David Silverman has been an Atheist since he was six years old. He is an accomplished inventor with seventy-four patents, holds degrees in Marketing and Computer Science, and is the National Spokesperson for American Atheists, an organization in the U.S. dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. He also writes their NoGodBlog
We talked today about the implications of the recent UN Human Rights Council’s resolution against “religious defamation” (link), his interview with Douglas Adams (link), the “Treaty Of Tripoli” (link), how he and his Jewish wife raise their ten-year old atheist daughter, why he likes the term “atheist” versus terms like “secular humanist”, the amazing story of Madalyn Murray O’Hair, aka “The Most Hated Woman In America” who was the founder of American Atheists, and how lucky I am living in a country like Australia where you can say “the A-word” and not get shunned from polite society.
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Good show,
Probably the last thing you wouldf have expected me as a christian to say but there you go (no cam Im not a closet atheist).
I believe in free speech
I believe in fairness.
I believe in being kind to people and helping them when I can
I also happen to believe in God.
I dont think our viewpoints are that far apart. The real problem in the world is extremism on all ‘sides’. So long as people segregate others into groups and believe that they are somehow better than the other group is then there will always be problems.
My point is if it wasnt religious intolerance, it would be some other kind.
J
heh, that’s given me a great idea John. I now think I’ll call my political party “The Extremist Party”.
I think we agree on all of those things except for your belief in mythological beings.
I also think that “extremist” is another of these words which was created to stop people thinking. Words like “insurgency”. Words like “terrorist”. “Conspiracy theorist”. These are words created by the mainstream powers that try to keep people who disagree with them on the fringe.
Is it “extremist” to believe that truth is better that lies? Or should we accept a “centrist” position on that argument?
Is it “extremist” to think that equality is superior to inequality? Or is a “centrist” position better?
I, for example, could be considered “extremist” for insisting that rational thinking is superior to irrational thinking. I, however, don’t think that is “extreme” at all. I think that’s entirely rational.
These [in the comments] are all emotive words. Beware media FUD and the constant attempts to provoke an emotional response. It’s the essence of talkback radio.
The problem is not tolerance, the problem is that people believe in silly things like gods. As long as people support theism, then they are supporting religious violence. The *ONLY* way to do away with religious violence is to do away with religion. We *MUST* educate people and get them to realize that there is no god. Once we bring people back to reality, then we can work on how to fix all the crap that they did.
Cam,
The way i see it cam is that the problem is not in the language we use its in the way people think. The problem with religion is that these extremist groups think that they are right and everyone else is wrong and that this gives them the right to persecute people, be violent and blow stuff up.
No this is just not right.
People thrusting their ideas on people is the real issue here. I put it to you that a lot of christians out there would find you speaking about atheism as offensive as most people find Jehovah’s witness’s offensive when they knock on your door.
By the way Ive found the best way to get rid of jehovahs witness’s or mormons for that matter is to answer the door nude !! and they dont come back.
J
Well I, for one, am glad I’m just talking into a microphone and not knocking on your door. 🙂
I have lived many different ways in my 54 years. I’ve been a hippie, carpenter, father, married ,divorced, clean and sober and deep into many different drugs. The only life that has ever given me purpose is that of a practicing Catholic.
There is to my mind absolutely no reason to bother doing anything other than seeking pleasure if God does not exist. I followed this way of life to it’s logical end, nearly dying many different times in states that ranged from ecstasy to darkness beyond most imaginations.
I just heard Silverman say “Atheism is perfect”. What a crock! There are as many logical flaws in atheism as in the most even fundamentalist religions. You live, you think you know, you die, period. If there is no life after this one then the incredibly intricate, beautiful mysterious wonders of life on earth make no practical sense. What is, is for a flash then it’s gone. I’d rather never have been born! You have no imagination, no tradition, no history worth remembering NADA. I feel sorry for you and your arrogant refusal to SEE!
best way to get rid of a Jehovahs witness’s is to say you’re a Mormon and vice versa.
Speaking of which one of my closest friends was once dating a Jehovah’s Witness. They gave her a ‘dealing with the teenage years’ style booklet which not only stated that the best way to avoid temptation was to ensure that all of your interactions with the opposite sex were chaperoned; but also stated that scientists had proven that masturbation will make you blind.
I would reply to Miriam’s last comment but I don’t seem to be able to see my keyboard very well….
Tony, please share these “logical flaws in atheism” that you see?
The only logical way for a person to go blind by masturbating that I can think of is if they have the misfortune of spraying themselves in the eye repeatedly. That stuff is like sulfuric acid!
ohhhh so many lines here, none of which I’m going to follow…
I thought Dave Silverman came across extremely coherently and effectively during the interview. Thanks cam, for giving Dave the room to speak and express some very salient points.
David Silverman is my father and at 6 just like him I became an atheist watching him debate. It still makes a lot of sense at my 13 yrs of age now. And to the gut who called my dad a crock? Get real! Let him believe in what he wants! I am not opposed to reliegeon I just think it is wrong. By making fun of him you are showing that you yourself is insecure about what you believe in so get your facts straight before you make fun of those who differ from you! Thanks! Love ya Dad!
Why are jews always at odds against the cross?.
Jews are a Taint on this World as are Muslims, Peace will not come to our World until all jews and muslims are dead.
Destroy Israel and the whole Middle East, Peace will Follow…
I am not surprised Jews hate God, they are all evil
and I’m not even Religious but I believe in the Source.
I just saw you in an interview and you make me wanna vomit ! People like you seek to prohibit Christians who the Bible teaches to spread the gospel and its wrong . This country and its laws are taken from the Bible sir I would like very much to debate you . Christians have fought and died for this country making it possible to raise your children the right way and to have religeous freedom to love the Lord GOD !!!
Troy, you may not be religious but you seems to have some deep seated emotional and psychological problems. Seek help.
Anonymous, everyone knows that America’s “founding fathers” were not Christians, so before you debate anyone, I suggest you get your facts straight.