Atheist Arrogance And Not Collecting Stamps

A recent Gallup poll found that 92% of Americans say they believe in god. Apparently, when Gallup first asked the question in 1944, it was 94%.

Also recently, Michael Nugent, an Irish writer, activist, and chairman of Atheist Ireland, spoke to an atheist convention in Dublin. I watched a YouTube video  http://youtu.be/THcLFZik7Dc where he addressed the question of why atheists are so arrogant. He answered by quoting someone who said, "Atheism is the arrogant belief that the universe was not created for our benefit". He went on to say, "That contrasts with the humble religious belief that the most powerful creature ever created the entire universe of over 100 billion galaxies, each containing over 100 billion stars like our sun, and then waited about 14 billion years and then picked one of those 100 billion galaxies, and then picked one of the 100 billion stars in that galaxy, and then picked one of the planets circling that star, and then picked one of the millions of species that existed on that planet, and then picked one individual of that species and said, 'I really have to tell that guy to stop gathering sticks on the Sabbath' ". He went on to note, "It's an extraordinary set of priorities for such a busy individual."

Another question he says he gets asked is why there is a need for atheist conventions. He answers it by saying atheism is like not collecting stamps. And there isn't a word for not collecting stamps. And there aren't conventions discussing not collecting stamps. And in an ideal world we wouldn't need a word for not collecting stamps. He says, "But atheism is like not collecting stamps in a society where almost everyone collects stamps. And most people believe the post office created the universe. And we have to examine our stamp collections before deciding what's right or wrong. Or deciding what laws to pass". He goes on to note that if we did live in such a stamp-collecting world there would be a word for not collecting stamps and a need for conventions discussing not collecting stamps.

A helpful audience member offered "aphilatelist!" to appreciative laughter. Which was the perfect word to describe that heretical non-stamp-collecting person from that imaginary world where almost everyone collects stamps.