1)How confident are you that no gods exist? Why?
I am of the very strong conviction that a god or gods, as defined by the various conceptions of such hypothetical entities by humans, do not exist and very likely have never existed. I am a strong advocate of the sciences, and as such, try very hard to keep my own personal bias and emotions detached from what I actually know to be true. Shedding any preconceptions about spirits and gods, and looking at the facts as they are and at the data that we continue to attain, the notion of a god does not even arise from it. No divine entities emerge from the evidence. To quote Carl Sagan, "I don't want to believe. I want to know." I wish to remain unbiased in my pursuit of knowledge, and I have noted that others who view evidence as a proof of divine entities, already possess preconceptions on the nature of these entities and view the world through this lens. The idea of a god does not arise unless you already have the preconception of a god. To sum up, I am confident because the origin of faiths in such entities is illegitimate -- not based on evidence attained in the modern age with the tools that we have developed. It is an old idea for an older people, before our time.
2)Why do you believe atheism is more logically respectable than theism?
Well, naturally, because I am of an atheist persuasion. As stated above, I strive(and sometimes fail) to view the facts while controlling and separating as much personal bias as I can. I think of atheism as a more logical way to process information. Remember that atheism simply means "no god", or "no gods"-- it is far from an organized belief system, and does not have the dogma of religion. It is a simple statement of "I do not believe there is a god or gods." Naturally, disbelief in concepts like heaven and hell follow, but they are not addressed by the term atheist. If a question is posed to myself(and many other atheists, though we are not all the same because the only thing that we must have in common to be called atheist is disbelief in a god), then my thought process is "do I believe in this?", and then I evaluate myself and give the answer. It is not, "would an atheist like me believe in this?", followed by checking what atheists are allowed to believe in and disbelieve in before giving an answer. I find that in some cases, not all, that the religious must consult their church officials before answering questions concerning ethics, morals, matters of faith, etc. I got off track, but yes, it is a more logical "operating system", if you will.
3)If a God/gods exist, should they be worshipped, why or why not?
Human concepts of god vary so vastly, but for the majority of them, I should bloody well think not. I have a bible in my room, I like to flip through passages first as a "believer", then as a "skeptic", and then evaluate the reasoning behind my opinions from both perspectives. Often, I find, that it is easy for the faithful to dismiss the great god-given injustices of the Bible, because it's so foreign sounding and old in those dark parts, and it's easy to get stuck on the newer ideas of love and compassion. Strictly old testament speaking; no. I read through, I believe the book of Joshua, and counted somewhere around ten extinctions of entire cities of people, condoned by the almighty. I take comfort that there is no historical accuracy to these pieces; they come from a time when history was not so much an accurate recording, and more a competition for who could write the best stories about how much larger their god's penis was than the god of the people one city over. The implications of the ten commandments are startling; not only are the first three devoted to inflating the creator's ego, but the last control what you are allowed to think in your mind. I am of the opinion that it is very wrong to tell people what they may and may not think.
As for other religious figures, I come from a culture that is largely christian so I am of a lesser education on other concepts of gods. However, if the creator or creators, which we would call gods, are just, wise, and humble-- then I don't think they would care much whether they were worshiped or not. I picture myself as a god figure, and find embarrassment in the attention that the world gives me. Were I a god, I would found my creation on mathematics and scientific principles, and then step back and observe as it played out. To watch life blossom in isolated pockets, to see the rise and fall of countless civilizations dotted throughout the cosmos, to feel the passions and convictions of my creation swell and die only to be reborn in others. To watch them learn, to grow, to mature. They do not need my hand to change the nature that I have so lovingly made; that is not why I am here. I would be proud of them as they ventured out in awe of what I had made, and as they used their burgeoning intelligence to map out the laws and principles that I had founded. I would feel their sorrows as their civilizations dwindled and died, and they felt the weight of all their history coming to an end. This would be respectable in a god. And none of us would ever know they existed. If they would, for some reason, make their existence known, then I would laugh with them, and cry with them, and I would love them; but I would be a friend to them, and not a servant. I would not worship them. I do not see these qualities in human 'gods'. Human gods want to be worshiped, and that is conceited. I cannot justify inflating the ego of such creatures through prayer, worship, and my ultimate surrender to them.
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