Benefits of Atheism

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I'd like to start a thread discussing the benefits of atheism.
 
Nothing you HAVE TO do sunday morning.

Extra change from not tithing.

I don't have to be moved by arguments based on the contents of "holy text".

I can enjoy jokes like "Jesus throws three nails on the hotel counter and says 'Can you put me up for the night?'".
 
Benefits :

1. Being in the majority in any debate against a particular religion
2. Not having to worry about consequences for anything I do...apparently (wish I'd found about this little perk a lot earlier! Where were you when I needed you Franko?).
3. Freedom to play Grand Theft Auto 3 without guilt
4. Heavy Metal music
5. Permission to stare lustily at nuns (ohhh....nuns...)
6. Harry Potter
7. Not being associated in anyway with Logical Deism
8. Being associated (even vaguely) with Soubrette and Seelie

Disadvantages :

None! (bwahahahaha)
 
A concomitant belief in ones innate intellectual superiority?
 
Nah, but I don't have to believe what I'm told just because it came from some nut in a robe.

There are plenty of bright religious people. They're geniuses at rationalizing away details like how the world didn't end at the appointed date (yet again).

Another benefit: when someone predicts the end of the world at a mighty hand of judgment, I can laugh at them.
 
Well, in my experience the better the scientist (for example), the less likely he/she is to be religious.

I stress "in my experience".

Furthermore, I've noticed that on this forum particularly, atheists seem to have a better command of English, and are also rather more skilled at articulating their thoughts, than their non-atheist counterparts.
 
LucyR said:
Well, in my experience the better the scientist (for example), the less likely he/she is to be religious.
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This has almost been proven, at least if "better" implies "extremely well-known in a very specific area of research." While about 60% of U.S. scientists don't believe in a God, that number jumps to 93% for NAS members.

But the pattern is much less distinct for equally well-educated non-scientists such as doctors and attorneys.
Furthermore, I've noticed that on this forum particularly, atheists seem to have a better command of English, and are also rather more skilled at articulating their thoughts, than their non-atheist counterparts.
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That's because the more vocal theists are disproportionately likely to be trolls, and trolls aren't usually Einsteins.


Cheers,
 
"...non-scientists such as doctors..."

That's rather vicious, Tom. However, I tend to agree with you.
 
Disadvantages:

1) No money from tythes
2) You can't justify your arguments with "because God says so"
3) You can't skip work because of random non-secular religious holidays
4) You have to take responsibility for your own actions
5) Your career as Pope is over before it can start
6) No fasting unless you're on a diet
7) People think you're a strawman
8) You can't take credit for inventing Logical Deism
9) You can't worship Denise
10) Stupid people will annoy you
 
LucyR said:
"...non-scientists such as doctors..."

That's rather vicious, Tom.
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It did sound that way, didn't it? I should clarify: speaking as someone who knows more Ph.D.'s than he should and has a nephew in med school, I think that the education doctors get is probably far more rigorous than the education most Ph.D. students get. But I tend to think of doctors as professionals like lawyers or engineers, and not as research scientists (though some doctors certainly are, and there are even joint MD/Ph.D. programs for people who want to do that sort of thing).


Cheers,
 
LucyR said:
A concomitant belief in ones innate intellectual superiority?
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Which would be unjustified looking at their "arguments".
 
Interesting Ian said:


Which would be unjustified looking at their "arguments".
Click to expand...

For once, you're actually right, but in a slightly different context.
 
Where to start?

1) Lack of unwarrented guilt (for sex outside wedlock, masturbation, sexual thoughts, use of birth control, & so on)

2) More money (not having to pay tithes and offerings - these are a real burden if you happen to be, for example, a Mormon)

3) Ability to make up your own mind, without waiting to see what the prophet/pope/religious leader of choice thinks.

4) Ability to accept new concepts without having to see if they fit in with a 200+ year old book.

5) dietary restrictions are physical, not spiritual (MMMM - pork chops - 12:30 - must be lunchtime
 
1) Ability to unjustifiably feel superior to all of the other religions.
2) Ability to pretend religion of A-Theism is not a “religion”.
3) Ability to pretend that the TRUTH doesn’t really matter. (Non-beneficial, or “Non-Useful” Truths are not True if you don’t want them to be.)
4) Ability to pretend that you don’t follow any rules.
5) Ability to pretend that there will be no consequences for your actions.
6) Ability to pretend that actions are not governed by rewards and punishment.
7) Ability to pretend that reality is fundamentally magical and incomprehensible.
8) Ability to pretend that the past is not based on the present, nor will the future be based on the present.
9) Ability to pretend that there is one set of rules that A-Theists follow, and another set for everyone else. (A-Theist don’t need to prove their god (“free willy”) only other Theists have to prove that their “gods” exists. (i.e. the Great Double Standard of A-Theism))
10) Ability to ignore the horrible Fate which awaits You.
 
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