Logical Reason #3: Science is slowly explaining away the likelihood of a creator.

   Recently, I went to a community discussion about religion and science.  The event had a panel made up of a biologist, an anthropologist, and a pastor.  The discussion centered around the theories of Natural Selection and Intelligent Design.  After each member of the panel gave a little speech/lecture, the audience was encouraged to discuss certain questions.  One question was this, "Why do you think Darwin's theory has been so controversial within the religious community?" or something along those lines.  My answer went something like this, "First of all, natural selection goes a long way in explaining away the need to believe in a creator, and believers, understandably, don't like that."  Sure, we don't yet know how the origin of life first happened, but scientific knowledge is constantly expanding, and I'm guessing we'll have a viable scientific answer in my lifetime.  "Secondly, if there was a creator, why set in motion a process that takes billions of years and includes the complete eradication of species.  Why not just create a perfect world with perfect species that don't need to 'evolve'?"  I'm guessing that unless you are a total literal and fundamentalist Bible thumper, you can't argue that species have evolved and continue to do so.  I'm guessing you believe that dinosaurs did exist.  I'm also guessing that you see how the argument for a creator has "evolved" from a literal interpretation of the world being created in a week, to the softened, science-friendly (if only pseudo-science), politically-huggable theory of intelligent design.  Yes, things look designed.  They look designed because over many years nature has selected for the most perfect design within each species.

   If you want to see both sides of the argument, check out this website to see an elaborate argument for Intelligent Design (ID).  Here's another interesting series of articles from National Geographic that gives voice to ID's best arguments against Darwin's theory with a short but convincing counter-argument from evolutionists.  Finally, here's an article that states, plain and simple, that intelligent design, while interesting philosophical debate fodder, is not science and shouldn't be taught in schools because it is wrong.

   Throughout history, and especially recent history, science has slowly explained away god.  People used to think lightning and thunder was the work of the gods.  They used to think that gods moved the planets across the skies.  They used to think a sneeze was our soul trying to exit or a demon trying to enter.  Science has given us logical explanations for these common occurrences.  God is still used to explain many of the gaps in our knowledge.  So, with each scientific advance, isn't god simply getting smaller?
 

Logical Reason #2: Religion is a cultural fabrication used to assuage fears and explain phenomena.

    According to my research, historians and anthropologists have yet to identify a culture or community that lacks religion.  Religion here does not necessarily mean a formal, organized institution, but rather a belief system used to connect a group of people and explain phenomena.  Clearly, human nature tends toward religiosity.  Whether people worship nature, one god, many gods, or a powerful leader, people like to have something to idolize.  
   Some people argue that this universal need for belief is evidence of our strong connection to the divine.  As an atheist, I see it as just the opposite.  We like to explain things.  Before the rise of scientific thought and methodology, societies understandably used supernatural explanations for things like natural disasters, disease, birth, death and countless other events.  They didn't know better.  So, who could blame them?
   We, however, do know better.  We know the causes of thunder, flood, earthquakes, illness, babies etc.  We don't know everything, of course, but we are learning SO much ALL the time that it's becoming difficult to find phenomena that don't have a scientific explanation.  But I'm already touching on reason #3. Stay tuned for that.
   For a few years, I taught middle school.  I taught at a great, altruistic alternative school for "high-needs" or "high-risk" adolescents.  My core subject was science, but I got to teach a variety of electives.  One subject I taught was Greek Mythology.  I was struck by some of the similarities between the myths and stories in the Bible.  For example, Pandora and Eve both unleashed evil into the world by disobeying God.  Both histories tell of an epic flood that wiped out most of the human population.  Prophecies and wars and murders played major roles in Greek myths and in Bible stories.
   These similarities lead me (and many others) to believe that religions evolve.  They borrow from each other.  They mutate to fit the times and the culture.  But inherently, they are all simply attempts to explain the unexplainable, to enforce laws, to build community, to justify behaviors, to create meaning and hope of an after life, and ultimately, to give people something to believe in.

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.

Please see the About Me page for more information about who I am and why I'm starting this blog.

Please see the Testimony page for a detailed story of my journey from Catholic to Christian to Atheist.

I hope you will enjoy and become a member of this new online community.  Let me know if you have subjects or questions you would like me to address.  I will do my best.