Atheist HumanismMillions of people enjoy happy, fulfilled and responsible lives without god and religion.

Name of speakerDASH: Derbyshire Atheists, Secularists and Humanists

www.SecularDerby.org

These are my personal beliefs which you are free to agree or disagree with.

You may ask me questions about anything as I go along.

Topics covered• My background.• Atheists and humanists.• Why I don’t believe in god(s).• Answering “the big questions” without god.• Secular moral values.• Basic questions and ideas.• Truth.• Respect.

Labels: atheists and humanists“Good without god”

• “A-theist” means “without god” not “anti-theist”.• There are good atheists and bad atheists - just as

there are good theists and bad theists.• There would be no atheists if there were no theists

- we are defined by what we are not.• There is no such thing as “atheism”.• Humanists put people first in the one life we share

together.• Humanists support freedom of belief - with

conditions.• Humanists are rationalists and sceptics.

Why I don’t need god

“The simplest explanationis usually the best - the one that

makes the fewest assumptions and invents the fewest new ideas.”

Occam’s Razor

• There is no need for the god idea because everything explained by it can be explained more simply without it.

• There is no evidence for the god idea.• So, I don’t believe in god - I am god-free!

God is an unnecessary

idea for which there is no evidence.

The big questions of life

• How did we get here?

• What happens after we die?

• What is the purpose of life?

Can I answer these questions in a simple way without inventing the

idea of god?

Beginningism• Theist: “Everything has a beginning.”• Atheist: “How did the Universe begin?”• Theist: “God created it.”• Atheist: “How did god begin?”• Theist: “God is everlasting - she had no beginning.”• Atheist: “So, everything does not have a beginning.”

Nothing pops into existence out of nothing.

Everything is a rearrangement of thingsthat existed before.

The BIG questions• How did we get here?

– The Universe is always changing, it has always existed, in one form or another, and it will continue to exist, in one form or another.

• What happens after death?

– You cease to be you and the atoms that made up your body are recycled in the Universe.

– There is no “soul” and no “life after death”. I am not afraid of death but I want a dignified death.

• What is the purpose of life?

– To lead a happy, fulfilled and responsible life and to help others do the same.

Moral values• Holy books can be used to justify good

things or bad things.

• “Interpretation” is the biggest problem for religions.

• Atheists are concerned about the lack of clear, coherent and consistent moral values in holy books.

• Morality is too important to be left to religion.

Secular Humanist values

• Cause no harm

• Fairness

• Justice

• Honesty

• Trustworthiness

• Understanding

• Tolerance

• Compassion

• Charity

• Caring for others

• Putting fellow humans first

• Personal moral values

• Personal responsibility• Mutual respect in relationships• Inclusiveness• Non-discrimination• Open mindedness• Questioning and finding out• Civilised discussions• Working together• Respect for the environment• Respect for what people do - not

for what they say or believe

Humans are social animals, we need agreed rules for a harmonious society. Humanist moral values are based on empathy and treating other

people in the same way you would like them to treat you.

There are no rights without responsibilities.

Questions• Is there a limit to free speech?• Should I respect sincerely held beliefs?• Does anyone have the right not to be offended?• Should I be expected to follow religious rules?• Should I be free to criticise and poke fun at

religious ideas?

Is this acceptable?

Or this?

Basic ideas• Being religious or non-religious does not make you good.• Most religious people are decent people because they are

decent human beings - not because they are religious.• A secular state guarantees freedom of belief - with

conditions.• A theocratic state denies freedom of belief.• Philosophy is about putting ideas on the table and

discussing them dispassionately - some people can’t do that - they take everything personally.

• Some people get upset when religious beliefs and holy books are criticised.

• I criticise ideas and beliefs - not people - I do not set out to upset or offend people.

People can believe anything as long as:• they cause no harm nor call for harm.

• they don’t put their gods, their prophets or their holy books above their fellow human beings.

• they don't attempt to limit the freedoms of others.

• they don't discriminate as a result of their beliefs.

• they play a positive and responsible role in society.

• they don't try to impose their beliefs onto others, particularly children.

• they allow children to make a free and informed choice about what to believe.

• they accept that free speech means their beliefs may be criticised or even laughed at.

• they are not funded by tax payers.

Is something true:• because it’s in a book?• because someone says so?• because lots of people believe it?• because we can see it for ourselves?• because we have evidence for it?

• Is truth absolute - true or not true?

• Is a belief a truth?

• Does “truth” have any meaning if it means different things to different people?

Worth remembering

Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it isn’t nonsense.

Watch out for balderdash,

obfuscation and people trying to bamboozle you.

Always ask: “what on earth is that

supposed to mean?”

Respect• People earn respect for what they do - not for what

they say or what they claim to believe.

• Beliefs are ideas - not people.

• Should we respect sincerely held beliefs?

• Should we respect the sincerely held beliefs of Nazis, Fascists or racists?

• Should we be free to criticise, or even laugh at, all ideas and beliefs?

• Should we treat religious ideas differently from other ideas? If so, why?

• There is a big difference between laughing at ideas and laughing at people.

A few atheists• Daniel Radcliffe (Actor: Harry Potter)• Ian McKellen (Actor: Gandalf)• Elton John (Musician)• John Lennon (Musician: The Beatles)• Steve Wozniak (Founder of Apple)• Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft)• Richard Branson (Founder of the Virgin group)• Ricky Gervais (Comedian)• Jimmy Carr (Comedian)• Charles Darwin (Author: "Origin of the Species")• Albert Einstein (Physicist)• Stephen Hawking (Physicist)• Peter Higgs (Physicist: The Higgs Boson)• Richard Dawkins (Scientist: "The God Delusion")• Stephen Fry (Actor)• Hugh Laurie (Actor)• Helen Mirren (Actor)• Nigella Lawson (TV chef)• Alan Sugar (Businessman)• Brian Clough (Football Manager)• Grayson Perry (Artist)• Damien Hirst (Artist)

• .... and millions more.

Almost all scientists are

atheists

Raif Badawi

Sentenced in Saudi Arabia in

2014 to 10 years in prison + 1,000 lashes.

Guilty of “violating Islamic values and propagating liberal thought.”He is a Muslim but dared to say:

"everyone has a choice to believe or not believe.”

Please visit www.amnesty.org.uk