11 December 2008

The Atheist Starter Kit

In Atheist Central, Ray Comfort has "The Atheist Starter Kit". The following is my modified version based from his.

1. Whenever you are presented with credible evidence for God's existence, call it a "straw man argument," or "circular reasoning." If something is quoted from somewhere, label it "quote mining."study the evidence careful to ensure that God really exists, not just tricks!

2. When a Christian says that creation proves that there is a Creator, dismiss such common sense by saying "That's just the old watchmaker argument." understand where s/he comes from and does s/he have a science background. If human is so complex that human needs to be 'designed', then the designer must be more complex than us. Ask him/her who created the creator? Read Richard Dawkin's book on Watch-maker.

3. When you hear that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose (the pleasures of Heaven, and the endurance of Hell) by obeying the Gospel, say "That's just the old 'Pascal wager.'"think again. First, does the Gospel represent a good moral system for us? Second, is there really a Heaven and a Hell? Third, if you end up in Heaven, do you really want to serve under this God? Go through this thinking process with the Christian.

4. You can also deal with the "whoever looks on a woman to lust for her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart". by saying that there is no evidence that Jesus existed. None.Do NOT feel guilty about watching beautiful woman. It is natural. Just like you enjoy listening to beautiful music or great painting. The problem is whether you have the self-control not to offend the lady.

5. Believe that the Bible is full of mistakes, and actually says things like the world is flat. (Does Bible really say the world is flat?) Do your own Bible reading, just like me. If you like you can read along with me. :-)

6. Say that you were once a genuine Christian, and that you found it to be false. (The cool thing about being an atheist is that you can lie through your teeth, because you believe that are no moral absolutes.) Additionally, if a Christian points out that this is impossible (simply due to the very definition of Christianity as one who knows the Lord), just reply "That's the 'no true Scotsman fallacy.'" PLEASE NOTE: It cannot be overly emphasized how learning and using these little phrases can help you feel secure in dismissing common sense. I don't know how to correct this. Ray Comfort's words are just not comforting.

7. Believe that nothing is 100% certain, except including the theory of Darwinian evolution. Do not question it just like you should question everything, including the Bible. Believe with all of your heart Study and research to prove that there is credible scientific evidence for species-to-species transitional forms. When you make any argument, pat yourself on the back by concluding with "Man, are you busted!" That will make you feel good about yourself. Be humble, we are dealing with logic, reasoning and evidence. Be open-minded. Argue with confidence.

8. Deal with the threat of eternal punishment by saying that you don't believe in the existence of Hell. Then convince yourself that because you don't believe in something, it therefore doesn't exist. Don't follow that logic onto a railway line and an oncoming train. Do not succumb to incredible threats. We base our daily life on logic, reason and evidence.

9. Blame Christianity for the atrocities of the Roman Catholic church--when it tortured Christians through the Spanish Inquisition, imprisoned Galileo for his beliefs, or when it murdered Moslems in the Crusades. You may want to do this. But we should also look at the historical and political background. Yes, religion can make an otherwise good man do evil thing, in the name of god.

10. Finally, keep in fellowship with other like-minded atheists who believe as you believe, and encourage each other in your beliefs. [Atheist is NOT a belief. I would have objected to use words like believe or belief to refer to atheism. But will just keep it here as it is] Build up your faith. Never doubt for a moment. Remember, the key to atheism is to be unreasonable and based on evidence. Fall back on that when you feel threatened. Think shallow deeply and seek evidence, and keep telling yourself that you are intelligent. Remember, an atheist is someone who pretends is convinced by logic and reasoning that there is no God.

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