P.Z. Myers has written one of the most lyrical expressions of non-faith that I have ever seen.
The short summary: We're all humans, afflicted by the human condition. We all face the same universal human experience, and instead of engaging in the escapism and magical thinking of fitting these experiences (square pegs) into the terms of the supernatural (round holes), we should learn to appreciate the human condition for what it is. This does not mean that we must deny our feelings or deprive ourselves of art (created in the past or present); it means that we should appreciate that any meaning in our life is, out of necessity, self-made, and that doesn't make life or the expression of what makes us human any less beautiful.
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3 comments:
Wow, that is really nicely put! Makes me want to write some more on atheism myself...
I am definitely tired of the suggestion that I am missing out by not believing in God, when in reality I see so much more of the world than most who do. Giving all the thanks or the blame to a magical deity detracts from the astounding achievement of humanity. Some of our history is good, and some of it bad, but all of it is ours. We should be proud of that. I certainly am, atheist thought I may be.
I agree with you both. Rach, I'm looking forward to those posts! Tony, I don't think we atheists are missing out on anything but cheap filler in the hamburger of life! (Okay, that was a weird analogy. But you know what I mean.)
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