Logical Reason #1: We are just another species.

I simply cannot justify human behavior under any belief system that includes a god or gods.  I will refer mostly to Christianity, since that is the system with which I am most familiar.  First of all, if we are made in god's image, then god must be somewhat of a douche bag.  One of life's ageless philosophical questions is this:  Are humans more good or evil by nature?   I don't tend to think in extremes like that, but if forced, I would have to say evil.  I say this because I have met few (if any) people who put the needs of others above or even on equal ground with their own.  If we are made "in god's image," then god is selfish.

Secondly, I have to touch on one of the classic atheist arguments.  If god is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good, why is there so much pain and suffering?  This is a good question.  I know it's a multi-faceted question that deals with the nature of god, the nature of goodness, freewill, etc.  But for the purpose of this post, I'll keep it simple.  If god is all these things, or even just two of them, then I cannot make sense of human behavior and the state of the world.

However, (and here's where my reason really begins), I can TOTALLY justify human behavior as the product of another species in the throes of evolutionary change and progress.  Do you watch nature shows?  I have a love/hate relationship with them.  I love to learn about animal behavior.  I love the beauty and diversity of nature.  I love seeing animals in their native habitat doing what instinct and the need for survival drives them to do.  However, I hate seeing the cheetah chase and kill the gazelle.  I hate when young animals get separated from their pack and I can see their death is imminent.  I hate watching two males fight to injury or death or at least humiliation for the right of being the leader or for mating rights to a female.  But then I think, "This is nature.  This is survival of the fittest.  This is how species propagate."  And one day it hit me.  Humans are just another species.  We are territorial.  We want to protect our young and propagate our species.  We are born into a certain role in the natural world and it is often very difficult for us to see outside that role.

While I recognize that we are a superior species because we have a more developed brain which allows us to develop intricate communication systems, use tools, create art, make music, philosophize, etc, I also recognize that we are animals with the drive to survive just like all the rest.  As stated in this article in Science Daily, "The problem is that the process of natural selection tends to produce individuals that do the best for themselves." We are selfish and territorial and aggressive because it serves us to be that way.   Fortunately, some of us have also found that it serves us to cooperate and compromise and build community (as have other species in nature, including yeast...see this interesting article).  Some of this community building ends up being detrimental in the long run, but that is for a future post.

In a nutshell, here's my first reason for being an atheist: I can accept human behavior as a product of evolutionary forces, but not as a product of any personal god.

Welcome!

Welcome to Good and Godless, a blog about leading a meaningful life as an atheist.  I hope to attract people of many backgrounds and belief systems to engage in civil, intelligent and honest discussions.  My first several posts will outline my top 10 reasons for becoming and remaining an atheist.

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