tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post7642634761092173174..comments2024-03-01T07:35:49.740-08:00Comments on Come Reason's Apologetics Notes: Atheists Contradict Themselves by Seeking InvocationsLenny Espositohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04064209669748618955noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-48214857832168401962016-09-08T22:17:45.395-07:002016-09-08T22:17:45.395-07:00You missed the point entirely. It's not about ...You missed the point entirely. It's not about actual God-bothering, it's about equality. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13630047639388608058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-12194732161664918852015-06-11T18:55:38.788-07:002015-06-11T18:55:38.788-07:00Mr. Esposito,
I am a member of the Central Flori...Mr. Esposito, <br /><br />I am a member of the Central Florida Freethought Community (CFFC) to which you refer. Furthermore, I am heavily involved in the efforts to provide secular invocations at local government meetings. I understand that you have your view on why we are doing this. But I hope you will allow me to speak for myself with respect to this issue and explain why I lobby for inclusion.<br /><br />It's true that atheists generally shy away from referring to their position as a belief. The word "belief" carries with it a connotation that implies faith which, in turn, most atheists view as believing something without evidence. Consequently, you will often find just what you describe, protestations that atheism is not a belief per se, but a lack of. The atheist may justifiably say "I do not dispute that a supernatural realm including a god MAY exist but you have not proven your case." And so without rejecting your claim, he can still withhold acceptance of it.<br /><br />I find Jerry DeWitt's personal statement to be spot on in this respect. It says in part "Agnosticism is my conclusion. Atheism is my opinion." Essentially he's saying "I don't know but if you make me choose, I'd say gods don't exist."<br /><br />Regardless, this semantic argument fails to advance the conversation and your use of it in service to a conclusion that atheists contradict themselves may make you feel superior but offers nothing constructive. So let's move on to the invocation issue.<br /><br />You are, in some sense, correct in imagining the comical scene of an a-fairy-ist or an a-alien-ist offering an invocation on the basis of their lack of belief in fairies or aliens. But you will find that the invocations that are being offered by atheists are not "prayers offered to nothing" but humanist invocations that appeal to the good will, compassion and empathy inside each of us.<br /><br />Humanism is a positive belief in humanity and what we can accomplish if we work together. It is often identified explicitly as the motivation behind our striving for equal treatment, equal access, tolerance and respect. As such, CFFC is a proud affiliate of the American Humanist Association.<br /><br />I may lack belief in your god or any gods. But I have a belief in the overall goodness of humans and what they can do. It is upon this foundation that I stand and claim equal access to government in the form of invocations as explicitly granted to me by Greece v. Galloway. Whether or not you think it undermines my opinion that gods don't exist is irrelevant to this point. But because of my positive humanistic beliefs, I think your claim of contradiction falls a little flat.<br /><br />I invite you to listen to some of the secular invocations that have been offered. You will find a collection of them, as well as a pagan invocation or two, on our website at http://cflfreethought.org/secular-reflections/<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Joseph Richardson<br /><br />P.S. Jerry DeWitt's statement ends with "Humanism is my motivation."FriendOfKenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11931368842906362815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-26437695566896943732014-08-24T07:57:53.010-07:002014-08-24T07:57:53.010-07:00favoriting your website, lots of good stuff here. ...favoriting your website, lots of good stuff here. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com