It is my sincere opinion that our precious time on earth should not be spent attempting to justify unbelievable acts of cruelty, death, and disease as a part of 'Godโs Plan' or the greater good โ and clinging to ancient texts that preach ill-concealed bigotry and sexism. Instead, we should find ways to make this life happy and satisfying, without regard to the unknowable nature of an afterlife.
David G. McAfeeIf you are religious, you believe that your religion is the 'right' oneโand, in many cases, all others will be sent to hell. Similarly, a nationalist believes his or her nation is better or more advancedโand a racist believes that an inherent difference between each race make his or her ethnicity superior. All of these ideologies spawn the hate, philosophical disagreements, and prejudices that have been the catalysts for various atrocious acts throughout history.
David G. McAfeeIf there's a god, it knows exactly what it would take to convince me and has refused to provide it. In fact, it has gone to great lengths to hide any evidence of its existence. That doesn't seem like a deity that wants to be worshiped to me.
David G. McAfeeChristian apologists who argue that a story about an empty tomb is convincing evidence of a resurrected body are likely unfamiliar with Occamโs razor, which states that among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be selected. They assume that the most likely explanation is miraculous resurrection through some unproven divine connection, but more likely scenarios include a stolen body, a mismarked grave, a planned removal, faulty reports, creative storytelling, edited scriptures, etc. No magic required.
David G. McAfeePrayer doesnโt work. Perhaps it makes the believer feel better (in the same way that meditation or deep thought would), but prayer doesnโt actually affect the external world. Not only is it ineffective, but it is also a very narcissistic practiceโฆ why would a 'God' change its 'Divine Plan' to accommodate any personโs wishes?
David G. McAfeeSome people spend their entire lives devoted to a religion that claims to be the โrightโ religion... they often deny scientific evidence that contradicts their archaic holy books, they sometimes oppress those who disagree with them, and they always do what they do in the name of an unknowable deity... but sometimes, they wake up. Occasionally, they realize that all religions are man-made and that none of them are โright.โ And when they do, they can live happy and fulfilling lives without dogma and without anticipating or fearing an afterlife.
David G. McAfeeWe are all born free from all religious affiliations and only come to believe in such things after being introduced to it โ so, atheism is the default position. Although some children are not indoctrinated with a specific religion before the age of reason, there are many more who are.
David G. McAfee