Today is eugh, so just a quick one before I go to bed.
One thing I forgot to note about the atheist bus is that people are having rather comical difficulties deciding what to object to about it.
There’s the pricks lodging official complaints, of course, on grounds of insufficient truthfulness, and who apparently expect the Advertising Standards Authority to make an official ruling that the existence of some particular god or other is more likely than not. (Logic that it would be interesting to see carried over onto every billboard, poster, or advertisement with any kind of pro-God religious message, so that in the spirit of fairness they all have to include a “But it could all be bollocks” clause as well.)
And then there’s a selection of idiots to choose from, objecting that the assertion doesn’t go far enough, and that the use of the word “probably” is some kind of pathetic cop-out. They get upset and accuse atheists of being arrogant for wanting any kind of voice at all, then get even more annoyed when we refuse to act in a way that gives their accusations of arrogance any credibility.
The first guy linked up there is surprised that such a prominent atheist as Richard Dawkins (who’s been supporting this campaign for some time) “would settle for such a weak position”. The moron at the Independent is sure that Dawkins would have “struck out the “probably” almost before the draft hit the table”. If it was earlier in the day and I was less tired when writing this, then maybe I’d be able to do more than point out that these people don’t know what they’re fucking talking about. You don’t have to read any further than the contents page of The God Delusion to see a chapter heading that reads “Why there almost certainly is no God”. Why would you expect him, or any atheists, to be ridiculous enough to claim with complete certainty that they can rule out every possible deity? I don’t know for sure there’s nothing out there, I just don’t buy it, and Dawkins has been making his position very clear for a number of years now.
Similarly, Christian Today quotes someone who seems amazed that “atheists are not sure if there is a God or not!!” [excessive punctuation in original] That’s right. We’re not totally sure about it. Right now, we don’t believe. It seems improbable. If you want to try and persuade us, it’s not a guaranteed lost cause. If there’s good reason, we might be swayed. I can’t speak for all atheists, but I for one am not unwavering or unshakable in my beliefs. There’s room for doubt, and if new evidence presents itself I’m amenable to changing my opinions. Explain to me the part where this is a bad thing, and I’d be better off taking the godly route of claiming absolute authority and unquestionable knowledge about the one and only Truth.
Eugh. People on the internet piss me off. No offense to the other people I’m talking to at present, over here and here.
I agree. What is it they say about arguing on the internet, again?
Unfortunately, you cannot teach something to someone who is not willing to learn, which is the case with most of the devout (of any sect at all).
Most atheists I know follow in the, “Eh… seems highly improbable, but you can’t really disprove it totally” mentality that you professed.
If there is a “Truth” there surely would be other ways of getting to it, yes? There are certain concepts that prop up in every religion, which, in and of itself, is fascinating.
Yes, the ‘OMG you only think there probably isn’t a God LOLOL?!!!’ crap has been getting on my nerves far more than the official complaints. Their reasoning seems to go something like this: “Well, we’re irrationally certain about or beliefs, so you shoul be too!”
Well done, Christianity.
Great post, especially for a tired person!
Nicely phrased, I’ll have to remember that.
Right. You can rule out certain kinds of deity like say… one who was all-powerful and whose main aim was to prevent any rain falling on Earth.