Received 7.24.2000

Hi there I'm a 17 year old atheist and have been all my life which makes me wonder if I
should explore other ideas to assure myself that I'm right.  The thing is, all these religions are so damn stupid that I don't want to bother.  Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to understand physics and where the earth came from, and this pisses me off it makes me worried that I might end up becoming a Christian because of the easy answers it provides. I'm writing because I hope you can give me an easy answer that will make everything okay again.

P.S. do people get smarter as they get older? Every old person I know is an idiot.

TheRabidGoat@hotmail.com

My Reply:

First of all, give yourself some credit. You say you're not smart enough to understand physics or the origins of the Earth. People spend their entire lives studying to learn these things. Just the fact that you wonder about them and want to understand more tells me that you're intelligent. The person who is not smart is the one who just blindly accepts the answers they're handed without wanting to learn for themselves.

I think it is also important to realize that there are some questions that we will probably never be able to adequately answer. In the scope of the universe our vantage point from Earth is microscopic and our ability to discern what happened billions of years ago, before our planet even existed, is limited. Just because we don't know the answer to something, however, doesn't mean that supernatural forces are responsible. Things like lightening, volcanoes, earthquakes, mental illness and epilepsy were attributed to gods or demons before man understood them. We can think back on those times and congratulate ourselves on how man has progressed, but how is believing that a god created the universe in 7 days any different? The "easy answers" are all ultimately going to be unsatisfying, especially for someone with a discerning mind like yourself.

As far as exploring new ideas, it always a good idea to be open minded. Since you've written me via my web site, I can assume you've been reading atheist views on the web, which is a good way to help you determine what you really believe and don't believe. In fact, if you're curious I would suggest that you check out some Christian web sites or lurk in Christian newsgroups to learn more about Christianity. Still be a critical thinker, but try to understand their views so you can make an informed decision that you will be satisfied with.

Do people get smarter as they get older? Since we all get older everyday, let's hope so.  Older people have a bigger pool of experience to draw upon... more lessons learned. All the lessons they have learned, however, aren't necessarily the ones you need to learn. When it comes to religion it seems that most people give it serious consideration when they are about your age or a little older. They make some sort of decision and then never think seriously about it again. I think young adults are at the age where they are open minded and discovering things for themselves rather than just accepting what other people say is true. As people get older it is harder for them to remember and appreciate that feeling.

Hang in there and thanks for writing.

Reply from The Rabid Goat - Received 7.25.2000

Dear Closet Atheist,

Thank you for sending a reply. Since I wrote you, I have read almost everything on your website, I found the articles by Richard Dawkins to be very informative and I no longer feel unsure of myself. If it weren't for people like you, people like me would be assimilated.

I greatly admire how you never show any signs of anger or weakness in your replies to Christians. Anger is a sign of closed mindedness, and you never seem to show it. How do you manage to remain so calm when dealing with dim witted fools such as Christians? I have been on many Christian chatrooms and have lost my temper with them and given them the upper hand. That is probably the reason for my losing confidence. Once again I thank you for helping me out.

P.S. Where do you get the patience to write such long replies???

My Reply:

Another soul saved!

I'm honored that you have been reading everything on my site. It makes the work worth while.

I'm also glad you noticed the tone of my site.  One of the points I try to make is that freedom of religion or the freedom to be an atheist is extremely important. When I hear about efforts such as having the 10 Commandments posted in public schools, it makes me angry and frustrated with the people who assume that non-Christians don't deserve that religious freedom. At the same time, however, it is important to respect other people's beliefs. I'm asking people to respect my lack of beliefs so I would be a hypocrite if I didn't return the favor. I'll be the first to admit that parts of my site push the line, but hopefully only in an effort to make a point.

Speaking of which, saying that all Christian's are "dim witted fools" is a little harsh. Don't let this stuff get you angry.

Thanks again.

C.A.