Happy atheist Mother’s Day

     If there’s one thing I’m extremely proud of, it’s that my parents are both fairly atheistic.
     Growing up in this raped-by-religion world without someone shoving a theology down my throat—especially by my parents—has flung open wide countless doors for my mind to speculate and expand with scientific theories. As long as I can remember, I was always taught to believe science over a story, no matter how many people were whispering it into my ear.

     I laugh when people observe I am close-minded, or if they suggest I only have one view of things. Perhaps I do at times, although I do hope I don’t often come across as only having a single perspective. That alone goes against what my parents raised me to “believe in.” However, I will go on to say that I would rather seem narrow-minded into a scientific view of life than a one constructed of fairy tales.

     Happy Mother’s Day, mom. :)

P.S. My father is in my room as I type this, and asked me if I had seen the religious folks with megaphones last night during our drive through downtown. I answered with a no, and he replied, “Richard Dawkins hasn’t said it yet,”—I am watching “The Root of All Evil?”—“but these people have a mental sickness.”

My Current Work Load

     People have this misconception of me doing nothing with my time. If I shed light on them about my personal life, they’re either surprised and dumbfounded into being speechless, or critical in a variety of ways.
     To clarify for as broad a single audience I can reach: I study all day, every day. A few months ago when I realized I had the time and capabilities to study to this degree, it became my life. I don’t need a job—although I am trying to get one now, for pretty obvious reasons that exist in California until the latter part of this year—and my focus has become paramount to before after my diagnosis of ADD alongside a prescription of Vyvanse (Adderall). My constant attitude is that all knowledge unknown won’t be for long, and nothing is impossible of being held in my grasp.

     Tonight I organized my book “work load” after tidying up my room a bit, and took a picture to show my boyfriend. Before sending it I thought, instead of just sending him the photo with a detailing of what all is pictured, why not share with COSA18 and elaborate a little further than the limits that would likely have bored Jonathan anyway? So for a little proof that I’m not useless or lazy, here we go.

     On the left are the books I have already read, but have yet to completed the excerpts for. From top to bottom they are as follows:

• The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins
• Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley
• Island by Aldous Huxley
• The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis
• Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
• The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
• Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins

    In the middle and on the right are books I have yet to read, but hope to within the next month and a half. The middle stack is science and non-fiction:

• A Reader’s Guide to T.S. Eliot by George Williamson
• The End of Faith by Sam Harris
• The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin
• Evolution for Everyone by David Sloan Wilson
• The Book of Animal Ignorance by John Mitchinson and John Lloyd
• A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking
• Brave New Worlds by Bryan Appleyard
• Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins

     To the right is strictly fiction:

• The 120 Days of Sodom & Other Writings by Marquis de Sade
• Jacob’s Hands: A Fable by Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood
• After Many A Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley
• A Clergyman’s Daughter by George Orwell
• Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
• The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Thursday's Thoughts - Theme: atheism

This Week's Theme: atheism

"Atheism is a way of humility. It's to think oneself to be an animal, as we are actually and to allow oneself to become human." - André Comte-Sponville

"When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said, "Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don't believe?" - Quentin Crisp

"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen Roberts

     Calculate Your God Delusion Index sparked a good deal of conversation within its comments last week. That partially inspired me to pick this theme, alongside finishing The God Delusion a few days ago. If you haven't read it yet, you should.

     If you want to read a thorough explanation between Atheism and atheism—and actually the only one I can find that's written out and not just a thought in someone's head—check one out here.

Calculate Your God Delusion Index

     Picked up The God Delusion again today, so I can finally finish reading it. Upon its completion, I'll be moving on to The Origin of Species or Climbing Mount Improbable.

     I'd make a poll for my readers to vote on which route I should head down first, but I'm not sure I even have enough readers to make it worthwhile. I'm also not sure if I have enough readers that have read both books, or have an understanding of both to have a reasoning behind the choice they'd make. Ah, well! If you have an opinion, feel free to post it here.

     Moving on, I found the following video on Samuel's "Buddhist Okie". I don't normally watch six minute videos, especially requiring interaction, but this flew by considering how much I laughed at the ridiculousness of it (you'll see the humor if you're atheist as well). However, it's not exactly meant to be a joke, which is the baffling part.

     Anyway, you'll need a pen and paper unless you're good at keeping a numeral score in your head. I'm personally not the greatest at it, but turns out I didn't need to— I got a score of zero. Make me proud and get the same, or at least have it churn your brain enough that were you to take it again you'd get a lower score. I'd love to know what you got, so post it in a comment once you're done. Even if you get something insanely high, don't worry.