Atheist 13 Meme

I've been tagged by Tommy at Exercise in Futility to answer the following thirteen questions. I am one of those weird people who actually like memes. So, here goes!

Q1. How would you define “atheism”?
Atheism is simply a lack of belief in the existence of any god, gods, goddesses or any supernatural entities based on lack of evidence.

Q2. Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?

I was raised as a Lutheran, but we weren't a strict religious family. We stayed home more from church more than we went. We did a brief stint the Baptist church after my grandmother passed away and my Mom didn't find the comfort she needed from the Lutheran church. My brother and sister got to liking the youth group and all the wild escapades we participated in with the teenagers of that group. We would act "holy" in front of our parents, then go racing around in cars between the church and whoever's parents house we were having the youth meeting that night. Then dutifully give our testimonies and say some prayers and read a few bits from the Bible and then it was party time. Baptist kids are pretty wild. Then it was back to the gloomy German Lutheran church where the service is much like a funeral service. I never became a member...was the only member of my family not to. I didn't go hardly at all after graduating from high school. I was done with it then, though went back to it after I had my own children, thinking I was doing the right thing. My husband, I and kids all left the church and our superstitious beliefs behind in the mid 90s and aren't at all regretful about it. Just sorry we didn't "see the light" sooner.

Q3. How would you describe “Intelligent Design”, using only one word?

Fantasy.

Q4. What scientific endeavour really excites you?

I would have to agree with Tommy here and say space exploration. It would be great if they found some kind of life forms on another planet in my lifetime, but doubt they will in that short amount of time. I wish I could live at least another 500 years just to see how far humans go into the cosmos.

Q5. If you could change one thing about the “atheist community”, what would it be and why?

There isn't really an "atheist community" since we are all pretty much individuals, no doctrines, no governing body, no organized "churches". As for atheist, I wish that those who are atheists would not be so afraid to speak up and let it be known that they are atheist. There are more of us than statistics show, I am sure. Many atheists are still hiding in churches.

Q6. If your child came up to you and said “I’m joining the clergy”, what would be your first response?

I would be a bit shocked because our three grown children are pretty adament atheist (one might be more leaning agnostic). But then it is their life and if they feel that is what they need to do, then it's their life. I will love them anyway.

Q7. What’s your favorite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?

I don't have any favorite theistic argument. They are all getting to be pretty redundant from "everything is so complex, something had to designed it all", or "where do you get your morals from?" Trying to explain we get our morals from the society in which we live, and those morals are instilled in us via our parents or caretakers. It doesn't mean that a child will follow everything he or she is taught, but for most children, if the parents are moral people, then kids are also. As for everything being complex and must have had a creator, I just say that those who say this just want an immediate answer for things they do not know, so just fill in those gaps with "goddidit."

Q8. What’s your most “controversial” (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?

At the moment, it is that I do not trust Obama as far as I can throw him. I think he is a Democratic fundamentalist Xian who talks to his imaginary friend every night and that is what everyone was on Bush about. But suddenly because it's a Democrat it's ok and they make excuses for him. I think that everyone is going to be disappointed, and this is going to hurt the Democratic Party even more. I get a bunch of crap on other sites for this viewpoint.

Q9. Of the “Four Horsemen” (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?

I think Sam Harris. He is soft spoken, intelligent, has common sense, holds the same opinion of Islam fundamentalists as he does Xian fundamentalists and makes no excuses for them.

Q10. If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?

My sister. Religion has come between us since she has become a Baptist. She wouldn't have to abandon her beliefs, but just that irritating and self-righteous denomination that drives wedges between family members.

Now name three other atheist blogs that you’d like to see take up the Atheist Thirteen gauntlet:

Poodles, Atheist Jew, and Cyberkitten