Julia Sweeney takes us through her experiences with Catholicism, Buddhism, Deepak Chopra, and eventual atheism. Terribly funny and true to life. There are two moments in particular that rang very true to me: talking to the Mormon boys and realising their story wasn't any less ridiculous than her Catholic story, and quietly realising in panic that she didn't believe in God anymore.

I like stories like this much better than the Dawkins approach. I think it's important to show the true motives and process behind deconversion and the benefits of atheism while maintaining respect for belief.

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Labels: religion

Rational Atheism: An open letter to Messrs. Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and Hitchens
By Michael Shermer

If it is our goal to raise people's consciousness to the wonders of science and the power of reason, then we must apply science and reason to our own actions. It is irrational to take a hostile or condescending attitude toward religion because by doing so we virtually guarantee that religious people will respond in kind. As Carl Sagan cautioned in "The Burden of Skepticism," a 1987 lecture, "You can get into a habit of thought in which you enjoy making fun of all those other people who don't see things as clearly as you do. We have to guard carefully against it."

If atheists do not want theists to prejudge them in a negative light, then they must not do unto theists the same.

Yes, yes, and yes. Please and thank you, Mr. Dawkins, stop being an asshole and inspiring my religious relatives to believe I am as haughty as you simply because we both bear the label 'atheist.' Terms like 'delusion' and 'brainwashing' are totally counterproductive and easily applied to you from the other side.

Churches that spend all their time on the evils of atheism are never going to get around to introducing people to Jesus. Atheists who spend all their time on the evils of theism are never going to get around to introducing people to the weird and wonderful world of science. If you would all get back on topic and talk about what you are fascinated with instead of what you are irritated by, we would all be better off.

Labels: atheism, dawkins, religion, shermer