Common Sense Atheism

When I had my crisis of faith, I felt like I was losing everything. Without God and the promise of immortality, what was the point of it all?

I’ve written before that in some ways, there is less purpose without God, and in some ways there’s more. And though I personally find naturalism to be enchanting, I know many people find it disenchanting. They think naturalism leaves them in a universe that is ultimately indifferent and absurd, and their two options are cynicism and postmodern irony.

Are cynicism and irony the only plausible responses to a universe without intrinsic meaning or value?

A growing crowd of passionate persons would say “No.” Their movement has been dubbed the New Sincerity.

What is the New Sincerity?

Jesse Thorn, host of The Sound of Young America, describes it in his Manifesto for The New Sincerity:

What is The New Sincerity? Think of… Evel Knievel. Let’s be frank. There’s no way to appreciate Evel Knievel literally. Evel is the kind of man who defies even fiction, because the reality is too over the top. Here is a man in a red-white-and-blue leather jumpsuit, driving some kind of rocket car. A man who achieved fame and fortune jumping over things. Here is a real man who feels at home as Spidey on the cover of a comic book. Simply put, Evel Knievel boggles the mind. But by the same token, he isn’t to be taken ironically, either. The fact of the matter is that Evel is, in a word, awesome…

So now, dear reader, you’re in on the Next Big Thing. Something more Hedwig than Rocky Horror; more Princess Bride than Last Unicorn; more Bruce Lee than Chuck Norris. Something new, and beautiful. So join us.

Our greeting: a double thumbs-up. Our credo: “Be More Awesome.” Our lifestyle: “Maximum Fun.” Throw caution to the wind, friend, and live The New Sincerity.

There’s nothing ironic or cynical about Evel Knievel. He’s just awesome. Sincerely awesome.

(more…)

This page will be updated to list my own favorite posts that I have written for Common Sense Atheism.

1. My Fondest Memories of God and My Story
   These are my most personal posts on this site. They tell the story of my best times with my best friend, Jesus, and how I later came to believe that he did not exist – perhaps the happiest and saddest moments of my life, respectively.
2. Do Atheists Have Less Purpose and Hope?
   The simplest explanation of what it’s like for me to be an atheist.
3. The Enchanted Naturalist’s Guide to Reality
   Some people think the world is empty and sad and meaningless without God. This posts explains why I’m so enchanted by the amazing, natural world I was born into.
4. The Moral Argument (Part 1)
   A careful examination of Mark Linville’s moral argument for God’s existence. Maybe my best piece of original philosophical writing so far.
5. Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman (review)
   Wherein I criticize one of the most popular atheistic books of the first decade of this century.
6. Who Designed the Designer?
   Wherein I criticize one of the most popular atheist arguments of all time.
7. Atheism and the New Sincerity
   An absurd universe need not lead us to cynicism and irony. This is a call to embrace life enthusiastically, in all sincerity.

‘Atheism’ is a much simpler concept than ‘Christianity’ or ‘Hinduism’, but the word atheism is still used in a wide variety of ways.

This can cause confusion. Someone may announce that she is an atheist, and her listeners may assume she is one type of atheist, when really she is a different type of atheist.

So to clear things up, here are 17 kinds of atheism, organized into 7 sets. Some kinds of atheism can be combined in a person, and some cannot. For example, it is perfectly consistent to be an agnostic, narrow, friendly atheist. But one cannot simultaneously be both a passive atheist and a militant atheist.

This list is not definitive. There are many ways to organize and label different kinds of atheism.

For brevity’s sake, I have substituted “gods” for the usual phrase “God or gods.”

(more…)

On January 21st, the Supreme Court decided that corporations – including foreign ones – are allowed to buy elections outright. It’s a devastating decision. Corporations have always had greater control over the American political process than in most other Western nations, but now the remaining limits have been removed.

Why is this the biggest victory for religion in years? First, because the Republicans will take over indefinitely, and they will continue to use religion to unite the faithful behind their despicably selfish and uncaring policies.

Second, because this decision will increase the fear, poor health, and insecurity of the vast majority of Americans. And that, quite frankly, is a recipe for religion. The leading scientific theory of what causes atheism is this: people don’t need comforting superstition anymore once they have a modicum of personal and financial security, and have their basic health needs met. (As they do in Scandinavia, for example.)

The decision to let corporations purchase our ‘elected’ officials outright spells doom for personal security, financial security, and health, and it smells of victory for religion.

This is also yet another sign that the United States is truly dying, for much the same reason that Rome did. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is so dependent on the USA that when the USA collapses, most other nations will also suffer greatly. That’s 195 more major victories for religion.

(But maybe I’m making too much of this. Here is an alternate view.)

First, John Loftus put up the Debunking Christianity Challenge:

I have a challenge for Christians. It’s a challenge few will take up… even though many expert Christian apologists have done it without a loss of faith. Other Christian thinkers… end up rejecting [their] former faith.

Do this. I’ll call this the Debunking Christianity challenge… Read up on all of the top Christian apologetics books and then [decide] in fairness to read all of the top skeptical books…

What are you afraid of? If your faith can withstand our arguments then you will be a better informed Christian with a much stronger faith. If your faith cannot withstand our arguments then your faith wasn’t worth having in the first place. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!

Later, I provided my own suggested reading list and called it the Ultimate Truth-Seeker Challenge.

Whatever you want to call it, several people have decided to test their faith and read through the best that each side has to offer: theism and atheism, faith and doubt.

This page is a continuously updated index of who those people are and how their journey has affected them.

• Andrew Atkinson. Began in 2007. Converted from Christianity to atheism.
• Phil Porvaznik, amateur Catholic apologist. Began January 2010.
• Bobby Kern, student pastor. Began January 2010.
• Scott “Noophy”, real estate agent, believer. Began January 2010.
• Greg Whitfield, pastor. Plans to begin in 2011.
• Nathan Brown ”Aeiluindae”, student, believer. Plans to begin in 2010.
• Kyle, 15 years old, believer. Beginning in 2010?
• Alec, 16 years old, atheist. Beginning in 2010?
• JuliantheApostate, student, atheist. Beginning in 2010?
• Micah Cobb, student, believer. Began January 2010.
• Jordan Peacock, software, agnostic theist. Began in 2009.
• J.K. Jones, student, Christian. Beginning in 2010.
• Wade Anes, atheist. Began in 2009?
• Chris Hallquist, atheist. Began in 2008?
• Kai Haswell, student, recent atheist. Beginning in 2010.
• Mitchell LeBlanc, student, agnostic atheist. Beginning in 2010.
• Michael, student, began in 2006.

Who am I missing? Who else wants to try it?

Both believers and atheists are welcome to take the challenge.