I like you both and you make valid points. But really, aren’t you going to an awful lot of effort to disprove God’s existence? I find that so very sad. You seem to be very intelligent people and yet you hang your hat upon, what I surmise, you wish to be remembered for challenging people who believe in God.
Go down to the Philippines and help rebuild a house; hug a child who has lost her entire family, her world. Go to Somalia. Go to South East North Carolina. Better yet, go to………..Cyn
This was left as a response to the couple of atheists blog. I dismissed it as a comment because I felt it served a better purpose as the focus of a blog… on the misconceptions of some believers. Cyn has been notified that I will be writing this, I hope they check it out.
First and foremost- Atheists are not out to disprove the existence of God. I am not sure when this atrocious accusation became so popular, but Rich and I hear it all of the time in debates and I feel the need to kick out the leg they think they are standing on.
In order for Atheists to be required to disprove God, there would have to be proof of God… and there isn’t. It is that simple. Believers have the burden of proof. They are claiming that there is something more out there dictating our lives and so before this needs to be disproved, it has to be proven. For me, as an Atheist, I am simply attempting to keep these beliefs out of our public policy. I am not even a militant Anti-theist and I don’t believe my words or actions ever display something different. When it comes to religion, believe what you want, but don’t claim it to be a truth and stop asking me to substantiate your argument…because I am not going to do it.
Cyn speculated we want to be remembered as people who challenged others belief in God. This is simply a way of making what we do a negative instead of allowing it to be positive… again, I won’t allow for this. I don’t see what I do in my local community or through this blog as simply “challenging” those who believe. I see it as educating those who perhaps never had access to information other than the religion in which they were raised. I am a firm believer that if you are able to come to the conclusion on your own, without bully tactics or being born into it, well c’est la vie! Adults have the right to research, learn and decide what works for them- so as ridiculous as I think it may be- I never “challenge” for the sake of “challenging”. Cyn said that they like me and Rich, but to make such an accusation shows that they know nothing about us, or at the very least, me. All of my friends of faith will tell you that I never belittle them. I open myself to discussion, I am glad to give information when requested, but never do I force my atheism onto them- as I find that practice to be just as dogmatic as any religious practice.
Moving on to the final portion, where I was directed to all of the things I could do instead of educating others on social issues. First off- kettle, kettle- black, black… as Cyn had plenty of time to hate on my blog while they could have been hugging those poor children and rebuilding houses. I am not going to give this part much weight as I don’t believe it deserves it. I could gush about my favorite charities and causes and all the good I do… but frankly that isn’t the point and I don’t need my good deeds to be justified to anyone.
So there you go. I hope this has cleared up any confusion that Cyn or anyone else had concerning couple of atheists agenda. I’d join in and say you can “go to ……” but I am not the one that believes in that stuff… so I will just say, thanks for reading.
just a couple of atheists... 
Very good post. “It’s not possible to prove there is no God, Your certainty there is no God is arrogance” must be a recommended Christian talking point, although it more often comes at me in the gentler form “I am too skeptical (or humble) to be so sure there is no God. I just don’t understand where your certainty comes from..” It is very easily answered by saying that atheism is not about disproving God and its about subjectively finding yourself not believing it. To me the story of the Christian God sounds as unlikely as the story of Santa Claus or Zeus. I don’t disprove Santa Clause or Zeus. Also, it’s like these people were told to use this talking point if they ever come across an atheist but they never actually did come across an atheist, because they act surprised to hear the Santa Claus analogy, and almost instantly suggest we “agree to disagree” (even if they were the one to bring it up in the first place and come at me.)
What Cyn doesn’t know–or knows and lies about it, which is less likely–is that Allison is far more typical, in attitude and charitable outlook, of most atheists than of the very few who care about nothing but attacking ideas of “god.” (Allison is more articulate than our average, I’ll admit.) The vast majority of us–including this fine “couple of Atheists”–are interested in life and our fellow humans and write/talk/blog/speak so much about atheism because so many (not all) theists want to insist that we’re immoral or fools or both if we don’t agree with them. We rarely if ever spend any time countering ideas about fairies at the bottom of the garden–but that’s because few people take such claims seriously and even fewer claim that we nonbelievers are not decent human beings and good citizens if we don’t acknowledge such things.
This is one of the typical comments atheists get on their blogs. It’s actually not an argument at all, of course. I find it rather rude, actually. It’s saying that “I don’t want to hear what you have to say. You should shut up and do something useful,” yet they have spent the time to read and respond to it. So the charge here is “wasting one’s time.”
I have found, in my many years of reading emails from believers who also take the time from their busy lives of Christian charity to talk to me, that much of what they say seems to be projection. Atheists talk too much about God and should be volunteering somewhere. *whistling and rolling eyes* Nothing to see here, folks.
I’d like to say that people have a right to pursue their interests. Reading and talking about religion is one of mine. I feel I have made a difference in many people by showing them that one can be happy and well-rounded (boy, am I well-rounded) and not depressed or lost without a god. That it’s even possible to not believe. That it’s ok to think about things that one thought were too scary to think about before. That it’s ok to compare one’s own beliefs about right and wrong with the beliefs one’s culture or family is supposed to hold. I think that’s worthwhile.
Awesome post, thanks. 🙂
you are very welcome 🙂
I will have to remember that. The burden of proof is on the believers.