What motivates me? Hmmm... let's see. Wife turned religious, our marriage died long ago, trans child with a bigoted mother is not fun, being told that I was unable to be moral or properly raise my kids because I lacked belief in a deity that told me what to do and how to behave, being emotionally tortured by arrogant people who tell me I am lesser than they are, anti-scientific beliefs that affect our daily lives (that did not pass onto my children - they are all atheists), religious people legislating life for the rest of us... want me to keep going?
@@TheSkepTick It has been quite the challenge. But I have three amazing, free-thinking, secular children now, two of them are adults. Mission accomplished!
@@bortiz11 mission accomplished indeed. I, too, am raising two secular, free-thinking, young adults. And it's crazy to compare how simplistic their lives are compared to the anguish that was mine when I was a teenager and super religious, yet also a feminist who didn't want to 'stay sweet' to every male in my life. Whereas I tortured myself over normal teenage hormonal urges, my children don't even know it's a 'sin' to love oneself. And, best of all, they know if they want or need something, they have to take steps to do it rather than just praying and hoping that a god will hear them and deem them *worthy* of a positive answer.
@John Wilkes And what is that? Science? Logical thought? Those things that PROVEABLY allow your car to run, bridges to stand, and even St. Judes Hospital to save the lives of children? I was an Atheist in 6th grade. I was still an alter boy. I then spent 4 years at a Jesuit high school where we had church every week. So, it was religion that made me an atheist by your feeble argument.
I also don't spend hours upon hours on ruminating the nonexistence of god. Almost like the guy on the video thought systematically reinforcing your own worldview every Sunday was a normal thing to do!
I've become more anti theist in the last few years. I didn't care much before, because i thought religion was mostly harmless. I have re-evaluated that, though, and concluded that religious belief is actively harming people and society. There's too much anti-mask and anti-vax misinformation seems associated with religion right now, and it is causing serious harm. Maybe someday that'll change, but for now since I perceive religion as actively harmful I've become more vocal as an atheist and antitheist.
I actually agree, I've also become more antitheist in the last couple of years at least, at first it was because of my "angry Atheist" phase but I wasn't as against religion as I am now, I wouldn't say they're all bad, some kinds of Buddhism are quite harmless, after I left Catholicism I became a Sōtō Zen Buddhist for a few years and met some extremely decent people through it who literally wouldn't hurt a fly, like *_literally_* wouldn't (I fkn hate flies 😡💢), I think religions that don't worship deities like that are completely harmless, otherwise, I feel exactly the same way, religion, especially deity worship, needs tighter restrictions or just plain stamping out, the amount of deaths they've caused, especially recently with what's going on in the world and them not taking any responsibility for it whatsoever and certainly not apologising, if anything they blatantly double down and cry oppression, and the literal stupidity and entitlement is so cringe...
@@DoctaOsiris I live in a Buddhist country and there are downsides to living in the moment as Buddhists here do. Most people don't have a lot of money, but there is almost no thought or planning into how to fund their old age/retirement. People have a terrible attitude to personal safety, road laws are viewed by many as optional, people do things with no thought about what might happen, in part because they believe this life will pass and they will return anyway. You might think it doesn't really affect anyone else but families suffer, others trying to avoid an accident get hurt etc. A lot of Buddhists pray for good luck or protection, people see a monk blessing a car as somehow making them safe, monks convince people to donate to ensure they get to heaven (I never heard of Buddhist heaven). I'm not suggesting that Buddhism is as bad as almost every other religion, but that supernatural aspect of reincarnation, does detract from reality and leaves people open to exploitation. All that being said, I've also found myself becoming more anti theist as I get older. Seeing the influence of ministers/preachers upon the voters in religious areas has made me realize they aren't just manipulative regarding controlling their flock, they very actively want to control the country. I also see much of the division they preach as hate speech, the lies they tell regarding religious oppression as trying to gain support from the moderates, and the denial of science as trying to keep people uneducated so they won't ask questions. They're subversive to the freedoms of secular society and should be silenced. I'm not saying religion should be banned (although I don't see a good reason not to ban them), I just think if people recognized the aims of religion they would be banned from using the word of god to push a political agenda.
He is going to have an eternity of lights out sooner rather than later if he carries on driving like that... and unfortunately he is likely to take someone else with him.
I wonder wat the law on using mobiles while driving are in the States, but this is nummero so and such who is making a video from his car either driving or not driving. Could it be that when they would do it at home, the wife would yell: "Now cut the crap!!" Seen that happen to a flatard making his video in the kitchen. Best debunking ever.
Becoming an atheist has actually helped me to understand religion better, notably Christianity. My curiosity led me down the road as to how it all originated and its vast history. Like many other religions, Christianity and the Bible are a chimera of older myths and religions, and so are many of the characters within, notably God, Jesus and Noah. Truth is stranger than fiction, and religions are a log of our evolving minds throughout the age of humans.
I find it endlessly fascinating trying to figure out why theists believe what they do. Even having been one I just do not get it and find the confidence they hold I'm convincing others astonishing.
@Joshua Wingo You _nailed_ it. Fear of death is the reason spirituality evolved in the first place, a workaround for the inconvenient and crippling truth of our mortality. God is just an anthropomorphic, anthropocentric projection of a creator by a creator (us) to explain how we got here. But it's antiquated and vestigial thinking in light of all we know about our origins today.
Pascal’s Wager is useful in one sense; it weeds out the theists who have not put a lot of thought into this and can’t look past their own noses to realize there are other religions besides theirs
The roots of Pascal's Wager goes way back. The wind thru the grass may or may not be a Sabre toothed cat, so better to err on the side of caution and scramble to the trees. The monkeys in the trees might not be correct in their assessment, but they _live_ to reproduce And so our reactionary, conclusion jumping mind was born. We have a lot of old habits from our wild past to outgrow before we can become more like Spock and less like Bones.
Pacal's wager is made on the assumption that an omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient deity is naive and stupid, easily conned by those pretending to believe in the hope of gaining admittance to heaven.
I am a 12 on the scale. The fact that people believe in a non existent being is fuel enough. On top of that, my extended family is very religious, so there’s a bit of fun in it for me as well, knowing way more about Christianity than they do. Why a 12 though - because religion is the reason for a lot of suffering (abuse etc). That is why I have absolutely no respect for any church or church representative. 1000 subs already! You deserve more!
What motivated my angry atheist phase? The fact that my mom talked me into going to a private Christian college where I racked up $50k in student loan debt before I finally walked away - unable to even finish my degree cuz I couldn't honestly sign the "statement of faith." Oh and then I had to suffer through 4 more years living at my parents' house trying to walk the line between being honest and not actually telling them that I wasn't a Christian anymore - that kind of stuff is stressful AF! So yeah, I was pretty pissed off and I definitely took it out on ppl online. As soon as I moved out of my parents house (after I accidentally came out as an atheist in the middle of an argument - not an experience I recommend), my anger just evaporated. I felt like I could breathe for the first time in... my entire life, really. I didn't have to worry about what other ppl thought or believed. I didn't have to hide anything. I didn't have to come up with excuses to avoid going to church. I didn't have to sit through preachy prayers. I could just be myself. And if anyone is wondering, yes, my parents did indeed kick me out when they found I was an atheist. Although I did get rather lucky in the process. Mom didn't want anyone else to know cuz she was worried they'd think she was a bad mother. So to avoid anyone asking why I had been kicked out, they gave me time to find somewhere else to live.
They want to ban books in school that talk about sex, magic, or what they deem as too violent but they are ok with the bible in schools with some of the worse stories. (Csb) Ezekiel 23:19Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egypt 20and lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.
@@DemonicRemption after reading the bible i had to give up my Christian title. Researching the bible outside of the bible was an eye opener and a search on what i believed and why.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is exactly what the problem is with theists, they're scared of what will happen after death (or, more accurately, won't happen after death) and the religion comforts and shields them against that for the most part, but sadly, in their quest to ignore reality they don't get to live a good life (not all of them at least), the one and only life you'll ever probably have and it's spent praying and wasting their life... And I get it, it sucks, but that's more of an excuse to enjoy life and do everything we can other than pretending 🙃
@@TheSkepTick i have to point out in "discussion" that being accused of not having an open mind is rich coming from people scared of hell and hoping for a pat on the head of heaven, the definition of "bias". they are under strict orders NOT to admit there might be no god.
@@DoctaOsiris As a Christian I've seen this fear of death. If you think zealots are scared of oblivion, you're oblivious to how deep rooted religious propaganda gets in the human mind. Repeat a rhetoric enough, and without contest, people will believe it without question. Introduce an aspect of fear in that rhetoric that threatens well-being, and they'll fear it without question. As far as these people are concerned, Hell is real, and they fear it. I on the other hand lost this fear to my pessimism. A trait which is also psychological, as I professed myself to be a pessimist. Psychology is a funny thing.
@@DemonicRemption So, you're fully aware of the fact that it's nothing but propaganda and you admit that you see the indoctrination working around you and yet, you still profess to be a "Christian"? How? Why? 😲 Also, are you saying that I'm correct in my observations but don't want to actually say it? Why is it so hard for theists to admit that someone who doesn't hold their beliefs is correct? Please, don't mice words, just say it, you might be surprised by the response, and considering that you already admitted that you're more than aware of the propaganda pushed by your own people I'd like to think you'd be well aware of the fact that not all Atheists are as bad as theists would propagandise us to be, we're not all bad you know. 🙃
I think this guy answers his own question for me within the first three and a half minutes. We only *know* we get this one life, that's it. We don't know what happens when we die, except from a scientific standpoint of the brain stops, and the body stops. Atheists want to (generally) enjoy this one life in a way that doesn't harm others, and maybe even give some of this life, to lift others up. Theists choose to use this one life as a pulpit from which to try to terrify people into thinking just like them, by threatening that if they don't believe just like this guy, they'll go to hell. That's why some atheists choose to be vocal. We're just trying to show that the loudest one in the room, doesn't have shit to backup their sermon, and sacrificing the one life you've got, for one they swear you're gonna get, after you sign the dotted line (die) is a scam that's gone on far too long.
Good answer. Sadly, the religious are so convinced of their "Truth(tm)" that they seem to be threatened by any discussion about their beLIEfs. Their seeming fear that they have been lied to forces them to convince others of their monopoly on "Truth(tm)". As a result we see the religious, not just in muslim countries, but now trying in America, to govern using their ancient texts to legislate what they claim is "morality" from a "god". Funny how that "god" sounds like a bunch of smart but primative people. Thoughtful people ARE vocal, when they watch leachers hypocritically shout from pulpits about prosperity, healing and others "perversions" in front too many sheeple, who sit in awe of the certainty put forward these con men (and women). My wife started giving lots of our money, without me knowing, to one of these cheats who claimed the end of the world was coming soon, you you bet I'm vocal.
Nine out of ten theist, when cornered on the mortality issue, will show their true nihilistic bent by projecting it onto nonbelievers. We have already had to address our mortality and live our lives accordingly. Theists, on the other hand, still have the bandaid placebo effect because of their innate spirituality. When they refer to atheists as having no purpose or function, this is a sign that they themselves would be lost like babes in the woods without their spirituality.
@Thoron Neto - so what does the Man of Faith get in this world? Well the Christian weapon is hard and requires much, so what does the believer get in compensation before shuffling off this mortal coil?? Well there's hope, a hope that death is not the ultimate ruler of this universe. He also gets comfort, ethical guidance, peace, community, continuity, humility and powerful motivation to right behavior. Now call me crazy, but to my mind, the man who has embraced, hope, moral instruction, peace ,community, continuity, humility and intense motivation to see his fellow creatures as made "in the image of God" is living the good life on this earth and making the very most of our one and only life on earth.
@Thoron Neto - so what does the Man of Faith get in this world? Well the Christian weapon is hard and requires much, so what does the believer get in compensation before shuffling off this mortal coil?? Well there's hope, a hope that death is not the ultimate ruler of this universe. He also gets comfort, ethical guidance, peace, community, continuity, humility and powerful motivation to right behavior. Now call me crazy, but to my mind, the man who has embraced, hope, moral instruction, peace ,community, continuity, humility and intense motivation to see his fellow creatures as made "in the image of God" is living the good life on this earth and making the very most of our one and only life on earth.
@@johnwilkes4671 If it stops a person from being a criminal, that sounds ok. But one doesn't have to beLIEve any of that to live a good, moral, enjoyable life. Only self centered people would disagree, because "They're RIGHT!!"
What motivates my "aggressive atheism" is the environment. It has been put on a back burner *again* by the pandemic, and having to deal with religious anti-vaxxers in this light really annoys me. Far out most of my anger is because of religious carelessness for the environment, the "God has the whole world in his hands" stance and the lack of action to preserve what is left of nature and biodiversity. Is that motivation enough, Mr filming in the car? Oh, and it's never about becoming a nonbeliever. It's about how you live your life.
You Really touch on something. The whole 'The World Is My Toilet" mentality is what's going to kill us all. There is no room service on this planet! Recreation, my ass!!!!!
For the most part, I keep my lack of belief to myself. I did mention it on my Facebook feed when I realized that I was transitioning from someone who just didn't go to church to someone who no longer held a belief in a particular deity. Surprisingly to me, since most of my family and friends were part of the religion that I left, most people didn't say much about it or they let me know that they held nothing against me for no longer believing. However, a couple months ago, I shared a second post that talked more about the trauma that I experienced as part of the religion and that's when I started getting pushback, particularly from my brother-in-law. He even had the gall to say that I had misunderstood what was taught. The gaslighting hurt and did make me angry and we got into a pretty good argument about it, so I learned that talking to him about religion would be unfruitful because I don't believe that he would be able to understand where I'm coming from. However, I have been able to talk to my mom about the reasons that I don't believe and while she doesn't agree, I think she can at least understand my doubts to some degree. If somebody asks and can listen and try to understand, then I will talk about it. If they disregard my experience or start to tell me how I misunderstand theology, then I get resentful really fast and communication will not continue.
the ONLY time i mention atheism is on social media, cos thereligious are such idiots i can't stop myself. i've had one or two conversations with xians "in life" but here in the UK xians are practically atheist anyway (we love dawkins and darwin). (well, not so much dawkins, but thats cos of his trans commentary).
I don't know your family. I could be way off base. But I'll share my reaction. To me is seems MOST Christians are Christian by affiliation. They want to be part of the group, on the team that's winning. This is a perfectly normal thing; all social animals do this. Christians often don't even know, or care, what they are supposed to believe. I recently watched a video about the incompatibility of the truth of the Bible and belief in reincarnation. Apparently, over 30% (I do NOT remember the exact number) of Christians believe in some form of reincarnation! My point: the belief aspect is the least important part of Christianity, for most members. But when you told your brother-in-law that the team HE IS STILL ON is toxic, then it became a perceived attack, which had to be defended.
@@billskinner7670 I think you hit the nail on the head. It's not as big a deal for people to lose faith as it is to be seen as a attacker of other people's faith.
@@EluviumMC You remind me of another good point. For those, Christian or Scientologist or Muslim (those are the examples for which I KNOW of examples, and obviously not all), who DO actually believe, losing faith itself IS an attack. People who lose faith, from groups to whom faith is actually important, skip the middle part of your experience, and find themselves embattled right away, sometimes as soon as expressing doubt.
My question to him would be “If having theistic belief makes more sense than lacking theistic belief, why are you in the slightest bit concerned about what atheists do or say?”. Truth has nothing to fear from investigation.
As an atheist you don't have to spend all of your time thinking about arguments against god, there are only a handful of original Abrahamic apologetics and they all have pretty obvious flaws. I just enjoy watching science and logic win over superstition and emotive manipulation, particularly in discussions about evolution where there's often new evidence or hypotheses I've not heard about.
What motivates me is wanting to watch the world learn. and i can see unequivocally that religion is in resistance to that goal. they quite literally want to move us backwards.
Oh for fucks sake; not Pascal’s bloody wager…again. What if there is a god who has zero tolerance for blind credulity and obsequiousness and only accepts “militant” atheists into her heaven? Aaaaaand…that’s the end of that argument
@@Thoron_of_Neto -that’s being generous. It would only convince someone who is under the impression that the only religion in existence is Christianity.
As I was deconverting,at first,I was pissed-off at Christianity.After a while,that subsided but I still I kept on assertively countering and rebutting evangelicals on TH-cam and the internet.My entire family are evangelicals,and have been for quite some time.So I stick out like a sore thumb.For that reason,and the fact that evangelicalism does harm to people in general and individuals,like causing them to commit their entire lives to a myth.,I continue on.
You are not alone in the fight. There is only so much time to live, solve, laugh and love. Praying and explaining the outcome in a religious framework is such a waste of time. It is just as wasteful as tything to maintain a building so as to hear "The Truth(tm)" from someone deluded or is conning people about the content of a bearly read, ancient anthology.
I'm almost completely uninterested, and bored by, all the theological debate which fills so much christian apologetics/atheist dialogue. The issue which motivates me is how human society copes while including believers in many different religions and non-believers, accommodating them all. The reason I assert my atheism is that religious liberty applies to everyone - it is a broad concept, not a narrow one - and includes my right not to have any aspect of religious observance imposed upon me. To stay silent would allow christians, muslims, or anyone else to think it was fine to apply their values, practices and observances without caring for anyone else's rights.
So, what's my motivation? Not my atheism. It doesn't define me either. I am motivated by education, learning and making things grow (namely fish, plants and butterflies). My lack of belief in the supernatural allows my mind to explore reality in better detail, without all those artificial beliefs and explanations.
I am glad that his faith brings him such joy. It’s interesting that he says we were created to have free will and yet religion seems to strive to restrict and control that free will. It’s wrong to shop on Sundays, it’s wrong to eats meat from a cloven hoofed animal. You may not use certain language. You must do this and you must not do that. Those and many other examples run contrary to the notion of being given free will.
I'm sure not. They have invented an adversary to their liking as just another excuse to tout their perceived superiority and righteousness and feel persecuted. They have no desire to accurately portray atheists and so have no desire to interact with them. But then why should their concept of the wicked atheists be any less fantasy and lies than the rest of their unjustified beliefs.
@@derreckwalls7508 feeling persecuted is the main lubricant in the churchy business. "the church under attack" was a myth already created in the 2nd century and was perfected when the church itself became the persecutor.
Why is he wearing a seat belt? One of the things the motivates me is that the actions of theists shows that they don't really believe. It is that cognitive dissonance that interests me, plus theists have so much power and wish to use it to do things I oppose.
"Why do you spend so much time and so much effort, trying to convince others that there is no god?" For the same reason I try to convince people that there's no actual medical benefit to taking homeopathic remedies, and can involve numerous downsides.
Atheist here... I watch this type of content out of pure entertainment. But it helps learning how-to defend my views with guy's like the one in the video while driving
"As an activist, I continue to hear this line: "Why do atheists talk so much about God and religion?" Or, "Why would someone speak so often about a deity he/she doesn't believe in?" In truth, I suspect that these questions are deflections designed to make the questioner seem self-consciously obsessive...the sinner that "doth protest too much." But the reality is that atheist activism exists because religion exists. Religion permeates our culture, shows up on our doorsteps with literature, scriptures and threats of eternal damnation, influences our science books, contaminates our political systems, indoctrinates our children and postulates that its doctrine must be followed, lest we be destroyed in body, in soul, or both. Non-believers are simply responding to the avalanche of religious messages that bears down upon us daily. And they do so by (surprise!) speaking on the subject. Religion gets carte blanche to be as vocal as it wants, to knock on our doors and accost us in our homes, in our places of work, in our personal and professional lives. Believers are charged with a life mission to preach, teach, disciple, shout it from the mountaintops and to "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Religion...is everywhere. Ask yourself. When's the last time an atheist rang your doorbell with the Good News of Humanism? How often do you find Richard Dawkins books in the dresser drawers of your hotel rooms? When was the last atheist temple erected in your neighborhood? Have you ever attended an atheist revival? Has atheism demanded 10% of your household income? How many dedicated atheist television channels come through your satellite dish? How many atheist verses were you instructed to memorize as a child? When's the last time someone thanked a FARMER (or even the cook) at the dinner table instead of God? On a more radical front, what's the name of the last atheist who sawed the head off of an "infidel?" Or sentenced a shrouded woman to death for displeasing an oppressive husband? Or strapped explosives to his belt in order to kill hundreds in a public square? Or publicly executed someone for being gay? It's everywhere. Religion is a pounding drum that has gone mostly unanswered for a long, long time. And religion is not satisfied with merely existing quietly in the homes and hearts of the faithful. Its very nature compels the believer to proselytize, preach, promote, convince, convert and prevail. If you play on the team of the religious, your game plan is to stay, always, on offense. Throughout our history, those who raise a simple hand of protest against these advances have been portrayed as the real problem. Religion has attempted to marginalize and defeat legitimate questions and concerns by indignantly portraying any resistors as misguided, immoral, rudderless, angry, miserable, lost and alone. And when skepticism challenges wildly improbable (or impossible) stories found in the Bible, the Qur'an and other holy books, the religious wail, "Why do atheists talk so much about religion?" It's often like asking cancer survivors why they're advocates for cancer cures. We ask, we challenge, we battle, we care because it matters. The facts and fiction of religious claims matter. The larger question, "Is it true?" matters. The countering of religious privilege matters. And the building of a superstition-free future matters. The next time a religious person labels you as obsessed with religion and God (pick one...there are thousands to choose from), just remember that religion began the discussion. It amplifies itself before the world. It targets the vulnerable and ignorant. It often threatens all humankind with punishment upon its rejection. And it's making Truth claims that - despite all of the fluffy platitudes about "faith" - must meet the burden of proof. Religion started this mess. And if an atheist speaks out against religious claims, it's likely the speech wouldn't be necessary if the claims weren't made in the first place." - Seth Andrews
As I was reading I thought I would comment on how masterfully articulate you were... and then I saw it was good old Seth. You made an excellent choice of quote that so precisely addresses the topic, though. For that you deserve much credit. 😊👍
@@wyldink1 😄 Yep. As often as we get asked the same old things you would think every theist thinks they have come up with the most profound question imaginable. But I have a "profound" question from a Comparative Religion professor that so far has been avoided by every Christian I have ever asked. It is simply "what criteria did you use to systematically disprove the validity of every other religion and come to the conclusion only yours is true?" It was the question that solidified my atheism, and of course no Christian has ever considered it.
good post Set, but on 🐯On a more radical front, what's the name of the last atheist🐯 a theist like in the video will probably come up with Lenin, Hitler and Stalin, claiming they were atheísts committing attrosities. Not much is know about to what extend they were atheist or that they were atheists at all, Stalin even got the change to study at the Tlibisi Spiritual Seminar. I think the question theist/ atheist played an very insignificant role in their psycho of megalomania and hunger for power. I also think your statement would be stronger when you included the role the church played in the Ruandan genocide or the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, it's all cut from the same cloth wether the colors may differ.
I never really believed in a God. I did very well on my own, but over time I took a stand opposing religion and believe in general. I think its in the way of human progress. Believe allows someone to think, he has all the answers, eventhough he hasn't. I think humanity needs more unassumingness (humbleness) (even if I'm not sure if its the right word in english, but I like the sound^^). We need more facts and should ground our world view in reality. Jet I am in favor of the freedom of religion, but its a personal view and should be treated as one. So I don't like laws based on religious beliefs. Just because you believe in something doesn't mean I have to follow the same rules. Love Kai
We're so valuable you're driving around talking to your phone, taking your eyes off the road, and might hit and kill one of us. Yes we're valuable targets.
All I can think when watching the original video is "Please keep your hands on the steering wheel. Just because you believe in God, doesn't mean you have to send people to him."
There’s one specific thing that rubbed me the wrong way, and it’s when he said “I believe you were made above any animal” or something along those lines. I wanna preface by saying I’ve been vegetarian for all 21 years of my life. When I was young, I didn’t think much of it, but as I grew older, I began to love and respect all animals as I do other people. I’m not here to preach vegetarianism, everyone can make their own choices. But I don’t see myself as being above any living thing. My dogs have their own thoughts and emotions, however simple or complex they may be. They’re still living. And to me that’s enough to value them as much as myself. In the same vein that our lives are short and we wanna make the best of them, their lives are shorter, and I wanna make sure they make the best of theirs first . Agree or disagree with me, this is my personal view on animals. Hope y’all understand, but I just can’t agree with that guys stance.
As an atheist I only get upset when a theist tries to put words into my mouth. Logic says to me there is/are no god/s because my life experiences directed me to that position.
I only really get active when I see some bootlick lying to little kids. There is this booth every year at our farmers market, featuring Dinosaurs to lure in the kiddies, who are then summarily misinformed that people walked with Dinosaurs and even shared the ark, and that the Bible was the first book ever written. Every year I debate these fools and every year I holler bullshit. It's a disgrace, and I hate a chicken hawk.
Belief motivates actions. Actions that affect other people, the planet, me. I would like that people would have good reasons for their beliefs. Also, as long as there are reasons based on something tangible, we can have a constructive conversation.
I had no experience of conscious thought before I was alive, therefore I have no reason to assume that I will continue to experience conscious thought after my life ends.
I don't really mind so much what people believe, as long as they use their critical faculties to achieve their conclusions. However, if one does not know how to use them correctly, it's a moot point. I think this gentleman believes what he believes, because that is what he wants to believe.
Life long angry atheist here. I'm angry with religion because of the irreversible harm it does on so many levels. I don't go out of my way to find believers and scream at them, but if they search me out to convert me, I let them know how I feel. And at that point I don't pull any punches. Same goes for trying to create theocratic laws. That's a no-no. And what motivates me? I do! I try to increase well being and leave the world a better place for coming generations.
For a long time I had no motivation. I had 'an hedonism' (an inability to experience pleasure or gratification) because of severe depression brought on by religious psychological abuse. Now my motivation is to prevent the pathological beliefs and behaviors of some particular forms of Christianity from destroying significant portions of other people's lives. I feel I have a social responsibility to prevent that malignant religious mindset from infiltrating secular society. My empathy for humanity demands it. Since I have no particular skills necessary to effectively oppose religion I support several anti-religion organizations by "tithing" a portion of my income. I think any atheists who want to seriously oppose religion should support those most capable of doing so.
So, since he never explained explicitly _why_ he believes, we're left to speculate. Based on what he's said, it sounds like his reasons are purely emotional. He's saying, in essence, "I looked at world view X and world view Y, and I went with world view Y _because it makes me feel happier."_ Which, if that's enough for _him,_ then...sure? I just wish he could understand why other people can't accept the idea of making your life revolve around a belief that you only hold, not because of any real truth to the belief, but because of how it makes you feel. A world view of platitudes and placebos.
The biggest reason to speak out about religion, as an atheist, in my view, is because it is so insidiously ingrained into everything. Religion claims to be the moral compass and so we trust priests, who end up abusing children and religious political figures who constantly try to take the rights of autonomy away from, many women. In addition, for me, it was years of guilt, shame, self-hatred and isolation that I had to work through once I gave Christianity up. Those feelings made it hard for me to even look at my faith fairly and even when I knew it was absurd, I still worried about my situation being nothing but a test. It was a nightmare. I still truly hate Christmas and Easter. I can't just enjoy those celebrations in a secular way - I get very dark internally each year and do my best to hide that from my wife and girls. Having worked through that, I feel compelled to help others to escape from it, if I can.
I felt I had been lied too for many years too. I still harbor that, as it translates Into other important aspects of my life, like politics, and culture.
I'm a French citizen, living in a country (France...:-) ) where most people consider religion to be part of their private life. We usually do not discuss people's beliefs on religion. I'm myself an atheist, which was the case for the previous French president. We rarely define ourselves through this lens anymore. I worked for an American company for more than 20 years. I had a lot of contact with Americans, who usually were hard working decent people, living in a very harsh environment according to our own biased perception as French people. The ones who came to work in France, were usually quite surprise by how different their society was to our own. France is not a paradise on Earth, we have many social issues, which are still unresolved, but we have a dense providence state, which prevents many people from falling into abject poverty. It is again not perfect. However, the US is very different. People are economically much more fragile than in France, much more isolated... Religion is the US seems to be the only way to break this isolation and to have a network in which you can make friends and have a social life. The problem is that scammers prey on these people. Their sense of community is corrupted into a hatred for others who are different and believe in other religions or in none. We should remind this guy that there are no atheist preachers on the street trying to "un-convert" people. However, I guess this guy would never complain about street preachers trying to push you into Jesus arms, because it is part of the job to be a Christian. You know black kettle and all this stuff. Their sense of community have been transformed into us against them.... This is tragic.
It was very interesting to read you experience and perspective on American society and economy. Some were very accurate and some missed the mark a little bit. Yes many people are very economically fragile. Most people in the US can not handle a sudden cost over $1000. Religion is very pervasive and part of the culture here. I’m an atheist and rarely mention it in public and every time I have people look at me like I’m some kind of leper. Religion is not the only means to break the isolation and create social networks, but it is kind of like playing a video game on easy mode. Most religious people know that any city, town, and or state they move to will have a built in institution there that will be there to help them and give them a sense of community. I wish it wasn’t like this. Mostly I wish that whatever religion or lack of religion people are wasn’t a prerequisite to holding public office. In the US it is practically impossible to hold public office and be an outspoken atheist, which just seems so stupid to me. In government atheist are the most under represented people. Anyways, it interesting to hear your thoughts. Cheers!
Looking at the title, I wouldn't consider myself the latter, but certainly the former. And what motivates me is a nice blend of curiosity and spite, as well as a desire to just share my experience with others who have the same kind of curiosity in them.
As an addendum: I'm not exactly outspoken unless prompted, in which case I'm willing to lay out my case and gladly have a longer discussion about it, but I don't really care if I convince somebody of my side of the argument or not. As long as they don't judge me for not following their beliefs, I'm happy to have an exchange with people whose points of view differ from mine, and even if they judge me, I still like being able to better understand them following a discussion. And if they get actively hostile, then that's not my problem, but I'll try to excuse myself from the conversation at that point because continued engagement at that point is neither productive nor fun.
Because every argument made by theists to justify their belief is either manipulative, naive, unhinged or full of obvious holes (eg. God of the gaps). As an increasingly atheistic agnostic, I have questioned numerous theists in the hope that they might give me reason to believe. I would love to know there was more to life than it seems. I listened to numerous religious scholars on Robert Kuhn's admirable Closer to Truth series and not even one of them provided a good explanation. Robert K, too, was hoping to find at least something, and as the series went on I empathised with his growing frustration with the shallowness of theistic justifications. I buck against dodgy claims generally, which are especially rife in the last decade or so. Misinformation is proving to be deeply destructive. The claims are made with great confidence and poise, even smugness and condescension - but it's always ended up being display behaviour to mask a paucity of valid content.
@@KurenaiNanashi my one life for eternal life with the benefit to see all anime out there now and to come. Hhmm not a bad transaction. But there are more questions like do i keep aging and how fast do i keep aging etcetera. Don't wanna have a disfunctional body for eternity.
My stance is "why worry about a afterlife that may or may not exist. I'll try to create heaven on earth right here and right now. I try to do right by others, I do my best not to judge others (though this past year has really been trying my patience). And I help my friends and family where I can. I don't need a god or some other spiritual figure in my life for that. And I don't need a holy book to guide my morals."
Also, if only the most pious of people get to enter heaven, what's the point? No partying? Just keeping up that level of piousness into eternity sounds like hell to me.
As someone who could be described as an “aggressive atheist” the reason for my aggression is because I believe religion is harmful to society, beliefs don’t live in a vacuum they inform our actions.
I can remember being "put under"on the operating table.Of course I have no way of knowing what's after death,but waking up in bed after surgery,I had no recollection of what happened during surgery and up until they put me in bed.It was like I had lost time.Everything went black on the table,a couple of hours later,it was like I had never left my bed.I think that's what death is probably like-fade to black.But that's my opinion.I do know,that just as my fate was in the hans of the surgeon and his team,after death,I will be completely out of control of what happens next.
what always gets me about NDE's is, there you are on your death bed, not knowing if you are going to meet your maker or be burned alive for eternity, but you stopp off at the nurses station to see what's on tv, or pop into he laundry cupboard to make a note of bar codes on the bed sheets, or, what colour are the polythene garbage bags. no one ever comes back with how to travel faster than light or a cure for cancer, it's always "granny says love each other".
@@HarryNicNicholas Exactly. And people from different cultures and religions see different things. There are NDE stories of Hindus meeting their god Yamraj and *not* Jesus or Yahweh.
I'm an atheist who does not care about the believe of others. I'm a BELIEVER, of freedom of choice. If you want to believe in god, go ahead, I don't mind. If you want to believe in hell and be afraid of it, go ahead, I don't mind. If you want to tell my friend that his existence is an abomination, I do mind. If you want to tell the next generation that everyone who doubts god is evil and will be punished, I do mind. If you want to take away freedom of others, because they do not share your very specific faith, I do mind. Be a believer, be faithful, but be content with being it. Don't pester others about it and DO NOT INDOCTRINATE THE CHILDREN. Children are dumb, they think the tooth fairy is real. Of course they believe whatever the fuck you tell them.
One thing I have never understood about Christians in particular is their obsession with death. In this video he is purely talking about the afterlife, and how short life here on earth is. For most Atheists (the part that doesn't believe in an afterlife at least), death is just another fact of life, like breathing and pooping, and when it comes, then it's all over, so it's better to ignore it and focus on what's going on here and now. I can't fathom how much these theists must miss out on because they constantly have to think about what comes after death
I've always had a sort of different spin on Pascal's wager as the reason I do not affirmatively believe; if The Christian God exists, and is at minimum all-knowing when it comes to the hearts of men, then said god would know if I do not sincerely believe. Therefore, going to a church and professing a belief in word but not in truth, that is, lying when I say "we believe in one god" as part of prayer, this god would be upset with me for lying to him and would rather I not do it. And here I borrow from Pascal's wager, in essence: if lying is bad, lying about belief in God would also be bad. But because God is famous for being forgiving, shouldn't he forgive me for not believing, provided I don't lie to him and otherwise act as a decent human being by promoting happiness and reducing suffering when and where I am able? I choose to believe this, because while I may have been raised Catholic, I not once learned my morals from Sunday school, but instead my parents and my peers. I learned storytelling from the church, ironically, and a unique form of kinship.
It sounds very much like his unspoken implication is that atheists shouldn't have the same right to speak of their beliefs as theists. The implication that we should or shouldn't believe something based upon what happens after we die, is entirely an argument from consequences. I would prefer to believe things that look to be true, rather than try and convince myself for some dubious benefits that can't be demonstrated. I believe that we should all try and live good lives, regardless of whether there's a God. And if there is a fair and just God, he would judge us based on our actions, not our beliefs. Personally I don't frequently speak of my atheism in my life, unless I think the situation calls for it. I'm not going to defend my position to everyone I know, unless I see a reason I should. Our beliefs are personal. And if someone is open minded enough to consider my beliefs fairly, I'd be happy to share. If someone is biased enough to not understand, I don't feel the need to be some sort of educational ambassador.
This young man is quite clear about why theists should not listen to atheists; although, his description of atheist thought leads one to suspect that he's not actually had an honest face-to-face conversation with an atheist. Having been raised a Lutheran, I understand. Honest give-and-take leads to doubt, doubt leads to non-belief, bingo! "Welcome to hell. we have a table for you next to the orchestra". The part that fascinates me is that he doesn't listen to himself. 9:56 ....Yet, God, allowing free will, man INEVITABLY falls into sin, man separated from God....... If our sinful state is inevitable, why are we at fault? Why do WE need to "come to god and be forgiven" when HE set the parameters that made the screw-up inevitable? Did I spell "dysfunctional relationship" properly? Go ahead; believe in an invisible friend if you must, but, please! pick one that doesn't have a personality disorder. If your perfect deity is a narcissistic ass-hat you might be tempted to elect a narcis................oh.....right. Sorry, friend. Your religion DOES affect the lives of atheists, so, like it or not , we have a vested interest in your choice of fantasy when you use it as authorization to hurt and/or control us. Stay safe Be well
When one does not create the concept of SIN, there would be no need to beg for forgiveness. and that would put the whole forgiveness-industry out of business and out of revenue. A business whose CEO's believe in heaven but only when it's a tax heaven.
I love this. Your thoughts and comments resonates so well with what i fel and think. I use to call my self an atheist, i stopped because i do believe/hope there is a life after this life, i live by that thought, i do not believe there is a God. Therefore, i will probably call my self an atheist again. But also kind of a spiritualist because of my believe/hope for a life after this. That believe/hope is purely philosophical and i want to for my own spirituality. I have no need to prove anything, i do not know what's coming after death, I do not need to know but i want to believe, i have a need to believe so i will continue with that. Thanx
Credit where it'd due to the gentleman in the video, he did at least seem to be genuinely arguing in good faith, and I can always respect that, plus props to getting his audience to think about what they believe and why. I wish I wouldn't do his arguing whilst driving a big dangerous car though! Jesus Take The Wheel is a song, not driving advice. As for what motivates me, I honestly don't care what other people believe. I may find your beliefs childish or even asinine, but so long as you don't use your beliefs as an excuse for mistreating or abusing others, fair enough. You do you. I'm a strong proponent for freedom of thought and that includes freedom of religion. What makes me angry is the endless list of cruelty, injustice and atrocity committed in the name of religion over the centuries right into the here and now. From the genocide of the Canaanites to 9/11, it's relentless. I'm not angry at any god, I'm angry at what people do in their god's name. I know removing all religion wouldn't stop people being shitty to each other, but it would at least eliminate one thing that people seem to think is a valid excuse for it.
I agree with the guy. After all it is not as if strangers knock on your door asking if you have heard the good news or if you would like hear how Jesus came to the US so we could wear holy underwear. It is not as if every Sunday thousands of guys (usually) stand behind a small wooden stand and scream at you about Juueezus and what he wants (as interpreted by the speaker of course) for you. And if not, this loving soul will enjoy watching you tortured forever in the hell he created just for you. I actually believe he created man and woman so he could watch a little porn. But then he realized that being ethereal he couldn't enjoy it like they did and now he is still pissed.
Iv never been religious, neither has anyone in my family. But if i found out iv been lied too all my life, id be angry as well. Thats probly how many ex christians feel.
Your so much fun to listen to. I've been a atheist for years. Most atheist don't talk about their beliefs. Unless it comes up . I really mind what other people choose to believe.. atheist get attached all the time by American Christian. As for this man I don't. give a fuck . Thankfully I live in Britain. Which is very tolerant
Man he got so close! If nothing matters after we die, then what motivates you? To be able to change the here and now! To change what we do and how we behave now and leave it a better world for our descendents. You know, tangible stuff.
The main thing that motivates activist atheists is that religionists went just leave us alone! As for me discussing atheism… only online. I actively avoid discussing it at work (where the risks of "bad blood" are too high), or with adult relatives (who are unlikely to be deconverted at this point).
Like my grandmother told me when I got a gf, Her: do you love her? Me: yeah, why? Her:if you’re able to love then you love god, god is love Me:..........no comment 😂 Like euh no
He is actually saying that you might as well believe in God, because in the end it makes no difference for atheists if it turns out that there is indeed nothing when you die. And the all powerful God can't see if you're only pretending to believe? I guess the one sin Jesus is alleged to die for is hypocricy...
1) Like Matt Dillahunty, I believe there is personal and social value in believing as many true things and as few false things as possible, 2) There is massive overlap in the US between evangelical Christians and people with generally bad epistemology who hold all kinds of regressive, anti-science, misogynistic, homophobic and all grades of other bad values that are destructive to our society and the world. I oppose those people at all costs. Those are my motivations.
My motivation is the simplest and oldest in the book: Self-preservation. I want to live in a world, where I - as a transgender woman - have the right to exist, where I don't have to justify myself for being different, and where I don't have to fear for my physical or mental well-being for being honest about what I am. Christianity (generally speaking) opposes my existence, judges me for my differences, tells me I should feel ashamed and guilty for being honest about myself, and in the worst case advocates for my literal death. So yeah, I am outspoken in my atheism for the sake of my own well-being - and the well-being of others like me.
Concentrating on the camera and your speech while driving is likely to help you “meet” your good soon. Personally I want to make this world a better place in the here and now than work on an afterlife
I’m retired. I had a evangelical say my autistic son was the devils. I purposely search Christians videos and ask why they believe and there reasoning. I know I won’t change there minds,but I think if there aloud to put information that I don’t agree with. I’m aloud to challenge it. It’s almost an hobby.🤪🤔🤷♂️
On his 1 to 10 scale? I'm a 2. I had a very devout friend, who sadly passed away, that liked to talk about religions. He once tried to get me to join his church, and i told him that i wouldn't try to convince him there is no God as long as he didn't try to convince me there was one. He accepted that, although I'm sure he prayed for me to believe. We did however continue to have friendly discussions about religion. I did however convince him that he need not worry about an army of atheists helping Satan in the end of times, because whether Satan is pretending to be God/Jesus or out as Satan . Since we don't believe in either, we won't be joining his crusade. The look on his face was priceless.
Yeah, the reason many of us argue is not because we care about what happens after death, but what happens before that. If religion only affected your mind and spiritual life, then no sweat, live and let live, I say. But the moment religion starts harassing minorities and wave moralistic whips about to make life harder for some, perhaps even forbid their existence, we have an issue. A huge one.
I am motivated by pretty much the same things that motivate the average theists: ambition, love, desires, satisfaction, altruism and even selfishness. Only difference is that I don't attach "god stickers" to these motivations.
Why? Because I want a better world than the one we live in. In particular, I want a world in which women are totally in control of their own reproductive cycle. I want a world in which homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else. I could go on and on about the harm done by religion, but basically, I want a world in which those who practice any form of religion do it in the privacy of their own home, and stop trying to cram their beliefs down everybody else's throat. That's why I do it.
What motivates *some* outspoken atheists: some theists (*especially* monotheists, so Christians and Muslims) use their religious foundation to direct their interaction with others, including non-theists. And some use those foundations to push specific social policy, which affects all non-theists. If non-theists are all quiet, then the outspoken theists are the only voices, and they can easily meet their goals. So countering voices are needed, especially to convince the milder theists that their religious foundations should *not* be used to set social policy, and to have them help push against the "theocrats".
![The Wall Song ร้องข้ามกำแพง | EP.215 | พาเวล นเรศ - พูห์ กฤติน | 17 ต.ค. 67 [1/5]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IUzrjuf60P4/mqdefault.jpg)
What motivates me? Hmmm... let's see. Wife turned religious, our marriage died long ago, trans child with a bigoted mother is not fun, being told that I was unable to be moral or properly raise my kids because I lacked belief in a deity that told me what to do and how to behave, being emotionally tortured by arrogant people who tell me I am lesser than they are, anti-scientific beliefs that affect our daily lives (that did not pass onto my children - they are all atheists), religious people legislating life for the rest of us... want me to keep going?
That sounds intense! Sorry to hear that Bryan.
@@TheSkepTick It has been quite the challenge. But I have three amazing, free-thinking, secular children now, two of them are adults. Mission accomplished!
@@bortiz11 mission accomplished indeed. I, too, am raising two secular, free-thinking, young adults. And it's crazy to compare how simplistic their lives are compared to the anguish that was mine when I was a teenager and super religious, yet also a feminist who didn't want to 'stay sweet' to every male in my life. Whereas I tortured myself over normal teenage hormonal urges, my children don't even know it's a 'sin' to love oneself. And, best of all, they know if they want or need something, they have to take steps to do it rather than just praying and hoping that a god will hear them and deem them *worthy* of a positive answer.
Same story here Brian. Hard to listen to apologists claim that religion does no harm. Virtual hugs to you and your children through the internet.
(HUG)
Strangely I've never had an athiest knock on my door wanting to 'convert' me to their beliefs (or lack of beliefs), funny that.
That's because they are all preaching their cult down at the university.
@John Wilkes And what is that? Science? Logical thought? Those things that PROVEABLY allow your car to run, bridges to stand, and even St. Judes Hospital to save the lives of children? I was an Atheist in 6th grade. I was still an alter boy. I then spent 4 years at a Jesuit high school where we had church every week. So, it was religion that made me an atheist by your feeble argument.
@@Mr.PeabodyTheSkeptic Well said! 👍
@@johnwilkes4671 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I also don't spend hours upon hours on ruminating the nonexistence of god. Almost like the guy on the video thought systematically reinforcing your own worldview every Sunday was a normal thing to do!
I'm an atheist because I want to sin. I figure I can trick God into not punishing me if I don't believe in him. So far it's working very well!
I can't tell if that's a joke or you're just a really bad troll 🤣
@@DoctaOsiris joke 😉
I became one so I could 'be my own god'. But I don't believe in gods. Bummer.
@@knarf_on_a_bike Ahh, sarcasm at it finest, the kind that confuses you, love it 😍 ♥
@@donaldnumbskull9745 Oh, shit! Do you still exist? Are you okay?
When people ask me what I believe happens after death, I answer with one simple word.
Decomposition.
I've become more anti theist in the last few years. I didn't care much before, because i thought religion was mostly harmless. I have re-evaluated that, though, and concluded that religious belief is actively harming people and society. There's too much anti-mask and anti-vax misinformation seems associated with religion right now, and it is causing serious harm. Maybe someday that'll change, but for now since I perceive religion as actively harmful I've become more vocal as an atheist and antitheist.
And that’s an absolutely valid reason!
I actually agree, I've also become more antitheist in the last couple of years at least, at first it was because of my "angry Atheist" phase but I wasn't as against religion as I am now, I wouldn't say they're all bad, some kinds of Buddhism are quite harmless, after I left Catholicism I became a Sōtō Zen Buddhist for a few years and met some extremely decent people through it who literally wouldn't hurt a fly, like *_literally_* wouldn't (I fkn hate flies 😡💢), I think religions that don't worship deities like that are completely harmless, otherwise, I feel exactly the same way, religion, especially deity worship, needs tighter restrictions or just plain stamping out, the amount of deaths they've caused, especially recently with what's going on in the world and them not taking any responsibility for it whatsoever and certainly not apologising, if anything they blatantly double down and cry oppression, and the literal stupidity and entitlement is so cringe...
Spot on! My conclusions as well. I make no effort to hide my anti-theism. We need to speak up - no one else will!
@@DoctaOsiris
Well said. 💯
@@DoctaOsiris I live in a Buddhist country and there are downsides to living in the moment as Buddhists here do.
Most people don't have a lot of money, but there is almost no thought or planning into how to fund their old age/retirement.
People have a terrible attitude to personal safety, road laws are viewed by many as optional, people do things with no thought about what might happen, in part because they believe this life will pass and they will return anyway. You might think it doesn't really affect anyone else but families suffer, others trying to avoid an accident get hurt etc.
A lot of Buddhists pray for good luck or protection, people see a monk blessing a car as somehow making them safe, monks convince people to donate to ensure they get to heaven (I never heard of Buddhist heaven).
I'm not suggesting that Buddhism is as bad as almost every other religion, but that supernatural aspect of reincarnation, does detract from reality and leaves people open to exploitation.
All that being said, I've also found myself becoming more anti theist as I get older.
Seeing the influence of ministers/preachers upon the voters in religious areas has made me realize they aren't just manipulative regarding controlling their flock, they very actively want to control the country. I also see much of the division they preach as hate speech, the lies they tell regarding religious oppression as trying to gain support from the moderates, and the denial of science as trying to keep people uneducated so they won't ask questions.
They're subversive to the freedoms of secular society and should be silenced.
I'm not saying religion should be banned (although I don't see a good reason not to ban them), I just think if people recognized the aims of religion they would be banned from using the word of god to push a political agenda.
He is going to have an eternity of lights out sooner rather than later if he carries on driving like that... and unfortunately he is likely to take someone else with him.
my thoughts too.
I wonder wat the law on using mobiles while driving are in the States, but this is nummero so and such who is making a video from his car either driving or not driving.
Could it be that when they would do it at home, the wife would yell: "Now cut the crap!!" Seen that happen to a flatard making his video in the kitchen. Best debunking ever.
He's obviously not worried. He probably thinks jesus has taken the wheel! 🤦🤦😁
Becoming an atheist has actually helped me to understand religion better, notably Christianity. My curiosity led me down the road as to how it all originated and its vast history.
Like many other religions, Christianity and the Bible are a chimera of older myths and religions, and so are many of the characters within, notably God, Jesus and Noah.
Truth is stranger than fiction, and religions are a log of our evolving minds throughout the age of humans.
I find it endlessly fascinating trying to figure out why theists believe what they do. Even having been one I just do not get it and find the confidence they hold I'm convincing others astonishing.
I'm more fascinated why so many of these fools make videos when driving.
@@vinnyganzano1930
I guess they just let Jesus take the wheel 😉
Though i highly doubt that Jesus has a drivers license… 🤔
indoc when young, simple old fashion brainwashing
@Joshua Wingo
Not in this state lol
@Joshua Wingo
You _nailed_ it.
Fear of death is the reason spirituality evolved in the first place, a workaround for the inconvenient and crippling truth of our mortality.
God is just an anthropomorphic, anthropocentric projection of a creator by a creator (us) to explain how we got here.
But it's antiquated and vestigial thinking in light of all we know about our origins today.
Pascal’s Wager is useful in one sense; it weeds out the theists who have not put a lot of thought into this and can’t look past their own noses to realize there are other religions besides theirs
The roots of Pascal's Wager goes way back.
The wind thru the grass may or may not be a Sabre toothed cat, so better to err on the side of caution and scramble to the trees.
The monkeys in the trees might not be correct in their assessment, but they _live_ to reproduce
And so our reactionary, conclusion jumping mind was born.
We have a lot of old habits from our wild past to outgrow before we can become more like Spock and less like Bones.
Pacal's wager is made on the assumption that an omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient deity is naive and stupid, easily conned by those pretending to believe in the hope of gaining admittance to heaven.
Also ... what motivates _aggressive_ Atheists (here in "the West")? Usually aggressive Christians.
I am a 12 on the scale. The fact that people believe in a non existent being is fuel enough. On top of that, my extended family is very religious, so there’s a bit of fun in it for me as well, knowing way more about Christianity than they do. Why a 12 though - because religion is the reason for a lot of suffering (abuse etc). That is why I have absolutely no respect for any church or church representative. 1000 subs already! You deserve more!
What motivated my angry atheist phase? The fact that my mom talked me into going to a private Christian college where I racked up $50k in student loan debt before I finally walked away - unable to even finish my degree cuz I couldn't honestly sign the "statement of faith." Oh and then I had to suffer through 4 more years living at my parents' house trying to walk the line between being honest and not actually telling them that I wasn't a Christian anymore - that kind of stuff is stressful AF! So yeah, I was pretty pissed off and I definitely took it out on ppl online.
As soon as I moved out of my parents house (after I accidentally came out as an atheist in the middle of an argument - not an experience I recommend), my anger just evaporated. I felt like I could breathe for the first time in... my entire life, really. I didn't have to worry about what other ppl thought or believed. I didn't have to hide anything. I didn't have to come up with excuses to avoid going to church. I didn't have to sit through preachy prayers. I could just be myself.
And if anyone is wondering, yes, my parents did indeed kick me out when they found I was an atheist. Although I did get rather lucky in the process. Mom didn't want anyone else to know cuz she was worried they'd think she was a bad mother. So to avoid anyone asking why I had been kicked out, they gave me time to find somewhere else to live.
Your mom cares more about her public image than her own child? Probably for the best you don't live with that anymore.
Shall I be angry when stupidity is pushed into my life? I think I shall... and I think I shall resist.
They want to ban books in school that talk about sex, magic, or what they deem as too violent but they are ok with the bible in schools with some of the worse stories.
(Csb) Ezekiel 23:19Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egypt 20and lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.
@Dor Chib
Despite being a Christian I know that pain of having stupidity pushed on me. It started when I was 11, and it's gotten worst 22 years later.
@@DemonicRemption after reading the bible i had to give up my Christian title. Researching the bible outside of the bible was an eye opener and a search on what i believed and why.
@@DemonicRemption Sounds like you're having serious doubts. Why would you still be a christian?
@@DemonicRemption If you are still a Christian? tell me why, please.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is exactly what the problem is with theists, they're scared of what will happen after death (or, more accurately, won't happen after death) and the religion comforts and shields them against that for the most part, but sadly, in their quest to ignore reality they don't get to live a good life (not all of them at least), the one and only life you'll ever probably have and it's spent praying and wasting their life...
And I get it, it sucks, but that's more of an excuse to enjoy life and do everything we can other than pretending 🙃
Ricky Gervais said a great thing; ‘atheists have nothing to die for. They have everything to live for’.
I like that.
@@TheSkepTick Yes! Ricky Gervais is awesome! Definitely someone I'd love to have a drink with down the pub 🍻 🥃
Happy New year mate! 🤗 ♥
@@TheSkepTick i have to point out in "discussion" that being accused of not having an open mind is rich coming from people scared of hell and hoping for a pat on the head of heaven, the definition of "bias". they are under strict orders NOT to admit there might be no god.
@@DoctaOsiris
As a Christian I've seen this fear of death. If you think zealots are scared of oblivion, you're oblivious to how deep rooted religious propaganda gets in the human mind.
Repeat a rhetoric enough, and without contest, people will believe it without question. Introduce an aspect of fear in that rhetoric that threatens well-being, and they'll fear it without question.
As far as these people are concerned, Hell is real, and they fear it. I on the other hand lost this fear to my pessimism. A trait which is also psychological, as I professed myself to be a pessimist.
Psychology is a funny thing.
@@DemonicRemption So, you're fully aware of the fact that it's nothing but propaganda and you admit that you see the indoctrination working around you and yet, you still profess to be a "Christian"? How? Why? 😲
Also, are you saying that I'm correct in my observations but don't want to actually say it? Why is it so hard for theists to admit that someone who doesn't hold their beliefs is correct? Please, don't mice words, just say it, you might be surprised by the response, and considering that you already admitted that you're more than aware of the propaganda pushed by your own people I'd like to think you'd be well aware of the fact that not all Atheists are as bad as theists would propagandise us to be, we're not all bad you know. 🙃
I'm an Atheist and I'm not even motivated enough to finish thi...
Sam...
@@GameLeaderR MR. FRODO
...orps
...crifice
I'm an outspoken Acartheist. I openly speak out against idiots driving at night while trying to record themselves for a TH-cam video.
I think this guy answers his own question for me within the first three and a half minutes.
We only *know* we get this one life, that's it. We don't know what happens when we die, except from a scientific standpoint of the brain stops, and the body stops. Atheists want to (generally) enjoy this one life in a way that doesn't harm others, and maybe even give some of this life, to lift others up.
Theists choose to use this one life as a pulpit from which to try to terrify people into thinking just like them, by threatening that if they don't believe just like this guy, they'll go to hell. That's why some atheists choose to be vocal. We're just trying to show that the loudest one in the room, doesn't have shit to backup their sermon, and sacrificing the one life you've got, for one they swear you're gonna get, after you sign the dotted line (die) is a scam that's gone on far too long.
Good answer. Sadly, the religious are so convinced of their "Truth(tm)" that they seem to be threatened by any discussion about their beLIEfs. Their seeming fear that they have been lied to forces them to convince others of their monopoly on "Truth(tm)". As a result we see the religious, not just in muslim countries, but now trying in America, to govern using their ancient texts to legislate what they claim is "morality" from a "god". Funny how that "god" sounds like a bunch of smart but primative people.
Thoughtful people ARE vocal, when they watch leachers hypocritically shout from pulpits about prosperity, healing and others "perversions" in front too many sheeple, who sit in awe of the certainty put forward these con men (and women). My wife started giving lots of our money, without me knowing, to one of these cheats who claimed the end of the world was coming soon, you you bet I'm vocal.
Nine out of ten theist, when cornered on the mortality issue, will show their true nihilistic bent by projecting it onto nonbelievers.
We have already had to address our mortality and live our lives accordingly.
Theists, on the other hand, still have the bandaid placebo effect because of their innate spirituality.
When they refer to atheists as having no purpose or function, this is a sign that they themselves would be lost like babes in the woods without their spirituality.
@Thoron Neto - so what does the Man of Faith get in this world? Well the Christian weapon is hard and requires much, so what does the believer get in compensation before shuffling off this mortal coil??
Well there's hope, a hope that death is not the ultimate ruler of this universe. He also gets comfort, ethical guidance, peace, community, continuity, humility and powerful motivation to right behavior.
Now call me crazy, but to my mind, the man who has embraced, hope, moral instruction, peace ,community, continuity, humility and intense motivation to see his fellow creatures as made "in the image of God" is living the good life on this earth and making the very most of our one and only life on earth.
@Thoron Neto - so what does the Man of Faith get in this world? Well the Christian weapon is hard and requires much, so what does the believer get in compensation before shuffling off this mortal coil??
Well there's hope, a hope that death is not the ultimate ruler of this universe. He also gets comfort, ethical guidance, peace, community, continuity, humility and powerful motivation to right behavior.
Now call me crazy, but to my mind, the man who has embraced, hope, moral instruction, peace ,community, continuity, humility and intense motivation to see his fellow creatures as made "in the image of God" is living the good life on this earth and making the very most of our one and only life on earth.
@@johnwilkes4671 If it stops a person from being a criminal, that sounds ok. But one doesn't have to beLIEve any of that to live a good, moral, enjoyable life. Only self centered people would disagree, because "They're RIGHT!!"
What motivates my "aggressive atheism" is the environment. It has been put on a back burner *again* by the pandemic, and having to deal with religious anti-vaxxers in this light really annoys me.
Far out most of my anger is because of religious carelessness for the environment, the "God has the whole world in his hands" stance and the lack of action to preserve what is left of nature and biodiversity.
Is that motivation enough, Mr filming in the car?
Oh, and it's never about becoming a nonbeliever. It's about how you live your life.
You Really touch on something.
The whole 'The World Is My Toilet" mentality is what's going to kill us all.
There is no room service on this planet!
Recreation, my ass!!!!!
Truth is my motivation. Backed up by demonstrable evidence. Encouraging everyone to think for themselves.
Just another Christian, that doesn't like the taste of his own medicine.
For the most part, I keep my lack of belief to myself. I did mention it on my Facebook feed when I realized that I was transitioning from someone who just didn't go to church to someone who no longer held a belief in a particular deity. Surprisingly to me, since most of my family and friends were part of the religion that I left, most people didn't say much about it or they let me know that they held nothing against me for no longer believing. However, a couple months ago, I shared a second post that talked more about the trauma that I experienced as part of the religion and that's when I started getting pushback, particularly from my brother-in-law. He even had the gall to say that I had misunderstood what was taught. The gaslighting hurt and did make me angry and we got into a pretty good argument about it, so I learned that talking to him about religion would be unfruitful because I don't believe that he would be able to understand where I'm coming from. However, I have been able to talk to my mom about the reasons that I don't believe and while she doesn't agree, I think she can at least understand my doubts to some degree. If somebody asks and can listen and try to understand, then I will talk about it. If they disregard my experience or start to tell me how I misunderstand theology, then I get resentful really fast and communication will not continue.
the ONLY time i mention atheism is on social media, cos thereligious are such idiots i can't stop myself. i've had one or two conversations with xians "in life" but here in the UK xians are practically atheist anyway (we love dawkins and darwin). (well, not so much dawkins, but thats cos of his trans commentary).
@@HarryNicNicholas Did you actually READ his trans commentary?
I don't know your family. I could be way off base. But I'll share my reaction.
To me is seems MOST Christians are Christian by affiliation. They want to be part of the group, on the team that's winning. This is a perfectly normal thing; all social animals do this. Christians often don't even know, or care, what they are supposed to believe. I recently watched a video about the incompatibility of the truth of the Bible and belief in reincarnation. Apparently, over 30% (I do NOT remember the exact number) of Christians believe in some form of reincarnation!
My point: the belief aspect is the least important part of Christianity, for most members.
But when you told your brother-in-law that the team HE IS STILL ON is toxic, then it became a perceived attack, which had to be defended.
@@billskinner7670 I think you hit the nail on the head. It's not as big a deal for people to lose faith as it is to be seen as a attacker of other people's faith.
@@EluviumMC You remind me of another good point.
For those, Christian or Scientologist or Muslim (those are the examples for which I KNOW of examples, and obviously not all), who DO actually believe, losing faith itself IS an attack. People who lose faith, from groups to whom faith is actually important, skip the middle part of your experience, and find themselves embattled right away, sometimes as soon as expressing doubt.
I’m against any belief that encourages blind faith, thought policing, and bigotry as opposed to rational thought and open ideas.
What motivates me is the confidence and determination within myself
My question to him would be “If having theistic belief makes more sense than lacking theistic belief, why are you in the slightest bit concerned about what atheists do or say?”. Truth has nothing to fear from investigation.
As an atheist you don't have to spend all of your time thinking about arguments against god, there are only a handful of original Abrahamic apologetics and they all have pretty obvious flaws. I just enjoy watching science and logic win over superstition and emotive manipulation, particularly in discussions about evolution where there's often new evidence or hypotheses I've not heard about.
What motivates me is wanting to watch the world learn. and i can see unequivocally that religion is in resistance to that goal. they quite literally want to move us backwards.
Maybe Europeans should have moved backwards when they started taking over the land of Native Americans.
Oh for fucks sake; not Pascal’s bloody wager…again.
What if there is a god who has zero tolerance for blind credulity and obsequiousness and only accepts “militant” atheists into her heaven?
Aaaaaand…that’s the end of that argument
It's one of the few tactics they have left.
@@Thoron_of_Neto -that’s being generous. It would only convince someone who is under the impression that the only religion in existence is Christianity.
As I was deconverting,at first,I was pissed-off at Christianity.After a while,that subsided but I still I kept on assertively countering and rebutting evangelicals on TH-cam and the internet.My entire family are evangelicals,and have been for quite some time.So I stick out like a sore thumb.For that reason,and the fact that evangelicalism does harm to people in general and individuals,like causing them to commit their entire lives to a myth.,I continue on.
You are not alone in the fight. There is only so much time to live, solve, laugh and love. Praying and explaining the outcome in a religious framework is such a waste of time. It is just as wasteful as tything to maintain a building so as to hear "The Truth(tm)" from someone deluded or is conning people about the content of a bearly read, ancient anthology.
I'm almost completely uninterested, and bored by, all the theological debate which fills so much christian apologetics/atheist dialogue. The issue which motivates me is how human society copes while including believers in many different religions and non-believers, accommodating them all. The reason I assert my atheism is that religious liberty applies to everyone - it is a broad concept, not a narrow one - and includes my right not to have any aspect of religious observance imposed upon me. To stay silent would allow christians, muslims, or anyone else to think it was fine to apply their values, practices and observances without caring for anyone else's rights.
So, what's my motivation?
Not my atheism.
It doesn't define me either.
I am motivated by education, learning and making things grow (namely fish, plants and butterflies).
My lack of belief in the supernatural allows my mind to explore reality in better detail, without all those artificial beliefs and explanations.
I am glad that his faith brings him such joy. It’s interesting that he says we were created to have free will and yet religion seems to strive to restrict and control that free will. It’s wrong to shop on Sundays, it’s wrong to eats meat from a cloven hoofed animal. You may not use certain language. You must do this and you must not do that. Those and many other examples run contrary to the notion of being given free will.
I wonder if the guy you're featuring ever listens to what this multitude of atheists he is talking about actually say?
Well, he has an extra chance to listen now 😅
I'm sure not. They have invented an adversary to their liking as just another excuse to tout their perceived superiority and righteousness and feel persecuted. They have no desire to accurately portray atheists and so have no desire to interact with them. But then why should their concept of the wicked atheists be any less fantasy and lies than the rest of their unjustified beliefs.
@@derreckwalls7508 feeling persecuted is the main lubricant in the churchy business. "the church under attack" was a myth already created in the 2nd century and was perfected when the church itself became the persecutor.
If life is short, DONT'T BE DISTRACTED WHILE DRIVING!!!
Many Atheists keep quiet about their Atheism , because it is dangerous to do otherwise .
Why is he wearing a seat belt? One of the things the motivates me is that the actions of theists shows that they don't really believe. It is that cognitive dissonance that interests me, plus theists have so much power and wish to use it to do things I oppose.
I guess that‘s „Gods plan for him“…
until it isn‘t convenient for him anymore and something else is „Gods plan for him“.
"Why do you spend so much time and so much effort, trying to convince others that there is no god?"
For the same reason I try to convince people that there's no actual medical benefit to taking homeopathic remedies, and can involve numerous downsides.
Atheist here... I watch this type of content out of pure entertainment. But it helps learning how-to defend my views with guy's like the one in the video while driving
Welcome!! Make yourself at home!
"As an activist, I continue to hear this line: "Why do atheists talk so much about God and religion?" Or, "Why would someone speak so often about a deity he/she doesn't believe in?"
In truth, I suspect that these questions are deflections designed to make the questioner seem self-consciously obsessive...the sinner that "doth protest too much."
But the reality is that atheist activism exists because religion exists. Religion permeates our culture, shows up on our doorsteps with literature, scriptures and threats of eternal damnation, influences our science books, contaminates our political systems, indoctrinates our children and postulates that its doctrine must be followed, lest we be destroyed in body, in soul, or both.
Non-believers are simply responding to the avalanche of religious messages that bears down upon us daily. And they do so by (surprise!) speaking on the subject.
Religion gets carte blanche to be as vocal as it wants, to knock on our doors and accost us in our homes, in our places of work, in our personal and professional lives. Believers are charged with a life mission to preach, teach, disciple, shout it from the mountaintops and to "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Religion...is everywhere.
Ask yourself. When's the last time an atheist rang your doorbell with the Good News of Humanism? How often do you find Richard Dawkins books in the dresser drawers of your hotel rooms? When was the last atheist temple erected in your neighborhood? Have you ever attended an atheist revival? Has atheism demanded 10% of your household income? How many dedicated atheist television channels come through your satellite dish? How many atheist verses were you instructed to memorize as a child? When's the last time someone thanked a FARMER (or even the cook) at the dinner table instead of God?
On a more radical front, what's the name of the last atheist who sawed the head off of an "infidel?" Or sentenced a shrouded woman to death for displeasing an oppressive husband? Or strapped explosives to his belt in order to kill hundreds in a public square? Or publicly executed someone for being gay?
It's everywhere. Religion is a pounding drum that has gone mostly unanswered for a long, long time. And religion is not satisfied with merely existing quietly in the homes and hearts of the faithful. Its very nature compels the believer to proselytize, preach, promote, convince, convert and prevail. If you play on the team of the religious, your game plan is to stay, always, on offense.
Throughout our history, those who raise a simple hand of protest against these advances have been portrayed as the real problem. Religion has attempted to marginalize and defeat legitimate questions and concerns by indignantly portraying any resistors as misguided, immoral, rudderless, angry, miserable, lost and alone.
And when skepticism challenges wildly improbable (or impossible) stories found in the Bible, the Qur'an and other holy books, the religious wail, "Why do atheists talk so much about religion?"
It's often like asking cancer survivors why they're advocates for cancer cures.
We ask, we challenge, we battle, we care because it matters. The facts and fiction of religious claims matter. The larger question, "Is it true?" matters. The countering of religious privilege matters. And the building of a superstition-free future matters.
The next time a religious person labels you as obsessed with religion and God (pick one...there are thousands to choose from), just remember that religion began the discussion. It amplifies itself before the world. It targets the vulnerable and ignorant. It often threatens all humankind with punishment upon its rejection. And it's making Truth claims that - despite all of the fluffy platitudes about "faith" - must meet the burden of proof.
Religion started this mess. And if an atheist speaks out against religious claims, it's likely the speech wouldn't be necessary if the claims weren't made in the first place."
- Seth Andrews
Beautifully put. 👏
As I was reading I thought I would comment on how masterfully articulate you were... and then I saw it was good old Seth. You made an excellent choice of quote that so precisely addresses the topic, though. For that you deserve much credit. 😊👍
@@derreckwalls7508 I get so much mileage out of it. Mostly from theists who think they're the first to ask that question.
@@wyldink1 😄 Yep. As often as we get asked the same old things you would think every theist thinks they have come up with the most profound question imaginable. But I have a "profound" question from a Comparative Religion professor that so far has been avoided by every Christian I have ever asked. It is simply "what criteria did you use to systematically disprove the validity of every other religion and come to the conclusion only yours is true?" It was the question that solidified my atheism, and of course no Christian has ever considered it.
good post Set,
but on 🐯On a more radical front, what's the name of the last atheist🐯
a theist like in the video will probably come up with Lenin, Hitler and Stalin, claiming they were atheísts committing attrosities.
Not much is know about to what extend they were atheist or that they were atheists at all, Stalin even got the change to study at the Tlibisi Spiritual Seminar.
I think the question theist/ atheist played an very insignificant role in their psycho of megalomania and hunger for power.
I also think your statement would be stronger when you included the role the church played in the Ruandan genocide or the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, it's all cut from the same cloth wether the colors may differ.
I never really believed in a God. I did very well on my own, but over time I took a stand opposing religion and believe in general. I think its in the way of human progress. Believe allows someone to think, he has all the answers, eventhough he hasn't. I think humanity needs more unassumingness (humbleness) (even if I'm not sure if its the right word in english, but I like the sound^^).
We need more facts and should ground our world view in reality.
Jet I am in favor of the freedom of religion, but its a personal view and should be treated as one. So I don't like laws based on religious beliefs. Just because you believe in something doesn't mean I have to follow the same rules.
Love Kai
We're so valuable you're driving around talking to your phone, taking your eyes off the road, and might
hit and kill one of us. Yes we're valuable targets.
All I can think when watching the original video is "Please keep your hands on the steering wheel. Just because you believe in God, doesn't mean you have to send people to him."
"What Motivates Atheists?"
Reality motivates me.
Rationality motivates me.
Logic motivates me.
The ridiculousnes, twisted evil and depravity of christian theology motivates me.
There’s one specific thing that rubbed me the wrong way, and it’s when he said “I believe you were made above any animal” or something along those lines.
I wanna preface by saying I’ve been vegetarian for all 21 years of my life. When I was young, I didn’t think much of it, but as I grew older, I began to love and respect all animals as I do other people. I’m not here to preach vegetarianism, everyone can make their own choices. But I don’t see myself as being above any living thing. My dogs have their own thoughts and emotions, however simple or complex they may be. They’re still living. And to me that’s enough to value them as much as myself. In the same vein that our lives are short and we wanna make the best of them, their lives are shorter, and I wanna make sure they make the best of theirs first .
Agree or disagree with me, this is my personal view on animals. Hope y’all understand, but I just can’t agree with that guys stance.
As an atheist I only get upset when a theist tries to put words into my mouth. Logic says to me there is/are no god/s because my life experiences directed me to that position.
I only really get active when I see some bootlick lying to little kids.
There is this booth every year at our farmers market, featuring Dinosaurs to lure in the kiddies, who are then summarily misinformed that people walked with Dinosaurs and even shared the ark, and that the Bible was the first book ever written.
Every year I debate these fools and every year I holler bullshit.
It's a disgrace, and I hate a chicken hawk.
Just found you, going back through your past videos and finding excellent content. Subscribed and looking forward to watching them all!
Belief motivates actions. Actions that affect other people, the planet, me. I would like that people would have good reasons for their beliefs. Also, as long as there are reasons based on something tangible, we can have a constructive conversation.
I had no experience of conscious thought before I was alive, therefore I have no reason to assume that I will continue to experience conscious thought after my life ends.
Increasingly on YT there are theists that try to force feed us their beliefs, so why not the other way?
I don't really mind so much what people believe, as long as they use their critical faculties to achieve their conclusions. However, if one does not know how to use them correctly, it's a moot point.
I think this gentleman believes what he believes, because that is what he wants to believe.
WoW, I watched one of your videos yesterday morning and you had just over 1k subs. I watch another today and you’re pushing 4k subs!! Well deserved
Thank you! It’s been a cool 24 hours.
Life long angry atheist here. I'm angry with religion because of the irreversible harm it does on so many levels. I don't go out of my way to find believers and scream at them, but if they search me out to convert me, I let them know how I feel. And at that point I don't pull any punches. Same goes for trying to create theocratic laws. That's a no-no. And what motivates me? I do! I try to increase well being and leave the world a better place for coming generations.
For a long time I had no motivation. I had 'an hedonism' (an inability to experience pleasure or gratification) because of severe depression brought on by religious psychological abuse.
Now my motivation is to prevent the pathological beliefs and behaviors of some particular forms of Christianity from destroying significant portions of other people's lives. I feel I have a social responsibility to prevent that malignant religious mindset from infiltrating secular society. My empathy for humanity demands it. Since I have no particular skills necessary to effectively oppose religion I support several anti-religion organizations by "tithing" a portion of my income. I think any atheists who want to seriously oppose religion should support those most capable of doing so.
So, since he never explained explicitly _why_ he believes, we're left to speculate.
Based on what he's said, it sounds like his reasons are purely emotional.
He's saying, in essence, "I looked at world view X and world view Y, and I went with world view Y _because it makes me feel happier."_
Which, if that's enough for _him,_ then...sure? I just wish he could understand why other people can't accept the idea of making your life revolve around a belief that you only hold, not because of any real truth to the belief, but because of how it makes you feel. A world view of platitudes and placebos.
The biggest reason to speak out about religion, as an atheist, in my view, is because it is so insidiously ingrained into everything.
Religion claims to be the moral compass and so we trust priests, who end up abusing children and religious political figures who constantly try to take the rights of autonomy away from, many women.
In addition, for me, it was years of guilt, shame, self-hatred and isolation that I had to work through once I gave Christianity up. Those feelings made it hard for me to even look at my faith fairly and even when I knew it was absurd, I still worried about my situation being nothing but a test. It was a nightmare. I still truly hate Christmas and Easter. I can't just enjoy those celebrations in a secular way - I get very dark internally each year and do my best to hide that from my wife and girls.
Having worked through that, I feel compelled to help others to escape from it, if I can.
Thanks, Keep on truckin
I felt I had been lied too for many years too.
I still harbor that, as it translates Into other important aspects of my life, like politics, and culture.
the way he sped up the car when he said "what motivates you to keep going" had me a bit worried ngl xD
I'm a French citizen, living in a country (France...:-) ) where most people consider religion to be part of their private life. We usually do not discuss people's beliefs on religion. I'm myself an atheist, which was the case for the previous French president. We rarely define ourselves through this lens anymore. I worked for an American company for more than 20 years. I had a lot of contact with Americans, who usually were hard working decent people, living in a very harsh environment according to our own biased perception as French people. The ones who came to work in France, were usually quite surprise by how different their society was to our own. France is not a paradise on Earth, we have many social issues, which are still unresolved, but we have a dense providence state, which prevents many people from falling into abject poverty. It is again not perfect. However, the US is very different. People are economically much more fragile than in France, much more isolated...
Religion is the US seems to be the only way to break this isolation and to have a network in which you can make friends and have a social life. The problem is that scammers prey on these people. Their sense of community is corrupted into a hatred for others who are different and believe in other religions or in none. We should remind this guy that there are no atheist preachers on the street trying to "un-convert" people. However, I guess this guy would never complain about street preachers trying to push you into Jesus arms, because it is part of the job to be a Christian. You know black kettle and all this stuff. Their sense of community have been transformed into us against them.... This is tragic.
It was very interesting to read you experience and perspective on American society and economy. Some were very accurate and some missed the mark a little bit. Yes many people are very economically fragile. Most people in the US can not handle a sudden cost over $1000. Religion is very pervasive and part of the culture here. I’m an atheist and rarely mention it in public and every time I have people look at me like I’m some kind of leper. Religion is not the only means to break the isolation and create social networks, but it is kind of like playing a video game on easy mode. Most religious people know that any city, town, and or state they move to will have a built in institution there that will be there to help them and give them a sense of community. I wish it wasn’t like this. Mostly I wish that whatever religion or lack of religion people are wasn’t a prerequisite to holding public office. In the US it is practically impossible to hold public office and be an outspoken atheist, which just seems so stupid to me. In government atheist are the most under represented people. Anyways, it interesting to hear your thoughts. Cheers!
I actively seek out arguments, but only with apologists.
My motivation is that I find it entertaining.
Looking at the title, I wouldn't consider myself the latter, but certainly the former. And what motivates me is a nice blend of curiosity and spite, as well as a desire to just share my experience with others who have the same kind of curiosity in them.
As an addendum: I'm not exactly outspoken unless prompted, in which case I'm willing to lay out my case and gladly have a longer discussion about it, but I don't really care if I convince somebody of my side of the argument or not. As long as they don't judge me for not following their beliefs, I'm happy to have an exchange with people whose points of view differ from mine, and even if they judge me, I still like being able to better understand them following a discussion. And if they get actively hostile, then that's not my problem, but I'll try to excuse myself from the conversation at that point because continued engagement at that point is neither productive nor fun.
Because every argument made by theists to justify their belief is either manipulative, naive, unhinged or full of obvious holes (eg. God of the gaps).
As an increasingly atheistic agnostic, I have questioned numerous theists in the hope that they might give me reason to believe. I would love to know there was more to life than it seems.
I listened to numerous religious scholars on Robert Kuhn's admirable Closer to Truth series and not even one of them provided a good explanation. Robert K, too, was hoping to find at least something, and as the series went on I empathised with his growing frustration with the shallowness of theistic justifications.
I buck against dodgy claims generally, which are especially rife in the last decade or so. Misinformation is proving to be deeply destructive. The claims are made with great confidence and poise, even smugness and condescension - but it's always ended up being display behaviour to mask a paucity of valid content.
I would love to ask this guy:
So if the carrot of living forever was taken away, would you still “love and worship” your deity?
Don't forget the other carrot - having all of the people you don't like burning in HELL for all eternity.
I have to wonder why eternal life _is_ a carrot to them.
I absolutely do not want to live forever. I can't imagine a worse thing.
@@Diviance but if you lived forever you might be able to finally finish 90% of the total anime out there
@@KurenaiNanashi my one life for eternal life with the benefit to see all anime out there now and to come. Hhmm not a bad transaction. But there are more questions like do i keep aging and how fast do i keep aging etcetera. Don't wanna have a disfunctional body for eternity.
My stance is "why worry about a afterlife that may or may not exist. I'll try to create heaven on earth right here and right now. I try to do right by others, I do my best not to judge others (though this past year has really been trying my patience). And I help my friends and family where I can. I don't need a god or some other spiritual figure in my life for that. And I don't need a holy book to guide my morals."
Also, if only the most pious of people get to enter heaven, what's the point? No partying? Just keeping up that level of piousness into eternity sounds like hell to me.
As someone who could be described as an “aggressive atheist” the reason for my aggression is because I believe religion is harmful to society, beliefs don’t live in a vacuum they inform our actions.
I can remember being "put under"on the operating table.Of course I have no way of knowing what's after death,but waking up in bed after surgery,I had no recollection of what happened during surgery and up until they put me in bed.It was like I had lost time.Everything went black on the table,a couple of hours later,it was like I had never left my bed.I think that's what death is probably like-fade to black.But that's my opinion.I do know,that just as my fate was in the hans of the surgeon and his team,after death,I will be completely out of control of what happens next.
what always gets me about NDE's is, there you are on your death bed, not knowing if you are going to meet your maker or be burned alive for eternity, but you stopp off at the nurses station to see what's on tv, or pop into he laundry cupboard to make a note of bar codes on the bed sheets, or, what colour are the polythene garbage bags.
no one ever comes back with how to travel faster than light or a cure for cancer, it's always "granny says love each other".
@@HarryNicNicholas Exactly. And people from different cultures and religions see different things. There are NDE stories of Hindus meeting their god Yamraj and *not* Jesus or Yahweh.
I'm an atheist who does not care about the believe of others. I'm a BELIEVER, of freedom of choice. If you want to believe in god, go ahead, I don't mind. If you want to believe in hell and be afraid of it, go ahead, I don't mind. If you want to tell my friend that his existence is an abomination, I do mind. If you want to tell the next generation that everyone who doubts god is evil and will be punished, I do mind. If you want to take away freedom of others, because they do not share your very specific faith, I do mind.
Be a believer, be faithful, but be content with being it. Don't pester others about it and DO NOT INDOCTRINATE THE CHILDREN. Children are dumb, they think the tooth fairy is real. Of course they believe whatever the fuck you tell them.
One thing I have never understood about Christians in particular is their obsession with death.
In this video he is purely talking about the afterlife, and how short life here on earth is.
For most Atheists (the part that doesn't believe in an afterlife at least), death is just another fact of life, like breathing and pooping, and when it comes, then it's all over, so it's better to ignore it and focus on what's going on here and now.
I can't fathom how much these theists must miss out on because they constantly have to think about what comes after death
I've always had a sort of different spin on Pascal's wager as the reason I do not affirmatively believe; if The Christian God exists, and is at minimum all-knowing when it comes to the hearts of men, then said god would know if I do not sincerely believe. Therefore, going to a church and professing a belief in word but not in truth, that is, lying when I say "we believe in one god" as part of prayer, this god would be upset with me for lying to him and would rather I not do it. And here I borrow from Pascal's wager, in essence: if lying is bad, lying about belief in God would also be bad. But because God is famous for being forgiving, shouldn't he forgive me for not believing, provided I don't lie to him and otherwise act as a decent human being by promoting happiness and reducing suffering when and where I am able? I choose to believe this, because while I may have been raised Catholic, I not once learned my morals from Sunday school, but instead my parents and my peers. I learned storytelling from the church, ironically, and a unique form of kinship.
It sounds very much like his unspoken implication is that atheists shouldn't have the same right to speak of their beliefs as theists.
The implication that we should or shouldn't believe something based upon what happens after we die, is entirely an argument from consequences. I would prefer to believe things that look to be true, rather than try and convince myself for some dubious benefits that can't be demonstrated.
I believe that we should all try and live good lives, regardless of whether there's a God. And if there is a fair and just God, he would judge us based on our actions, not our beliefs.
Personally I don't frequently speak of my atheism in my life, unless I think the situation calls for it. I'm not going to defend my position to everyone I know, unless I see a reason I should.
Our beliefs are personal. And if someone is open minded enough to consider my beliefs fairly, I'd be happy to share. If someone is biased enough to not understand, I don't feel the need to be some sort of educational ambassador.
Interesting video. Thank you.
This young man is quite clear about why theists should not listen to atheists; although, his description of atheist thought leads one to suspect that he's not actually had an honest face-to-face conversation with an atheist. Having been raised a Lutheran, I understand. Honest give-and-take leads to doubt, doubt leads to non-belief, bingo! "Welcome to hell. we have a table for you next to the orchestra".
The part that fascinates me is that he doesn't listen to himself. 9:56 ....Yet, God, allowing free will, man INEVITABLY falls into sin, man separated from God.......
If our sinful state is inevitable, why are we at fault? Why do WE need to "come to god and be forgiven" when HE set the parameters that made the screw-up inevitable? Did I spell "dysfunctional relationship" properly?
Go ahead; believe in an invisible friend if you must, but, please! pick one that doesn't have a personality disorder. If your perfect deity is a narcissistic ass-hat you might be tempted to elect a narcis................oh.....right. Sorry, friend. Your religion DOES affect the lives of atheists, so, like it or not , we have a vested interest in your choice of fantasy when you use it as authorization to hurt and/or control us.
Stay safe Be well
When one does not create the concept of SIN, there would be no need to beg for forgiveness.
and that would put the whole forgiveness-industry out of business and out of revenue. A business whose CEO's believe in heaven but only when it's a tax heaven.
I love this. Your thoughts and comments resonates so well with what i fel and think. I use to call my self an atheist, i stopped because i do believe/hope there is a life after this life, i live by that thought, i do not believe there is a God. Therefore, i will probably call my self an atheist again. But also kind of a spiritualist because of my believe/hope for a life after this. That believe/hope is purely philosophical and i want to for my own spirituality. I have no need to prove anything, i do not know what's coming after death, I do not need to know but i want to believe, i have a need to believe so i will continue with that.
Thanx
He thinks we are all thinking about the afterlife. He’s so immersed in the death cult of Christianity.
Credit where it'd due to the gentleman in the video, he did at least seem to be genuinely arguing in good faith, and I can always respect that, plus props to getting his audience to think about what they believe and why. I wish I wouldn't do his arguing whilst driving a big dangerous car though! Jesus Take The Wheel is a song, not driving advice.
As for what motivates me, I honestly don't care what other people believe. I may find your beliefs childish or even asinine, but so long as you don't use your beliefs as an excuse for mistreating or abusing others, fair enough. You do you. I'm a strong proponent for freedom of thought and that includes freedom of religion.
What makes me angry is the endless list of cruelty, injustice and atrocity committed in the name of religion over the centuries right into the here and now. From the genocide of the Canaanites to 9/11, it's relentless. I'm not angry at any god, I'm angry at what people do in their god's name. I know removing all religion wouldn't stop people being shitty to each other, but it would at least eliminate one thing that people seem to think is a valid excuse for it.
I agree with the guy. After all it is not as if strangers knock on your door asking if you have heard the good news or if you would like hear how Jesus came to the US so we could wear holy underwear. It is not as if every Sunday thousands of guys (usually) stand behind a small wooden stand and scream at you about Juueezus and what he wants (as interpreted by the speaker of course) for you. And if not, this loving soul will enjoy watching you tortured forever in the hell he created just for you.
I actually believe he created man and woman so he could watch a little porn. But then he realized that being ethereal he couldn't enjoy it like they did and now he is still pissed.
The best thing about Covid is it kept the Jehovah's witnesses from my door.
I don’t think people get to pick what they believe. Belief is not a creative exercise. You are convinced or you are not. There is no choice.
7:39 The day politics and religion are 100% seperated is the day i cant answer that question anymore
Iv never been religious, neither has anyone in my family. But if i found out iv been lied too all my life, id be angry as well. Thats probly how many ex christians feel.
If you raise somebody to preach their beliefs to everyone in earshot, don't be surprised when they start preaching about why they no longer believe.
Your so much fun to listen to. I've been a atheist for years. Most atheist don't talk about their beliefs. Unless it comes up . I really mind what other people choose to believe.. atheist get attached all the time by American Christian. As for this man I don't. give a fuck . Thankfully I live in Britain. Which is very tolerant
Man he got so close! If nothing matters after we die, then what motivates you? To be able to change the here and now! To change what we do and how we behave now and leave it a better world for our descendents. You know, tangible stuff.
The main thing that motivates activist atheists is that religionists went just leave us alone!
As for me discussing atheism… only online. I actively avoid discussing it at work (where the risks of "bad blood" are too high), or with adult relatives (who are unlikely to be deconverted at this point).
Like my grandmother told me when I got a gf,
Her: do you love her?
Me: yeah, why?
Her:if you’re able to love then you love god, god is love
Me:..........no comment 😂
Like euh no
He is actually saying that you might as well believe in God, because in the end it makes no difference for atheists if it turns out that there is indeed nothing when you die.
And the all powerful God can't see if you're only pretending to believe? I guess the one sin Jesus is alleged to die for is hypocricy...
Why do I believe? Because it makes me feel good.
This guy is quite clearly terrified of death. He needs to believe when he dies he won’t be forgotten. He’s scared…
A better question would be, IF there is a god, why does he think it's the Christian god?
1) Like Matt Dillahunty, I believe there is personal and social value in believing as many true things and as few false things as possible, 2) There is massive overlap in the US between evangelical Christians and people with generally bad epistemology who hold all kinds of regressive, anti-science, misogynistic, homophobic and all grades of other bad values that are destructive to our society and the world. I oppose those people at all costs. Those are my motivations.
I agree with the believing as few false things and more true things! That’s why I love the comments… I get so many ‘yes!!’ Moments.
So I went to checkout the comments on the OG video. He took it down. I hope he's on his way to deconstruction.
I looked for the channel too, which I couldn’t find.
@@TheSkepTick Maybe he had an accident...
I like to push back at the claims theists make about their utterly silent and invisible deities.
Oh no, not pascal's wager 😂
My motivation is the simplest and oldest in the book: Self-preservation.
I want to live in a world, where I - as a transgender woman - have the right to exist, where I don't have to justify myself for being different, and where I don't have to fear for my physical or mental well-being for being honest about what I am. Christianity (generally speaking) opposes my existence, judges me for my differences, tells me I should feel ashamed and guilty for being honest about myself, and in the worst case advocates for my literal death.
So yeah, I am outspoken in my atheism for the sake of my own well-being - and the well-being of others like me.
Concentrating on the camera and your speech while driving is likely to help you “meet” your good soon. Personally I want to make this world a better place in the here and now than work on an afterlife
I’m retired. I had a evangelical say my autistic son was the devils. I purposely search Christians videos and ask why they believe and there reasoning. I know I won’t change there minds,but I think if there aloud to put information that I don’t agree with. I’m aloud to challenge it. It’s almost an hobby.🤪🤔🤷♂️
On his 1 to 10 scale? I'm a 2. I had a very devout friend, who sadly passed away, that liked to talk about religions. He once tried to get me to join his church, and i told him that i wouldn't try to convince him there is no God as long as he didn't try to convince me there was one. He accepted that, although I'm sure he prayed for me to believe. We did however continue to have friendly discussions about religion. I did however convince him that he need not worry about an army of atheists helping Satan in the end of times, because whether Satan is pretending to be God/Jesus or out as Satan . Since we don't believe in either, we won't be joining his crusade. The look on his face was priceless.
Yeah, the reason many of us argue is not because we care about what happens after death, but what happens before that. If religion only affected your mind and spiritual life, then no sweat, live and let live, I say. But the moment religion starts harassing minorities and wave moralistic whips about to make life harder for some, perhaps even forbid their existence, we have an issue. A huge one.
I am motivated by pretty much the same things that motivate the average theists: ambition, love, desires, satisfaction, altruism and even selfishness. Only difference is that I don't attach "god stickers" to these motivations.
Why? Because I want a better world than the one we live in. In particular, I want a world in which women are totally in control of their own reproductive cycle. I want a world in which homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else. I could go on and on about the harm done by religion, but basically, I want a world in which those who practice any form of religion do it in the privacy of their own home, and stop trying to cram their beliefs down everybody else's throat. That's why I do it.
The truth is motivation
What motivates *some* outspoken atheists: some theists (*especially* monotheists, so Christians and Muslims) use their religious foundation to direct their interaction with others, including non-theists. And some use those foundations to push specific social policy, which affects all non-theists. If non-theists are all quiet, then the outspoken theists are the only voices, and they can easily meet their goals. So countering voices are needed, especially to convince the milder theists that their religious foundations should *not* be used to set social policy, and to have them help push against the "theocrats".