The Atheist Thirteen

Interesting post on atheism over at nullfidian.net. He poses ten questions for atheists; the last three items in the “thirteen” are supposed to be links to other atheist blogs, but I don’t have other links handy, so I’ll make do with the ten questions.

Q1. How would you define “atheism”?

The process of living one’s life without reference to a belief in invisible entities.

Q2. Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?

Clearing out some old books this week I found a Bible I was given at Methodist Sunday School when I was nine. I honestly don’t remember a single thing about Methodism, and I doubt my parents took it very seriously. (I try to be methodical, but that’s a different subject.)

When I was in high school they took me to the local Unitarian Fellowship; I consider myself a lapsed Unitarian, which is by way of being a little joke, since there is no Unitarian doctrine from which one can lapse.

Q3. How would you describe “Intelligent Design”, using only one word?

Why are we to limit ourselves to one word? That seems to be an invitation to sarcasm. At its best, the doctrine of intelligent design may qualify as an earnest attempt to respond to the fact that, at a fundamental level, the Universe is baffling. In practice, the doctrine amounts to saying, “The Universe can’t possibly be baffling! So here’s an explanation.” Various sorts of chicanery are required to prop up the explanation, but we shouldn’t be surprised at this. All religious doctrines are filled with chicanery.

Q4. What scientific endeavour really excites you?

Various of them, in different ways and at different times. Mainly astronomy, physics, and paleo-anthropology.

Q5. If you could change one thing about the “atheist community”, what would it be and why?

We need to be more visible, especially in the public sphere. Letting the believers have it all their own way is a serious danger.

Q6. If your child came up to you and said “I’m joining the clergy”, what would be your first response?

“You’re my child??? When did I father a child, and why didn’t your mother tell me about it?” Oh, you want me to include having a child in the hypothesis? I suppose I might say, “You know, you can do plenty of good for other people without turning yourself into a voluntary imbecile.” Or perhaps I would try to be more polite than that. Perhaps I would say, “Are you going to let me preach a guest sermon once a year?”

Q7. What’s your favourite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?

I tend to avoid theistic arguments, but I remember a friend saying, “Don’t you feel there must be something?” My response is simple: Feelings have nothing to do with it. If I feel certain the Earth is flat, that doesn’t make the Earth flat.

Q8. What’s your most “controversial” (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?

I’m convinced that religious belief actually helps many people deal with the challenges of life. I don’t advocate atheism as a superior form of emotional adjustment to life; in fact, I think it may make things more difficult. Many people probably lack the temperament for it.

Q9. Of the “Four Horsemen” (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?

I like Dawkins’s book. Hitchens strikes me as a bit strident and polemical. I haven’t read the others.

Q10. If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?

The Pope. I think that would make an amusing press conference.