Atheist Meme of the Day: Atheists Don't Worship Science

Today's Atheist Meme of the Day, from my Facebook page. Pass this on; or don't; or edit it as you see fit; or make up your own. Enjoy!

Atheists do not worship science, logic, or evidence as a religious faith. We simply think that these methods have proven to be the most effective ways of figuring out what is and is not true in the real, non-subjective world. Pass it on: if we say it enough times to enough people, it may get across.

Comments

[Maria]

This is good! I often see this. Many theists seem unable to grasp that we don't have the same supersitious view on things.

I discussed with a believer not long ago that angrily suggested that I read the bible, because he was sure I hadn't, and he was also sure that I hadn't because the bible scared me.

It was absurd, not so much because he was wrong about that I had not read it (I have) but that he thought it's "holiness" would be frightening to an atheist. Some theists seem to think that atheists are scared of "holy" things like churches and bibles. What? They think we are vampires? :-))

On the contrary, I, and many many other atheists that I have talked with are not only NOT afraid of objects and houses, but we actually enjoy and like many religious expressions in music, literature, art and architecture. It's part of an historical cultural treasure after all.

They really don't get this lack of superstitious awe, worship, or fear of objects and phenomena.

[DSimon]

I too am an atheist that does not shriek with terror in the presence of churches, holy books, or garlic. Sunlight's a little dicey, though....

[manthd]

This is an interesting meme, because I clearly remember that a not insignificant part of my own becoming an atheist, after having been raised a catholic, was my realizing that I didn't know what it meant to worship something. And when I tried finding out, all the versions of it seemed anathema to human dignity.

The closest I ever got to an answer as to what worship was that it's like saying out load that something was hot shit, but with the proviso that you also had to "admit" at the same time that you yourself were worthless by comparison.

That's always sounded way too much like some sort of Mafia chain of command or power game played out as a context for spousal abuse.

In fact, it still does sound like that.

(Plus "worship" seemed to have some aspect pertaining to "divinity", and I still can't tell how that's different from plain old magic.)

[Shiyiya]

I'll admit to being intensely uncomfortable in churches when actual church function of some type is going on - I got dragged by family to my aunt's church to see her perform in their handbell choir. I spent the entire time doing sudoku in my lap, intensely uncomfortable at having to pretend to be what I'm not.... and mentally contradicting virtually every point in the sermon. I think my family was slightly upset with my 'disrespect'....

[yogurtbacteria]

Agreed. Use of Reimann sums doesn't imply worship of them--they're just a fantastic method for determining the area under a curve, and anyone who says we use them because we "worship" them is missing the point.

Though now that I think on it, developing a religion based around worshipping Riemann sums sounds kind of entertaining.

I mean, fuck, you could use just about any analogy for this...

Insisting on the use of hammers for nails, paperclips to hold papers together. Nothing to do with worship. Now, accusing people of worshipping chopsticks I could see...what other possible explanation could there be for such an impractical utensil?

[Joshua Zelinsky]

There's another problem here that's worth examining. There are also atheists who don't care much for science (they exist but are rare). There are also religious individuals who acknowledge that science and associated methodologies is the best method for understanding the world that we have found so far. No one seems to think that they are worshiping science.