I should probably stop watching these videos

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Hi Readers!

 Currently I am preparing for what will probably be my two hardest GCSEs (Maths and History) and the two exams I really want/need an A* in, and therefore I won't have too much time post. So instead I'm posting a per-prepared blog written when 'Their Harangues & Their Fancies' was still an embryo of an idea.

I’m an atheist*. And yes- I do have my issues with religion; namely, their approach towards those who don’t believe what they believe. So, it maybe wasn’t the best idea to start watching videos on YouTube of religious believers addressing atheists- like this one.

 Before I start, the reason I got onto these videos was just a tad hypocritical of me. I was actually watching some clips of a comic at the Global Atheist Convention in Australia last year, whose set was compromised of a lot material that slated religion. Although I accept that to an extent, it does show a pretty disrespectful view towards religious believers I would like to point something out: he was talking to a room of atheists. He wasn’t trying to change their views. He wasn’t insulting the people his view was aimed at. Plus he did it in a way that is sure to win points with me (no matter what your arguing- pretty much)- he did it in a positive way. As in, he celebrated his atheist beliefs instead of just saying what bad people Christians, Muslims, Scientologists etc are.

 Then, for some stupid reason, I thought it would be a great idea to watch some clips of religious people of a multitude of faiths addressing atheists. And, let’s just say, I got quite angry, and for one main reason: if you’re going to have a debate, do your flipping research first. One question that came up time after time after time was “If God doesn’t exist, what was there before the Big Bang?”. This simple question can supposedly disprove Atheism. It can disprove my own personal belief that there is no God or supreme being.  Let me just focus in on those last two words: Big Bang. Oh yes, the good old Big Bang Theory- er, what? What’s that little word at the end there? Theory? Oh what… something that hasn’t yet been proved and is near impossible to prove but for the moment it’s the best idea we have? The Big Bang theory is only a suggestion, based on the evidence. And it’s a theory that is constantly changing and I think I’m right in saying that many more scientists are moving towards the ‘Big Crunch’.

 However the real answer is that honestly, I don’t know. I never will. Because of physics, the very laws that govern the Universe. We can’t physically ‘see’ before the Universe, we can only speculate.

 But do you know what? WHO CARES? I believe what I believe. I don’t expect anyone to read this blog written by a teenager with only basic knowledge and suddenly decide to leave the faith they have held all their lives. I have atheist view because I feel it just makes sense for me. Out of everything I have seen deciding not to believe in a God just works with me, but if something happens and I can’t not believe in God then I will.  I am able to evolve my beliefs, and to respond to everything I learn in order to have a more informed view of the world.

 And this is my major gripe with religion: they can’t be wrong. Science is all about disproving each other, it’s a rather competitive and nasty world actually. But religion is set in stone. Which is why it’s so awkward to try and modernise it, because frankly it’s not. So don’t try and tell me that an idea that is only slightly related to what I believe is wrong, please make sure you have done your research. Because quite frankly, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Gwendolen

*If you want to make any assumptions on what it means to be an Atheist, essentially it means 'lack of belief in God'. It's nothing more than that, and atheists can believe whatever the hell they want about anything else, but they just won't believe in God. That's the definition I like to use.