Up@dawn 2.0

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

"Ask an Atheist Day"



"Why bother to get up in the mornings?"

-"After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with colour, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it?" 

Richard Dawkins,Unweaving the Rainbow 

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZudTchiioUoC&lpg=PP1&dq=unweaving%20the%20rainbow&pg=PA6#v=onepage&q=after%20sleeping%20through%20a%20hundred&f=false


Who are some famous freethinkers?

FFRF has amassed information on hundreds of famous freethinkers... 

https://ffrf.org/news/day/famous-freethinkers-secular-stars


What are some FAQs directed at freethinkers, humanists, atheists...? (Answers at http://atheist-faq.com/)

Where does morality come from, if not God?
Why don't atheists find Biblical prophecy convincing?
If there is no god, how do you explain _______?
Do you believe all this came about by random chance or by accident?
If it wasn't God, who created the universe?
Can you prove that God doesn't exist?
What if you are wrong?
Where do you think rights come from, if not God?
What would it take to prove to you that a god exists?
What is your evidence that atheism is true and accurate?
Wouldn't it be safer to just believe than risk going to hell?
Don't you have to be skeptical about skepticism?
Doesn't you being so against God prove he exists?
How do you know you are right?
Don't you know that you're just supposed to have faith?
How can anyone deny the reality of God when they see a baby?
General
Can you prove that love exists?
What is the point of living without an afterlife or god?
Are you afraid of going to hell?
Why do you get irritated or angry when we cite Bible or Qu'ran verses to you?
Why do atheists support gays so much?
Why don't you just sit down and shut up, and let others have their beliefs?
Where does the meaning, and purpose of life come from?
Do you believe in a soul or spirit?
Where to do you go when you die?
Do atheists have faith?
Why did you choose to be an atheist?
If you think we're just animals, why not act like it?
Have you tried to believe in God?
What is in it for me to be an atheist?
Isn't it hypocritical for an atheist to celebrate Christmas, a Christian Holiday?
What do you base your beliefs from?
How can you have justice without God?
Do atheists want to take religious freedom from Christians?
What would it take to prove that Jesus existed?
Would you worship god to avoid going to hell?
Why don't you believe in God?
Why don't you believe the Bible?
Why don't atheists believe in Near-Death or Out-of-Body Experiences?
How can you dismiss the Bible/Koran if you haven't read it?
Do atheists believe in prayer?
How are things beautiful without God?
Why are atheists vocal about their atheism?
Why do some atheists get offended when I say "I'll pray for you"
Major Misconceptions
Do you only believe in what you can see, touch, feel, etc?
Don't atheists believe there is no god?
Aren't you just rebelling against God because you want to sin?
Why do you ignore all the evidence around you for a god?
Are atheists empty, unhappy people?
Do atheists believe in nothing?
Why are you so closed minded?
Will you admit that there is a possibility of a god?
What bad experience made you hate god?
If you don't worship God, do you worship yourselves?
Why are atheists so angry?
Are you an atheist because of Evolution?
Did atheism cause Stalin to murder?
Definitions
Isn't "believing that God doesn't exist" the same thing as "not believing in God"?
What is the difference between an agnostic and an atheist?
Is atheism a religion?
What is faith?
What is an agnostic?
What is an atheist?
Why call yourself an atheist? No one calls themselves aSantaClausists.
Is secularism the same as atheism?
Science
Why do atheists have faith in science?
Isn't it arrogant to say that science has all the answers?
Would you believe the Bible if it predicted scientific facts?

http://atheist-faq.com/


What are humanists?

https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/


Who are the Brights?

Participants in an international internet constituency of individuals. All have a naturalistic worldview, free of supernatural or mystical elements.
A Bright's ethics and actions are based on a naturalistic worldview
The Brights aspire to an egalitarian civic vision. They want citizens who have a naturalistic worldview to be accepted as full participants in civil society.

http://www.the-brights.net/


Who were the first atheists?

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2016/02/who-were-first-atheists


What are the best books on atheism?

One of the best is Jennifer Michael Hecht's "Doubt: A History"...

5 best, recommended by Julian Baggini... https://fivebooks.com/best-books/julian-baggini-on-atheism/

...by Susan Jacoby...
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/susan-jacoby-on-atheism/

On humanism, by Andrew Copson...
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/humanism/

On morality without god, by Kenan Malik
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/kenan-malik-on-morality-without-god/

Sunday, September 9, 2018

No balance

Nigel Warburton (@philosophybites)
Agnostic and atheist values should be taught in schools. It would be nice to see ⁦‪@BBCRadio4‬⁩s ‘Thought for the Day’ regularly including agnostic and atheist speakers too...currently no ‘balance’ there at all. theguardian.com/education/2018…