http://40yearoldatheist.com ramblings of a middle aged guy who found relief through non-belief Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:57:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I propose that there are three categories of atheists: Natural Atheists: Those brought up by atheist parents who never experienced the conflict between religion and rationality. Apathetic Atheists: Those whose faith was not particularly strong and who, without a compelling drive to believe or not believe, defaulted to atheism - becoming an ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/three-crucial-things-you-must-know-before-challenging-an-atheists-unbelief/2008/10/ I once asked a friend if he'd like to go bowling with my family. He said, "No thanks. I hate bowling". I tried again. "It's not just bowling - it's neon bowling". My friend: "Mark, do you like eating shit?". "Uh, no". "If I put chocolate on some shit, do you think you'd eat ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/the-chocolate-on-top-of-shit-argument-for-god/2008/10/ In case you are just now catching up, Roger Ebert posted a Q&A of creationist beliefs (6000 year old earth etc) on his blog the other day. The thought that such an apparently intelligent man could believe such nonsense caused quite a stir - PZ Meyers spoke about it here. Today, ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/let-the-quote-mining-of-roger-ebert-begin/2008/09/ Disclaimer: From the school of you can make statistics say anything you want, I've collected some data and made some speculations (feel free to make your own). --- I've heard it said that atheism is growing, but I wonder if the assertion is true. One way to get a clue is by ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/statistics-awareness-of-atheism/2008/08/ I'm increasingly bothered in some of my regular hangouts - places like the Atheism Reddit, YouTube and some atheist blogs. To my disappointment, I'm even bothered by some of my own writings. What's bugging me is the arrogant, condescending attitude we often have toward believers. Certainly not everyone is guilty of ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/turn-the-other-cheek/2008/08/ I am slowly finding like-minded bloggers who feel the need to express what they believe in, in addition to the assertion that they have no belief in god(s). Here's a gem written by David Garnet over at Glittering Muse. If we are to attract more people to atheism and the humanist worldview, ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/can-atheists-be-spiritual/2008/07/ The creator of Family Guy is one funny dude. MORE AT ATHEISTNATION.NET http://40yearoldatheist.com/seth-macfarlane-southerners/2008/07/ With the scare I had over my son becoming a diabetic, I had a number of friends say they were praying for Christopher and my family. I know some atheists take a really hard line on anything to do with religion - including prayer (e.g. "I don't want anyone praying for ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/one-atheists-perspective-on-prayers/2008/07/ The shock and fear of my son becoming a diabetic shook me very deeply. So deeply, that I found myself reacquainted with that frightened little voice in my head that yearned for a sort of parental comfort and protection from the perceived demons of the world. The voice was saying, ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/belief-in-god-misplaced-hope-comfort/2008/07/ I trade emails with a group of co-workers and past co-workers. Today, someone in the group said, "God Bless Canada". Another friend replied with, "What if you don't believe in god?" (huzzah!) and then followed up with the lyrics of a 1987 song called Dear god by the British Band ... http://40yearoldatheist.com/xtc-dear-god-lyrics/2008/07/