tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.comments2023-10-17T02:42:29.401-05:00Small Town AtheistSTAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585311563930689905noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-81052463553042082762020-06-01T06:31:25.569-05:002020-06-01T06:31:25.569-05:00Thanks for sharing this article. On one hand, I do...Thanks for sharing this article. On one hand, I do accept that the outside world is full of dangers, but I also believe that there are a lot of good things. Schoolloghttps://schoollog.in/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-33094099957704066582016-10-25T10:53:59.448-05:002016-10-25T10:53:59.448-05:00Good to see you posting again. And it was not too...Good to see you posting again. And it was not too rambling neither.<br /><br />- FastthumbsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-34814384591336293422016-09-30T19:16:26.924-05:002016-09-30T19:16:26.924-05:00This is insane. No need to get mad. Thank God He g...This is insane. No need to get mad. Thank God He gave you the choice to write this. I honestly mourn for your soul. It is by God we can have true love.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01545333947252368124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-7260545666469294552016-09-30T19:16:07.120-05:002016-09-30T19:16:07.120-05:00This is insane. No need to get mad. Thank God He g...This is insane. No need to get mad. Thank God He gave you the choice to write this. I honestly mourn for your soul. It is by God we can have true love.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01545333947252368124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-833537463359008332016-04-05T11:19:10.715-05:002016-04-05T11:19:10.715-05:00Thank you for pointing out my mistype. It's b...Thank you for pointing out my mistype. It's been corrected.STAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585311563930689905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-75848859152351731032016-03-25T06:36:28.201-05:002016-03-25T06:36:28.201-05:00I wish you had provided examples of verses that co...I wish you had provided examples of verses that condemn thinking.Gavagaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13368086117487617590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-81864883576805297352015-11-10T08:34:16.072-06:002015-11-10T08:34:16.072-06:00@Alan Canon [Aronnax]
Thank you so much for the co...@Alan Canon [Aronnax]<br />Thank you so much for the comment. This is probably the most-commented-on post I've ever made here. Honestly, when I wrote it I didn't know much about Clayton (as can be seen from my opening line). People keep finding it and commenting all these years later. Apparently he was more "popular" than I though.<br /><br />Anyway thank you for the words, and for your work with Dawkins' evo programs. I too have used similar programming in my own game and projects that require simple base rules that extrapolate themselves out into complex arrangements. It's great to see that his work can still be found by today's audiences thanks to great folks like yourself!<br /><br />Sorry for letting this site fall by the wayside lately...life has gotten in the way, I guess. I plan on making a valiant attempt at a return soon. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting.<br /><br />And thanks again, Alan!<br />-STASTAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585311563930689905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-30274672371109587402015-10-16T16:09:02.642-05:002015-10-16T16:09:02.642-05:00@Anonymous:
"If Stephen Hawking was so smart ...@Anonymous:<br />"If Stephen Hawking was so smart he probably would have realized the fact that things dont magically appear out of nowhere and would have came to the conclusion that there must be a God."<br /><br />Stephen Hawking's best-known discovery is Hawking radiation. Hawking radiation happens because of vacuum fluctuations, which are literally something coming from nothing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-67127017937552462972014-08-03T09:44:32.288-05:002014-08-03T09:44:32.288-05:00I hate to say this but most of the anonymous here ...I hate to say this but most of the anonymous here are highly ignorant...Azariaenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11729147664004006595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-63980795102767977962014-06-09T11:29:53.159-05:002014-06-09T11:29:53.159-05:00Just a question. Have you read any of Clayton'...Just a question. Have you read any of Clayton's work besides "Why I Left Atheism"? If not I would as that you check out the actual website and look at the online course he offers.Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-82655502164762859522014-05-12T05:52:46.917-05:002014-05-12T05:52:46.917-05:00So, you've chosen man over God. I guess I get...So, you've chosen man over God. I guess I get that - there are certainly a lot of things about God that don't make sense to us. I wouldn't normally quote Scripture in a discussion with an atheist - I think it's pretty meaningless to them. But you have "been there", and you have at least been taught that God's word is true, even if now you choose not to accept it. But I came across this passage this morning and thought of you. It's really my prayer for you. From Isaiah 55 -<br /> Seek Adonai while He is available, call on Him while He is still nearby. Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him return to Adonai, and He will have mercy on Him; let him return to our God, for He will freely forgive. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways," says Adonai. "As high as the sky is above the earth are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."<br /><br />I will not be returning to your blog, but if you want to communicate with me please feel free to email me at prazcre8or@aol.com. I will continue to pray for you. Take care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-35564699535927808622014-04-17T19:13:16.240-05:002014-04-17T19:13:16.240-05:00I've talked about it all over the blog, in art...I've talked about it all over the blog, in articles on gather.com, and in my youtube videos (links to all can be easily found on this page).<br /><br />But the short answer is, nothing "happened". My atheism isn't a result of some tragedy in my life that caused me to "hate God" -- quite the opposite. <br /><br />I learned to question and to think, and what science, logic, and reason actually are. I learned (mostly through becoming a programmer, then through philosophy) to take ideas to their logical conclusions, and route out flaws and fallacies therein. In doing so, I learned I had many in my assumptions about my theism, and could no longer hold such an intellectually dishonest position.STAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585311563930689905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-26142350675809464152014-04-16T14:16:39.443-05:002014-04-16T14:16:39.443-05:00Mind if I ask what happened? Or is it somewhere in...Mind if I ask what happened? Or is it somewhere in your blog you can point me to?<br /><br />PackfaninVAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-10169252082489521782014-04-14T19:36:20.360-05:002014-04-14T19:36:20.360-05:00It seems you misunderstand. I do not claim to &qu...It seems you misunderstand. I do not claim to "know" there can't exist anything like a god...but I don't believe there is.<br /><br />When I did believe, I believed as you do, in Jesus and the Christian god Yahweh. Back then I claimed to "know" he was real; we had a <a href="http://thesmalltownatheist.blogspot.com/2014/02/relationships-need-input.html" rel="nofollow">"personal relationship"</a> and I even spoke in <a href="http://www.skepdic.com/glossol.html" rel="nofollow">unknown tongues</a>. So I understand where you're coming from, but please understand that really, really thinking so isn't the same as <i>knowing</i>.<br /><br />I appreciate you visiting. I haven't been able to keep up much with posting recently (I'm taking care of my children), but keep looking around and I'll try to put more out in the future.STAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585311563930689905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-14366622415161513052014-04-14T18:40:46.950-05:002014-04-14T18:40:46.950-05:00The original Cosmos certainly did have an influenc...The original Cosmos certainly did have an influence on my and my teenage friends. I can say that after the series was over, I went from being an agnostic deist to a gnostic (with respect to Abrahamic religions) atheist (and so did many of my friends)<br /><br />- FastthumbsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-27277710644247615072014-04-14T08:29:58.330-05:002014-04-14T08:29:58.330-05:00Hi Sta,
It's taken me a while, but I finally ...Hi Sta,<br /><br />It's taken me a while, but I finally answered your invitation to visit your blog. And I'm glad I did. You have identified a place where we can relate. <br /><br />As I read through comments to various articles, I have been saddened by all of the bashing and denigration of others who simply disagree. It occurred to me one day that the reason is simple - believers (and I'll interpret that liberally for the moment) can't understand why someone would reject God/Jesus. Those who don't accept the existence of God can't understand why believers are so blind. And all seem to be so convinced of their righteousness that they regard those who disagree as ignorant. <br /><br />You captured the "rub", as it were, perfectly when you said "what you believe cannot change what is and what isn't real." I have known this for quite some time, and I'm guessing that you already recognize that it is true for both sides. My own belief in Jesus is so strong that I "know" it is true. I never really thought, in so many words anyway, that your disbelief is actually a belief, and no doubt it is also so strong that you "know" it to be true. Because of the clarity you have provided, I now understand you a little better. Thank you.<br />PackfaninVAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-1141298738413165062014-02-25T18:49:19.090-06:002014-02-25T18:49:19.090-06:00http://youtu.be/g98vmRi_H1Uhttp://youtu.be/g98vmRi_H1UAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-15802381703775639622014-02-19T05:48:42.565-06:002014-02-19T05:48:42.565-06:00The notion that something needs to provide somethi...The notion that something needs to provide something personal to be true is flawed anyway. Desire doesn't dictate reality.<br /><br />Although, atheism does provide me some relief over most religions in terms of the afterlife, at least I need not worry about anyone going to hell.Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07339125862340793733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-38489179584775664772013-10-03T06:46:18.595-05:002013-10-03T06:46:18.595-05:00Thanks for reading and commenting, Big Nobody.Thanks for reading and commenting, Big Nobody.STAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02585311563930689905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-66238140916224546542013-10-01T12:13:43.642-05:002013-10-01T12:13:43.642-05:00Hmmm, no comments. Either nobody reads your work ...Hmmm, no comments. Either nobody reads your work or nobody wants to argue with you.Big Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14285869348340272751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-33223198817821704692013-08-14T20:16:50.210-05:002013-08-14T20:16:50.210-05:00John Clayton is a family friend and has known my g...John Clayton is a family friend and has known my grandfather for years. I assure you. His conversion story is accurate and true. However, you probably aren't going to believe my testimony that he is who he says he is either. It seems pointless for one to even read Clayton's material if they've already decided that they aren't going to believe his testimony anyway. As for disbelieving the conversations between he and the professors that he had encountered in his early life: Are you absolutely certain that without a doubt, all college professors in all universities respond with the exact same care and open-mindedness in which you claim is exercised by you and your colleagues? I challenge you to really think hard about that because I myself have been mortified by some of the responses from various professors about various topics (religious as well as non-religious) that I have witnessed throughout my college experience. I’ve even questioned how someone so close-minded could teach a sociology class or how someone so sure of themselves could teach about the varying psychological theories disputed over the years. Just because your experience with teaching has been a good experience (and I applaud you for remaining honest and open-minded) doesn’t mean that all experiences are the same way. Clayton can in some ways, be somewhat intimidating and can come across as somewhat pushy. I’m sure many of his college professors wouldn’t have appreciated his persistence and eventually reacted in the same way most frustrated individuals would have reacted. I myself have seen professors get extremely frustrated when challenged by a student. This wasn’t an example of a curious straight A teacher’s pet asking a question once and then accepting his beloved teacher’s unfulfilling response simply because he holds his professor up on a pedestal. Clayton has the type of personality that would have demanded a deep intellectual response and if he had received an “I don’t know” he probably would have challenged the professor to dig deeper. Keep in mind, at this time; He wanted deep intellectual answers to refute Christianity. He wanted to have complete confidence when challenging his Christian opponents. As I stated; if you’ve already decided that a source isn’t who they claim to be (which is based off pure assumption unless you have material stating otherwise); then reading their material is simply a waste of time. I’m also a bit surprised that someone who teaches science would make such a bold assumption about someone without confirmed resources to back up the claim. If you’re making assumptions about things or people without resources to back up your claims; then you’re being biased which goes against everything science stands for. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08559578596935391479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-91590638823924975672012-09-12T20:45:21.099-05:002012-09-12T20:45:21.099-05:00I don't use any of those arguments...he says a...I don't use any of those arguments...he says as he starts quoting scripture--a tactic called out in the comic strip illustrated in the post above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-71203158120474664292012-08-28T21:57:14.315-05:002012-08-28T21:57:14.315-05:00The Lama: "You were kind to give Clayton the ...The Lama: "You were kind to give Clayton the benefit of the doubt and to assume that most of his tale was on the up-and-up. However, I am not quite so kindly inclined..."<br /><br />Good point...I hadn't thought of it like that. You may be right.STAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13403742990139596015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-61322135092086582162012-08-25T16:24:34.328-05:002012-08-25T16:24:34.328-05:00I just read John Clayton's account of his conv...I just read John Clayton's account of his conversion from atheism. I then found your critique and found that you articulate much of my own reaction to the piece.<br /><br />I'm not an atheist myself -- I'm more a christian agnostic with buddhist sensibilities (a position I've arrived at quite "scientifically" and a claim that gets me into many an interesting conversation).<br /><br />Anyway, I must say that much of Clayton's story sounds entirely made-up. I became immediately suspicious when he claimed that he read through the Bible and didn't find a single thing that contradicted scientific observation. Really? The story about the earth being created before the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1) didn't raise any red flags? The story about the non-heliocentric sun standing still in the sky (Joshua 10) posed no problems?<br /><br />In addition, some of Clayton's "recollections" of what professors in this or that class said to him do not comport with anything that I or my colleagues who teach college science courses would EVER say. (In fact, when a student asked me about the conditions that existed before the big bang, my answer was, "We don't know...but we're working on it.")<br /><br />In short, my sense of Clayton's account is that he has fabricated his atheist past by working backwards from his own (and likely long-held) misconceptions about atheism. His implication that his immoral living was a result of his lack of religion made me wonder if he's ever even spoken with any of the many atheists who can give clear, valid rationale for a moral life apart from a god. (Sam Harris offers plenty of such rationale in his book, The Moral Landscape.)<br /><br />You were kind to give Clayton the benefit of the doubt and to assume that most of his tale was on the up-and-up. However, I am not quite so kindly inclined (perhaps because I'm not an atheist ;-).<br /><br />A couple of decades ago, there was a story about a christian speaker who claimed that he'd once been a satanist. He traveled all over the country selling books, appearing on TV, and telling groups about his satan-worshipping past. When some folks looked into his claims about a former life dedicated to satan, they could not find a single witness or piece of evidence that corroborated the claims. In fact, they found plenty of testimony that the man's claims were false. (Here's that story: http://www.watchman.org/occult/warnke.htm.) <br /><br />I'll bet there are people out there who can attest that John Clayton has always been a theist of some sort. Either that, or he was a piss-poor atheist.The Lamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05872378211889802880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191380472360707995.post-41944037013653198702012-08-25T16:12:59.312-05:002012-08-25T16:12:59.312-05:00I just read John Clayton's account of his conv...I just read John Clayton's account of his conversion from atheism. I then found your critique and found that you articulate much of my own reaction to the piece.<br /><br />I'm not an atheist myself -- I'm more a christian agnostic with buddhist sensibilities (a position I've arrived at quite "scientifically" and a claim that gets me into many an interesting conversation).<br /><br />Anyway, I must say that much of Clayton's story sounds entirely made-up. I became immediately suspicious when he claimed that he read through the Bible and didn't find a single thing that contradicted scientific observation. Really? The story about the earth being created before the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1) didn't raise any red flags? The story about the non-heliocentric sun standing still in the sky (Joshua 10) posed no problems?<br /><br />In addition, some of Clayton's "recollections" of what professors in this or that class said to him do not comport with anything that I or my colleagues who teach college science courses would EVER say. (In fact, when a student asked me about the conditions that existed before the big bang, my answer was, "We don't know...but we're working on it.")<br /><br />In short, my sense of Clayton's account is that he has fabricated his atheist past by working backwards from his own (and likely long-held) misconceptions about atheism. His implication that his immoral living was a result of his lack of religion made me wonder if he's ever even spoken with any of the many atheists who can give clear, valid rationale for a moral life apart from a god. (Sam Harris offers plenty of such rationale in his book, The Moral Landscape.)<br /><br />You were kind to give Clayton the benefit of the doubt and to assume that most of his tale was on the up-and-up. However, I am not quite so kindly inclined (perhaps because I'm not an atheist ;-).<br /><br />A couple of decades ago, there was a story about a christian speaker who claimed that he'd once been a satanist. He traveled all over the country selling books, appearing on TV, and telling groups about his satan-worshipping past. When some folks looked into his claims about a former life dedicated to satan, they could not find a single witness or piece of evidence that corroborated the claims. In fact, they found plenty of testimony that the man's claims were false. (Here's that story: http://www.watchman.org/occult/warnke.htm.) <br /><br />I'll bet there are people out there who can attest that John Clayton has always been a theist of some sort. Either that, or he was a piss-poor atheist.The Lamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05872378211889802880noreply@blogger.com