Reasons Why I am an Atheist

I believe that when our brain ceases to function we no longer exist.

When it comes to a Personal God, I believe that the burden of proof is on the person claiming that a Personal God exists. I have never seen any evidence that convinces me that a Personal God does exist. Also, there are many things that lead me to believe that there is no God.

One is the theory of evolution. I am no expert at biology so I look to people who study biology. There is nearly unanimous agreement among biologists that the theory of evolution is valid. If the theory of evolution is valid then God did not make people in our present form.

Muslims, Jews, and people of other religions all believe that they have the one true religion. Many Christians would be Muslim if they happened to be born in Saudi Arabia. Many Muslims would be Christian if they were born in the United States. Here is a great article related to this idea: Which, if any, of the world's 10,000 religions is the true one?

Natural disasters also seem to go against the idea of a Personal God who loves us. I have heard two main arguments defending natural disasters in a world with a Personal God. The first is that natural disasters are a result of original sin. This answer is very unsatisfying. The second is that natural disasters are part of God's plan so they cannot be questioned.

The evil done in the name of religion also makes me doubt the existence of God. Young girls have their genitals cut or scraped out to please Allah. Children die because their parents pray instead of taking their children to see a doctor. People murder others simply because they believe in a different God or not God.

The bible also seems like a very human book. God is very violent in the Old Testament. He kills everyone except Noah's family. He kills the first born of Egypt. He says disobedient children should be stoned to death, and on and on. Then in the New Testament comes the idea of heaven and hell. God loves you, but if you do not believe that his son is your Lord and Savior you will burn in hell for eternity.

I prefer to focus on this life since I believe it is the only life we will have. I believe in making decisions based on what is best for people, not based on what a very old books says.

Over 80,000 scientists wrong about evolution?

Project Steve is a list of scientists just named Steve who believe:

Evolution is a vital, well-supported, unifying principle of the biological sciences, and the scientific evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that all living things share a common ancestry. Although there are legitimate debates about the patterns and processes of evolution, there is no serious scientific doubt that evolution occurred or that natural selection is a major mechanism in its occurrence. It is scientifically inappropriate and pedagogically irresponsible for creationist pseudoscience, including but not limited to "intelligent design," to be introduced into the science curricula of our nation's public schools.

There were 822 Steve's on the list as of August 14, 2007. About 1% of the population is named Steve. So the 822 scientists on the list represent about 82,200 scientists. There are most likely many more Steve's who could be added to the list.

Do all the creationists really think all those scientists are just wrong? Is anyone willing to admit that they think they know more about biology than biologists?

Does Your God Have Bears Kill Children?

If your God is the God of the Bible then the answer is yes. Check out the verses below:

2 Kings 2:23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
2:24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

I have heard various explanations from Christians about why this is acceptable, but none have been satisfying. Some say the children were actually a gang of wild youths who would have hurt the prophet. Some say the children got what they deserved for mocking a prophet of God. Killing those children sent a message to other children and they were more obedient to God.

I cannot understand why anyone would worship a God who kills children.