Daniel. Very much in the lions' den.

[danthesiser]

Good day to you all.

My name's Dan, obviously, and I'm an atheist. Not only that, but I've been scouring this marvellous website for research for a book I'm writing, called The atheist's bible. I've been here before, many years ago and still have the cherished screenshots of when I was banned for "promoting gay rights." What a day that was. So it's evident that not only am I an atheist, but I'm also what you'd probably term an 'unrepentant' homosexual. I am in fact married to man. We're not together any more; we settled down too young, but that's what happens, isn't it. On the plus side, I'm in a very loving relationship with a man whose incisive intelligence truly impresses and astounds me, he's a truly beautiful person in every aspect and I couldn't be happier.

This website has been a truly hilarious look into what I can kindly term a 'worrying' reality for those theists with unwavering beliefs in the scriptures. From an outsider's point of view, it seems incestuous and sycophantic, all this constant reassurance of a delusion so obvious it screams itself out to any rational mind. I am simply astounded that you each operate as human beings, in real society, given that your belief system indicates that the entire world was created for you, almost to the point of individual catering by the god of which you're so fond. This kind of solipsism is startling, to say the very least.

I shall, of course, be banned once again for airing my opinions, but the horse has bolted; I've done my research and collected my notes on this most surreal of worlds. I can understand how it can be nurturing and comforting, the social and societal aspect of your faith can obviously wield great power, but the fact remains that if you removed the faith element from the forum, and yourselves, then the society would work just as well because we are sociable animals; we need that human contact, otherwise we go a bit peculiar. I'm not sure what you'd talk about if not the matters of faith and how we homosexuals are somehow affecting your lives by loving one another and owning cats, but I'm sure you'd think of something. I have my own forum, in fact, and our community is, as the T-shirt says, "good without a god."

I'm going well with my book, thank you for asking; it's my second book, actually, the first one was all about travelling the world with my then-partner. The world truly is beautiful, isn't it. This is a point on which I'm sure we can both agree. It is amazing, in many ways and the best thing of all is that you don't have to be a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or any other faith to enjoy it. I would never say that this world is mine for the taking, though it may surprise you that I am, in fact, for the most part, meek. You can be meek and outspoken, I think. I would never say that my books are amazing or that the music I produce is fantastic; it is what it is and I enjoy the end-to-end process of it, but in everything I do, I do without the need for any supernatural powers, deities or any of the host of stuff that goes with it. And that doesn't mean that I am immoral, amoral or have no point to my life. I agree with Richard Dawkins when he says that "why are we here?" is a silly question; it doesn't deserve an answer; why not just enjoy the fact that we are here! Last night, I calculated, using the average number of viable ova a human female has at the age of sexual activity, the number of spermatozoa cells per emission and the number of emissions per average male lifetime (I was conservative in this estimate in order to account for pre-pubescence and, well, losing one's hair and going grey) and the result is the very approximate chances of you - specifically you, the gametes that made you coming into existence. Let's just say that the existence of your god is obviously at least that improbable, but my point is that the miracle isn't the transmuting of things, being misdiagnosed as dead in a medically-inept era or anything else you'll find in The Bible, but rather our own existence is a marvel. And then finding someone equally rare with whom to share your life is even more remote a possibility. Why believe in things for which there is no evidence when you can palpably examine, hold and treasure, see and hear and enjoy something far more magical.

Those are my two pennies. I waffle on, I know, but that's why I write books.

I wish you all a very pleasant lifetime.

[adampjr]

Haha. Yea, this place doesn't exactly seem like a bastion of allowable disagreement. I'm a Christian, but I don't see all the dichotemies you draw between marveling at existence and belief.

I do agree with you that there is some bizarre sycophantry, as you put it, going on here. Good luck with your book.

[danthesiser]

I'm not saying that atheists marvel at the world where believers do not; far from it. However, the reasons behind it are very different. Seeing a sunrise in all its glory and thanking an imaginary deity for it fails to call into being the wonders of reality. The enormous ball of nuclear hydrogen, burning away as it has been for billions of years is so much more spectacular than -- POP! -- there's the solar system as created instantly by the will of an improbable being.

But there you have it. It's a matter of varying points of view and collecting them for use in the book has been something of a riotous, hilarious and, at times, darkly worrying journey.

Thanks for the good luck wish; I appreciate it! Though, obviously, I don't believe in luck, either! *winking smiley*

[jayne]

I'm sure that there are some threads and posts here and on many, many Christian sites that you and other atheists get a kick out of.

As for your book, The Atheist's Bible, you'd best check with your publisher. That title is already copyrighted, if I am not mistaken.

You have every right to mock and feel derision and even write a book about it. But just know - it changes nothing. It won't turn a Christian into a non-believer nor change the truth of the Truth nor will it bolster your cause. Those who are agnostics/atheists will be that way without your book. Those who are believers will stay that way in spite of your book.

You are in my prayers, Dan. I'm sure that you are a great guy. God loves you that same as He loves me. I'll be praying that you will come to discover that.