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top atheist quotes (total: 52)

atheist quote	context
Religion is a pernicious and malicious distraction from true education and edification.		16
You can have your own opinions, convictions, feelings, and beliefs â€¦ but you cannot have your own facts!		15
I donâ€™t often go to church â€¦ but when I do, I look forward to eating the flesh of my imaginary friend and drinking his blood, so that when I die I can live forever with him in the sky. Cannibalism and blood-drinking, man, thatâ€™s what itâ€™s all about!		15
Truth does not demand belief nor faith; it asks to be tested. Scientists do not join hands every Sunday morning, singing, 'yes, gravity is real! I will have faith! I will be strong! I believe in my heart that what goes up must come down. Amen!' If they did, we would think they were pretty insecure and doubtful about the concept. â€¦ Dan Barker.		13
The reason 'fake news' is such a big problem on social media is that most of the world is gullible. 90% of people have some kind of religious affiliation or thinking. The religious, by definition, are delusional and gullible to suggestions, insinuations, allusions, and misinformation â€“ or they wouldnâ€™t be religious!		13
There is NO Freedom of Religion without Freedom from Religion.		12
Guys: This site is not for arguing with each other! We all have our beliefs and think that we are right - but we simply don't know! That is the beauty of being an Atheist: We are not afraid to say "We Don't Know". So, stop criticizing and putting each other down. The site is for expressions of Atheism amd Atheists' views. For the religious, keep your views and beliefs out of here. Those are for some other site. You don't belong here! But let us accept the views and comments of fellow Atheists without criticism or censure. We are all free to express our Atheist views in any way we wish! Thanks.		10
The rights of the minority should never be subject to the whims of the majority.		10
A believer is a bird in a cage. A free thinker is an eagle parting the clouds with tireless wings.		10
The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.		9
The best advice I ever received came from my High School Physics Teacher, "Question Everything"!		9
Facts, like living things, have intrinsic value in and of themselves and demand respect. Yet some people use them as a means to an end and dismiss them as soon as they are done using them. For some delusional others, facts are irrelevant and should be ignored because they cloud their preconceived notions and beliefs.		9
In the way that skepticism is sometimes applied to issues of public concern, there is a tendency to belittle, to condescend, to ignore the fact that, deluded or not, supporters of superstition, myths, pseudoscience, fantasy, and delusion are human beings with feelings, who, like the skeptics, are trying to figure out how the world works and what our role in it might be. Their motives are in many cases consonant with science. If their culture, ethos, intellect or values have not given them all the tools they need to pursue this great quest, let us temper our criticism and reproach with kindness. None of us comes fully equipped. â€¦ Carl Sagan.		9
If you identify with a specific religion, ask yourself: 1. Why did so many Gods and belief systems predate your own? 2. Why did these myriads of previous gods and belief systems simply fade into history? 3. Why were they so ardently believed at the time but are now simply referred to as â€˜mythologyâ€™ â€“ Greek, Norse, Roman? Why is yours any different and unique? 4. Could your god and religion really be a myth and an illusion, be headed in the same direction, will one day fade away, be classified as just another mythology, and end up in the trash can of history? 5. Why is it that there are such similar and comparable stories about so many of the gods? 6. Why didnâ€™t your God choose a global revelation, instead of a geographic and culture-specific one? 7. Why were you lucky enough to be born into the â€œrightâ€ faith and everyone else into the wrong one? 8. Could you be wrong and, perhaps, someone else is right? Since everyone canâ€™t be right, is it just possible that all peoples and societies of faith are totally misguided, mistaken, delusional, wrong? 9. Why do you still subscribe to the supernatural, paranormal, superstitious, mystical, and spiritual, that defy the laws of Nature and Physics, when we know so much more today â€“ thanks to science?		9
The best way to â€œseeâ€ by faith is to shut the eye of reason. â€¦ Benjamin Franklin.		9
Faith is an insertion of absolute belief and conviction that is assumed without reason and defended against all sense, logic, reason, and evidence.		9
You can believe something sincerely, fervently, zealously and passionately â€¦ and still be wrong!		9
There are two kinds of people who donâ€™t say much: Those who are quiet and Those who talk a lot.		8
If you choose to live a religious life, it mustn't be that you talk a lot about your religion, and especially not proselytize about it and force your beliefs on others, but simply accept that your manner of life is different from those with whom your views are not shared. It is only if you have an open mind, try to be helpful to other people, and are open to constructive dialog, will you in the end help each other find the â€œTruthâ€.		8
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion â€“ however satisfying, comforting, and reassuring that is.		8
If priests talked to God, surely God would have told them to stop fucking little children ... Wouldnâ€™t He???		8
Think for yourself and let others enjoy the same privilege to do so too.		7
If you donâ€™t control your own mind and â€˜Think for Yourselfâ€™ â€¦ someone else will do it for you.		7
If the Bible is provably false, then the Bible is a lie. On the other hand if the Bible can be proven to be true it then becomes factual, and the existence of God is proven and there is no need for faith. Until we are presented with proof that the Bible is true and factual, we have to see it as a collection of stories, myths, metaphors, allegories, tales, parables, fables, traditions, rituals, beliefs, mores, legends, and folklore â€“ passed down through the generations.		7
Faith and beliefs and religious convictions are in reality a cover-up for insecurity, ignorance, hope, fear, and uncertainty: 1. You need faith only for the things you do not know â€“ not for the things you know for sure; for things you want to be true; things for which you try to twist the facts to fit your desired outcome; things for which you only believe or trust or hope or assume are true â€“ mostly based on what others tell you rather than your own objective and unbiased investigation. 2. You need faith for things for which there is no proof nor evidence and that lack scientific authentication. These are dubious, doubtful, hopeful, ambiguous and uncertain beliefs. More to the point â€¦ they are fictional, imaginary, delusional, and harmful beliefs. This category includes supernatural, mystical, paranormal, superstitious, spiritual, mythological, religious, ghostly, fairytale, fabled, magical, divine, psychic, prophetic, fortune-telling, and astrological beliefs. 3. You are secure and certain only in what you know â€“ not pretend to know â€“ the existence of which can be confirmed by scientific verification, proof, and evidence. If not, you need faith to ignore all the prevailing facts and evidence â€“ and still believe otherwise! â€¦ Greg Taylor.		7
But I canâ€™t believe it â€¦ The older I get, the more solid the wall becomes â€“ itâ€™s like everything that was to be explored has already been. True, factual, and proven things grow truer; and false, unproved, and delusional things eventually fade away â€¦ Because we donâ€™t need them â€¦ Like we donâ€™t need a god. â€¦ Edgar Cantero (The Supernatural Enhancements).		7
We rely on faith only in the context of claims for which there is no sufficient sensory or logical evidence. â€¦ Sam Harris.		7
It is time that we accept the accounts in the Bible, Koran etc. as parables, fables, allegories, metaphors and stories passed down through the generations. In the same way we accept Aesop's Fables for what they are.		7
Hey Guys: Try to use proper grammar in your comments. It's embarrassing for Atheists to be seen as unlearned. They'll use it against us. We know that most religionists are uneducated and ignorant about reality. Let's not get into the swamp with them. We are better than that! One other critique: Try not to personalize your comments but think at a macro level that represents all Atheists. No one really cares about what you think personally. It's "WE" not "I". You're speaking philosophically, attacking religion, on behalf of the entire Atheist community. Thanks.		6
We do not need a person, official, or an organization â€“ especially not a bogus clerical one that claims to â€œTalk to Godâ€ on our behalf â€“ to tell us how to think, what to believe, and how to live our life. To paraphrase the song, â€˜Sunshineâ€™ by â€˜Jonathan Edwardsâ€™: â€˜They canâ€™t even run their own lives, Iâ€™ll be damned if theyâ€™ll run mineâ€™. Sane people choose to NOT live in a â€˜celestial North Koreaâ€™ where an Orwellian â€œBig Brotherâ€ monitors our every action â€“ even our very thoughts â€“ 24/7!		6
Where there are facts and evidence, no one speaks of 'faith'. We do not speak of faith that 2 + 2 = 4, or that the earth is â€œroundâ€ and revolves around the sun, or that evolution is real, or that gravity exists. These are indisputable facts. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotions, hope, feelings, opinions, convictions, fanaticism, dogma, and beliefs for facts, proofs, evidence, and reality. â€¦ Bertrand Russell.		6
I promise you, it doesnâ€™t matter what you believe, how strongly you live your beliefs, or how true your beliefs are, somebody else, somewhere, thinks you are wrong and delusional; somebody else, somewhere, thinks your faith and beliefs are senseless, absurd, illogical and irrational. In fact, there are billions of others who do. â€¦ Dan Pearce.		6
The importance of doubt is crucial because if youâ€™re â€˜certainâ€™ that youâ€™re right and other people are wrong, youâ€™re not going to be able to hear and receive evidence that contradicts you â€“ because of the power of â€œconfirmation biasâ€. This is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's pre-existing and established beliefs or hypotheses. We are designed to protect, defend and â€œjustifyâ€ those ideas that we have enshrined into our worldview. Thatâ€™s why itâ€™s so important to talk about these ideas with kindness and compassion and to understand that even when people deeply disagree with each other, generally itâ€™s not coming from a place of ill will, â€¦ Richard Feynman.		6
Faith is the purposeful suspension of critical thinking and reasoning. It is nothing to be proud of, admired, respected, or venerated â€¦ and it certainly is not above criticism, critique, or reproach.		6
We absolutely must leave room for doubt â€“ or there is no learning and no progress. And a question requires doubt. People search for certainty â€“ but there is no certainty. People are terrified; how can you live and not know? Itâ€™s not odd at all. You only think you know, as a matter of fact. And most of your actions are based on incomplete knowledge. And you really donâ€™t know what it is all about, or what the purpose of the world is, or a lot of other things. It is possible to live and not know; we are constantly looking for answers. It is better to live and not know than to live having only an illusion of knowledge. â€¦ Richard Feynman.		6
As difficult as this may be for you to comprehend and accept â€¦ Since you have no proof nor evidence to support or validate your own religious beliefs and convictions, â€˜You could be wrong about the authenticity, veracity, accuracy or truth, of your own Faithâ€™! Really think about it!		6
â€œFaithâ€ is â€˜not a reasonâ€™ for believing that something is true. Uttering, â€œI believe because I have faithâ€ only changes the question from, â€œWhy do you believe?â€ to â€œWhy do you have faith?â€ The only difference is that you removed â€˜evidence, proof, facts, and scientific validationâ€™ from the list of possible answers.		6
The English word faith is thought to date back to 1200-1250, from the Middle English feith. Faith can best be described as a strong belief in God and the doctrines and teachings of religion â€“ based on spiritual, mystical, magical, paranormal and supernatural convictions, rather than on any scientific proof or evidence.		6
We donâ€™t need to just tolerate each other; we need to accept each other. We can accept others without necessarily accepting their views and beliefs but respecting their right to hold such beliefs. When those beliefs however are forced upon us by law-makers because of lobbying by religionists, and they start impacting us in negative and harmful ways, we must speak out. â€œFreedom of Religionâ€ is as important as â€œFreedom from Religionâ€. We are all free to express that â€œfreedomâ€ in our own way. It is not freedom for everyone if we force our religious views on those who donâ€™t believe them nor accept them.		5
Assume nothing. Question everything. And start thinking for yourself!		5
But purpose is personal. It canâ€™t be right or wrong. It canâ€™t be true or false. It canâ€™t not be about you. Itâ€™s how you decide to live your own life. If someone else tells you how to live, you are not free. If you donâ€™t choose your own purpose, you are nothing but a slave.		5
Faith is duping and deceiving oneself into believing something that is contrary to evidence, reason, or fact.		5
Most people don't think for themselves. They just regurgitate someone else's opinion and pass it off as their own.		4
Faith is simply believing that something is true â€˜because you want it to be trueâ€™. Faith is therefore only an illusion of truth. That is neither honest nor something upon which to base your real-world decisions and choices. You need verifiable authentication, validation, and evidence for something to be true and factual.		4
A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings. Always trust yourself, think for yourself, and rationalize your decisions. Stress, anxiety, fear, angst, worry, and depression are caused when we live to please others and allow them to tell us what to believe and how to run our lives â€“ especially based on some fictitious deity and its â€œHoly Wordâ€. Donâ€™t let someone else tell you WHAT to think and not HOW to think. Think for yourself, make your own logical and rational choices â€¦ and take charge of your own destiny!		3
As I look around the world, I see scientists and rationalists like me â€¦ weâ€™re always going around asking ourselves, â€˜What if Iâ€™m wrongâ€™? And, sometimes, scientists are proven wrong, as new discoveries are made, and they have to revise or discard a theory. You donâ€™t see many among the religious crowd asking that question. They donâ€™t seem to be very interested in asking themselves, â€˜What if weâ€™re wrongâ€™? ... Religion makes people inflexible, unchangeable, rigid, fanatical, dogmatic and blinded by their faith. They become brainwashed and indoctrinated and deliberately choose to remain ignorant about reason, logic, sagacity, sense, and reality. In a sense, they are rationally, emotionally and intellectually removed from the real world. This question should be especially relevant and appropriate for them since they have no proof nor evidence to validate their beliefs. And, these beliefs and convictions become increasingly harder to rationalize, explain and justify as new scientific discoveries and pieces of evidence come to light. â€¦ Daniel Dennett.		3
I believe in evidence. I believe in observation, measurement, intellect, and reasoning, confirmed by independent and objective observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous â€“ if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous and preposterous a claim is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence must be. â€¦ Isaac Asimov.		3
Faith is a luxury for those who are able to ignore and disregard what the rest of us must see every day.		3
You need to first demonstrate that your god actually exists before you can ask someone to "prove" its non-existence or make any claims and assertions based upon its existence. If you canâ€™t do that, itâ€™s a non-starter. Faith and beliefs are merely idiosyncratic, subjective, and personal. The only thing they prove is that you hold such beliefs â€“ not that they are right!		3
If you were born in a different place or time, you would very likely be of a different faith â€“ and fervently believe that that one too was right. Like language, people are usually the faith they were born into, and they grow up believing that theirs is the right one because they were indoctrinated and brainwashed by their parents and others in the faith to believe so. It is best to keep an open mind, because â€¦ You Never Know!		3

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top atheist quotes (total: 52)

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