I really did send this email to the President of American Atheists

To: Ms. Ellen Johnson
President
American Atheists


Dear Ms. Johnson,

Thank you for American Atheist TV. I feel strongly that all beliefs should be aired on television—not just religious ones. Myself, I had the benefit of growing up in an agnostic household. I had no religious education whatsoever, except what I chose to learn on my own.

My own small critique of your dialog is this: at the end of one episode, you said that you not only didn’t believe in god, but if a supreme being came into the room, that you would have issues with (and I believe you masculinized this being) him, because of all the pain, suffering, and murders/massacres/wars in the world. I feel this statement shows that you are a reactionary or devout atheist, meaning that you decided to swing this way only because you are angry and disillusioned at what people taught you to believe.

I think the underlying reactionism is a weakness in an overwhelming case for evolution and a fact-based universe, because it’s an emotional argument, and not a rational line of thinking. It also brings us back to childhood Christian beliefs. Many parents tell their children their god is good, to soothe them, etc. However, in many older religions (e.g. Hellenic beliefs) the gods were more whimsical than good. Though they might have believed these gods are more good than bad. If there is/are supreme being(s), I would say evidence suggests they are more good than bad: as long as more people are eating than not, enjoying their children and grand-children than not. But I would not say that there is evidence of only a purely “good” supreme being out there.

I look forward to watching your television show and will put a link to your site on my blog.

http://www.cultnews.net/
http://www.americanatheist.org/