Sunset

LOOK! NO GOD!

Introduction

My name is Barb Dwyer. That's a pen-name, not my real name.

Woman

Over many years in the Christian religion, I had been thoroughly exposed to the evidence for it, but had avoided looking at the evidence the other way for fear that it would dent my faith - a faith which I had always struggled to achieve anyway. As time went by, however, I found myself with mounting doubts - doubts that seemed big enough to mean that I didn't have faith. As such my efforts at following the religion would be in vain.

Eventually, I allowed myself to look properly at the evidence both ways, and it soon became obvious that the case against Christianity (or any other religion) and for a materialist view of life is actually quite overwhelming.

This site aims to present that evidence in an easy-to-access form for anyone who finds themself in the same position I was in. It is not aimed at those who are comfortable in their faith. It is aimed at those who have a background in religion, who are more aware of the case for their religion than the case against it, and yet who are still beset by doubts.

If anyone would like to comment on or rebut any of the points made on this site, email barb@looknogod.com. Unless they request otherwise, I will publish their work here.

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Most people consider our nature as humans to be most likely one of two possibilities.

The first is that we have a pysical body made of atoms, and that we also have a soul which contains our consciousness and which can continue to be conscious after death in an afterlife.

Two Realms  

Such a view in many cases also incorporates a god who can make that afterlife very pleasant or very unpleasant. This is the dualist view, so called because there are two parts to us - physical and spiritual - or atoms and soul. It is the view inherent in most religions. If it incorporates a god, it is also called the theistic view.

The second possibility is that we have a physical body made of atoms and that's it: no soul, no afterlife, no god. Consciousness is then just an emergent property of the chemical and electrical activity of our brains. This is the materialist view and it has no need for religion. It is also called the atheistic view because it doesn't incorporate a god.

Some people adopt the theistic view and are sure that they are right. Some adopt the atheistic view and are sure that they are right. Most people are not totally sure either way and so lie somewhere in between. People's degree of confidence one way or the other can be placed along a spectrum.

Spectrum of beliefs  

A religious person is someone who adjusts their life in accordance with theistic beliefs. People who are religious generally became so in one of two ways. Either they were brought up in an environment where a religion was assumed and encouraged. Or they adopted a religion later in life because of some sort of conversion experience, often at a time of emotional need and vulnerability.

Whichever way, most religious people tend to be exposed to much of the evidence for the religious position, but little of the evidence against it. The people leading them to the religion have a vested interest in seeing that they don't get exposed to the evidence against it. And the religious people themselves often have an interest in not being exposed to it in case it dents their faith.

Many people who are religious are quite happy with their religion and remain convinced and committed throughout life. That's good for them. They are in the green zone of the spectrum. But many go on to have questions and doubts. This could be because the religious life turned out not to be what seemed to be promised. Or that the religious picture of the world turned out not to make as much sense as it should. Or that they did end up looking at and thinking about the bigger picture in a more balanced way and it appeared less tenable that their particular religion was in fact the truth. The resulting doubts can put them in the red zone. This tends to be uncomfortable and not the ideal place to achieve peace of mind. The thought that there might be a hell but, because of one's inadequate faith, one might be going there, can be a little scary.

One way out of the red zone is to look equally at and assess the evidence both ways. After many years struggling to get out of the red and into the green, looking at both sides of the argument, it took me only a few months to find myself firmly and comfortably in the blue. The materialist view of the world with the consequent lack of a responsibility to a god, far from being a reason for despair, is actually very liberating.

Riding motorbike

This site aims to present evidence for the materialist view in an easy-to-access form for anyone who finds themself in the red zone and who would like to get out of it.

The site also looks at some implications for morality if we accept this materialist view. Of course not everyone will come to the same moral position. There is a 'Contact and Discussion' section for anyone who would like to disagree with what is written here . . . or otherwise.

Finally, there is an article speculating on the future of godlessness and religion in the world.

The material on the site will make most sense if read in order, but, as most people won't want to read it all, each button on the menu leads to a fairly stand-alone article. You can just pick a button that grabs your interest. In order for each article to make sense without reading the others, a little bit of repetition between articles is necessary. Apologies if you read the same thing twice. If you are going to read just one article, either 'Evil Thoughts' or 'Creation' would probably be the easiest and most light-hearted.

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Image Acknowledgements

Woman: Pexels (cropped)
Bubbles: AI art by V. Migliore, via MidJourney on Flickr
Biker: Gratis Graphics