An Atheists guide to the Bible: Prologue

As most of you will know, I don’t believe in a higher power such as any of the gods currently purported to exist. I don’t know if one exists but, given the evidence currently available, I come down firmly on the “does not exist” side of the fence.

This makes me both agnostic (I don’t know) and atheist (I don’t believe).

Some of you will think this makes me destined for hell, and I don’t really care because I don’t believe in hell. I figure that I’ve been a fairly good person (everyone has their moments) and that any supposedly loving god would take that into account over unquestioning devotion. And, if hell exists and I’m going there, I’ll be in pretty good company, with all the other atheists and non-believers anyway.

Why don’t I believe in a higher power? For the same reason I don’t believe in leprechauns, unicorns and mermaids: there’s no reliable, scientific evidence.

Some of you, if you are religious, probably know atheists but (like many of the religious people I encounter online) haven’t really discussed what it is to be atheist, or your knowledge of what an atheist is comes from what other religious people tell you it is. In many cases, this brings with it a ton of misconceptions and mistruths.

So here is the one (and only) defining characteristic of an atheist that we all share:

We don’t believe in any higher power.

That’s it. Every atheist you meet is different. There’s no “atheist charter” that we follow. It’s not a religion, with prescribed rituals. Atheists are as diverse a group as you’re ever likely to find. Some atheists are downright arseholes. Some atheists are the loveliest people you’re going to meet. Some atheists are intelligent. Some atheists aren’t. Some atheists are scientists. Some are teachers. Some are receptionists. Some are CEOs. Some are homeless and unemployed. Some struggle with mental illness. Some do not. Some are vocal about their atheism. Some, you would never know.

And most atheists would change their stance in the face of compelling evidence. What do I mean by compelling evidence? Something that cannot be explained by any other means and stands up to scientific scrutiny. It’s the same criteria that we use for gravity. If you don’t believe in gravity, I invite you to explain why you can’t fly and why objects fall when dropped through a medium less dense than they are.

If, after reading this, your reaction is to say, “yeah, well, you can’t explain where the universe came from and everything needs a creator, so therefore god did it” my response is as follows:

No, I don’t know how the universe came to exist and it doesn’t bother me at all. If everything needs a creator then who or what created your god? If your god can hypothetically exist outside of the realm of known science and not have a creator then so can any potential scientific reason for the beginning of the universe. You can’t have it both ways.

And, even if a higher power does exist, who’s to say you picked the right one? There are thousands of gods. Which one is the right one? You don’t believe it’s possible for any of the others to be the right god, so what’s the difference between me and you? I believe in one less god that you? Ok. So what? Maybe we’re both wrong.

Over the next 12 months, I will be studying the bible as if it is a literal and historic document. I will be looking at some of the major events of the bible which literalists claim to be true and seeing if they are possible given the scientific knowledge we have now.

There are many versions of the bible so I will be using The Good News Bible, printed by The Bible Society in Australia in 1986 which takes its translation from The American Bible Society 1976, as my main point of reference.

I will also be looking online for any major discrepancies between the versions, including The New King James Bible (1982) and The New International Standard Bible (2005).

But why the Bible? Because it’s what I am most familiar with. The bible I’m predominantly using is the one I was given in Sunday School as a child. It’s the very text I read when I began to question the existence of the Christian God, at 7 years old. You could say it’s one of the books that made me an atheist.

A Christmas Reminder

This holiday season, don’t forget that people often put on a happy face to save from bringing everyone else down. They don’t want to be the reason you’re Christmas isn’t the most magical it can be, and they don’t want to take you away from the joyousness of ringing in a new year.

But don’t forget that doing this is exhausting and impossible to keep up 24/7. Sometimes the chunks in the armour will show. Sometimes a greeting will be a little rusty. Sometimes the spark just can’t be generated.

So don’t forget: don’t make people feel bad for leaving the party early, or being a bit quiet at work, or just needing some alone time.

Don’t forget that the holiday season can be hard for a lot of people, even if they don’t have anxiety or depression. They may be remembering a loved one who’s no longer around. They may be struggling to make ends meet. They may be missing something they’ve never had.

Don’t forget that we all have our moments when life is just too much. We are overwhelmed by a thought, a situation, a feeling. We can’t always be strong and hopeful and optimistic.

But also don’t forget that they do need you, and it’s not the grand gestures that people need. They do appreciate that you picked up the kids so they could have a shower. They do appreciate that you fielded that call when there’s mountains of paperwork to do. They do appreciate that you thought to invite them, even if they can’t make it. And they appreciate you listening to the story you’ve heard a hundred times before.

So don’t forget, in what can be a very commercialised time of year, that some of the best gifts can’t be bought at the shops. They’re found at the bottom of your heart, wrapped in love and tied with the strings that bind us together.

And, lastly, don’t forget to spread your gifts throughout the year because while this time of year is special in so many ways, it doesn’t mean you aren’t special every single day and you have the power to spread that gift whenever and wherever you so choose.