Comments on: Positive Atheist in Philadelphia

By: Bjorn Watland

Bjorn Watland — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:10:01 +0000

I’ve known only a handful of atheist homosexuals, and many devout Christian homosexuals. I think it’s difficult to generalize homosexuals as being religious, or non-religious. Although, it is a puzzle to uncover why someone who is a homosexual would try to hard to change the organization he or she is a part of to, rather then altering beliefs.

By: Morse

Morse — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:02:19 +0000

It’s a belief that I would consider not grounded in reason or evidence, but an overly optimistic perspective of human potential.

Don’t fall into the sharpshooter fallacy. Yes, humans have and do do horrible things to each other. But do you really think we’re not ultimately good?

Penn Jillette said it wonderfully. (paraphrasing) Newspapers are filled with all the bad news that could be found in 24 hours. If they tried to report on all the good news, there wouldn’t be enough space.

By: The Unbrainwashed

The Unbrainwashed — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:53:52 +0000

“I believe that humans are ultimately good and trying to understand each other better and working toward world peace.”

This comment strikes me as overly idealistic and tinged with the concept of faith. Who says that humans are good? It’s a belief that I would consider not grounded in reason or evidence, but an overly optimistic perspective of human potential.

On a related note, it may just be me, but considering her background and her bisexuality, I surmise that her atheism is motivated by her mother’s encouragement and her own dismay at the church’s attitudes towards homosexuals. I’ve often noted that homosexuals tend to be less religious and I hypothesize its not a result of philosophy or scientific inquiry, but rather a condemnation of the anti-gay conservative Christianity.