Barbara Smoker on atheism
Barbara Smoker8 quotes“The one function that most gods seem to have in common is to give human existence some ultimate purpose – and, while it is not possible to disprove an ultimate purpose, there does not seem to be any evidence for it.”
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As for the accusation of intellectual pride, surely the boot is on the other foot. Atheists don’t claim to know anything with certainty — it’s the believers who know it all.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker To imagine that “God moves in mysterious ways” is to put up a smokescreen of mystery behind which fantasy may survive in spite of all the facts.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker To imagine that God wants prayers and hymns of praise is to make him out to a sort of oriental potentate; while praying for favours is an attempt to get him to change his allegedly all-wise mind.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker People who believe in a divine creator, trying to live their lives in obedience to his supposed wishes and in expectation of a supposed eternal reward, are victims of the greatest confidence trick of all time.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker As for an eternity in heaven – that would be hell!
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker This is not to say, of course, that there is no purpose in life at all: we all make our own purposes as we go through life. And life does not lose its value simply because it it not going to last forever.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker Why am I an atheist? The short answer is that I cannot accept any of the alternatives. I simply don’t find them believable.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker
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More on atheism
The only way to be true to our American tradition is to maintain absolute governmental neutrality regarding religious beliefs and practices
Bill BradleyBill Bradley Atheism is the opium of the mathematicians. Atheism is the religion of Mathematics.
Bill GaedeBill Gaede Nothing enlarges the gulf of atheism more than the wide passage that lies between the faith and lives of men pretending to teach Christianity.
Benjamin StillingfleetBenjamin Stillingfleet In August, 1900, [Friedrich] Nietzsche was laid to rest Nietzsche, as the apostle of atheism, heralded the darkest century the world has ever known.
Benjamin WikerBenjamin Wiker That God has managed to survive the inanities of the religions that do Him homage is truly a miraculous proof of His existence.
Ben HechtBen Hecht Some are Atheists by Neglect; others are so by Affectation; they, that think there is no God at some times; do not think so at all times.
Benjamin WhichcoteBenjamin Whichcote Therefore coercion of the non-invasive, when justifiable at all, is to be justified on the ground that it secures, not a minimum of ‘ invasion, but a minimum of pain.
Benjamin TuckerBenjamin Tucker To imagine that “God moves in mysterious ways” is to put up a smokescreen of mystery behind which fantasy may survive in spite of all the facts.
Barbara SmokerBarbara Smoker