April's Fools

In a 2010 Psychology Today article by Nigel Barber, Ph.D., “Why Atheism Will Replace Religion.”makes the case that there are “strong correlations between atheism and intelligence” as cultures develop.

According to Dr. Barber, “Belief in God declines in more developed countries and is concentrated in Europe in countries such as Sweden (64% nonbelievers), Denmark (48%), France (44%) and Germany (42%). In contrast, the incidence of atheism in most sub-Saharan countries is below 1%.” (See also, Zuckerman 2007) Dr. Barber continues: “The reasons that churches lose ground in developed countries can be summarized in market terms. First, with better science, and with government safety nets, and smaller families, there is less fear and uncertainty in people's daily lives and hence less of a market for religion. At the same time many alternative products are being offered, such as psychotropic medicines and electronic entertainment that have fewer strings attached and that do not require slavish conformity to unscientific beliefs." (Barber, 2010)

So why are atheists being connected to April Fools Day?

First how April 1 did become known as a Day of Fools? Traditionally, eh no one knows, but some attribute the day to Pope Gregory XIII and his calendar.

Now, since Christians have used this day as a mockery to atheists as their “holiday” well let’s give them what they want. Christians have been labeling atheists as fools because of that verse… Psalms 14:1. You know…"The FOOL saidth in his heart there is No God." Even though the word “fool” in this verse is an English translation of the Hebrew word “nabal” which means morally inferior NOT intellectually inferior.

Contrary to popular Christian belief, there is no real fact that says God-believers are more morally upright than those who don’t believe in God. But still an atheist is a fool.

The New Testament is more blunt. According to the one who wrote the Book of Romans, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:20)

In other words, we become fools for not believing, for lacking faith to believe that their invisible God is the creator of the whole universe. This doesn’t signify an immoral person, but a stupid one. Just because someone doesn’t believe his god, he is now considered a dullard. But why give a damn about what the religious fanatics in Jerusalem believe anyway. I am more connected to Athens. Doubt has brought me closer to knowledge than religious faith.

It's not about flies and vinegar.

I have pissed off a lot of people. Yeah, I know...
These guys think that I am asking atheists to respect the believers why I ask for less mockery in favor of a more critical approach when arguing against religion and god belief. Maybe they think I'm being too soft, or more accommodating with believers.

No, this is not about accommodation and respect. 

One thing I've noticed when a debate becomes more into puns and less intellectual is that it just goes nowhere. The issue will soon be muddled and off track. Both parties become irritated and divert the topic to mere mud throwing and mindless tantrums. Sooner or later the whole topic becomes nothing by a troll's paradise... just another garbage posted on Facebook.

Sorry, but some people are asking for something more than jumbled letters and senseless words. They are asking for an intellectual discourse.

You see, as an atheist, I have this thirst for knowledge... new knowledge... something that I was deprived of when I was still a Christian and I am expecting to find new ideas from debates and arguments that I read in social forums. That's how it goes. As a freethinker, I crave for new philosophies, new horizon, new things to explore... so other than books or a YouTube video, I also look for it in arguments between two colliding forces: Reason vs. Faith.

But what happen if instead of knowledge, what you read are baseless accusations against each other? Words design not to seek any synthesis of ideas, but just to laugh at or ridicule an opponent? What is there to learn?

What instead of clashing philosophies, you'll just see angry, emotional rants and ways to get even with the enemies? What does this do to achieve enlightenment?