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diff --git a/content/entry/how-i-came-to-atheism.md b/content/entry/how-i-came-to-atheism.md index c2f8a93..0705fa9 100644 --- a/content/entry/how-i-came-to-atheism.md +++ b/content/entry/how-i-came-to-atheism.md @@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ title: "How I Came to Atheism" date: 2022-12-23T00:00:00 draft: false -makerefs: false --- ## Growing Up Christian As a child, I self-identified as a Christian even though I never went to church or took religion all that seriously. That was what society had told me was true, so I believed it. I didn't know any better. @@ -22,18 +21,18 @@ Through listening to debates and doing my own research, I learned about epistemo > "If there is a god and god is good, then surely god doesn't punish people for doing research to find out the truth about religion." -With that thought, I continued watching debates and studying and researching the arguments. Very shortly after encountering the New Atheists[1] (mainly Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens) and listening to what they had to say and the different perspectives from which they argued, I was decidedly an atheist. +With that thought, I continued watching debates and studying and researching the arguments. Very shortly after encountering [the New Atheists](https://wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Atheism) (mainly Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens) and listening to what they had to say and the different perspectives from which they argued, I was decidedly an atheist. I didn't decide to become an atheist to avoid the possibility of hell or for some other emotional reason. I wanted to know the truth, no matter where it led me. I reasoned my way into atheism with logic. ## Enter The Skeptic Community -After becoming an atheist, I started following atheists like Hemant Mehta (The Friendly Atheist)[2]. I also found Matt Dillahunty on The Atheist Experience[3], a show where religious people call in and try to prove that god exists. I find Matt's Atheist Debates Project[4] particularly valuable since it debunks a wide variety of religious irrationality in an organized and thorough way. +After becoming an atheist, I started following atheists like [Hemant Mehta](https://yewtu.be/channel/UCsgjnUBCB9xbUXQfMg0pd8A?dark_mode=true) (The Friendly Atheist). I also found Matt Dillahunty on [The Atheist Experience](http://www.atheist-experience.com/), a show where religious people call in and try to prove that god exists. I find Matt's [Atheist Debates Project](https://yewtu.be/playlist?list=PL8U_Qmq9oNY4I2RAT94zWGS3yo7Ma3QKI&dark_mode=true) particularly valuable since it debunks a wide variety of religious irrationality in an organized and thorough way. -In more recent years, I've been following the work of Anthony Magnabosco[5], an atheist and street epistemologist. Street epistemology, for those who don't know, is a way to "help people reflect on the quality of their reasoning through civil conversation". If done right, it's a very friendly, non-aggressive means of getting someone to think through their own beliefs. +In more recent years, I've been following the work of [Anthony Magnabosco](https://yewtu.be/channel/UCocP40a_UvRkUAPLD5ezLIQ?dark_mode=true), an atheist and street epistemologist. Street epistemology, for those who don't know, is a way to "help people reflect on the quality of their reasoning through civil conversation". If done right, it's a very friendly, non-aggressive means of getting someone to think through their own beliefs. -There are hundreds of videos of Anthony chatting with random people on the street and students in universities about what they believe and why. The topics include religion, ghosts, karma, and various other social and political topics. He has been interviewed on countless podcasts, given workshops and public talks, and founded a non-profit to educate people about street epistemology and instruct on how to do it. It's called Street Epistemology International[6]. It's definitely something worth looking into. +There are hundreds of videos of Anthony chatting with random people on the street and students in universities about what they believe and why. The topics include religion, ghosts, karma, and various other social and political topics. He has been interviewed on countless podcasts, given workshops and public talks, and founded a non-profit to educate people about street epistemology and instruct on how to do it. It's called [Street Epistemology International](https://streetepistemology.com/). It's definitely something worth looking into. -If you're looking for atheist entertainment, look no further than Jon Matter, known as DarkMatter2525[7] on Youtube. His animation skills have come so far over the years. If you ask me, his animations are the funniest atheist comedy out there. They've made me laugh so many times and I'm always delighted to see another DarkMatter video show up in my feed. Please support his animations on Patreon if you can. +If you're looking for atheist entertainment, look no further than Jon Matter, known as [DarkMatter2525](https://yewtu.be/channel/UCLhtZqdkjshgq8TqwIjMdCQ?dark_mode=true) on Youtube. His animation skills have come so far over the years. If you ask me, his animations are the funniest atheist comedy out there. They've made me laugh so many times and I'm always delighted to see another DarkMatter video show up in my feed. Please support his animations on Patreon if you can. ## Reflections Some people come to atheism because they're not first-generation atheists. Some call themselves religious but they never pray, they don't go to church, and they're not convinced of any of the myth. They're atheists for all practical purposes. Then there's those who have a crisis of faith and stop believing. Is it because of the millions of children who starve to death each year? Of course not. It's always because of some negative personal experience which is far pettier in comparison. @@ -46,13 +45,3 @@ It's good that atheism is becoming more popular, but I worry that skepticism and ## Closing Most of my thoughts on atheism have been expressed in more thorough, organized, concise, funny, and entertaining ways by the skeptics I just mentioned. Whether you're new to atheism or you've been an atheist your whole life and you're just new to skepticism, now you know where to go to find out more. - - -Link(s): -[1: The New Atheists](https://wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Atheism) -[2: Hemant Mehta](https://yewtu.be/channel/UCsgjnUBCB9xbUXQfMg0pd8A?dark_mode=true) -[3: The Atheist Experience](http://www.atheist-experience.com/) -[4: The Atheist Debates Project](https://yewtu.be/playlist?list=PL8U_Qmq9oNY4I2RAT94zWGS3yo7Ma3QKI&dark_mode=true) -[5: Anthony Magnabosco](https://yewtu.be/channel/UCocP40a_UvRkUAPLD5ezLIQ?dark_mode=true) -[6: Street Epistemology International](https://streetepistemology.com/) -[7: DarkMatter2525](https://yewtu.be/channel/UCLhtZqdkjshgq8TqwIjMdCQ?dark_mode=true) |