This blog is going on an official three week hiatus (as if I had been consistent in my blog postings... er, nevermind that). I'll be off to Australia for slightly more than 3 weeks due to conscript obligations. So, byes!
Showing posts with label About Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Me. Show all posts
I often wonder if the things I argue about on the (STOMP) forum would ever make at least some impact to somebody's life. I don't mean literally life altering but at the very least provoke them into thinking about the issues being discussed.
And then, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the following:
Posted by Lucifer78
In fact, I like this type of exchanges in the forum. We can learn a lot on each other stand and strength our own "faith" in our individual stand. I learn more on the bibles from Veekee75 and more on science from Atheozoa (sorta of "converted" into atheist by him =p). It's quite healthy exchanges here as long as we dun flame each other ^^.
Before this particular post, I've already noted his apparent change in the style and content of his recent responses in this thread. But never did I realize that it was partially due to my influence.
I helped. And that matters.
I have always claimed to be a naturalist except I never actually read about it in detail. All I had in mind was the general idea that it is a "worldview in which reality is such that there is nothing but the natural things, forces, and causes of the kind that the natural sciences study" and that it "rejects the objective existence of any supernatural thing, force or cause" as they "are ultimately explainable purely in terms of natural things."
And just a while ago, I just realized how close I was to naturalism. I was describing it all the long in one of my articles back in June.
I was, in effect, talking about metaphysical naturalism (ontological naturalism) and naturalized epistemology.
I am a naturalist.
What am I?
No I didn't suffer from memory loss. Just thinking of some of the labels applicable to me.
I am an Atheist.
I don't believe in gods, goddesses or whatever typical deities most religious folks pay deference to. There is simply no good reason to - No evidence..
I am a Naturalist.
I believe that the natural world is all there is. Tentatively, I have no reason to believe otherwise. I hold the position that all supernatural claims are either false or yet to be properly understood.
I am a Materialist.
I believe that the material world (that we perceive) is all that which we can claim to exist. Simply put, perceived manifestation is the only reliable criteria that we can use to differentiate that which exist and that which does not.
I am a Secular Humanist.
I agree with the position described by the secular humanist manifesto. As the species which literally transformed and controls the Earth, we are in a position of great responsibility. We have the responsibility to safeguard the natural world for our survival if not for greater ideals. We should have the decency to put the knowledge we acquired via the Scientific Method to bring about a better world for all.
I am a Scientific Meliorist.
I believe that we can bring about progress in the world through progress in Science. Better science would no doubt improve conditions. The last few decades is testament to this effect.
As of tomorrow, 12 June 2009, this blog will cease to be active and lie dormant for quite awhile.
Why? Because I have been enlisted for National Service (ie, conscription). So I will not be around to post anything. Hopefully, when I do get out of camp, I would have something of relevance to post (if I do post at all).
To the people who drop by my blog, go ahead and post on the chatbox - that's what it's for.
Woohoo! I've gotten my diploma - Officially graduated.
And damn do I miss CPTC.
"Calling Team A, this is the Control House. EBV-001 and 002 are closed on the DCS. The columns are going to flood if we cannot run P-101 and 102. Can you guys check out EBV-001 and 002 and open them?"
"Team A to Control House. The EBVs are not closed. They're open."
"Team A, this is the Control House. The EBVs are still closed on the DCS. I'd suggest that you check the Hydraulic Power Pack. It might be turned off."
"Okay, moving over...
This is Team A. We're are at the HPP. It is indeed turned off. We're opening the EBVs."
"Okay Team A. The EBVs are open on the DCS. Good job. We'll try to control the column levels. We need you guys to check out P-100..."
Damn troubleshooting that night was fun. So memorable. Even after a whole year since then, I still kinda miss the experience.
3 years in polytechnic - officially ended today.
Year 1 was kinda nice. Everything was new, not exactly sure what to expect. Frankly, I enjoyed the Chemistry subjects in Year 1 - in particular, Organic Chemistry. Got A's for those.
I was slightly disappointed with myself for Year 2 though. I slipped with regards to the engineering aspects - I've got B's. I always expect A's - it's my high standards for my performance for science subjects. Also in Year 2, 2 work safety subjects gave me B's as well. I suck at "dead-memory" type subjects... So I kinda feel screwed by them - I am so not Safety Officer material... LOL.
Well, then we have the final year. And it ROCKS. Because I had a worldview upgrade that year which I mentioned previously in "A new year begins."
That year, I managed more or less satisfactory results. A nice surprise was being awarded Distinction for CSAS4 (Communication skills subject) - I never got an A for the previous 3. This was in part thanks to my lecturer - she was indeed a great teacher who cares about her students and offers great advice & assistance.
I also got an A for my Major Project. YAY. Slightly unexpected. I think my unexpectations might actually be just due to lack of confidence on my part. I tend to second guess myself after the fact.
Oh... 3 years...
2-3 weeks ago, I was told that I was shortlisted to give valedictory speech. Fortunately, and unfortunately at the same time, I will not be giving the speech.
So, I'm going to post it here since it's not going to be used.
After three academic years, today is the culmination of all our efforts, determination and commitment that we have invested. Here we are. We are graduates.
While we savor our moment of accomplishment, let’s not forget how it all started and how we’ve got here. Reaching back in our memory, we can see mental images of our first day in Temasek Polytechnic: unfamiliar places, unknown faces and unaccustomed rules. This anesthetic of unfamiliarity wore off as we mustered the courage to make new friends, as we learnt to move from lectures to tutorials and as we understand everything a little more.
We’d have to thank our school and lecturers that made our journey possible. Many thanks for the various learning opportunities that we were given. Problem based learning is one example wherein independent research and understanding was encouraged. But who could forget the little voice within that went “Oh crap” when our lecturers informed us that we’re going PBL on this one. What about the enlightening experience that we’ve received through our student internship program. Having being exposed to real-life situations, our acquired on-job experiences and interactions at the workplace would be an invaluable asset to our future.
Besides gaining knowledge through the academics and practicals, I am sure we have all grown in character as well. Every instance can be a test of our character and in turn, move and shape us; Instances such as project discussions, competitions for CCA, community involvement, quizzes, exams or just a long relaxed chat with a group of friends. There are always ups and downs on any journey. Disappointments and failures occur and we learn to handle them a little better with the help of one’s friends or by one’s self. They, thus, become part of what we have come to be. Having reached here today is a testament to our achievements.
As apprentices of Science, we’re all going to travel our own paths in life. Some of us are going for further education, some of us will have to serve the country before continuing on our paths, and some of us will join the workforce as researchers, technicians or technologists and etc. Perhaps the current recession may be a subject for worry, but I believe we all have the potential to survive this. We can persevere.
Personally, I believe that the appetite for knowledge and the desire to learn is of importance in life. This may be also the very reason why some of us are even here in the first place. I would like to read an excerpt from a book titled Unweaving the Rainbow which is written by, my personal idol, Richard Dawkins.
“After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with colour, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it? This is how I answer when I am asked -- as I am surprisingly often -- why I bother to get up in the mornings. To put it the other way round, isn't it sad to go to your grave without ever wondering why you were born? Who, with such a thought, would not spring from bed, eager to resume discovering the world and rejoicing to be a part of it?”
To learn and to discover and to enjoy being part of the world in which we live. Using the knowledge which we have gained, we strive to build our own futures and collectively to better humanity. That would be my personal message to everyone.
Before I end my speech, I would like to express on behalf of us graduands our gratitude. To the school as a whole, thank you for the opportunities and for these three years well spent. To all our lecturers, our heartfelt appreciation for your patience and guidance in imparting us your knowledge and for going all those extra miles. To our parents, our deepest gratitude for your love and support. And most importantly, a sincere thanks to all of our friends for their company on this journey.
Dear graduates, may we all succeed in life.
Thank you.
Hah, someone might know who is the author of this blog now.
Theism and Atheism, Gnosticism and Agnosticism
Theism is the belief in the existence of god(s). Simply put, a theist is a person who has accepted the proposition "God exist."
Atheism is the rejection of theism. That is, an atheist is a person who rejects the proposition "God exist." Note that it is simply a rejection of theism - It does not necessarily mean that an atheist accepts the opposing proposition that "God does not exist."
This distinction is made by weak atheism and strong atheism. Weak atheism is only the rejection of theism. Strong atheism not only rejects theism but accepts the proposition "God does not exist" as well.
That's theism and atheism - These deal with beliefs.
Check out the Wikipedia articles on Theism and Atheism.
Agnosticism deals with knowledge. A gnostic has knowledge of the existence of god(s). An agnostic does not have such knowledge.
Theist/Atheist and Gnostic/Agnostic classification thus creates 4 different categories. To learn about the distinction check out the Iron Chariots Wiki: Atheist vs Agnosticism.
What about me?
I am an agnostic atheist.
I have no knowledge of the existence of a god or gods. I reject theism for there is no evidence to warrant belief in a god.
Belief require evidence. This is necessarily true - otherwise we would be believing in all sorts of things if evidence is not the criteria for belief in matters of fact. Without evidence, belief is not warranted and is irrational. Thus, non-belief is the rational and default position.
To learn about my position, see my entry: Why I don't believe.
Common misconceptions
The following are some of the common misconception/misrepresentation of atheists along with my responses.
Atheists say that "god does not exist." Prove it!
False, on two counts.
Atheism, in its broadest sense, is simply the rejection of theism. Asserting that "god does not exist" is strong atheism which is a subset (and minority) of atheists.
Having clarified that most atheists are weak atheists, it is notable that the burden of proof lies on the theists. The theist who makes the claim should back up his claim with evidence. If others rejects his claim, they are correct and is not required to produce evidence of the contrary (especially if they are not asserting god does not exist).
In fact, rational atheists (atheists who are rationalists/naturalists) are not strong atheists (in most of the common definitions of god).
Atheists believe in the Big Bang and Evolution. They think we came from nothing.
Firstly, atheism does not necessitate the belief in the Big Bang theory and the theory of evolution.
Secondly, scientific theories does not require belief (faith) in the religious sense. Scientific theories are accepted based on the evidence and the knowledge/trust in the integrity of the scientific community. This applies to most rational atheists.
Third. Believing "we came from nothing" is a misconception of the Big Bang theory.
If god didn't create the universe then there is no purpose to the universe. So if there's no purpose in life, why don't atheists just kill themselves.
Purpose need not be intrinsic to the universe. However it does not follow that we should commit suicide. Rational atheists typically do not believe in gods or afterlife. As a result, we think that this is the one and only shot at life we have and thus we treasure our lives.
I think a quote from Richard Dawkins, in his book "Unweaving the Rainbow", can shed some light on this point:
“After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with colour, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it? This is how I answer when I am asked -- as I am surprisingly often -- why I bother to get up in the mornings. To put it the other way round, isn't it sad to go to your grave without ever wondering why you were born? Who, with such a thought, would not spring from bed, eager to resume discovering the world and rejoicing to be a part of it?”
It's obvious that god created the universe.
No. It is only obvious if you're brainwashed into theism. If not, you have fundamentally flawed understanding of the scientific method or a poor understanding of science in general.
Atheists are immoral or have no reason to be moral because they don't believe in god.
Obviously false. I've addressed this in a previous entry: Human Morality.
Any more common slanders?
Why I don't believe that there is a god.
The simple answer: No evidence.
Simply put, belief is the acceptance that a proposition is true.
To accept the proposition means to be convinced. And to be convinced, I need evidence.
All too frequently, I'm presented with so-called of evidence
Evidence such as:
► The bible, or whatever holy book
► The universe
► The complexity of life
► The morality of humans
I discount all of those. They are not evidence for god.
When the point of contention is whether or not this being exist or not, you cannot enter his alleged products as evidence. If god does not exist, he cannot be the cause of those products. On top of that, there are naturalistic explanations, backed by evidence, for them.
To claim that god exist, evidence of god manifesting is required. In order to determine if something exist or not, we look for its manifestation.
This table, that my computer is sitting on, exist. I can see it. I can touch it. Basically, it's observable. I can perceive its manifestation.
Gravity exist. If I drop my pen, it will fall to the ground. That is the manifestation of gravity.
What about god? We don't have any evidence that god exist. For example, one of god's alleged manifestation is answering prayers. But yet, we find no statistical significance; god isn't answering them - he's doing no better than chance.
My basic stance on belief is this: Belief is not warranted unless sufficient evidence is presented. Since no evidence has been found, the proposition that god exist is not demonstrably true. Belief is not warranted so I hold the default position: disbelief.
Evidence is important for one simple reason; They demonstrate conformity to reality. If you care whether your beliefs are true or not, you must have evidence to back your beliefs. If you just "have faith" and disregard evidence contrary to your beliefs, you don't care about conformity to reality - you believe because you believe because you want to believe.
In the future, I'll touch on the other so-called evidence & arguments for god's existence and explain why I discount them as well.
The Argument from Scripture
► The bible (or any other holy book) as poor evidence
► A consideration of the origins of the "great" monotheistic faiths
► Yahweh as a god unworthy of worship even if he existed
The Argument from Design
► Abiogenesis, life and gods
► The Argument from Personal Incredulity
► Evolution and its denial
► Fine Tuned Universe
The Argument from Morality
► Morals as a product of humanity not of divinity
The First Cause Argument
► Special pleading - The universe vs. god
I really love this picture. I find it very meaningful.
Within one picture, it depicts the relationship between humanity & its evolution, science and technology. That, of course, is my personal view. Perhaps you might see something else within.
In the foreground, there is the conventional depiction of the evolution of humans from our apelike ancestors. The gradual change from a small, tree-dwelling ape to a larger, hairless and upright man.
The main focus is the man at the centre of the image. A man with his eyes closed and arms stretch out. A man who has a DNA double helix in place of where his legs would be.
The significance of the double helix is the fact that we are the biological product of our genes. It also representative of genetics which is one of the important discipline of science concerning both evolution and medicine. And thus in the picture, from our genes, emerged man. And understanding genetics meant understanding our biological roots.
My favorite highlight would be the depiction of science and technology. The man is shown with multiple halos radiating from his head and hands. Here, his head represents our mind, knowledge and science. From which, rays of light shines representing enlightenment and understanding. And his hands represents our power and ability to work. And thus representing technology as man made products of our understanding of the world in which we inhabit.
Humanity, a product of millions of years of evolution, has finally reached a state where it is able to attempt to comprehend the world from which it emerged. We're, in a sense, the universe's way of understanding itself. Now, in our hands, we own the power to steer the future of our planet. We have the means to understand our world better through rational thought and the scientific method. We have the means to apply that understanding and create technology to better humanity.
We have what it takes to be human.
I was never truly in any religion. I never really believed. But back then I didn’t even know what an atheist is.
My parents are Chinese and worship the traditional Chinese pantheon of gods. They weren’t particularly religious but they are superstitious. So, in effect, my brother and I weren’t particularly religious as well. The whole god idea never quite got to the both of us.
There was a time that I thought that gods existed. Some 10 years ago, my mother would bring us to a Chinese temple in Bugis regularly. At the temple, we would light 3 joss sticks and pray to the gods. I can remember what my mother always said then, “Just tell the gods your name, where you live and blessings that you would like to receive.” I would then mutter under my breath the information I’m supposed to provide.
As my brother and I got older, my mother brought us to the temple less frequently. Eventually it became a once-in-a-couple-of-months matter. At the same time, I became more and more skeptical about the whole concept of god though it was never a significant issue.
I can still recall a night way back when I was around 13-14 years old. Chatting an hour before we slept was the typical thing to do for my brother and I. That night we expressed our childish skeptical view of god. I remember saying, “If god exist, he should give me a million dollars right now... Oh, didn’t happen” and then we went on to get god to throw a bolt of lightning at our room.
By the time I was 16-17, I was sort of a deist. I don’t believe a god would even give a damn about humanity. Even then, I thought it was absurd that anyone could believe an omniscient and omnipotent being would bother to answer prayers. However, I couldn’t think of an answer why the universe exists. Everyone else says that a god must have done it. So I concluded that, yea, a god that creates universes. That made sense at that time.
My real journey to atheism began after Year 2 of my polytechnic studies. That was sometime in May 2008.
The whole affair was initiated by a Youtube video. It was “Religion is bullshit” by the comedian George Carlin (who departed 22 June 2008). It piqued my interest in gods and religions again. And soon, I was browsing through Youtube for videos of related topics to watch.
And in no time, I stumbled on... Richard Dawkins and his book, The God Delusion. I watched almost all the videos wherein he was interviewed about his book. The affair got me excited on the whole atheism issue. And at this point, I was in agreement with what Richard Dawkins had to say. I was almost an atheist.
When my Student Internship Program started in June, I was bored out of mind because of the hour long train rides I take to work. Within the second week, I went out and bought “The God Delusion”. I finished the book in about a week and found myself in complete agreement. I love the book, I love his writing style and I love the fact that I am an atheist. I was “confirmed”. I AM an atheist and I’m proud of it.
Soon after I finished “The God Delusion”, I went to buy “God is not great” by Christopher Hitchens and then “The End of Faith” by Sam Harris. After reading those books, I had a better understanding of my own objections to religion. But i got tired. After reading 3 atheistic books in a row, I found myself hungry for my other love. It was my love for science and in particular, my curiosity of evolution.
I got Richard Dawkins’ “The Ancestor’s Tale” and loved it. Then I got “The Selfish Gene” and learnt even more. I went to read almost all of Richard Dawkins’ writings. By the end of my 4 month internship program, I knew a whole lot more about evolution.
In the meantime, I was also browsing Youtube for videos about Evolution vs Creationism/Intelligent Design. I learnt about the common misconceptions and objections to the theory of evolution. I learnt about the pathetic situation in America over Science and Religion. I learnt a lot of stuff. I had my horizons expanded greatly over a period no longer than half a year.
Then, I thought my ideas about my non-belief were clear. I was not.
My philosophical position was kind of blurry. I could have defended my atheism with various arguments but there was something that I can’t quite put my finger on is unclear.
This changed after I found the Atheist Experience. This was a recent event, like 2-3 months ago. I watched the videos in their archives and was much attracted by the hosts Matt Dillahunty and Tracie Harris. I watched all the videos with the both of them together first. I adore their ability to reason and learnt a lot from that.
Having watched the videos, my understanding of my atheistic position crystallized further.
I really understand now.
I really AM an atheist.
And I like it.
No, wait, I love it.
I finally understood what some of the forum-goers at the RichardDawkins.net forum meant when they found that believers are REALLY difficult to talk to.
Once believers presuppose the existence of god, it is impossible to get them to check the position. It's automatically thought to be correct and never questioned.
Worst of all, some do not question at all because of the implications of the position. It goes something like this:
God created everything. [Original assumption]
Hence, god created my intelligence/wisdom/knowledge as well.
Only god is perfect, I am not perfect.
Therefore, I am unable to understand god completely and thus, should never question him.
There.
Perfect.
They've just put themselves out of the reaches of any form of rational discussion.
Other times, it appears as though they are deliberately missing point. Any argument, explanation or analogy doesn't seem to work no matter how I try to phrase it.
My explanation skills must really suck, I guess. Gotta work on that, I think.
That was my conclusion after engaging in conversations on Stomp.com.sg. And one of which in particular involved a typical christian fundie. Even talking to cow would produce more results.
Not to forget, his utter and complete ignorance of evolution. Of course, that's not his fault. But to reject evolution because he was presented a creationist caricature of evolution? That's tragic.
Today, during class, there was a mini hooha over a phrase. It went something like that...Student (Christian): I am who I am.
Teacher (Also christian): No, you can't say that, you know?
*Brief pause*
Teacher: God said that. You're a christian so you cannot say that. The others can say that but you can't.
Me: *Rolls eyes*
First things first, that probably isn't exactly how it was said but it should be sufficiently accurate so as not to lose its original meaning.
Some might be thinking: So? What's the big deal?
You know what? There actually is.
The phrase "I am who I am" implies that the person who said that is the "uncreated creator" which is basically Yahweh (since it's Christianity we're talking about). Hence, the little hooha.
Okay, fine. Christians are not supposed to say that since that would be "disrespectful" to their god. But whatever does it mean that the others can say it?
Taken to worst of conclusions, it could very well mean: "They can disrespect god since they are going to hell anyway." Of course, I seriously doubted the teacher meant it that way so let's see the alternative reasons.
I'm thinking of religious pluralism or relativism. Vaguely, it means that all religions are equally valid. For some people, it may simply mean that my god (of my religion) takes care of me and your god (of your religion) take cares of you. People with polytheistic tendencies (perhaps, the chinese) would be more emphathetic to such an idea.
But unfortunately, religions typically claim that each is the one true path and thus make pluralism/relativism look like bullshit.
What other reasons might there be?
Just had my reunion dinner at home with my family, my grandmother and my third uncle's family. We had one of those steamboats with a barbecue area around it. Yum.
It will be the first of the Lunar New Year tomorrow. As with any other new year, it is plagued with chinese horoscopic bullshit and crap about fengshui.
My mum buys into it. My dad too. I can't quite talk to her about it. It's a belief too deeply ingrained within my parents. I won't object unless they do something drastic. But it would be nice if they actually listened to what I have to say.
Less than a month after I have made my new year's resolution, I have begun to doubt if I will be able to follow it through.
"Just talk about it." It sure sounds easy enough but practically, it is difficult. I still avoid reliqious topics when there's a christian friend around. Somehow I can't bring myself to speaking about the topic when I'm around them no matter I much I really want to. Sometimes, it feels suffocating. It's just hard to say it out.
For practical reasons, it would be wise not to talk about it. These "conversations" tend to be emotionally charged, at least, to some extent. It would stupid to spoil future cooperations over such things. Likewise, it would spoil any friendship.
Craps. Am I too nice? Or is this the rational way of looking at such?
It feels like the odds are always against the unbelievers. At the very least, believers have the majority.
Kinda reminds me of a quote I read at the RD.net forum:Atheism is weak because theists don't have to believe what atheists say but atheists must believe what theists say because theists believe it.
Meanwhile, Happy Lunar New Year to everyone.
No more Mr. Nice guy. I don't want to hide any more. I am sick and tired of self censorship when I'm around religious folks. Why should I? Why should I give a damn if that religious guy over there is going to get "hurt" because of my opinions about his non-existent deity.
Religion has somehow conned us into respecting it automatically. You can criticize anything in the world except religion but it doesn't give any valid reasons why it is so. I think Douglas Adams made the point very nicely. I shall quote him from Richard Dawkin's book, A Devil's Chaplain (Section 3.5, Time to Stand Up):Now, the invention of the scientific method is, I'm sure we'll all agree, the most powerful intellectual idea, the most powerful framework for thinking and investigating and understanding and challenging the world around us that there is, and it rests on the premise that any idea is there to be attacked. If it withstands the attack then it lives to fight another day, and if it doesn't withstand the attack then down it goes.
Religion doesn't seem to work like that. It has certain ideas at the heart of it which we call sacred or holy or whatever. What it means is, 'Here is an idea or a notion that you're not allowed to say anything bad about; you're just not. Why not? - because you're not!'
If somebody votes for a party that you don't agree with, you're free to argue about it as much as you like; everybody will have an argument but nobody feels aggrieved by it. If somebody thinks taxes should go up or down, you are free to have an argument about it. But on the other hand if somebody says, 'I mustn't move a light switch on a Saturday', you say, 'I respect that.'
The odd thing is, even as I am saying that I am thinking, 'Is there an Orthodox Jew here who is going to be offended by the fact that I just said that?' But I wouldn't have thought, 'Maybe there's somebody from the left wing or somebody from the right wing or somebody who subscribes to this view or the other in economics' when I was making the other points. I just think, 'Fine, we have different opinions'. But the moment I say something that has something to do with somebody's (I'm going to stick my neck out here and say irrational) beliefs, then we all become terribly protective and terribly defensive and say, 'No, we don't attack that; that's an irrational belief but no, we respect it.'
Why should it be that it's perfectly legitimate to support the Labour party or the Conservative party, Republicans or Democrats, this model of economics versus that, Macintosh instead of Windows - but to have an opinion about how the Universe began, about who created the Universe ... no, that's holy? What does that mean? Why do we ring-fence that for any other reason other than that we've just got used to doing so?
There's no other reason at all, it's just one of those things that crept into being and once that loop gets going it's very, very powerful. So, we are used to not challenging religious ideas, but it's very interesting how much of a furore Richard creates when he does it! Everybody gets absolutely frantic about it because you're not allowed to say these things. Yet when you look at it rationally there is no reason why those ideas shouldn't be as open to debate as any other, except that we have agreed somehow between us that they shouldn't be.
That being said, I will not be deliberately offensive. I will not incite an argument for the sake of it. I will still respect the person and his beliefs but only to the extent that I respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children are smart.
That's my new year's resolution. No more self censorship. I will talk about it when I want to.
Speaking of new year resolutions, my previous one was pretty successful. I haven't ate shark's fins for 2 to 3 years now. I'm sticking to this for the many years to come.
The year 2008 has ended and the new year of 2009 begins.
Personally, the year 2008 was by far the most eventful in my life. The three most notable events: CPTC, SIP and recognizing my atheism.
CPTC refers to the Chemical Process Technology Centre where I received training in Chemical Engineering along with the rest of the cohort. It was amazing. It was interesting. It was fun. The shift training absolutely rocks. Even until now, I cannot forget the night shift when my team had to do troubleshooting. Yea, we broke the record. The experience blew my mind away.
SIP - Student Internship Program. I was sent off to the Nanyang Technological University with Jonathan for this 4 month program. We got our taste of working life as laboratory assistants. It kinda rocks for the first day then it sucked from there. LOL. I had to do a 40 day long experiment and do the same set of tests everyday. Really harmful to your sanity. BUT, I did learn alot.
Through SIP, I met and became friends with Jonathan. At the beginning, you could say he is somewhat of a lapsed christian? I'm not sure. Nonetheless, I was able to discuss with him about religion when I was in the process of "discovering" my atheism. I would sometimes offer little tidbits about evolution when I was reading Richard Dawkins' books. Perhaps his beliefs were changing - I don't know - but in no time, he got the Gospel of Flying Spaghetti Monster. He loves the Pirate Fish. Oh! And this funny guy loves to call me "Boss!". LOL.
My becoming a "full-blown" atheist was largely triggered by the SIP. But not by virtue of the SIP itself but the loads of free time I gained because I had to travel a long distance to work. Two hours each day on the train made it incredibly boring without any entertainment. I got "The God Delusion" first. Then in no time, I got "God is not great", "The End of Faith" followed by "The Ancestor's Tale" and more. By the end of SIP, I have read almost all of Richard Dawkins' books.
I was short of the "River Out of Eden" and "The Blind Watchmaker". But Jonathan got me the latter 3 days ago. So, in standard Singlish, I want to thank him for the book again: "Jon ar, thanks hor."
I would also like to thank all the people who made the year a fruitful one for me. Oh and screw god. (Sorry, couldn't help it)
In this new year, may we work to make the world a little better. I shan't dare hope for world peace yet. For I think it is impossible to achieve world peace any day if religion stays around.
Every step is worth a little something. Make it count.
Thanks Jonathan!
Thank you for this wonderful addition, The Blind Watchmaker.
And thank "the blind watchmaker" for you, my friend. =D
One more book to be added to my collection of books. YAY!
* This actually took place on 29 December 2008, Monday.
But it is on the same day I made another post. Apparently the layout made the date disappear. So I altered the date for this post so that the date would appear for the other. Heh.
* This actually took place on 29 December 2008, Monday.
But it is on the same day I made another post. Apparently the layout made the date disappear. So I altered the date for this post so that the date would appear for the other. Heh.
Fuck. I seriously want a Darwin Fish.
Or perhaps a Flying Spaghetti Monster Fish.
Can't find any shops in Singapore that sells them. Craps.
Today, in school, a Christian evangelist (actually, the correct term to use is proselytizer) approached one of my friends while I was sitting nearby. He broached the subject beginning with Christmas then slowly onto Jesus. The conversation didn't last for long though.
My friend kind of said "I believe that all gods exist but I don't worship or pray to them." Then the conversation started trailing to its end.
All the while, I sat there listening and wanting to burst out. I had the urge to interrupt and start a mini discussion. But I didn't. But I wished I did...
Millitant atheism?
No. Not exactly. I don't really give that much of a damn to "deconvert" religious "faith-heads".
Actually, I want to just hear what they think when I start introducing the evidence and arguments against the existence of god. I really am curious. I was never religious so I don't know what goes on in their minds. So I wonder. So I think.
Have they seen the arguments?
Do they really take the bible literally? Virgin giving birth? Noah's ark?
Have they read ALL of the bible?
Do they have special goggles that prevent them from seeing the absurd stuff?
In fact, I hold the opinion that most Christians (the sheep, not the shepherd) have not seen the true picture of arguments from the other side. Merely just following what they are told and limited the false information fed to them by their leaders.
The Eyes of Reason are blinded by Faith in issues relating to Faith.
Today, on my way home from school, a train of thought lead from religion and its craps, to rituals then to funerals. Then I was reminded of my unpleasant encounter with Christianity when my great grandmother died.
My great grandmother was a sweet old lady. She enjoyed the company of her many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was also a great cook and was loved by all of us. And naturally, everyone was saddened by her death.
In Singapore, funerals are typically held in the void deck (the ground floor of our HDB high-rise flats). So was her funeral. Apparently, she converted to Christianity during the last years of her life so she (is it we?) had a Christian funeral.
On the night before her body would be sent for cremation the next day, the priest came for the ceremony. A piece of paper was handed out to all of us which had the lyrics of the songs we were supposed to sing. And after a few words from the priest (or was it the bible), we had to sing the songs.
After the second song, it became crystal clear. The songs were ALL about praising god. Nothing other than sucking up to the sky daddy.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" bolted through my mind.
What is this crap?
Why are we singing about god at my great grandmother's funeral?
Did god just die?
Am I at the wrong funeral?
This is just wrong, 'nough said.
I stopped singing along. I felt disgusted.
I think this is disrespectful.
Why the heck do we need to praise god at someone's funeral?
God needs some sucking up before he let my great grandmother to heaven?
I remembered distinctly that on the day after the cremation. When my parents, my brother and I were on the way home in a taxi. We touched on the subject of funerals. And I said "I don't ever want a Christian funeral."
This happened a few years before I identified myself as an atheist. Even then, I wasn't "into" the whole god crap.
Just a thought... something I'd remember for a long long while...
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