General / Off-Topic To Atheists, which great Atheist thinker do you allign with ?

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

Which of these (or state alternative) Atheist icons inspire you the most ? I have to go with the late Christopher Hitchens , I think he was the best, if you have not at least Youtubed his best bits you should do so now, if you are allready familiar with his debates but have not read his books, i recommend "God is not great" an inspirational read even for a serious Antitheist like myself.

 

[Le-Betz]

Other Answer: Douglas Adams.

 

[m0rl0ck]

You left Gautama Buddha off the list of poll options, he would be my choice.

 

[Adept]

Atheism isn't a creed. It's simply lack of belief in any deity.

Hitchens' hatred towards Islam was way too obsessive, and a strange obsession.

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

Apologies for leaving MANY top candidates out of the list, i picke my favorite, i added the other answer for those who want to add their favorite, or those who have any other answer. I might have also added Bill Maher, Neil degrasse Tyson, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (even though she's right wing) and Stephen fry amongs others to the list, but i'd be here all night typing in an absurd amount of poll options.

 

[FuzzySpider]

Terry Pratchett.

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

Atheism isn't a creed. It's simply lack of belief in any deity.

Hitchens' hatred towards Islam was way too obsessive, and a strange obsession.

I'm not afraid to say that i agree with Hitchens (not a hatred of Muslims, but the religion of Islam) as it's the worst threat to secularism (followed by Evangelical christianity). Islam is the only religion that is still growing (and is allready the biggest) gets the most converts, is the most literal in it's majority countries (almost all of which are oppressive messes) even Turkey's success story with secularism is being destroyed by radical Islam, if Catholicism or religious Judaism (both of which he also hated) were as much of a threat, it would be them thhat we are afraid to upset, and pandering to. Update correction: Islam is not the biggest religion....yet.

 

[Minonian]

You left Gautama Buddha off the list of poll options, he would be my choice.

Atheist but spiritual? that's a great choice. Says out there are no supreme begin but man not just flesh and bone, but also spirit, mind and heart.

 

[AJW]

The thing is, you don't need to be 'inspired' to be an atheist. You merely need to be exposed to religion...

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

The thing is, you don't need to be 'inspired' to be an atheist. You merely need to be exposed to religion...

Understood and agreed, i knew i was an atheist long before looking into these people, but i guess i use the word inspiration because they use words and sentences in a much more hard hitting and clever way than i ever could, and i like being reassured about my arguments, it helps to know these guys are out there talking common sense, i wish the Hitch was around now, i'd love to see what he would make of 2016-17, i have a mind of my own but i must confess that Hitchens has heavily influenced my leanings.

 

[Necronaught]

I stand by my experiences. i have felt something more than the usual vibe. That's all. Call me a kook I know there is a god. Equations and distant light observations be damned.

I'm more interested in a She-Ra movie than trying to debunk the great work of the creator. Yeah!

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

I stand by my experiences. i have felt something more than the usual vibe. That's all. Call me a kook I know there is a god. Equations and distant light observations be damned.

I'm more interested in a She-Ra movie than trying to debunk the great work of the creator. Yeah!

You know there is a god ? you talked to the guy ? you saw him ? never mind, i know you can't help it, seriously though, you don't believe in the religions do you ? You just believe that the universe was created by a superior being? That ls more believable i guess. (still no proof though). I mean if you think humans were creted by something, that creator was far from perfect, and closer to depictions of a devil than a god.

 

[Roybe]

Who needs a 'great thinker'? Just another human that a person can use to believe in something, or nothing? No thanks. There is no god. The only goodness that occurs in life is that which people create...out of the kindness they show each other.

 

[Necronaught]

You know there is a god ? you talked to the guy ? you saw him ? never mind, i know you can't help it, i myself know it's wrong to keep eating junk food but i still do it.

I have never had the pleasure of his time. I have had the fortunate experience of what I consider his handy work. I look outside and hear birds sing. To me a signiture of the creator. No MDMA or LSD. No brain freeze DMT experience either. Just pure wow. I pity those who cannot take in the splendor.

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Who needs a 'great thinker'? Just another human that a person can use to believe in something, or nothing? No thanks. There is no god. The only goodness that occurs in life is that which people create...out of the kindness they show each other.

One could argue the entire perception in the West of what is good comes from the indirect teachings of Christ.

 

[Roybe]

I have never had the pleasure of his time. I have had the fortunate experience of what I consider his handy work. I look outside and hear birds sing. To me a signiture of the creator. No MDMA or LSD. No brain freeze DMT experience either. Just pure wow. I pity those who cannot take in the splendor.

You are enjoying the continuation of evolution from the dinosaurs to the birds. No god needed. I am happy the sounds of life outside your window bring you to a place of joy and celebration! I just don't see god in it.

 

[Ca$hback]

"Man is just a memory. You understand things around you by the help of the knowledge that was put in you. You perhaps need the artist to explain his modern art, but you don't need anybody's help to understand a flower. You can deal with anything, you can do anything if you do not waste your energy trying to achieve imaginary goals."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._G._Krishnamurti (Definitely not to be confused with Jiddu Krishnamurti)

While not strictly athiest he's a staunch materialist and that's close enough for me. There's no other "philosopher" (I would call him a non-philosopher as opposed to "not a philosopher") who I agree with more and I seldom agree with anyone on "spiritual" or esoteric matters.

I'm not really a hard athiest either, I'm what they call heterophenomenalogistic. I believe in phenomena, or rather have witnessed phenomena (whether I believe I was halucinating or not is the real question) and therefore cannot deny it without denying my sanity (I still consider the possibility). However, by definition, supernatural things don't exist. If it exists, it exists and is therefore natural (in this context). If magic exists it's due to some misunderstood properties of physics.

I used to like Bill Nye and Tyson but I find them to be smug, arrogant jerks now. Dawkins was always a jerk but Bill was cool 'till it went to his head.

My religion is JKD.

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

You are enjoying the continuation of evolution from the dinosaurs to the birds. No god needed. I am happy the sounds of life outside your window bring you to a place of joy and celebration! I just don't see god in it.

Agreed, in fact the notion of no god makes Earth nature and the stars that much more awe inspiring and epic.

 

[Necronaught]

You are enjoying the continuation of evolution from the dinosaurs to the birds. No god needed. I am happy the sounds of life outside your window bring you to a place of joy and celebration! I just don't see god in it.

A lonely thought to think perhaps our ancestors/progenitors are nothing more than twitchy slime. Coalesced in puddles of primordial soup. They say the fallen will crawl on their bellies and have their head stomped by heels. Perhaps we crawled on our bellies out of the soup?

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

A lonely thought to think perhaps our ancestors/progenitors are nothing more than twitchy slime. Coalesced in puddles of primordial soup. They say the fallen will crawl on their bellies and have their head stomped by heels. Perhaps we crawled on our bellies out of the soup?

The things you find negative, i find awe inspiring, and i find perspective.

 

[Necronaught]

The things you find negative, i find awe inspiring, and i find perspective.

I only find inspiration from nature. God's handiwork is the only perspective I can come to realise is true. I live in the country and my commute to work is a cycled ride several miles uphil against the elements. I can imagine the disconnect if one was forced to use public transport in a major city. The sterility of the city could potentially make one skeptical of nature and the great work behind it.