[extropy-chat] Putting God to Rest

[Stathis Papaioannou]

On 4/23/07, Robert Bradbury <robert.bradbury at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Stathis,
>
> Re:
>
> > Sure, I've been an atheist since birth, but there are a lot of people
> > who believe in God and Satan, especially in America, and I'd be interested
> > in hearing their views on transhumanism should any be reading this.
> >
>
> You cannot be an "athiest since birth" since at birth you were incapable
> of having or holding beliefs.  Ones brain could not frame or hold onto such
> concepts.  So I will assume you are speaking allgorically.
>

No, I'm speaking literally. Atheist means "without God", from the Greek, so
it's the natural state when you don't know anything. Then as kids grow up
their heads are filled with religious and other ideas by their parents. My
parents might have mentioned God once or twice, but I honestly can't
remember a time when the concept seemed less than a fantasy. The girl I sat
next to in grade prep swore that she saw the tooth fairy once and I believed
her, so I won't claim that I skipped childish credulity altogether, but,
well, she had *evidence*.

Stathis Papaioannou
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