August Pamplona, very good explanation. Why waste a lot of words for something so simple. No evidence, so throw it out. One sentence is enough to explain why there’s no magical gods for the same reason one sentence is enough to explain why there’s no magical Easter Bunny.
My one sentence would be — There are no gods because there is no magic in the universe.
=8)-DXsays
Bravo. I love the way “I really thought about it” evokes a kind of elementary-school aproach to what *is* an elementary and childish issue.
catdogsays
I like it. Mirrors mine except midway through my really thinking about it I purchased The God Delusion and that pushed me right over the edge in its first 30-50 pages or so. If that.
crocswsockssays
Short and sweet. I like it.
Brother Ogvorbis, OM . . . Really?says
Excellent, August Pamplona.
As for
Why waste a lot of words for something so simple
well, for some of us, using a lot of words, going into indepth detail, using allegory, allusion, stories, and appeals to universals, is an occupational hazzard.
Louissays
This one nails it for me. Same happened to me, I encountered religions, I thought about them, realised there was bugger all evidence, went about my day.
Okay so I’ve thought about them since and this process started when I was seven, so when I went about my day it was mostly concerned with collecting frogs to release in the school dinner hall (Important!), but it freed me up for vital matters.
Louis
geeefceesays
I’m an atheist because I’ve never felt the need not to be!
Renésays
The same short process turned me into an apatheist (I was around 11 at the time); it took 9-11 and a few years in Indonesia to turn me into the anti-theist I am today.
Aw come on, is any normal person really as stupid as, say, Mormonism, which has many relatively normal people in it (apart from their Mormonism, that is)?
If that isn’t evidence for their malicious god, what kind of evidence would even be possible?
I am sure that an ever more concise statement can be formulated.
But it sorts of stray away from the purpose of those essays*, no?
Well why not taking us on the path you strolled through from you mandatory faithfull** youth to the atheist you are now?
Normally even “born” as an atheist there is still some reflexion on the subject.
Bref c’est un peu court.
It would be much fancier: God made me this way.
*procrastinating at work of course.
** as an american it is mandatory.
I appreciate the fact that the Faulkner route was avoided.
you_monstersays
tldr
Rich Woodssays
At which point?
Enquiring minds want to know!
catdogsays
> Uh… inspiring.
Well maybe not inspiring but kinda comforting. :) After all these long descriptions of how people came to be atheists, some quite… personal I was wondering whether my own comparatively “boring” story was worth even stating. Did everyone take a whole bunch of twists and turns to get here? Does it really take suffering at the hands of religion before you can go atheist in full?
Or can just simply looking it over and going “what a load of shit” be enough? Nice to see someone else take that route and advertise it. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen it done so, but then I’m just a noob here.
Crudely Wrottsays
At some point I really thought about it and realized there’s no evidence for a god or gods.
Well, then. There you go!
Now, wasn’t that easy?
saguhh00says
All religions say that all other religions are false and that this time it’s for real, this time it’s actually TEH GOD who spoke to humanity. But it’s not, because it makes the same claims that all other false religions have ever made. If you have any doubt, read about what other people of completely different religions write/say about their own religion.
saguhh00says
Not to mention personality cults and cults, which are religions as well. “One element short of a Trinity”.
StevoR says
But that leaves goddesses as real right? ;-)
humanape says
August Pamplona, very good explanation. Why waste a lot of words for something so simple. No evidence, so throw it out. One sentence is enough to explain why there’s no magical gods for the same reason one sentence is enough to explain why there’s no magical Easter Bunny.
My one sentence would be — There are no gods because there is no magic in the universe.
=8)-DX says
Bravo. I love the way “I really thought about it” evokes a kind of elementary-school aproach to what *is* an elementary and childish issue.
catdog says
I like it. Mirrors mine except midway through my really thinking about it I purchased The God Delusion and that pushed me right over the edge in its first 30-50 pages or so. If that.
crocswsocks says
Short and sweet. I like it.
Brother Ogvorbis, OM . . . Really? says
Excellent, August Pamplona.
As for
well, for some of us, using a lot of words, going into indepth detail, using allegory, allusion, stories, and appeals to universals, is an occupational hazzard.
Louis says
This one nails it for me. Same happened to me, I encountered religions, I thought about them, realised there was bugger all evidence, went about my day.
Okay so I’ve thought about them since and this process started when I was seven, so when I went about my day it was mostly concerned with collecting frogs to release in the school dinner hall (Important!), but it freed me up for vital matters.
Louis
geeefcee says
I’m an atheist because I’ve never felt the need not to be!
René says
The same short process turned me into an apatheist (I was around 11 at the time); it took 9-11 and a few years in Indonesia to turn me into the anti-theist I am today.
Glen Davidson says
Aw come on, is any normal person really as stupid as, say, Mormonism, which has many relatively normal people in it (apart from their Mormonism, that is)?
If that isn’t evidence for their malicious god, what kind of evidence would even be possible?
Glen Davidson
Thomas Lawson says
Was this a first draft? Seems a little wordy.
Holms says
Uh… inspiring.
augustpamplona says
Sorry about the wordiness.
Dhorvath, OM says
Clever.
ciucilon says
I am sure that an ever more concise statement can be formulated.
But it sorts of stray away from the purpose of those essays*, no?
Well why not taking us on the path you strolled through from you mandatory faithfull** youth to the atheist you are now?
Normally even “born” as an atheist there is still some reflexion on the subject.
Bref c’est un peu court.
It would be much fancier: God made me this way.
*procrastinating at work of course.
** as an american it is mandatory.
mikelaing says
augustpamplona says:
K
rwgate says
Hemingwayesque!
jacobfromlost says
I appreciate the fact that the Faulkner route was avoided.
you_monster says
tldr
Rich Woods says
At which point?
Enquiring minds want to know!
catdog says
> Uh… inspiring.
Well maybe not inspiring but kinda comforting. :) After all these long descriptions of how people came to be atheists, some quite… personal I was wondering whether my own comparatively “boring” story was worth even stating. Did everyone take a whole bunch of twists and turns to get here? Does it really take suffering at the hands of religion before you can go atheist in full?
Or can just simply looking it over and going “what a load of shit” be enough? Nice to see someone else take that route and advertise it. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen it done so, but then I’m just a noob here.
Crudely Wrott says
Well, then. There you go!
Now, wasn’t that easy?
saguhh00 says
All religions say that all other religions are false and that this time it’s for real, this time it’s actually TEH GOD who spoke to humanity. But it’s not, because it makes the same claims that all other false religions have ever made. If you have any doubt, read about what other people of completely different religions write/say about their own religion.
saguhh00 says
Not to mention personality cults and cults, which are religions as well. “One element short of a Trinity”.