The Atheologist

Theology is the study of theism; Atheology is the study of atheism. I am The Atheologist. Why don’t Atheists embrace religion when the vast majority of humans do? Why are Atheists regarded by most of society as thugs, rabble, vermin and generally naughty people. The Atheologist will attempt to seek out the true answers to these and many more questions by using logical assumptions, interviews with people of all faiths and really, really good research. The Atheologist wants to know.

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  • Tuesday, January 02, 2007

    Is Atheism A Disease?


    Everyone by now knows that alcoholism is a disease. We know that because it has been repeated thousands of times by authorities on the subject, (such as Alcoholics Anonymous). The possibility that atheism is a also a disease recently occurred to the Atheologist as he was perusing the internet and came across this quote by Plato:

    “Atheism is a disease, and a corruption of the soul; and no man ever did an unrighteous act, or uttered an impious word, unless he was a theoretical or practical atheist”

    Is it possible then that atheism is a disease and not the fault of the atheist just as the disease of alcoholism is not the fault of the alcoholic? To get a better perspective on the matter, the Atheologist has compiled a table which lists many of the similarities between alcoholics and atheists:

    Alcoholics... Atheists...
    miss work a lot. miss church a lot.
    will kill for adrink.will kill because they don’t believe in hell.
    don’t admit that they have a problem.don’t admit that they really believe in God.
    are not very happy when sober.are not very happy listening to sermons.
    think they can stop drinking anytime.think they can stop church and state from merging.
    have bad livers.have bad morals.
    use any excuse to have a drink.use any excuse to annoy theists.
    panic when the bottle runs dry.panic when they think they are losing their war on Christmas.
    sometimes get thrown out of bars.sometimes get thrown out of jury duty.
    often try to stop drinking, but can’t.often try to prove that God doesn’t exist, but can’t.
    often hide their drinking.often hide from Mormons.
    are not big fans of prohibition.are not big fans of Billy Graham.
    think laws against drinking and driving don’t apply to them.think the Ten Commandments don’t apply to them.
    believe that beer makes you smart because it made Budweiser.believe in evolution.
    are not often found in dry towns.are never found in foxholes.
    often slur their speech.often slur their speech when they get to, "one nation under God", while reciting the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’.
    often ask God to help them.often cross off, ‘God’, on their paper money.


    The Atheologist

    18 Comments:

    Blogger Harrison Levitan said...

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    5:33:00 PM  
    Blogger Baconeater said...

    There is a twelve step program set up to quit Atheism.

    The first step requires having three quarters of your brain being surgically removed.

    Harrison, your sarcasm detector is on the fritz.

    8:30:00 PM  
    Blogger The Atheologist said...

    Harrison, it seems to me that you are crying out for help. Since you have admitted to being an atheist, but not yet admitted to your alcohol problem, let me offer you some hope. I believe that atheism is much easier to cure than alcoholism. (The BEAJ is just pulling your leg about the 12-step program.)

    Since there are hundreds and hundreds of religions and gods to choose from, all you do is pick one that you like, say a few prayers and you are cured of your atheism problem.
    As an added bonus, alcoholism can be cured simultaneously while doing this, just look toward our great President as an example. For you Harrison, this would be killing two birds with one stone!

    9:05:00 PM  
    Blogger The Atheologist said...

    Harrison,

    It seems that your original comment was somehow deleted. I have recovered it and reprinted it here so you don't have to:

    I find this "theory" you have extremeley ludacris. I myself am an atheist. First of all I want to address the column where you say that atheists don't admit that they don't beleive in god. By definition an atheist is a person who does not beleive in god. If an atheist didn't say that they felt there was no god then they would not be an atheist at all. Secondly, your opinion that atheists, like myself have bad morals has nothing to do with the fact that alcoholics commonley have bad livers. If you think that I can't disprove the theory that there is a supreme being then I challenge you to prove to me that there is in fact a god. Lastly, atheists may try to disprove religous views but they are not all focused on christianity. It is arrogant to think that christianity is that important. I was originally a jew before I realized that the justification for a god was weak and lacking. Personally I would love to see all religion eradicated. Religion in modern times causes unparralled bigotry. It separates groups of people and spread false information.

    7:26:00 PM  
    Blogger Chris Handwerker said...

    How to cure Atheism
    Step 1) Throw logic and reasoning out the window
    Step 2) Have blind faith in whatever other people or a book tells you
    Step 3) Live life in ignorance and hate of people who don't believe what you believe.

    Atheists' are even more moral that theists' because they actually take time to think about life, the universe, and everything instead of thinking whatever a book written a long time ago tells them. I have never seen an atheist kill other people and blow themselves up in the name of god. Not to say all religious people are violent but a lot less atheist people are violent and racist because that would be illogical.

    9:51:00 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Militant ant-theists pretty much all work from the same script.Although viewing themselves as “free thinkers”, they all have a Party Line that they follow rather closely.It isn’t difficult to anticipate their arguments on any given point. Most intelligent religious individuals almost always can correctly predict what they’ll say next.Interestingly, militant atheists get much of their beliefs about “Christianity” from liberal Christians.They’ll pejoratively label all Christians as “Fundies”,then presumptively attack liberal theological conceptsthey suppose us “Fundies” subscribe to !Nearly all militant atheists are followers of the religion of Scientism. Their priests wear white lab coats. Their sacramental objects are the microscope,the telescope, and the test tube. Blasphemy is to deny the ultimate authority of science.But the militant atheists -the ones who have devoted their lives to refuting Christianity- are almost like the demons …who believe more firmly in God’s existence than do Christians !It can unequivocally be stated that militant atheists are some of the people who most solidly believe in God !Ain’t talking ‘practical atheists’ here …those who don’t even think much about atheism. They’re the true atheists.Professional atheists who’ve dedicated themselves to eradicating the Lord do so because they hate Him.They’re the God-haters.To which they’ll invariably reply: ‘How can we hate something we don’t believe in ?’.Exactly ! It’s their belief in God which drives them to relentlessly attack Him.Run of the mill, everyday ‘practical atheists’ don’t give God a second thought. They’re the ones I worry about.Whereas militant atheists are fighting against the innate knowledge of God suppressed in their hearts.As a militant atheist I can unequivocally state that there is no time in your life that you totally disbelieved in God. And -in fact- were driven to work against the Lord by belief in Him !It isn’t that militant atheists don’t believe God exists. Instead: That they don’t want God to exist.

    http://atheist-stooges.com

    8:24:00 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    When i read this page, i was utterly repulsed. The nerve some people have to say such disgusting and uncorrect things. One person wrote "They are God haters." haha, wow. we can't be god haters because we can't hate something, that we believe does not exist. and that ridiculous chart comparing alcaholics to athiests. give me a break. "alcaholics have bad livers and athiests have bad morals" yeah right. we have morals, it's just then were not christian, so people think we have bad morals. and most athiests dont slur "one nation under god." we just dont say it. or at least i dont. and we do NOT make excuses to annoy theists. that is just rude. in conclusion, the one who wrote this article, needs help.

    7:36:00 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Calling you out as we discussed.

    I'm such a nice guy, I'm giving you a chance to make me look like the idiot I truly am.

    Since you're so sensitive when it comes to being called a troll (Which you are), you should have no problem knocking me out.

    Twit.

    12:03:00 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Plato didn't believe in one singular deity, he believed in many but all of them were good. He also believed that they were created during the pre-existing chaos of the universe (which is different from the Christian point-of-view) .. he also believed in evolution (in some points), one only has to read "Laws" and "The Republic" to see such a point.

    Pat Tillman, the former football player who went and fought in Afghanistan was an agnostic. Most people who are religious view agnostics being no different than atheists. Perhaps you do not? But, from reading your quips, I think you do.

    There are atheists in the military, this website proves this:

    http://www.maaf.info/

    But that saying of the foxhole is that when going into the foxhole you may be an atheist yet when there, and about to die the assumption is one prays to a higher power for protection. This is not a true statement. The phrase has been twisted to become something else over the years of it first being spoken but I bet it wasn't an atheist who coined it.

    But, if one did say that: they weren't really an atheist to begin with.

    As an agnostic myself, I have no problem with "In God We Trust" on money. I do not feel the Ten Commandments belong in a courtroom - I believe in separation of Church and State but if the Church so badly wants to be in the government then all religions and non-religions should be in the government. Christianity is not the recognized religion of the United States - a lot of people want it to be, but it isn't.

    The whole point of the "Freedom" when the Constitution was constructed was based on the freedom of religion. That one could come here and practice their religion without penalty. Christians penalize everyone that isn't a Christian and they even penalize themselves who certain sects do not feel they are the right kind of Christian.

    All you have to do is put on a search engine: Christians against Christians - Christians against Atheists - Christians against Muslims - Christians against Jews etc., etc., and you'll find levies of websites that are filled with hatred and bigotry moreso than you find on Muslims against Christians - Atheists against Christians - Jews against Christians etc., etc.,

    If you wish to be a Christian, I do not care. Be one. I respect one's choice in what religion they wish to be. That's their choice, that's what makes them happy and able to live life.

    Just like it's my choice not to be. It's my choice to be an agnostic. And that's where I feel happy, I feel good. I am not trying to shove my beliefs down your throat. I am not saying what you believe is wrong and what I believe is right etc., 'cause I do not definitely know if (as a whole) it's right - but it's right for me. Just like Christianity is right for you (or what ever religion you believe in, which isn't specific here but I'm assuming Christianity) ... why do people have to write things that are attacking and hateful to each other? 'Cause that's what that is above: hateful and attacking.

    "will kill because they don’t believe in hell."

    This seems to imply that atheists have no morals. I have morals. I do not believe in the death penalty, and I do not believe in abortion. I understand the need for the Death Penalty but it's not 100% and so it shouldn't exist where it isn't. I understand the need for abortion but I feel it should only be applied to a woman who will lose her life if she has the baby and/or a rape victim.

    Is that immoral of me to believe in that? Am I immoral?

    I am not for war. I do realize, at times, it's a necessity. I was for the removal of Saddam Hussien (sp?) but not in the manner that the U.S. went in. If the U.S. went in because he was a tyrant, a rapist, a dictator, a theif, murderer etc., I am sure people would have backed that alone - but, the U.S. went in based on lies (admitted by Bush in 2003/4/5/6) and that was wrong.

    Am I immoral for feeling that was wrong?

    I do not try to prove that a deity doesn't exist, it's of no interest to me. How can someone disprove something that they have no definitive answer for? But, the opposite is true, as well. One can not prove that there is a deity. That's what FAITH is about.

    Oh, and a lot of Christians hide from Mormons. That's not just a "atheist" thing. The same with a lot of Christians (including Mormons) hide from Jehovah Witness' - tell me I'm wrong?

    I wouldn't say I am a fan of Billy Graham - only because I don't really listen and/or (have) watched any of his sermons. But, my father likes him - so, if he likes him, he must be a good person.

    I do not feel that Jerry Falwell was a good person, and I do not feel that Pat Robertson is a good person. They spew[ed] a lot of hate.

    One of my favorite poets is John Bannister Tabb - he was a priest. Great writer, overlooked by the vast community of literature. I wrote a biography on him - it's used at several websites.

    Oh, but, since I like his poetry, I must be kidding myself about who I am, right?

    That's called a cop-out. It's one what side says to the other when they do not have a real reply. It's possible for someone to like something someone else wrote, sung, performed, etc., without actually believing in what they believe.

    Alexander Pope was an excellent writer - he wrote mainly religious work but I am not going to put him down because he doesn't believe in what I believe. I am not not going to read his work because he speaks about certain things I do not believe in. That'd be pathetic on anyone's part for them to judge like that. And they'd be missing out on a lot.

    The "Ten Commandments" part of your quip would be true because that's a religious phenomenon for Jews (Christians) but some of those "laws" are followed every single day by atheists/agnostics.

    I do not steal.

    I do not cheat on the girl that I am dating.

    I do not kill people.

    But, why would anyone follow the law on bowing down before any symbol not of the Christian deity when it states in that commandment:

    ...I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,

    "a jealous God" - jealousy is an emotion of hatred. If this deity is good in every way, how can this deity be jealous? That's not very positive.

    For the connotation of the times when these Commandments were written, I can understand why it was written - this day and age, it doesn't apply. It carries with it negativity, and Christians preach about positivity yet that and what you've written - isn't positive.

    Where's your morals at? I wonder ..

    Do you work 6 days a week? 'Cause that's in the Commandments:

    ...Six days you shall labor and do all your work.

    Most Christians I know work 5 days a week. Of course, a lot of them work more than 1 job and they need those two days off but they're wrong in not following that Commandment.

    I honor my father and mother as much as I can.

    You know, there are Christians who believe in evolution. I watched a 2 hour documentary on the subject which was produced by a Christian sect.

    The Pledge of Allegiance was rewritten by McCarthy and he added the "god" part during the time of Communism.

    That originally wasn't in there. Would you want someone rewriting what you wrote just to make a point?

    Not a nice thing, eh?

    I have never known any atheist and/or agnostic who ever crossed off "god" on their "paper money". That's stupid and I think you it up.

    Try to be more positive next time.


    -David Arnold
    Florida

    7:50:00 AM  
    Blogger The Atheologist said...

    Wake up David.

    9:13:00 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    4:20:00 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Sticks and stones may break my bones, but you are one dumb theist. www.GodlessBastard.com

    4:23:00 PM  
    Blogger Just a Monkey... said...

    I am an atheist, but my inshurance doesn't cover the treatment for this condition. God hates me and I need some pills.
    http://atheistendeavor.blogspot.com

    6:34:00 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    There are so many problems with the alcoholism/atheism chart I don't even know where to begin, but I find it painfully ironic that a person who claims to be dedicated to the study of atheists knows next to nothing about them.

    11:28:00 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    this is a load of nonsense.
    these 'facts' are so subjective from a christian.the real disease (and this IS actually scientifically undeniably by the laws of nature proven) is actually religion.it is just like a greek myth that was made up to explain the unexplainable.Among other nonsens stated here, you say 'athiests spend their time trying to prove god doenst exist but cant' but can you sir, Prove otherwise?
    You will probably respond to that by either saying(if you were modest) 'i cant prove god does exist but i know he does coz i have faith' or ' i experienced miracles that can only be caused by a divine spirit'.
    Both those answers can be debunked by logical resoning: "faith" is the believing of something without needing proof of its existence you just some how 'know it does'.Can you deny that if you were born a muslim to a muslim family, you would 'know' allah is the so called creator of all thing, you would utterly despise chritians, and would live by the Koran as apposed to the bible? NO you cant!
    religion is a result of your upbring and there for something past down from ancient times and has gotten more and more obscured over time.Common knowledge that ancient human civilizations would make uneplainable phenomena and qestions far to complex to be answered in a scientific manner at the time, an act of a divine deity to explain what there minds couldnt handle at the time.
    Things like the idea of heaven and life after death were invented by man to comfort the thought of death.
    wake up from your fantasy before its too late and the world is facing nucleur war in the name of god. you will destroy yourselves and every one around you who you love.
    Get Real!!!!!!!!please!!!!!really!!!!for your own sake
    oh and your so called title 'athiologist' wow i dont know how far you had to dig to pull that one out your ass.How can you 'study something' from a non-neutral point of view and clearly against it? and you sure as Darwin have absolutely no knowledge of athiests.
    people like you should have their blogs suspended on the account of bullshit lies and false information feedign and brainwashing it to your poor followers and children whom you give no choice of freedom to choose their own beliefs. You might say well i f i asked my child if he/she wanted to change faiths or choose not to have a faith he/she would say no(and they probably would say this) it is so blatently obviouse that its because you asked this question only after you had brainwashed them woth your beliefs both directly and indirectly,intentionally and unintentionally.
    further more, i am not 'out to get you' but its things like this that annoy me and directly attack the rights of people to choose what theywant be it logic and reson or faith.
    i hope you see errors in your ways and remove this blog.this is not freedom of speech,it is hate speech which you dont have the right to.

    4:32:00 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    the burden of proof is clearly on religion not science

    4:34:00 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    This is all utter shite. You cant possibly compare atheists to alcoholics, has it ever occurred to any of you that not everyone needs some kind of connection with something; especially something that no one can prove exists. Perhaps it is important to actually see something to believe it. Being an atheist i have no problem with religious folk, its just people who think it is their job to make everyone else believe in what they do. We are all entitled to make our own decisions and its people like you that really have the problems. Perhaps opening ones mind to different opinions and viewpoints would be a good place for you all to start.

    5:19:00 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Plato certainly didn't live long enough to watch the crusades, the inquisition, the holocaust or 9/11, didn't he.

    9:57:00 PM  

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