Atheism and When to be a Vulcan

Have you ever heard of the term straw vulcan? It's a fairly common TV trope in shows such as Bones and House MD. When we start debating the lack of evidence for deities and other supernatural phenomena it's also a common misconception of atheists, because love is something that science can't explain. As such, we could be viewed as being too logical and lacking emotions.

The truth is that nothing could be further from the truth. Skeptics are human, and as such we experience emotion. The difference is that most of us have found out when the use of emotion is appropriate.

As I've said previously, I'm looking for answers. Why? Partially because I like learning about how the world around me functions, but also because I have three children that I can pass the knowledge on to. I didn't just look at a rainbow and say "How pretty", I wanted to understand the mechanisms behind its formation. I didn't just look up at the sky and think about the weather, I wanted to understand what makes the sky blue and how do clouds form. In my early teens I started looking at how the gears of a bike work, because I wanted a gear ratio that I considered optimum for my style of riding. It's rare that I see a phenomenon that I don't already understand the basics of or search to find the answer to.

Still, understanding how things are formed and work doesn't prevent me from staring in awe and amazement at the simple (visually) beauty of a rainbow, staring up at a clear blue sky or figuring out what shapes the clouds resemble, and it sure as hell didn't stop me from wearing out that bicycle through years of enjoyment.

And in case you were wondering about that abstract thing we call love, it's a helluva lot more complicated than just something we feel and we've probably just scratched the surface, but that doesn't mean the smile from the hot blooded latina nurse that I'm married to has any less of an emotional effect on me.

Knowledge of how things function doesn't just bring the warm and fluffy emotions either. Someone trying to justify bigotry in the case of homosexuality causes me to feel anger, pity and other negative emotions. Why is that? The person is using irrational means to keep their own delusion and intolerance going, and ignoring rational and scientific evidence. When someone claims that the scientific consensus on the explanation for the diversity of life on earth is a lie because their multi-millenia old book written by superstitious, ignorant, bronze age pseudo-authorities says it's wrong I get pissed off, mostly due to the perpetuation and willful ignorance (stupidity?). When a billboard goes up in Cincinnati and nearly 80% of those asked are offended by it, when it only said

Don't believe in God? You are not alone.

my emotional response is "What the fuck?!"

So yes, even though I'm an atheist/materialist/rationalist/skeptic I do experience emotions. All of those things have also taught me when emotion is appropriate, and even necessary. Here's a hint... If you find yourself using an emotional argument to explain a natural phenomenon I'm not going to give your argument any credibility. Emotional arguments are what people resort to when they don't have an evidentially supported and rational one.

What it all boils down to is logic and emotion are both tools. Logic should be used in examination of the phenomena, but emotion should be used in experiencing it.

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Exchange with a Coworker: Continued

I finally got around to responding to my coworker's letter. I was immensely disappointed with what he wrote, as was another reader (and also my wife, and another coworker). It was virtually identical to the groupthink that I've always gotten from fundamentalists. "It's how I was raised", "I read the Bible", and "I examined the evidence". I can say all of those, too. I haven't read the Bible as many times as some believers, but part of my response to him explains that. Regardless, what I was mostly interested in was why he believes.

Since he didn't explain why he thinks his version of God is worthy of worship, I asked. I even explained why I couldn't worship the Biblical God even if I thought he did exist.

Thanks for the compliment from your first paragraph. I've spent a great deal of time in the last few years organizing, analyzing and questioning my beliefs and personal philosophy. However, I would like to point out that it was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, not Einstein, that is attributed with the quote. You know how much of a stickler for accuracy I am.

Our histories are actually very similar. Several previous generations, and most of the current one, identify themselves as belonging to one Christian congregation or another. Mostly Pentecostal and Baptist. I'm even named after my paternal grandfather who was a Pentecostal preacher, my father is an elder at a Baptist church and his brother is a Pentecostal preacher. That may give you some idea of what I was taught when I was growing up, but to tell the truth that is irrelevant.

As you put it, you read the Bible and examined the evidence and came to the conclusion that Christianity, and in particular the Church of Christ, was the "universal truth" as I've heard you state previously. While I, of course, disagree that's not what I'm interested in hearing about.

Before I continue though, I feel the need to clarify something. You asked me to read what you wrote as from someone who cares about me, but I'm going to ask you to read the following knowing that I'm genuinely curious. Finding what someone believes is relatively easy, but finding out why they believe it can be immensely difficult. Often, especially in the case of religion, they haven't really thought about why they believe what they believe. When asked the person questioned can be uncomfortable, defensive, or even angry. From what I've experienced this sometimes comes from someone being taken outside their comfort zone when they have to think about the answer, especially if the answer drastically affects their beliefs. I can't even say that I'll apologize, or even feel guilty, if this happens. I have no desire to go through life thinking I have the answer because it makes me comfortable. I want to go through life periodically being uncomfortable, because I'm looking for answers. Now, onto the question.

According to the list you gave, quoted from President Garfield, you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. For the sake of discussion, let's say the Bible was actually authored by those who God spoke to, and the entirety of the Bible is truly its word. What reasons do you have for believing that God is worthy of your worship?

The reason I ask this is mostly out of curiosity, but also because I've read the Bible and found it not only uninspired but uninspiring. If I were to find God did exist, I could not in good conscience bring myself to worship a being that not only condoned but ordered genocide (1 Samuel 15:2-3), set up rules for slavery (multiple instances), and gave some truly heinous reasons for execution (various passages of Leviticus).

That's the only thing I'm going to ask, because that's the biggest question I have. I can understand someone believing in a higher being (sort of), but I have difficulty understanding how they can find that being worthy of worship based on a book filled with such attrocities.

Now, I just have to wait for a response. I'm hoping it's quicker than the last time, but considering how much I'm making him think I'm not betting on it.

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Exchange with a Coworker: His First Response

Earlier, I sent an opening letter on a discussion I'm having with a coworker. On the second of this month he sent his reply. I've edited his response to take out personal information, but everything else is intact.

[Berlzebub], I appreciate you taking the time to share with me your thoughts and beliefs. After having read your brief explanation, there’s no doubt you’ve done a lot of reading and research and have given a great deal of consideration to what you believe. That’s good. It shows you’re a thinking man. Albert Einstein was once asked back in the 1950’s, “Doctor, what’s wrong with man?” He was quoted and answering, “Men simply don’t think.” By simple observation, it would appear a fair number a people seem to go through this life giving little to no thoughts about what they really believe as their basic values and deepest beliefs.

Before going too much further, I’m sure you know I come from an entirely different view point than what you have expressed. My background is one of being raised up in the church. My dad was raised in the Methodist church and my mother joined that church when they married. My dad’s family on both sides had Bible believing, church going Christians for generations. So it would seem only logical that my brother and sister and I would grow up be taught the Bible and learning about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I do believe in God and his eternal existence. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, Son if the living God and I believe that he gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in him and claim him as their Lord and Savior. For the last forty plus years, I have been a member of the [Local] Church of Christ. I have served as a teacher, a deacon (servant of some particular ministry), and as an elder (a position of leadership responsible for the church working together alongside other elders).

Perhaps James A. Garfield, former President of the United States, summed up best what Christian churches and Churches of Christ believe. Quoting from an article written for the Christian Standard publication November 14, 1993, it states that:
“President Garfield even served as a “lay preacher.” To answer the many questions he received about the group of believers with whom he worshipped, he wrote a classic statement:

1. We call ourselves Christians, or Disciples of Christ.
2. We believe in God the Father.
3. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and our Savior. We regard the divinity as the fundamental truth of the Christian system.
4. We believe in the Holy Spirit, both as to His agency in conversion and as indwelling in the heart of the Christian.
5. We accept both the Old Testament and the New Testament Scriptures as the inspired Word of God.
6. We believe in the future punishment of the wicked and the future reward of the righteous.
7. We believe that the Deity is a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God.
8. We believe the institution of the Lord’s Supper on the Lord’s Day. To this table we neither invite nor debar; we say it is the Lord’s Supper for all of the Lord’s children.
9. We plead for the union of God’s people on the Bible and the Bible alone.
10. The Christ is our only creed.
11. We maintain that all ordinances should be observed as they were in the days of the apostles.”


With that said, I need for you to do something for me. As you read what is being shared, I want you to read it as though your read a letter from a good friend from back home, someone who you know cares about you. If the words are read in a different manner or taken wrong, one could get the feeling of animosity or that someone is shouting at you. That’s not at all what I want to portray. I want you to know if a sentence or phrase that gives you that kind of feeling, that is certainly not my intention. Our agreement was to share our ideas, thoughts, beliefs and values with one another. As a believer in Christ and the written Word, we are told to share the Good News with others. Sharing the Gospel or Good News and it’s called is what we are asked to do in God’s Word, the Bible. It is not for us to convict someone else or to “save” anyone. We are simply to share the Gospel with anyone who might be willing to listen. The Bible says it takes that which man thinks is the weakest and uses it for His work. The Holy Spirit takes the written Word and uses it to build God’s kingdom. If a person is willing to listen to what is being said (or read the Bible for themselves), and consider the facts and evidence, then we believe the Holy Spirit will work with that person. Christians also understand the Bible when it says the Lord gives us freedom to choose Him or reject Him for ourselves. In so doing He knows that many will reject Him even though there is evidence to support His claim.


In your writing you mentioned a number of individuals who have influenced your thinking. Just as I mentioned my background and why I believe what I now believe, perhaps we can agree you believe what you believe for the same reason. You have read and studied what different individuals have learned and written about and you agree with their assessment. In this, you and I share a common approach to our belief system. I think the people we are closest to while growing up, our teachers we had in school from the early years to college, preachers if we went to a church or place of worship, the authors of books we read. All these are our influences that have led us to where we are now. I think everyone is influenced to a large degree by these factors. Most of what we consider our basic values and core beliefs don’t just appear. It takes years of love, care, of teaching, nurturing and mentoring from those around us. Along with this, we include the experiences we had along the way. One day we get to a point and look at what’s going on in the world around us and we say to ourselves, “Well, this isn’t right,” or “that ought to be this way”, or “they should/shouldn’t be doing that to those people.” Suddenly, however young or old we may be, we actually have a belief about certain things. We realize there are people and things and ideals that we value deeply. And when we look at others around us and the rest of the world, we suddenly realize that not everyone believes the same things that we do. We find ourselves asking what, how, why and why not about both good things and bad things going on all around us.


Well, that’s probably enough for now. It may be what you were wanting to know or expecting or maybe not. But perhaps it’s some food for thought.

Thanks for sharing,
[Coworker]

I know it really doesn't matter, but I wrote my opening in one day. It took my coworker 73 days to send this response. According to his letter, I'm assuming (and I've emailed him to confirm it before I respond) that his philosophy copies that of the Church of Christ. Considering the quote from his first paragraph, I find that interesting. I also found it slightly humorous that it wasn't Einstein, but Dr. Albert Schweitzer who the quote is attributed to, but even then I can't find a reference to the article the quote appeared in.

I'm working on a response to send him, but you're just going to have to wait to see. I don't want to spoil the surprise [wink & smile].

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What No One Tells You About Pregnancy

I've told the story of what the mother has to go through for IVF, but there's more to it than that. Elyse, over at Skepchick, has a list of things that you won't be told. Going down the list I was able to check off everything, except the pooping. I don't recall that happening, but then again I had other things on my mind. Plus, my wife's a nurse, so that can sometimes be the topic of dinner conversation.

Now, if you are one of those who thinks that pregnancy is the most wonderful thing in the world, that a swollen belly is the worst side effect pregnancy has, or that pregnant women don't deserve some amount of consideration then you really should go read it. Also keep in mind the article only covers what occurs in an average pregnancy, and doesn't cover possible complications that a mother-to-be might have to endure.

So, if you want to get pregnant go read it to see what to expect, because the others who also want you to get pregnant won't tell you this shit. If you don't want to get pregnant, go read it so you can make a list of the things that you don't want to go through before you have to deal with sleep deprivation for a few days, weeks, or months.

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