Atheist 13 Meme

Nicked from here. I wasn't nominated, decided to "just do it".

Q1. How would you define “atheism”?

Atheism is the lack of belief in gods.

Q2. Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?

My parents are Hindu but my upbringing was not very religious, other than my grandma telling me the stories from the Hindu mythologies at bedtime every night. And I went to a Catholic school for the first few years, where I was highly confused at the contradicitions of that faith with what my grandma used to tell me.

Q3. How would you describe “Intelligent Design”, using only one word?

Unbelievable!

Q4. What scientific endeavour really excites you?

Scientific endeavor in the medical field is really exciting, stem cell research, in medicine and so on.

Q5. If you could change one thing about the “atheist community”, what would it be and why?

I have mostly encountered the "atheist community" on the internet and that itself is sad. In India, atheists are not a very organized bunch and don't have a lot of say. Now that I am in Australia, I find that the atheist community is, naturally, Christian-focussed.

Q6. If your child came up to you and said “I’m joining the clergy”, what would be your first response?

*Looks around for nonexistent child*

Hypothetically, would be amazed and shocked.

Q7. What’s your favourite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?

My favourite theistic argument from India, mostly Hinduism, is that the ancients must have known more than us, and they could not have been wrong about astrology/caste system/rituals. I usually refute it by pointing out that though the "ancients" may have had perfectly good reasons and information about these subjects at the time, those seem to have been lost over the ages by the time it reached us, and in their present form, most of these things have been reduced to mere mumbo-jumbo. And that we should rediscover for ourselves these truths, instead of taking them at face value.

Q8. What’s your most “controversial” (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?

My most controversial viewpoint is that all "godmen"are charlattans, which offends a lot of people who swear by the "Art of Living" or Baba Ramdev or Sathya Sai Baba.

Q9. Of the “Four Horsemen” (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?

Dawkins. I have read only Dawkins and Harris, but Dawkins's science appeals to me.

Q10. If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?

My father, because it is sad for me to see an otherwise rational, aware and intelligent man be such a slave to concepts like astrology.

Now name three other atheist blogs that you’d like to see take up the Atheist Thirteen gauntlet:


Hmm... this is tricky. Going with three of my favourite atheists, in no particular order

Aparna
Tarun
Madhu

You're it!