A few months ago a reader, Roofwoofer, posted a question in response to my Love questionnaire:
Many atheists state that one of their primary objections to the existence of God is that there is no evidence for it that would stand up to the scientific method.
So the question is, are there things that are real but that reality isn’t supported by results of scientific testing.
So, in what sense is love real? Does it exist? If you believe someone loves you, what would you say if someone asked you to prove it?
I was recently asked this same question by my mother, and I’ll admit I hadn’t thought it through very well and was feeling defensive at the time, so I didn’t have a good answer for her. In fact, this comment sounds so creepily similar to the words my mother said to me that I wonder if Roofwoofer is my mother or if they get their debating points from the same source. Maybe this is a more common argument than I realized?
How would the atheist community answer questions like this one?
graphic by James Ellis
I follow the hashtag #atheism on twitter in order to keep abreast on what people are saying about religion and other controversial subjects. Often the content contains thoughtful discussion or bits of news that interests me, but much of it resembles typical “zinger” one-liner material: pithy 140-character messages that resemble confrontational bumper stickers instead of well-balanced arguments against religion. Yeah, I’ve done it too. I admit it! Twitter is the safe-haven of the verbal jab.
I spotted one such “zinger” today:
Without faith there could be no genocide, no racism, no bigotry; faith breeds evil. #christian #jesus #bible #god #atheism #islam #muslim
-@FlyingFree333 (Flying Free), 29-4-2011 13:30:22
I’ve certainly heard this hyperbolic argument before, and as an atheist I do not agree. I realize you cannot easily present a reasoned argument for an enormous claim like this on twitter, but even if there were paragraphs of explanation behind it I’m not sure I would ever be convinced that the sole reason for racism, bigotry, and genocide is faith. To avoid an argument about vocabulary; “faith,” could easily be replaced by “religion.”
I am far from being an expert, but I think there are sociological, psychological, and economic causes unrelated to religion that cause these problems in the world. Religion is certainly used to justify many horrible actions such as genocide (e.g. Deuteronomy 20:16-18) and slavery (e.g. the Curse of Ham). However, I do not think all religions or faiths bring about these results, nor do I think ruling out other causes for the evil in the world is wise.
I’d really like to have a discussion about this claim. Is faith the cause of genocide, racism, and bigotry?
And as a side question: What do you think about these kinds of pithy statements on twitter? Do you think they help anything or perhaps give atheists a bad name?
Comedians … and usually only comedians. The rest of us need to be polite and respectful of other beliefs—or so I’m told.
Here’s a hilarious gem from David Cross of Arrested Development fame. If I could see a live routine, I’d be in heaven (riding in the back of my hot pink Hummer limo with St. Michael acting as my chauffeur).
Hat Tip: The Good Atheist
A believing science teacher? I’d like to see one of these in its native habitat. Granted, this blog isn’t active anymore, and these posts are a bit old, but I find these tiny snippets tantalizing, and I’d love to see more. I am so fascinated by people who study and work in professions that lend themselves to the rational and critical mind and find those studies uplifting to their faith.
I teach evolution as a theory-because it is. I believe in creationism, yet I do think that organisms have changed over time, but not to the extent that every living thing on this planet evolved from one single-celled organism.
…But so many times I feel like teaching is a great way to be Gods hands and Feet–and to love and make a difference in so many peoples lives…So as I thought more about it, I realized that perhaps it is better for my students to hear about Evolution from a Christian–(even though I do not tell them about my beliefs) than someone who is a strong advocate for Evolution. I always say prayers. All the time for my students, my school, and the things that I teach…So hopefully I’m doing the right thing–even if it is a little contradictory.
There are those moments in life, when you experience or see something that just touches your heart, to the point where you think, “This is one of those things-where it seems impossible to me that anyone in this world couldn’t believe in God.”
What brought this thought to my mind today is my current Biology unit. Protein syntheis. … I know this sounds like gibberish, but the real fascination is that these [DNA and mRNA] molecules are living–something is pushing them to keep going every day. They’re so tiny. We don’t even think of them, but they keep growing, replicating, and changing. The only explanation I can find for this phenomenon is God. He is what keeps us living, and going, and at a molecular level, our proteins synthesizing.
Isn’t it interesting how our perspectives and conclusions can differ so drastically?
Meghan on 
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