I believed, not a reason to kill other people because yours is the right expression. That was missing the point entirely in my mind.
But this losing my religion thing happened quickly and unexpectedly just after Obama’s inauguration. I had posted a few blogs, one for fun- Sexiest President Ever- and one about great ways to celebrate National Sanctity of Life day, nowhere near an abortion clinic.
In the latter I mentioned a dozen or so ways a person could champion life that were far more pressing and also illustrated the calamity we have on our hands with so many unwanted children or poor or orphaned children. To me it seems unmerciful to insist on bringing babies into the world when there are millions who need our immediate attention. I was careful to remain neutral on my own views about abortion, simply to illustrate other ways we should be directing our mercy. Life doesn’t end at birth! For example, there are hundreds of child brothels in the Philippines. Maybe the Pope can let the impoverished Catholics there use birth control for crying out loud.
My in box became flooded with the most idiotic, puerile, militant ‘evangelism’ about ‘babykiller Obama’ because he had lifted the ban on donating funds to third world health centres. Bush withheld because those centres “might” counsel abortion. And so millions did not get contraception or health care they needed. Obama was right to resume support of these agencies- this measure prevents pain and suffering and the orphaning of children. No Muslim or Catholic country hands out abortion like candy!
The “Christian” mail I got was racist, sick, sad, sorry, disgusting, and when I began to look around the web to see what these Christians were thinking, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Obama was accused of everything from being a Muslim terrorist to being black because he was b***-f***ing in doodoo, not to mention antichrist, death threats to ni**ers, and stuff that made Fred Phelps look like Mother Teresa.
At that moment, I suddenly wondered who brought the message forward from 2000 years ago that it ended up here? When I began reading more about the “great theologians” and messengers, all I found was murder, death, war, and the ground crumpled out from beneath me.
I couldn’t help it.
Our family worshipped John Calvin- we blamed the women burnings on Catholics in our house, but John Calvin himself was personally responsible for much of it. How could I trust any of these messengers?
The walls of Jericho came tumbling down, let me tell you. I had built- we all have- my house on the sand. I wrote a small book during the first blasts of the trumpet- nearly 10 thousand words of despair at all of Christianity.
Of course it is terrifying to lose your faith! People always think that scientists or others were ‘demon possessed’ or that atheists are trying to sell their evil religion.
Charles and his peers were ripped apart spiritually by their new discoveries. Many of his peers committed suicide because of what they found. John Wesley, other theologians also had great doubt. Writer Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables) was married to a preacher who spent his life having nervous breakdowns because he was terrified of going to hell. He was Christian, but couldn’t be sure under John Calvin’s predestination theory whether he was chosen or not.
Lee Strobel is far guiltier for his “Case For” series because he HAS an agenda, where the others didn’t, doubt or evidence against their structured belief came to them.
For example, Lee gives us the idea that Bart Ehrman the Bible historian has a grudge against faith and is setting out to disprove the Bible, and that one of his facts was wrong. The fact is, Bart is tremendously objective when presenting scholars’ viewpoints, and Lee would have to refute a few thousand facts before the scholar could be discredited.
But the further outside of it I get, the less emotional it will become. I’m reading with an open mind. I’ve never thought Hinduism, Islam, wicca, etc ‘were true’ – just varying histories and philosophies. Why was my cultural inheritance any different?
When I was young, all I read was Christian apologetics, and then I wasn’t reading about it much at all. Now I’m reading all the forbidden books- not just on atheism, but on archeology, science, evolution, Bible history, history, Sumer, Mesopotamia, early Christianity, Gnosticism, the Inquisition, the Burning Times, Catholic history, the Popes, the Reform, canonization, paganism and pagan history, pre-Biblical history (we’re not supposed to know there IS one!), who wrote the Bible, inerrancy etc.
Once the Bible was considered so dangerous to Christianity that the Church was its only interpreter and you could be burned at the stake for having your own copy. So I’m reading that, too, and not just the verses I grew up on. The whole thing.
3. Ever suffer persecution as an agnostic?
Not yet. It can’t be any worse than the sick things I’ve been called for being a thinking Christian. Never by atheists. Only by holier than thou Christians. Faggot lover, communist, leftie, ‘Alinsky acolyte’ (had to look that one up) and so on…what part of Jesus was a commie’ do these people not get?
4. What do you want to accomplish with your life?
Simply to experience life as fully as possible. To be kind to kind people and neutral to those who piss me off. To recycle. To read another six thousand books. To create another 500 paintings, and most importantly, to finish all of the writing projects in my head or that are partially done.
5. Who are your heroes? Why?
Farmers and workers who grow our food. These nameless people work endlessly for us to eat.
Sacha Baron Cohen-what a genius. He was able to expose the truth about human nature over and over again.
Madonna. Here’s a woman who doesn’t throw in the towel when someone calls her a slut. Who tries new things, even if they fail. Who thinks big. Who is not afraid of women being sexual and intelligent at any age. Who is a massive supporter of the arts.
Seriously, we don’t know what the world would be like without her. Feminism might have died, or been sexless. People might still be afraid to speak to/befriend/partner with people of other races and cultures, or gay people. Some still are. It takes a lot of courage to be so outspoken, to face constant criticism. Even the adulation must get exhausting.
In my more religious moments I wondered whether or not Madonna might actually be the lady ‘messiah.’ With her birth name and Catholicism, her inexplicable interest in Jewish mysticism, and her ability to influence the world to issues like women, voting, AIDS, world hunger, Africa, homophobia…
I wondered if she knew, or if fate was just happening. I thought God wouldn’t be sexist but waited until the world was ready, that he sent his incarnations at different times to change the world. But I’m not so religious anymore!
6. What would you like to accomplish with your blog?
Pillars of Faith was born out of my investigation into ‘the messengers’ of Christianity. I was shocked to find even the most holy were utterly twisted. I had had no idea Martin Luther said such sick things about Jews, for example.
I wasn’t taught in Sunday School that the early church fathers called women an open sewer and debated over whether or not we have a soul. People need to know this stuff, so they can assess whether the rest of the teachings are coming from a person who is ‘of God’ , to assess the motivations or authority of that person.
I was force fed the need to respect the teachings of Calvin, James Dobson, etc without really knowing the whole story or thinking for myself.
If Madonna is criticized for praying with faggots, shouldn’t those who burned them at the stake be brought to light? For all we hear today from jokers like Dobson about homo pedophiles, shouldn’t we know that John Knox was a senior when he married a 15 year old girl? Shouldn’t we know just what St. Augustine thought about women?
Many people, even scholars like my dad don’t even know some of the stuff behind the scenes. Some of the things he didn’t even believe, even when I showed it to him, like the garbage about stoning rebellious children. The answer is always “those aren’t real Christians” and that’s why there are two gazillion branches of Christianity. And always were!
The early church also had many interpretations. I only knew these things peripherally before my deconversion experience began. It’s ironic that I’ve never read the Bible this much, and it’s a much fuller experience when I read it now with an open mind. I thought I had been.
The column is also a branch of my larger oeuvre, called Fascinating People. This is my ‘life’s work,’ started last year- to research and write essay length biographies of anyone and everybody. We don’t have time to read a full bio about every person, but should get to know the interesting figures in history and today.
This column branched into several for various magazines- Fascinating Writers for Book Slut, and two others. In a way, this is the Fascinating Christians branch, but for Daniel Florien’s Unreasonable Faith, I wanted them to be shorter and snappier.
7. What’s your favorite part about being an agnostic?
So far? The reading.
8. Are there any Christian concepts that you respect?
Yes, absolutely. I’m a writer and poet, so I may always retain my cultural inheritance of being Christian in a symbolic or metaphorical way. The stories of Jesus are profound. I believe in feeding the poor.
The Old Testament stories aren’t ones I avoid anymore. I studied mythology a lot before, so I already knew that many of them are rewritten over and over all over the world, that they are taken from pagan literature.
The writing of Sumer was all psalms, lamentations…mythology was full of war gods, plagues, floods- we used the stories to explain natural phenomenon, as well as to edify the soul. But even when you are a non-literalist Christian, you aren’t supposed to believe these stories didn’t happen the way they happened.
I believe everything that Jesus said. This new Calvinism, this reconstructionist and dominionist and tribulation theology- this stuff is the antichrist, not Obama or liberalism or even secularism.
These philosophies focus on hating sinners and heathens and blaming the criminal and the poor on their lack of blessing from God, instead of on the devastating effects of our greed and consumerism.
But Jesus made it very clear who he was. I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was sick, I was a prisoner, I was thirsty. Jesus was the poor! He was poor! He didn’t drive around in a Benz dripping in flashy watches, owning six horse ranches, yelling out his hatred for homosexuals and heathens. He said if you want to be perfect, sell what you have, give to the poor, and follow me.
So don’t tell me that I’M the one who picks and chooses my verses, people.
9. Does it irritate you when Christians try to share their faith with you?
No, but I have withdrawn from my church and my parents’ church so that as this process evolves for me, I won’t be swayed by emotion.
At my church, I feel the presence of God and at my Dad’s, I feel abject loathing for the idiocy of Christians. And I don’t want these emotions to affect my reading.
Engaging in conversation is welcome. My dad and I have been talking about it a lot, and it’s great for me because for the first time I’ve been strong enough to stand up for true morality- and tell him, sex is not sin, being born gay is not sin, being female is not sin, sin is genocide, torturing heretics, war, killing heathens, coming over and robbing land that already belonged to people, thinking black people weren’t human, wife beating, not hiring people because they are gay or Hindu or whatever, ‘converting’ from gay and marrying some poor woman just to look Christian, lying, etc. Anyone who says ‘savage’ heathens were cannibals or made human sacrifices need only read the Old Testament and the history of the Church to see that human barbarism is universal, and we should be moving forward, away from it, not backwards.
10. Were you ever a Christian? Would you go back?
I couldn’t go back to what I was as a child, no way. I understand now that if I were born into a devout Hindu family I would have been a devout Hindu. If I had been born into a casual Catholic family, I would likely have been a casual Catholic. We are taught what to be. I’m not sure if I my conversion to reason process will leave me metaphorically Christian for the joy of my cultural inheritance, because right now I feel I must make a stand far, far apart from the representatives of this faith. It’s hard to give up the spirituality that has defined you, but ironically, “Christians” are making it morally imperative for me to do so.
Lorette, thank you so much for sharing and holding nothing back. So…any questions or comments out there?
Other 10 Questions with an Atheist interviews: Hemant Mehta, Eshu, Robert Madewell, Luke Muhlhauser and The Postman. Upcoming interviews: Billy the Atheist and John Loftus.
10 Questions with an Atheist: The Postman
**Part of the 10 Questions with an Atheist series.**
I have some good news. And I have some bad news.
First the bad news…
I was this close [] to an interview with Gawd Almighty.
However, I was told, at the last minute that Gawd often drinks with other deities, therefore, he felt awkward being labeled an “atheist.”
So, I got the next best thing–The Postman–Gawd’s personal messenger.
Basically, The Postman runs a blog called Gone Fishin’: Postcards from God where he publishes letters from Gawd…a being who’s been absent from “work for the past several jagillion years,” yet still manages to read the newspapers or peruse the “Interwebs.”
And so it’s when Gawd scans the headlines that he decides to write a “letter” and take humans to task for misunderstanding him.
A letter, I assume, the Postman is obligated to publish.
Regardless, The Postman is real. By that, I mean, he puts on his shoes the same way you and I do. He eats cereal. Probably flips through magazines.
In addition, he has a heart. And feelings. And beliefs…that might differ from yours…which makes him a good target for the 10 Questions with an Atheist blog series. That’s why he’s here. And that’s why he answered the following questions. So, without further delay, meet The Postman.
1. How would you describe yourself: atheist, agnostic or skeptic? Explain.
My knee-jerk reaction to this question was “Atheist. Full stop.”, but it would be much more accurate to say that I am all three. I’m skeptical, not just of deities, but all manner of woo. ”Alternative” medicine and astrology, for instance. I’m agnostic because there’s no way anyone can definitively prove or disprove some form of deity. I’m an atheist because evidence and experience point quite strongly toward an absence of supernatural beings.
Most often, though, I self-identify as an actor and/or a writer, not an atheist. I am, like most atheists, a [fill in the blank], who happens to not believe in gods, elves, tooth fairies or the great Pumpkin.
2. When did you know you were an atheist? Did it scare you or was it a non-issue?
Actually, I really didn’t think about it beyond noting that I didn’t much like how religion is so stifling. I come from a quite religious family and, in fact, spent my first year of college at a Christian university which shall remain nameless. Once I got out of there, I pushed it from my mind.
Years later, I was dating a recovering alcoholic and we got into a discussion of the “higher power” concept that AA is so fond of. She pressed me for my religious views and I responded as I had for years that I was an agnostic. She felt that the answer was a cop-out and called me on it. As a result, I began to actually put some thought into it. Eventually, I realized that I was, in fact, an atheist.
I don’t want to say that it scared me, but because of my upbringing, there were times that I would get an unpleasant frisson over the superstitious thought that Someone was listening to me scoff.
3. Ever suffer persecution as an atheist?
Unless you count a look of horror in my mother’s eyes when she found out, (in the middle of Notre Dame Cathedral–who says I don’t have a sense of the theatrical?)–then, no. Not at all.
Annoyance? Quite often…but never persecution.
4. What do you want to accomplish with your life?
Oh, you know. Like everyone, I want to be wildly rich and famous… er… I mean, well-respected in my chosen profession and perhaps raise a little Postperson.
5. Who are your heroes? Why?
Phrew! Where do you start? Without giving you a long and tedious list, my rule-of-thumb is: People who speak truth to power, people who invent and discover and writers who make language their b*tch, (from Wodehouse to Kerouac).
6. What would you like to accomplish with your blog?
The flip answer is, “If I can make one person laugh at the idea of an Intelligent Designer, my work is done.” The serious answer is, “Ditto.”
7. What’s your favorite part about being an atheist?
The chocolate-covered coffee beans? Beyond that, probably the freedom from a sense that someone is peeking over my shoulder all the time and the relief that I don’t have to believe things that I find to be, frankly, unbelievable.
8. Are there any Christian concepts that you respect?
The Golden Rule; although I’d bet it was around long before Christianity.
9. Does it irritate you when Christians try to share their faith with you?
Immensely. Seriously, just about as much as poking a fork into an exposed cavity while rolling through a briar patch in lemon-juice-soaked underpants.
But as a result, I’m pretty careful not to go around spouting, “Blah, blah Atheist this and blah, blah Atheist that.” Outside of blogging, I talk about it with a few close friends, but that’s usually in the context of, “How’s the blog going?” Even when people ask me about religion or lack thereof, I usually don’t go beyond a statement of disbelief.
In fact, I’m so sweet-tempered, (if I do say so myself), that I read something at a friend’s wedding recently that mentioned God. I felt silly and slightly hypocritical, but not enough to dictate what someone else has read at their wedding. On the other hand… if someone starts proselytizing at me, I consider them fair game and will mercilessly ridicule them.
10. Were you ever a Christian? Would you go back?
I was and I wouldn’t.
Postman, it was a delight. I appreciate your honest, fun answers and look forward to hearing what others think.
10 Questions with an Atheist: Luke Muehlhauser
**Part of the 10 Questions with an Atheist series.**
When Luke Muehlhauser was 19, he got depressed.
He confesses he probably got depressed because all he did was work at Wal-Mart, download music and watch porn.
Mind you, Muehlhauser is a pastor’s son. Born and bred under Christian parents, education and church services.
His struggle was honest and continued for the next 3 years through the help of his father, friends and an enviable bent to understand his Christian faith.
But ultimately, it just didn’t make sense.
Book after book and discussion after discussion, Muehlhauser couldn’t cling to his belief in the existence of God.
Muehlhauser celebrates his deconversion, but also relishes his 22 years as a Christian. In fact, he feels it allows him to “approach believers with true understanding.”
On his blog Common Sense Atheism, Luke makes a point of criticizing atheists as much as he does theists. A weak argument is a weak argument no matter who it comes from.
In addition, he maintains an impressive list–448 and counting–of debates on the existence of God.
Luke, thank you for your time. And thank you for your thoughts.
1. How would you describe yourself: atheist, agnostic or skeptic? Explain.
I’m a skeptic because the vast, vast majority of truth claims on any subject are false. I’m also a gnostic atheist because I “know” gods don’t exist the same way I “know” fairies don’t exist. I can’t prove the non-existence of either, but I’m pretty sure they don’t exist, having looked at the evidence. But all beliefs come in degrees (see: Bayeseian reasoning). A creator god is extremely improbable already, but an all-good, timeless, spaceless, magical god who sent himself to earth to sacrifice himself to himself to appease himself is even more improbable. In contrast, I’m pretty agnostic about the existence of Buddha, Jesus, Apollonius of Tyana, and Yeshe Tsogyal as historical persons: I just don’t know.
2. When did you know you were an agnostic skeptic? Did it scare you or was it a non-issue?
On January 11, 2008 I admitted to myself I could not believe in God. That decision came slowly, and it was terrifying. I’d been taught that without God, life was meaningless and miserable. I did everything I could to believe. For every atheist book I read, I read 5 books by the best Christian apologists (Craig, Swinburne, Plantinga, Moreland…). But in the end I had to admit I had no better reason to believe in God than to believe in fairies. Only much later did I find out that there is plenty of joy and purpose without God.
3. Ever suffer persecution as an agnostic skeptic?
No.
4. What do you want to accomplish with your life?
Travel, learning, deep relationships. There are also some open issues in meta-ethics to which I’d like to contribute.
5. Who are your heroes? Why?
No heroes live up to the myths we create around them, but… Norman Borlaug saved a billion lives by studying how the world really works and applying his knowledge. Gandhi worked out the details of a radical option for human progress. Jon Stewart, Charlie Brooker, and Nassim Taleb are criticizing destructive systems in entertaining and successful ways.
6. What would you like to accomplish with your Common Sense Atheism blog?
I’d like to show why theism is nonsense, and why most of what is said by atheists is also nonsense. I criticize bad atheist arguments very often on my blog.
7. What’s your favorite part about being an agnostic skeptic?
That’s like asking, “What’s your favorite part about not believing in fairies?” So instead I’ll tell you what my favorite part about being a critical thinker is. I no longer fear the truth. I’m no longer worried that new discoveries will overthrow my dogmas – because I have none. I am always excited by the truth, even when it overthrows something that is precious to me.
8. Are there any Christian concepts that you respect?
Everything specific to Christianity is pretty bad. But I admire some values from earlier traditions that also make their appearance in certain flavors of Christianity: non-violence, generosity, love…
9. Does it irritate you when Christians try to share their faith with you?
No.
10. Were you ever a Christian? Would you go back?
I was a Christian for most of my life. I would go back if I found good reasons to believe.
Bonus question: I’ve heard atheists don’t embrace Peter Singer. What’s your take on Singer? Thumbs up or down? Explain.
Singer is popular for his work on animal rights, but he would be less popular if people knew Singer thinks it’s okay to kill retarded kids. At the meta-ethical level he defends evolutionary ethics, which is absurd and rightly dismissed by Christian apologists. At the normative level he defends preference utilitarianism, which is unworkable. I’m glad he gives so much to charity, but I say thumbs down. If you want to read a decent atheist ethical philosopher, try Alonzo Fyfe, Peter Railton, or Geoffrey Sayre-McCord.
Luke, thank you for your time and your honesty. I especially appreciate your openness.
Now, anybody have any comments or questions for Luke? Ask away. Looking forward to hearing from you.
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