Comments on: Tract #54: Why Do Atheists Care What I Believe?

By: jenni

jenni — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 20:07:05 +0000

Many people tend to forget that many atheists were once theists. Maybe we just want to save people from what we know to be unhealthy for the mind. I also feel a moral duty to help others, even if it is merely a gift of inquiry and healthy skepticism. Mitigating suffering in life is a goal of many secularists. It’s surely one of mine. Plus some of us are downright obsessed with philosophical discussion. Not all of us are nihilists BTW.

By: JFC

JFC — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:36:31 +0000

Many meme clusters rely on the proselytize behavioral for propagation.
Some obsessively viral religion meme clusters (evangelical christianity, or conservatism, or altruism, for example) seem to be particularly well shaped to interlock closely with the proselytize behavioral. In such cases the proselytize behavioral is encapsulated by the meme package and is subsequently deployed as part of the infection.

However, the proselytize behavioral is latent in many of us, so it is important to remember that the propensity for an infected individual to proselytize any given meme is the result of many factors (some intrinsic to the individual, some residual from other memetic infections), not all of which are necessarily carried by the proselytized meme package itself.

Hence an ex-christian who actively promotes atheism may only be expressing residual behavioral scarring left behind by the suppressed religion infection.

Altruism is another large meme complex that interlocks smoothly with the proselytize behavioral. An atheist who has acquired (or retained) an altruism meme structure and who actively proselytizes against religion memes may be reacting sympathetically to the cognitive dysphasia symptomatic of the majority of religious belief infections. The sympathy component of altruism has the same vector-like qualities that the proselytize behavioral has in the context of religion.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:38:34 +0000

None of his premises are true?
1. Energy can not be created or destroyed-True
2. Atoms are packets of energy-E=MC^2-True

And due to the nature of quantum mechanics where the outcome can be determined just by mere observation, we kinda are the creators.

By: Mike V

Mike V — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:30:32 +0000

Atheism is not a religion…it is a statement of non belief in deity and more generally supernatural forces involved in the universe.

New atheists are people who assert this statement as well as feeling religion is unnecessary and even inhibiting of human progress, both on an individual and societal basis. While having no set rules or beliefs, they choose not to standby and allow irrationalities dictate public policy and be the catalyst for prejudice and human suffering (war being a prime example).

By: Wheat

Wheat — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:00:08 +0000

Marty, none of your premises are true and your point is completely removed from anything you were talking about before, and it contradicts itself. Also it has nothing to do with the article =l

By: CarlitX

CarlitX — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:39:09 +0000

Hey, I just read and enjoyed your article. And it would seem I fall into every atheistic category you have set haha. I want to learn why people believe, I want to help them into a more secure sense of reality, and I want religions that cause pain, suffering and bullying to be abolished from society.

Anyways, I just wanted to leave my 2 cents worth haha. Later!

By: Marty

Marty — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:37:31 +0000

Energy can neither be destroyed nor created. Atoms are packets of energy. We and everything including thought waves are made of atoms. Therefore Everthing was neither created nor can it be destroyed. We are One and we are Creators. We can create a paradise or a hell. Enjoy the ride.