Thursday, July 10, 2008
1) How would you define "atheism"?
Lack of belief in gods.
2) Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?
Not particularly. Rather all over the place. My mum is Catholic by upbringing, my Dad Anglican, my step-father Anglican. However, all of them have done all kinds of random things, my folks
(before divorce) had done TM and the Buddhist thing (incl going to Nepal). They were always very "whatever you choose for yourself."
3) How would you describe "Intelligent Design", using only one word?
Dangerous.
4) What scientific endeavor really excites you?
The science of networks, from the brain to people. Space travel! I've read too many comics and too much sci-fi...
5) If you could change one thing about the "atheist community", what would it be and why?
The introduction of atheist communities, like atheist "Sunday school" in South Africa, especially as an alternative for families and children.
6) If your child came up to you and said "I'm joining the clergy", what would be your first response?
I would do my best to accept it as their choice, but would try to convince them otherwise with rational, evidence and probability-based arguments.
7) What's your favorite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?
Pascal's Wager. Because then I can start talking about beliefs in flying teapots being as probabilistically relevant as a belief in a Christian god.
8) What's your most "controversial" (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?
Probably the atheist Sunday school argument, but I don't know as I don't think my beliefs are that controversial.
9) Of the "Four Horsemen" (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?
Dawkins. The Selfish Gene, Climbing Mount Improbable and The God Delusion. Need I say more?
10) If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?
Um... hmm... Barack Obama? Wait... then he wouldn't get elected. How about Bobby Jindal, for all that he and his have been talking about ID. Or, maybe, Jacob Zuma, wait that might be a bad idea.
Mike took the good ones... sigh.
[Aside: Not that I mean to offend anyone, but I prefer not to capitalise the word 'god', I don't believe it warrants the status of a proper noun (though I occasionally have to do so to avoid confusion), however if we refer to Zeus then yeah, I'll capitalise that baby, Zeus and Aphrodite, YEAH...]
Lack of belief in gods.
2) Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?
Not particularly. Rather all over the place. My mum is Catholic by upbringing, my Dad Anglican, my step-father Anglican. However, all of them have done all kinds of random things, my folks
(before divorce) had done TM and the Buddhist thing (incl going to Nepal). They were always very "whatever you choose for yourself."3) How would you describe "Intelligent Design", using only one word?
Dangerous.
4) What scientific endeavor really excites you?
The science of networks, from the brain to people. Space travel! I've read too many comics and too much sci-fi...
5) If you could change one thing about the "atheist community", what would it be and why?
The introduction of atheist communities, like atheist "Sunday school" in South Africa, especially as an alternative for families and children.
6) If your child came up to you and said "I'm joining the clergy", what would be your first response?
I would do my best to accept it as their choice, but would try to convince them otherwise with rational, evidence and probability-based arguments.
7) What's your favorite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?
Pascal's Wager. Because then I can start talking about beliefs in flying teapots being as probabilistically relevant as a belief in a Christian god.
8) What's your most "controversial" (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?
Probably the atheist Sunday school argument, but I don't know as I don't think my beliefs are that controversial.
9) Of the "Four Horsemen" (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?
Dawkins. The Selfish Gene, Climbing Mount Improbable and The God Delusion. Need I say more?
10) If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?
Um... hmm... Barack Obama? Wait... then he wouldn't get elected. How about Bobby Jindal, for all that he and his have been talking about ID. Or, maybe, Jacob Zuma, wait that might be a bad idea.
Mike took the good ones... sigh.
[Aside: Not that I mean to offend anyone, but I prefer not to capitalise the word 'god', I don't believe it warrants the status of a proper noun (though I occasionally have to do so to avoid confusion), however if we refer to Zeus then yeah, I'll capitalise that baby, Zeus and Aphrodite, YEAH...]
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I'm with you on the need for 'communities for atheists'. I *hate* Pascal's wager! It's so parochial! How about including Allah? And Zeus? And Ahura Mazda? etc.
I've heard suggestions that Obama's religious views are mostly for political convenience. That is, he might be in the closet. It's pretty certain, though, that he's very liberal religiously - no need to worry too much about him I suspect. (Though, he does want to extend "faith based initiatives").
For me it wouldn't be so much because it would be 'dangerous' for him to be as religious as he seemingly is as it would be so much fun to have an outspoken atheist as the president of the US. That would make me happy. SO THERE GALLUP POLL! Or something.
And yes, Zeus! Or maybe Osiris... hmm... Or, yes, ODIN... Mwoo ha ha!
Mike did take all the good ones. Gosh darn him to heck!
On the Obama question, I think he is definitely in the closet but that the door is firmly shut. It's ironic that in his efforts to be pious he unleashed a crisis that nearly brought his campaign to its knees - I'm talking about THE pastor.
A pity that the incumbent's religiosity didn't cause him to lose office. Imagine the headlines 'Bush thinks Earth is 6000 years old - rational ability questioned'
I also did the meme by the way Simon. I thought yours was very entertaining, keep up with a great blog!
Hey Si! Thanks for directing me to your blog. Thought the most appropriate way to start would be to answer your "Atheist Meme", from my perspective as a theist who remains unpersuaded, for example, by Dawkins' poorly-argued fundamentalism. :) Hope you enjoy...
1) How would you define "atheism"?
Well there are various versions. One version asserts positively that "god does not exist"; a person holding this view would say "I believe that there is no god." A second, more defensible version asserts negatively that "a belief that god exists is unjustified"; this is usually expressed by saying: "I do not believe that god exists."
2) Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?
My parents were and remain (mostly) agnostic. I attended an Anglican school, which required regular attendance at services. My friends were and remain mostly atheistic.
3) How would you describe "Intelligent Design", using only one word?
Unnecessary.
4) What scientific endeavor really excites you?
Research into alleviating disease; the attempt to reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics.
5) If you could change one thing about the "atheist community", what would it be and why?
The waning of the more-intelligent-than-thou attitude of many atheists. The withering disdain most atheists reserve for most believers is saddening. (Of course, many believers behave appallingly too - that can't be denied - and their holier-than-thou attitude is just as bad!) I think that fundamentalism, unwillingness to be open to reasoned argument, and unfriendliness - whatever one's persuasion - is a bad thing, and I'm afraid atheists aren't immune from this disease. I wish atheists (e.g. Dawkins) would stop portraying most believers as stupid and ignorant, when in fact the opposite is often the case.
6) If your child came up to you and said "I'm joining the clergy", what would be your first response?
To discuss with her the reasons for the choice. It should be up to her to decide, on an informed basis.
7) What's your favorite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?
As phrased, this question doesn't apply to me; so I'll switch it around. My favourite atheistic argument is: "God's existence can't be proved; therefore theism is unjustified." As it stands, this argument is laughably flawed: that X cannot be proved is not an undefeated reason to believe that X is untrue; all it means is that the truth of X is uncertain and, therefore, that it might be true. In fact, the unproveability of god's existence is consistent with (more accurately: required by) religious outlooks that are based on faith.
My second favourite atheistic argument is: "Theism has caused lots of harm; therefore theistic belief is unjustified." Again, this is far from cogent. First, theistic belief systems don't have a monopoly on harm-causing; the Russian and Chinese implementation of marxism in the twentieth century, for example, has left approx. 100 million dead. But, more fundamentally, one cannot reliably measure the truth of religious or irreligious beliefs based on the degree of harm they cause (even though that may be good methodology in political science).
8) What's your most "controversial" (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?
(Again, reversing the question) I believe that it is possible generally to make true moral judgements and act on them (i.e. to be generally good) without believing in a god.
9) Of the "Four Horsemen" (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?
Dawkins is my favourite, because he has a voice like a snake: low and slow and scarey, like Slytherines. I saw him debate Prof. McGrath at Oxford (not very well, I might add), and he sounded like the Devil himself! But I suppose that is part of the stageshow - carefully constructed, just like those televangelists. Oh, and he signed my copy of The Selfish Gene with a smile, which I appreciated.
10) If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?
Again, reversing the question: I would convince Simon Halliday to abandon his atheism, because he is a good friend, and I believe that would be in his best interests. :)