Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Atheism 101: A Reading List revisited

In the beginning Vjack continues to refine his Atheism 101 post on developing an Atheist Reading list. I've send dozens of people to his post when they ask for help via email or in comments.

I wanted to add a book that was important to me when I first became an atheist. Asimov's In The Beginning, Science faces God in the Book of Genesis.  It is all but forgotten today. And by today’s standards the book  is fairly unsophisticated.  Back in the day it sparked my first stirrings of intellectual curiosity. I was an atheist by 1979, but an atheist who had lost his faith and was adrift intellectually.  The book came out in 1981. I checked it out from the library and was reading it at the time my son was born. I distantly remember becoming interested in science, reason, and logic after reading it.

On a side note – I remember the day Asimov died. I had the book Robots of Dawn in my back pocket. I was standing in the Science and Industry Museum in Los Angeles when I overheard another guest talking about Asimov’s death. I remember feeling very sad. 

Go read a book.

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Does atheism (as you understand it) support a view that each person has a unique purpose for their life?
1 reply · active 852 weeks ago
No - Atheism simple asserts no belief in God.
I guess what I am really searching for is whether or not it is within the realm of belief for an atheist to believe that they can possess natural gifts and abilities from birth that can later aid humanity IF they are properly developed or is that too much a stretch for one that asserts no belief in God? Please refer me to such literature or writings to assist me if you feel that it would be quicker or easier. Thanks.
1 reply · active 852 weeks ago
Here's the way I think of it, largely from my background in psychology: we're all born with a genetically inherited range of abilities, and with hard work, motivation, and favorable circumstances, we can reach the upper end of this range. No matter how much I practice, I'll never be a Michael Jordan. But with sufficient work, I may be able to approach the upper end of my genetic endowment.

It isn't so much about having "gifts" but about deciding to use one's abilities in service to humanity. I find such a perspective to be perfectly compatible with my atheism.
I've never thought of it that way. I am also an existentialist, which leads one toward reliance on oneself for the definition of who we are. I do not believe we have hidden talents from birth. I believe we can make ourselves into who we want to be. Be it doctor, lawyer, or priest. It is up to us.
I never really got into Asimov (man, I'm even strange for an atheist!), but it is cool to hear about a book that influenced you. I suspect we all have our favorites.

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