This is old news by now but in case you are living under a rock, Stephen Hawking died on pi day of this year, March 14, 2018. A genius is no longer with us. To all of those asshole religious people out there gleeful that Hawking is now in “hell”, well, maybe he is in your make believe hell, but if he is, Hawking and your make believe Satan are have a great time together, sipping expensive Scotch whisky!!! And they are laughing at the haters!
I don’t think Jon Stewart is an Atheist. If he is, that’s never been clear to me, but regardless, he definitely sees the harm in organized religion.
“Religion. It’s given people hope in a world torn apart by religion.” –Jon Stewart
Yep…religion is all about giving hope, but the hope that it attempts to deliver is only needed as a result of the great harm religion itself has caused the people who now need hope!
Today’s post is the 900th post on this blog and to honor this number I have a quote to share from the late, great Christopher Hitchens.
“In this summary of mutual interest and solidarity, there is no requirement for any enforcing or supernatural authority. And why should there be? Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.” – Christopher Hitchens
Exactly. Humans are not decent due to a god. They are decent because, unlike the god of the Bible, they know the difference between right and wrong.
Today’s quote comes from the great Carl Sagan.
“For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” – Carl Sagan
This is so true. Why live in delusion when reality is some much better and so much more satisfying? Carl, you left us far too soon!
Today’s quote comes from one of the founders of the U.S., Thomas Jefferson.
“The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.” – Thomas Jefferson
This country was founded on Christian principles? Puh-lease! Jefferson had it right, but unfortunately a majority still believe in the literal version of the virgin birth.
I love Tim Minchin’s music and I love this quote!
“If anyone can show me one example in the history of the world of a single spiritual person who has been able to show either empirically or logically the existence of a higher power with any consciousness or interest in the human race or ability to punish or reward humans for their moral choices or that there is any reason other than fear to believe in any version of an afterlife, I will give you my piano, one of my legs and my wife.” – Tim Minchin
The evidence provided by believers is usually something along the lines of you just need to have faith. That’s not evidence. That’s the definition of lack of evidence.
I love Rowan Atkinson in the role of Mr. Bean and I love this quote.
“What is wrong with inciting intense dislike of a religion if the activities or teachings of that religion are so outrageous, irrational or abusive of human rights that they deserve to be intensely disliked?” – Rowan Atkinson
Nothing. Nothing is wrong with inciting intense dislike of a religion when that religion does irreparable harm to others.
