TreesNightly

Why do I talk about about something I don�t believe in? I get this a enough that I should probably address it no matter how obvious the answer are to me. Yes, answers--plural. Here�s a bunch of answers, all of which apply, some more than others, depending on the context. Because gods, as concepts, are some of the greatest influencers of our age or any age. The majority of people use the concept of one or more gods to inform how they socialize, how they raise their families, how they vote, and their overall behavior. I am one of the people they and their families socialize with and the people they vote for also govern me. For this reason, I have an interest to lessen religion�s influence when it could otherwise negatively impact me unchecked. Because believers often tell me they are interested in the truth. Given that, I am providing, to the best of my knowledge, what they seek. I recognize that I may be wrong about some things, in which case something they provide could bring me close...

Are you healthy? I don�t know much about you, reader, but if you are the average American your answer is probably close to �sure...I guess� or maybe even a straight up �I don�t know.� That�s because the term �healthy� is an imprecise word that means different things to different people. A judgement of health, when poorly defined, is subjective and not very meaningful. If, on the other hand, I asked if you are overweight then provided a scale, tape measure, and the calculation to determine your Body Mass Index, we could objectively see if your BMI is over 25 and therefore overweight. In debates with religious apologists, I�ve noticed their moral arguments rely on the imprecise meaning of right and wrong--of good and evil. Ask them to define them clearly and you will be met with resistance. Define them secularly and those meanings will be dismissed. Push, and you will likely hear one of two meanings. Good or evil are inherent properties of the action in question. That which is right is t...