Even though I’m an atheist, i find the IAmAnAtheist.com website a bit offensive. I mean, no one should have the right to say to anyone whether or not he/she is an atheist, or a christian, or a pastafarian. I know it’s supposed to be funny but still, it struck a minor chord (ha ha lol, geddit? minor chord?? lol). Also, I disagree with your second atheistic right / responsibility. The word “worship” has more than one meaning, one of which is “To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion” (from thefreedictionary.com – a very good site). So perhaps a little rewording would be nice, yes?

I also want to say, W00t ATHEISM! GO ATHEISTS! ATHEISTS ROCK! I AM AN ATHEIST! Atheism gives me all kinds of perks! Like … Working on Sundays, and the Ability to Learn EVERYTHING through Experience! MOre FREEDOM! YEEEAAH!!! w00t w00t … YeeaahH!! And, if I was a weak atheist, I could go closer to ‘God” as I experience life and the nature of things. Yup .. I Love being an atheist. I am PROUD to be an atheist! I feel that I even have a special bond with the true nature of things. Whenever I think of myself as an atheist, I smile with satisfaction! And I just wanted to say that because I’ve never done so before. ^_^

I agree that the site might be minorly offensive if one took it too seriously. However, I feel it’s clear enough that it’s a joke.

The wording of Right and Responsibility #2 is meant to parallel the second of the 10 Commandments, so I feel I’m kind of stuck with it. I feel that, in context, it’s meaning is reasonably clear.

Regarding your final paragraph — please set it to music and send us an MP3. Thanks!

My husband was an athiest when I met him and I was very very religious. He kept pushing my faith and asking questions until the questions were more real to me than the faith. I appreciate him for that, though at the time it was hard. I don’t take anything for granted anymore and I think things through better than I used to. I feel like Atheism has made me into a better person. I am now a thinking person instead of a following person. It is a rare breed of Xian who thinks. This is a great site, and a funny one. Thanks!

Thanks for the great story! I believe that anyone – religious or not – who spends significant time examining their own beliefs and assumptions will end up a better person. Unfortunately it seems rare for people to go through this kind of introspection, regardless of where their beliefs come from. I wish there were more thinking people like you!

Just because there is no god (or God, or gods, or Gods….) does not make the universe any less beautiful or amazing, and the freakish chance that sees us here and able to appreciate it and debate whether it is the product of divine intervention or of uncaring natural laws is enough for this aetheist to get by on. Hey! Maybe ‘natural laws’ IS ‘god’!

Which points out something I’ve long believed — most people (I don’t mean you) really don’t know what they’re talking about when they use the word “god”. “Every religion really worships the same god” and things like that just drive me nuts.

This site brings me much amusement.

I am currently in the lower sixth at my school in the UK (which I guess is the equivalent of freshman year at high school in the US), and the common room frequently becomes the scene of a heated religious debate. With a pleasing growth in the number of atheists, this tends to be a rather one sided affair, with dozens of us giving logical, structured arguments on the side of godlessness, and three or four devout Jesusians giving responses that generally go along the lines of “Because the bible says so”.

I am quite proud of some of my sacreligious arguments. For example, I was thrilled when, on the spur of the moment, I compared telling people that the universe was created by God to the moment when a young child says “How does Santa Claus get down the chimney?” and the inevitable reply is “Magic, child. Magic. Now get back in the basement.” This same kind of ‘easy way out’ mentality was obviously employed by some poor person years ago and was blown way out of proportion until it became a global phenomenon, causing billions of people to have devoted their entire lives to invisible beings.

I was also pleased with myself when I pointed out to the most devout of the Christians that science had disproved the religions of the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Australian aborigines and so forth. I was met with the response that science could therefore disprove Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism and Judaism. I was filled with an indescribable rage.

I made the point that religion was a paradox, as most religions encourage forgiveness and kindness, but condemn people to eternal torture for even the most trivial of sins if they don’t believe in the deity in question. I have identified passages in the bible that clearly contradict Christian philosophy to biblical literalists. I have asked why humans have appendices and tailbones and eyebrows if evolution is untrue.

But why were my arguments rejected offhand? “Because the bible says so.”

*Grumbles*

Good for you for continuing the good fight in a reasoned manner. I have heard that there is a greater rise in atheism in the UK than there is in the United States. I’m guessing that people like you are why.

I’m a damn proud Atheist! I have freedom and never have worry about pleasing some higher deity. Viva la Atheism!!