[Stingy Jack]

I'd like to respond to the micro-discussion on "why some people are atheists."

For me, I'm an atheist not out of any traumatic event or the idea that "it's too much to think about a god listening to everybody's prayers."

Atheism is the road I have taken out of a natural tendency to not believe bullshit. It's like Santa Claus ... only nobody ever told the grown-ups the truth, so they went on believing in god and passed the idea down to their children.

I am surprised that so many people find it so hard to understand Atheism.

1. There is absolutely NO evidence of god. None whatsoever, apart from what was written in a book. Why believe in something when you have no basis for your belief? How CAN you believe it? That's what I want to know. And don't say: "I have faith." Yeah, well, I have faith that I'll live through tomorrow ... doesn't mean it's true. Certainly not true enough to condemn people for.

2. Science has been pushing religion around for centuries. Christianity had to change it's teachings based on the discoveries of science countless times. And yet, spiritualists will still say science is wrong and they are right (wufong). The only things the Christians have dominion over now are: a) How everything came to be; and b) What happens after death. But, it is only a matter of time before science answers THESE questions as well, and, if it follows the same trend, will prove spiritualists wrong about these. Why do you adhere to a set of teachings that were supposedly "Divine Truth" when they were first formed, but then proven to be incorrect?

3. It seems to me that spiritualists are pretty gullible. I would like to see exactly how far you can go to see what they'll believe. If I concocted some lame ass story about fungus beasts living in the mountains, and showed them some book I made that told all about them .... then, they should believe it. At least, that seems to be all it takes. They need no further evidence. And they think we atheists are messed up! lol

4. Actually, it seems to me that many people believe what they WANT to believe, without consideration for what truly is. I've known people who actually believe in undead vampires, just because they think such creatures are cool .... and they want them to be real SO BADLY! It just seems more intellectually sound to start with what you know to be true, and build your knowledge from there. Don't add anything to your belief system that has no basis in what you already know to be true.

5. This leads to what I will say to god (if I am wrong, and he actually wants to hear what I have to say):

"God, what the hell is the matter with you? Why do you make "faith" the prime criteria for getting into heaven, and then make us different from beasts by giving us the ability to reason?? That was a nasty trick. You give us the gift of reason and then send us to hell when we use it. Fuck you."

**** One final thing on the Christian idea of justice and "death-bed conversions:"

Let's say that two people die. One is a person like myself. A teacher, spends his life serving the community, never does anybody wrong. He dies an atheist. The other is a serial killer and raper of children. He was convicted on several counts of murder and rape, and was sentenced to death. However, while in the slammer, he begins to hear about Christ and all that. Then, right as he's about to be nuked in the chair, he sincerely asks God to forgive him of his sins.

According to the Christians, the first person will go to hell and the second will go to heaven.

That's a pretty fucked up view of justice, if you ask me.