In the same line of: Why don’t I believe in Santa Claus / The Tooth Fairy / The Stork. “Because I am an adult” does seem to work.
David Marjanovićsays
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
– 1 Corinthians 13:11
Because it tells us nothing, gives no actual information, and is misleading on the reality of the situation.
It’s like saying someone with a phobia just has to be rational and face their fear. Yeah no shit, it’s not that easy though.
Figuring out the God question is both simple and incredibly difficult. If it’s easy for Graham, great…but that’s not how it is for a good chunk of people and it’s not due to an unusual defect in reasoning or failure to mature, entirely. Religion preys upon every defect and flaw in human reasoning that 99% of the population innately suffer from.
To give the Santa/Christ comparison again there’s a big difference. Society gives you an socially accepted path for rejecting Santa that does not humiliate you or cause you to loose standing in your community; in fact it is EXPECTED. The same social mechanisms that push children towards disbelief of Santa are the same ones that keep people in belief of God.
esmith4102says
Your the kind of person I want sitting across the table at my favorite pub. Cutting through the BS with one deft movement with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Hear, Hear!
I have to agree with Ing. It’s fine as a flippant comment among atheists, I guess, but it ignores the power of indoctrination and social pressure in keeping so many people religious.
grahammartinroylesays
@Ing.
I can only comment for myself so the fact that it doesn’t work for a whole bunch of other people is not my fault. The subject matter was “Why I am an atheist”, I’ve answered that question, I haven’t answered why others may/may not be atheists, I’m not qualified to answer for others. This answer works for me.
Dhorvath, OMsays
What part of maturing flicks the switch over to atheist? I might see someone claiming that a mark of maturity is their atheist perspective, but since I have always been an atheist I don’t quite follow how that works either. Most certainly I don’t follow this particular argument.
Except your reason is a non-sequitor. You could have literally written zero sentences instead of one and given us near equal insight. There’s no sharing no argument no there there. This is basically trolling.
Basically your comment was equivlent to answering “because god is gay”
scrawnykayakersays
As soon as my kid gives up hope in Santa Claus, I’m so making a bumper sticker that says “Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, God. Grow up.”
Lycanthropesays
Graham, I see your point, but I’m with Ing on this one. On the face of it, it is a non sequitur in the truest sense of the word: it does not follow. Your statement seems tantamount to calling all religious people stupid, which I do not agree with.
I have to agree with Ing. It’s fine as a flippant comment among atheists, I guess, but it ignores the power of indoctrination and social pressure in keeping so many people religious.
It may not have been a big deal for the poster. He may not have given it much thought at all, because maybe it wasn’t important in the environment he grew up in. The fact is you don’t need a fancy argument to reject religion. You need one to accept it.
snebo154says
I can see both sides on this but my own experience is far more (apologies to Ing if I impinge on any boundaries) Ingian. I am intelligent, learned about and accepted evolution in high school, ditto for Asian migration across the Bering strait. I had all the knowledge that eventually allowed me to accept the impossibility of Mormonism before my 20th birthday and yet remained an active believer until I was 30. As I mentioned in a previous comment, nobody can beat the mormons at brainwashing. I’m not sure what it says about me that I consider the ability to overcome deep seated religious superstitions as a sign of maturity, I do know that it took me a lot longer to achieve it than I would like to be able to claim. But I did achieve it.
*fist pump*
jamierussellsays
._.
On behalf of my 5-year-old self from decades ago:
Fuck you, fuck you and your ageist bullshit.
I’ve never been religious, and never ever had any problems seeing religion for what it truly was (nor have I ever believed in santa/fairies/whatnot). This in spite of having many other issues and insecurities. Being able to recognise religion for what it is has nothing to do with age. There are plenty of kids out there who couldn’t be fooled, as well as plenty of really mature grownups who got fooled at an adult age and stay fooled until death.
Yes, the tone of this post is rather agressive… But sometimes these things are needed.
=8)-DXsays
These one-liners are always warming. I guess there’s a whole argument to make behind this statement, one that wasn’t made. But for lots of people atheism is just this simple.
grahammartinroylesays
@jamierussell:
I never mentioned age. Some people become adults at an earlier age than others.
I like your style.
2012 Brevity of the Year Award goes to Graham Martin Royle.
The pith is strong with this one…
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pithiness
In the same line of: Why don’t I believe in Santa Claus / The Tooth Fairy / The Stork. “Because I am an adult” does seem to work.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
– 1 Corinthians 13:11
Brilliant. This is the best ever Why I am an atheist post.
Mr. Dawkins wrote an entire book about this subject but Graham Martin-Royle has shown that only five words is enough.
This also works for the Santa Claus idea, and Santa Claus has more evidence than the dead Jeebus.
I really dislike this one.
It’s basically the equivalent of “I’m wealthy because I work and you’re poor because you’re lazy”
I would call it the equivalent of “the god fantasy is as childish as the Easter Bunny fantasy”. What’s not to like, Mr. Ing?
Because it tells us nothing, gives no actual information, and is misleading on the reality of the situation.
It’s like saying someone with a phobia just has to be rational and face their fear. Yeah no shit, it’s not that easy though.
Figuring out the God question is both simple and incredibly difficult. If it’s easy for Graham, great…but that’s not how it is for a good chunk of people and it’s not due to an unusual defect in reasoning or failure to mature, entirely. Religion preys upon every defect and flaw in human reasoning that 99% of the population innately suffer from.
To give the Santa/Christ comparison again there’s a big difference. Society gives you an socially accepted path for rejecting Santa that does not humiliate you or cause you to loose standing in your community; in fact it is EXPECTED. The same social mechanisms that push children towards disbelief of Santa are the same ones that keep people in belief of God.
Your the kind of person I want sitting across the table at my favorite pub. Cutting through the BS with one deft movement with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Hear, Hear!
I have to agree with Ing. It’s fine as a flippant comment among atheists, I guess, but it ignores the power of indoctrination and social pressure in keeping so many people religious.
@Ing.
I can only comment for myself so the fact that it doesn’t work for a whole bunch of other people is not my fault. The subject matter was “Why I am an atheist”, I’ve answered that question, I haven’t answered why others may/may not be atheists, I’m not qualified to answer for others. This answer works for me.
What part of maturing flicks the switch over to atheist? I might see someone claiming that a mark of maturity is their atheist perspective, but since I have always been an atheist I don’t quite follow how that works either. Most certainly I don’t follow this particular argument.
Except your reason is a non-sequitor. You could have literally written zero sentences instead of one and given us near equal insight. There’s no sharing no argument no there there. This is basically trolling.
Basically your comment was equivlent to answering “because god is gay”
As soon as my kid gives up hope in Santa Claus, I’m so making a bumper sticker that says “Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, God. Grow up.”
Graham, I see your point, but I’m with Ing on this one. On the face of it, it is a non sequitur in the truest sense of the word: it does not follow. Your statement seems tantamount to calling all religious people stupid, which I do not agree with.
Love it!
It may not have been a big deal for the poster. He may not have given it much thought at all, because maybe it wasn’t important in the environment he grew up in. The fact is you don’t need a fancy argument to reject religion. You need one to accept it.
I can see both sides on this but my own experience is far more (apologies to Ing if I impinge on any boundaries) Ingian. I am intelligent, learned about and accepted evolution in high school, ditto for Asian migration across the Bering strait. I had all the knowledge that eventually allowed me to accept the impossibility of Mormonism before my 20th birthday and yet remained an active believer until I was 30. As I mentioned in a previous comment, nobody can beat the mormons at brainwashing. I’m not sure what it says about me that I consider the ability to overcome deep seated religious superstitions as a sign of maturity, I do know that it took me a lot longer to achieve it than I would like to be able to claim. But I did achieve it.
*fist pump*
._.
On behalf of my 5-year-old self from decades ago:
Fuck you, fuck you and your ageist bullshit.
I’ve never been religious, and never ever had any problems seeing religion for what it truly was (nor have I ever believed in santa/fairies/whatnot). This in spite of having many other issues and insecurities. Being able to recognise religion for what it is has nothing to do with age. There are plenty of kids out there who couldn’t be fooled, as well as plenty of really mature grownups who got fooled at an adult age and stay fooled until death.
Yes, the tone of this post is rather agressive… But sometimes these things are needed.
These one-liners are always warming. I guess there’s a whole argument to make behind this statement, one that wasn’t made. But for lots of people atheism is just this simple.
@jamierussell:
I never mentioned age. Some people become adults at an earlier age than others.
I also like Sean Lock’s reason for not believing in god: “Because I’ve thought about it.”
Excellent!