DIAL A GAY ATHEIST 30 May 1994 +quot;In Defense of Atheism+quot; Welcome to Dial A Gay Ath

DIAL A GAY ATHEIST
30 May 1994
"In Defense of Atheism"

   Welcome to Dial A Gay Atheist, a communications service
of American Gay and Lesbian Atheists.  American Gay
Atheists, Inc., is a non-profit, educational foundation
dedicated to preserving and promoting freedom of thought and
inquiry as well as being proponents for complete and total
separation between state and church.  All inquiries should be
addressed, in writing, to AGLA, PO Box 66711, Houston, TX
77266.  Dial A Gay Atheist is protected under the copyright
laws of the United States and no part may be reproduced in
any manner without first receiving written permission from
American Gay Atheists, Inc.  Comments are those of the
commentator and do not necessarily reflect an official position
of the organization.  This is Don Sanders for Dial A Gay
Atheist.

   Those members of the diverse lesbian and gay community
calling from the Houston area are likely familiar with a
weekly 1/4 page paid advertisement appearing in The Houston
Voice, a community newspaper, for the Maranatha Fellowship
MCC.  The weekly quarter page ad may be more familiar to
you as "Ask The Pastor."  Frequently and commonly, "the
pastor," Rev. Janet Parker, uses the promotional space
advertising the business venture over which she presides as
spokeswoman to answer questions sent in by questioning
sheep.  Many of the questions over the weeks and months I
have been reading the column are downright insipid.  I have
observed, however, that most of the alleged inquirers tend to
seek information from the all-knowing reverendess about
competing religions, such as witchcraft, satanism, astrology,
new ageism, etc., etc.  This week, however, the question
posited to Janet Parker is "What is the difference between,
Atheism, Agnosticism, and Skepticism?"  If Ms. Parker is
typical of most Christians, her answers demonstrate that she
is totally confused about the question upon which she purports
to be an expert.  Honestly, I am sick and tired of Christians
-- of any stripe -- defining what Atheism is.  This is the
same as a blind, deaf and mute person giving a definition of
and explanation for race car driving.  Ms. "Ask the Pastor"
Parker indeed shown her ignorance and bias in this week's ad.

   To the question, "What is an Atheist?" Ms. Parker
responds, "An Atheist is one who believes there exists positive
evidence that there is no God."  Of course, God is capitalized
to demonstrate she is talking about one particular god of the
hundreds and thousands which humans have created over the
centuries -- her own god.  She goes on to say that an Atheist
is convinced that all religious belief, evidence and faith are
false.  That's part is partially correct with the exception of
the term "evidence."  There isn't now nor has there ever been
any incontrovertible evidence for the historicity of her chosen
god, Jesus.  It is, like all other gods before it, a fictional
character not unlike Mickey Mouse or Yogi the Bear.  

   But to get back to Ms. Parker's definition of an Atheist. 
"An Atheist is one who _believes_ that there exists positive
evidence that there is no God."  The position from which the
Atheist comes is not one of belief, but of study, investigation
and logic. According to my Franklin electronic dictionary,
belief is defined in this way:  "The act of assenting
intellectually to something _proposed_ as true."  Ah, the key
word here is proposed  -- Assenting to something _proposed_
as true.  It is difficult, perhaps impossible, for a theist to
understand that the Atheist in the pond of humanity does not
sit on the same type of toadstool.  The religionist accepts the
tenets of their chosen belief system upon faith.  The
religionist never ceases to attempt to include the atheist in
his/her brand of insanity.  They think they everyone,
regardless of their position in respect to religion, has must fit
into their narrow view.  They simply are not content to have
someone outside their system because as long as just one
person remains outside, that person represents living proof
that their god has not conquered all.  Atheists simply say
"NO" to the notion of being included in the Christian mind-
set.  Belief is a religious concept which the Atheist finds
grossly insulting and completely lacking of any intellectual
substance.  Such terms as belief and faith are grossly
insulting to Atheists.  Accepting the realities of human life is
not faith.  It is reality.  It is the knowledge and acceptance
that everyone must rely upon him or herself.  

   By trying to define atheism in religious terms, Ms. Parker
is doing what all religionists have done throughout the ages. 
Atheists accept none of the things of the religious person. 
Every religion, including that of Ms. Parker, has common
traits.  Perhaps that is why she and her comrades find it so
difficult that there are persons who share none of the
trapping with which she is so familiar.  Simply, religion is a
system of attitudes, practices, rites, ceremonies and beliefs by
means of which individuals or a community place themselves in
relation to a god or to a supernatural world and often to each
other, and from which the religious person derives a set of
values by which to judge events and others (like the Atheists)
in the natural world.

   But, let's clear the air and correct Ms. Parker's religious
definition of an Atheist.  An Atheist is a person who has a
lifestyle premised upon materialism.  That is, we accept
objective reality in living our lives and we reject any
phantasmagoria of the imagination of theistic persons.  We
live, work and play in the real world, whereas theists, like
Ms. Parker, live in a world of make-believe.  An Atheist uses
reason to resolve problems which may arise, not prayers,
wishes and ritual ceremonial sacrifices to one or more deities
or super-things outside of nature.  We eschew the irrational
idea of theism and refuse to be included in its multi-faceted
insanities.  

   Looking up the word, Atheism, we find it is a word of
Greek or Latin derivation.  At least Ms. Parker has her
derivations correct.  From thenceforth, however, she is wrong,
wrong, wrong, for she writes that the prefix "A" means no or
non, thus giving her the incorrect, and frankly, strained, very
strained definition of Atheist.  An "A" or an "In" used before
any word simply take away the thrust of that word.  For
instance, the word "independent" simply means "free from
dependency."  Also, the word "Atheism" simply means "free
from theism."  Therefore, Atheism is simply and beautifully
Freedom From Theism.  An Atheist is NOT, as Ms. Parker and
most other religionists assert, "one who believes there exists
positive evidence that there is no God."  It is Ms. Parker, the
religionist, who asserts that there is.  Therefore, it is not up
to the Atheist to disprove her assertion.  Rather it is up to
Ms. Parker to be able to offer proof for the existence of her
god.  

   We are not picking on Janet Parker of the Maranatha MCC
of Houston.  It is that she, like most other religionists, has
placed the Atheist inside her understanding of things.  We do
not wish to be a part of religion.  We do not wish to be
defined in terms of religion.  By saying that an Atheist is a
person who believes that there exists positive evidence that
there is no God, Ms. Parker is presenting the premise that
there is a god.  It is up to her, the one who purports the
existence of her god, to prove its existence.  The truth is
there simply is no evidence for the existence for her god, nor
for any god.  And all the religionist can offer is faith and
belief, nothing more.

   By asking us if we believe if there is a tree outside our
window is absurd.  But the religionist asks us constantly if we
believe in god.  If there is a tree outside the window, what
difference does it make if we say we do or do not believe
there is a tree there?  If you say there is a god and that we
have a choice of believing or not believing in that god, that
does not affect that you have already premised there is a god
"out there" somewhere.  

   We think that Ms. Parker owes the entire gay and lesbian
Atheist community an apology for her skewed and religious
definition of an Atheist.  She and all other religionists are
outside the realm of Atheism.  When the religionist says,
"Prove there is no god," he is asking us to prove a negative
proposition.  One can not prove a negative.

   Example, suppose we say that we believe in a tooth god,
that we worship this god, communicate with it through the act
of mastication, that we know this tooth god hears our prayers
and that after we die, we know (we feel it in our hearts) that
we will become lower bicuspid molars if we please this tooth
god.  Now, Ms. Parker, prove to us that this is not true.

   For a free sample copy of The American Gay & Lesbian
Atheist newsletter, write to AGLA, PO Box 66711, Houston,
TX 77266.  The May/June issue is out and you'll want your
own copy.  At the tone, tell us from where you're calling and
what's on your mind.  Your comments may be selected for
future playback over our Open Forum.  Of course, call this
American GAY Atheist again, anytime! 

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