"The atheist is free to concentrate on the fate of this world without trying to square things with an unseen overlord in the next"

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Bible, Theology & Philosophy
Atheism

The Blessings of Atheism

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Wayne Wilson
Tue, 01/15/13 1:31 pm

Interesting that the atheist would use the words “perfect rest” as comfort for the departed. Borrowing this Christian term certainly suggests more than being food for worms. If I find a brother slumped over a desk lifeless, I can say he’s at “rest” because his soul is at rest. What does an atheist even mean by that word? Rest implies an experience of peace, not ceasing to exist.

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Easton
Tue, 01/15/13 4:58 pm

The title of this NY Times article reminds me of the fake book a certain pastor threatened to write when he was extremely frustrated with his congregants — The Joy of Atheism was to be its title.

From the NY Times article: “Robert Green Ingersoll (who died in 1899)…insisted that there was no difference between atheism and agnosticism because it was impossible for anyone to “know” whether God existed or not.”

Yet, atheists are sure God doesn’t exist —

Or are they?

Back in 2009, Dr. Richard Dawkins (famously atheist) launched an atheist advertising campaign in England. Billboards were attached to the sides of double-deckers displaying this message:

“There’s probably no God, so stop worrying & enjoy your life!”

If I were an atheist, I would be terribly bothered by that word “probably”…

So true is the Psalm - “The fool says in his heart, There is no, God.”

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Jim
Wed, 01/16/13 10:21 am

I have a family member who is an atheist. We have frank and respectful (I mean that we love each other and we do not have shouting matches about this). What I’ve seen:

  • Who do you thank (if you are an atheist). You can thank a person for a gift … but there is no one to be ultimately thankful. This is also what I view as a “goodness” issue … what / who is the source of good?
  • The source of evil. Cannot be explained by the atheist (although he tries: ignorance, oppression, etc)
  • Why not just kill oneself. Atheist tells me that if he got cancer he would just end it all rather than suffer.
  • The complexity of nature. He loves kittens but thinks abortion is OK (which I find astounding!)
  • The comfort of no responsibility. There is no real sin … so not accountable to One for one’s life.

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