Lessons Learned

It's no secret that I like to debate online. Many Atheists who are vocal about their Atheism tend to get into these debates, but some of us actually enjoy them. I enjoy discussing philosophy as well as science and history. Every debate is a chance to test my knowledge and logic against a new person, to possibly learn something I've never even heard of before. I research as many aspects of the debate as possible, whether I think I know the answer to an argument or not. I present my arguments with confidence and I refuse to back down from them until they have been sufficiently defeated. As such, it can be quite easy to mistake my confidence for arrogance and my knowledge as being closed minded. This leads to one fairly obvious question.

"Why do Atheists think they know everything?"

The short answer is that we don't. Granted there are some of us who are that arrogant, but I'd hardly call them the norm. These types are in every culture, and aren't to be taken seriously. Those of us who debate online tend to acknowledge that they could be wrong and are more than willing to admit when they are wrong. The problem, and the question, arise when the opposing side does not provide a convincing argument but thinks that they have. While they continue to present the same argument over and over, wondering why the Atheist is not convinced, they are incapable of seeing that there is a glaring flaw in their argument which is preventing the Atheist from seeing any kind of connection.

Of course, we are not immune to this flaw. There are many times when we enter a debate with flawed logic or false knowledge. I can recall a couple of instances where I have stood by an argument throughout an entire debate, not knowing why the other person could not see the logic behind it, only to learn long after that debate that I was the one in error. If the other debater had found the exact information I had seen and presented it to me, I may have altered my argument right then, as I have done in the past.

The key, however, is not to know everything during such a debate, but to continue to learn through every encounter and to research everything you are talking about to ensure you have up to date knowledge. If your opponent refuses to see your point, it's time to look into it further. If they are right, it's better to find out immediately. If you are right, you are lacking the exact knowledge needed to convince them. In either case, repeating yourself like a broken record will get you nowhere, regardless what position you hold.

So, to sum this up, and to get back to the question, we don't know everything and we never will know everything, but we're okay with that. We get that we can be wrong and that we'll probably be proven wrong at some point in the near future on one point or another. If we're wrong and we're called out on it, most of us will admit that a mistake has been made. Those who don't aren't worth your time.

So keep debating, keep learning, and keep an open mind. We'll try to do the same.

Independent Atheism

As the 4th of July approaches, America's Independence Day, I can hear fireworks going off around me. The occasional red glare fills the sky, the sounds of bombs bursting in the air, and flags waving all over the place, whether the family is traditionally patriotic or not. Every year around this time I am reminded, quite forcefully but pleasantly, that I am living in a free country. These freedoms are challenged on many occasions, but they still exist.

"What rights and freedoms pertain to Atheism?"

Directly? None of them do. Not one right or freedom that I'm aware of directly mentions Atheism. I could be wrong, of course, but I've never heard of any. Indirectly? There are quite a few. I won't go into all of them, but here are a few big ones.

The first one that comes to mind is freedom of religion, part of the first amendment written in 1789. The government is not allowed to make any laws which support or harm any religious organization. In other words, no special treatment in either direction based on your religious status. Without this amendment, we could very well be living in a nation run by religion, one of the very things this country was formed to get away from. This amendment also guarantees that your child will not be forced into religious ceremonies in public schools.

Also part of the first amendment is the freedom of speech. You are allowed to voice your opinion despite how many people disapprove or disagree. As long as you are not intruding on the rights of others, you can say anything you want, in theory. In practice you still need to show a great deal of constraint.

Thanks to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal for anyone to reject employment based on religious status. You can't be denied a job because of being an Atheist. Again, in theory. In practice it's still possible, but only if the excuse is good enough. Still, it is one of our rights and freedoms. Besides, any company that would deny employment simply because you're an Atheist isn't a company you should be working for, anyway.

To make a long story short, we have the right to be Atheists. No one can punish us for it and no one can tell us otherwise. This is our right and our freedom practically since this country was taken by the colonies in 1776. As long as we live here we can continue to fight for our right to be Atheists. Not by fighting other countries, but by enforcing the laws in our own.

While freedom still reigns supreme in America, so will Atheism exist and thrive.

Happy 4th of July.