Big Loud Atheist
Most know Penn Jillette as the big loud guy in Penn & Teller. Atheists know Penn as one of the most out-spoken atheists in the public spotlight. This morning I heard Penn's voice on NPR. Every monday NPR runs a show called, "This I Believe", in which various people speak about what they believe. Penn's dialogue began, "I believe that there is no God." You can hear the entire thing, or read the transcript here.
posted by The 502 @ 1:07 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I did not know about Penn's beliefs. I'd like to know if Teller is of the same ilk, but he's not talking.
-- david
Teller is also an atheist. When they made an appearance on Donny and Marie's tv show, they signed an autograph for them. Penn wrote, "There is no God". Teller followed with, "He's right".
If you ever have the urge to hear Teller speak, rent the movie "Penn & Teller get killed". He has a line or two in it. I don't remember him saying more than Silent Bob usually does in Kevin Smith's movies.
I read the link and laughed my ass off. Atheism is a relatively new thing for me. I gradually lost my religion over a 6 year period. It just made less and less sense. It took a lot to let go of the beliefs I had pushed down my throat for most of my life.
When I finally let go... this wonderful feeling of sanity overcame me. Felt so good I held on to it.
Thanks for linking to me. I'll be back.
Shandi,
Welcome to my blog. I have heard many atheists say the same thing about the weight that had been lifted off them after they lost religion. I seem to be one of the few that have been an atheist since I was a kid. I wish I could relate that feeling. What I can relate to is the clarity that comes from viewing reality with a rational mind. Welcome to sanity.
When you stop trying to find meaning for everything in your life... life, death, natural disasters, etc. and you just accept that things are as they are... things just make more sense. You no longer need a scapegoat. You no longer need to analyse your own life to discover just what you did to deserve the hell you encounter. The guilt disappears and it is easier to make it through personal challenges. That's my best attempt to explain that weight lifting.
My children are being raised to question things and think for themselves. Hopefully they will never know the fear of "going to hell".
I'm glad I've never felt that fear of Hell. I've had enough to be scared of in my life.
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