For the Sake of Science

Well, I was wrong – about that, I must be humble.

I recently wrote about the local paper not publishing a letter I sent. I was told by Jim Evans it was because staff had been sick and they were trying to catch up. In the meantime, letters referencing dates and events which took place a full week after I had submitted my letter were being published. The conclusion?

Jim Evans is a liar.

There. Simple.

However, I wrote a second letter (while also submitting my first once again). This was just got published (and in the Sunday edition, no less; Ooo la la).

God does not exist. I say that without hesitation, but not without qualification.

There is no way to prove a negative. As such, no one can say God does not exist for certain. However, that same logic means no one can say for certain that Zeus, unicorns, fairies, and other magical beings do not exist. The necessary conclusion is that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence — however, absence of evidence which should be present is evidence of absence. If, say, the version of the Christian god in which most people believe does exist, we should expect to see certain things. Prayer healing, for instance, should show positive results for those who receive it versus those who do not receive it. This does not happen. This is one piece of evidence that this particular god does not exist.

Of course, losing one’s faith in a god is a process, not a moment. However, should one be lucky enough to complete the course, it will soon be discovered that life is all the better, all the more free.

Atheism has the power to bring about this good, this freedom. It releases the mind of mythical religious burdens and leads to a focus on humanity, on reality. It is itself not a system of belief, so its strengths are limited. This is a good thing. The more free a mind is of dogma and doctrine and ideology, the better.

I implore the great number of atheists reading this to stop coddling religion. It has not earned the deference it is given. We should all stop pretending otherwise. Do not acquiesce to demands of respect by its adherents. Instead, first demand evidence.

Finally, to my fellow atheists, you are not alone. Do not fear speaking our side. The world needs it.

How militant!

Filed under: Atheism/Humanism, Politics and Social | Tagged: Jim Evans, Jim Evans is a liar, Kennebec Journal | 16 Comments »