The Cake is NOT a Lie!!!

What kind of music do atheists listen to? All kinds. Here's one of my favorite performers, look Jonathan Coulton up on iTunes or find him on YouTube. He's excellent.



And a quote from Richard Carrier I came across today:

Now, when we look at the few remaining gaps, honestly, what are the odds that this horse is suddenly going to lose those races, when it has won every other race before this one, and no competing horse has ever won even a single race? Prior probability is clearly heavily on the side of natural facts. The same cannot be said of God.

And that's the difference between rational metaphysics and "god of the gaps" argumentation. The latter almost always relies on a repeated fallacy of possibilities ergo probabilities, "possibly, therefore probably." If any possible explanation can be conceived, the theist then simply assumes that that explanation is then probable. That's wholly invalid and irrational. We go with what is genuinely, demonstrably the most probable. And that just happens to be naturalism.



And one for the road, since the gals are liberal enough, although I don't know what their "religious" beliefs entail, by the lyrics on "Taking the Long Way" I'd say they're past agnosticism and leaning towards nonbelief/reason. Regardless, you can't say no to damn good music.

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 11, 2009 at 7:22 AM

    It's kind of a shame atheists don't meet. I'm sure the music would be much better than the organ dirges of the church I grew up in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tristan VickDecember 11, 2009 at 8:49 AM

    So true. And some of the most beautiful songs ever written are secular created by nonbelievers. Right of the top of my head, Brahm's "Requiem" comes to mind, the songs "Over the Rainbow" and "Into the West" respectively are beautiful pieces of secular music. Or preferably... just music. Since only the creator of the music can hold any philosophical, political, or religious views.

    I'm also pretty sure one of my favorite rock bands, Green Day, is totally secular too. In fact, most music is secular in nature, except for "Christian music" and much of Country music which is made by "Christian folk" who sing only what they know about... and much of the time that's basically their "Christian" lifestyle (but even much of that isn't very Christian anyway).

    So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I really don't get why people would resort to trying to make music exclusively a "religious" thing in the first place. Except that I kind of do, which is why I agree with Carrier when he says, "If any possible explanation can be conceived, the theist then simply assumes that that explanation is then probable."

    Nothing could be more beautiful than music, ergo God must be the source of this innate beauty, therefore beautiful music can only stem from the beauty and goodness of God, therefore we know God must exist, etc. But as Carrier stated, this is illogical and invalid to begin with and so does not count.

    Madalyn Murray O'Hair has an interesting article on this very subject of secular music here: http://www.atheists.org/Atheist_Musicians

    Music is a cultural artifice itself, it's not a product of "religious culture" it's a product of "human invention." Music is for everyone!!! In fact, the Universe jitters on the quantum level, and that itself is like music. In fact, the vibrating of the cosmos and all the stuff in existence might be deemed a type of cosmik musika! It's Jazz, the fusion of emotion and energy, style and rhythm, form and function, and it's final product is... Jazz.

    ReplyDelete
  3. tinkbell13December 11, 2009 at 9:03 AM

    Okay- Where do I start?

    Here is a random sample of what I listen too. Muse, Radiohead, Tool, PJ Harvey, Arcade Fire, Gossip, Editors, Pixies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and many more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousDecember 13, 2009 at 10:06 AM

    I am so uncool. Tink, Ive never heard of one of those bands you named. But T-Vick, I will always love the "Chicks", In spite of their politics.

    "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy". How can anyone argue with that bit of country wisdom?

    Late, feen

    ReplyDelete
  5. tinkbell13December 14, 2009 at 6:32 AM

    That is funny... I really like the Dixie Chicks, to be honest. Much respect for them. Other than the odd Johnny Cash, I cannot stand country music.

    ReplyDelete

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