FaithlessThinker
New Member
Okay, so this is what happened a few days ago.
In my city, there is a shopping convention going on because of the upcoming Diwali festival (Hindu festival of lights... and firecrackers). So the convention is held in open space under make-shift shelter. There are several stalls, each of which occupied by a retailer. Most are dresses (male or female), some are artifacts, and other stuff.
There was one stall which called itself Hare Krishna Book Store or something like that. Talk about being a book store, there's like maybe few copies each of 4 or 5 different books on the table. There were two guys dressed in monk-like dress (worn by Krishnalists).
The rest of the merchandise was pictures, artifacts and all. There was this plaque which is supposed to show the life-cycle of a man (sorry ladies, religions are male-chauvinistic). Besides the known cycle of birth, different stages of growth and death, the plaque claims that after death, you're born again as a baby. I chuckled at it.
Then we were looking at the pictures just out of curiosity, and one of the guys comes pointing to a picture of Narasimha and tells us "It's auspicious to put this picture on your front door." (Yea I know, what nonsense.)
Never mind, I ignored him. Then he diverted our attention to a book that's about Krsna (they spell Krishna like that) and said "You read fiction right? Fiction about superheroes, batman, superman? He (Krsna) is the real superhero. This book tells you all the things he actually did when he lived on earth." (Btw, I'm quoting from memory, so the words may not be exact.)
Whatever, I continued ignoring him. Then he added: "Christians show you bible, but it's all fiction. This is real."
THAT'S IT, I got really annoyed and commented: "Heh! Every religion says the same thing. They all say 'what we give you is true, everyone else gives you fiction.'"
I can tell he got really pissed at this comment and started fighting back: "This is really real. You don't believe in God? Who created you?" (Lol, he was almost shouting)
I said: "How do you know god created me? Can you prove that god exists?"
Unable to answer this, he tried changing the subject: "What is your purpose in life?"
I said: "My purpose in life is to live it. If you're telling me that krsna exists, show me the proof." (Lol, I should have said "My purpose in life is to piss you off.")
Instead of answering, he vaguely mentioned "scriptures" as proof for god, and said "How do you know your father is really your father?"
I said "There is DNA testing. If I have doubt, I will do DNA testing. What kind of testing do you have for your god?"
It's funny that he couldn't answer my questions, but still didn't see his own ignorance. Instead he claimed i'm ignorant for not having faith (lol, the irony!) He tried to drive me away saying "People like you are ignorant. I'm not here to argue with you. Please get out and mind your own business."
Not wanting to prolong this duel any longer, I just said: "Yea I will, now you mind your own business" and moved along.
I only realized later, I should have said this: "You're the one who is stupid and ignorant for believing in god without any proof. I'm smart because I ask for proof before believing what someone else tells me." I should have also said: "My mother and father created me. Who created you?"
Later on, I was thinking why there is no "Atheist Book Store." I thought of what an atheist book store would be like, and what it would carry:
In my city, there is a shopping convention going on because of the upcoming Diwali festival (Hindu festival of lights... and firecrackers). So the convention is held in open space under make-shift shelter. There are several stalls, each of which occupied by a retailer. Most are dresses (male or female), some are artifacts, and other stuff.
There was one stall which called itself Hare Krishna Book Store or something like that. Talk about being a book store, there's like maybe few copies each of 4 or 5 different books on the table. There were two guys dressed in monk-like dress (worn by Krishnalists).
The rest of the merchandise was pictures, artifacts and all. There was this plaque which is supposed to show the life-cycle of a man (sorry ladies, religions are male-chauvinistic). Besides the known cycle of birth, different stages of growth and death, the plaque claims that after death, you're born again as a baby. I chuckled at it.
Then we were looking at the pictures just out of curiosity, and one of the guys comes pointing to a picture of Narasimha and tells us "It's auspicious to put this picture on your front door." (Yea I know, what nonsense.)
Never mind, I ignored him. Then he diverted our attention to a book that's about Krsna (they spell Krishna like that) and said "You read fiction right? Fiction about superheroes, batman, superman? He (Krsna) is the real superhero. This book tells you all the things he actually did when he lived on earth." (Btw, I'm quoting from memory, so the words may not be exact.)
Whatever, I continued ignoring him. Then he added: "Christians show you bible, but it's all fiction. This is real."
THAT'S IT, I got really annoyed and commented: "Heh! Every religion says the same thing. They all say 'what we give you is true, everyone else gives you fiction.'"
I can tell he got really pissed at this comment and started fighting back: "This is really real. You don't believe in God? Who created you?" (Lol, he was almost shouting)
I said: "How do you know god created me? Can you prove that god exists?"
Unable to answer this, he tried changing the subject: "What is your purpose in life?"
I said: "My purpose in life is to live it. If you're telling me that krsna exists, show me the proof." (Lol, I should have said "My purpose in life is to piss you off.")
Instead of answering, he vaguely mentioned "scriptures" as proof for god, and said "How do you know your father is really your father?"
I said "There is DNA testing. If I have doubt, I will do DNA testing. What kind of testing do you have for your god?"
It's funny that he couldn't answer my questions, but still didn't see his own ignorance. Instead he claimed i'm ignorant for not having faith (lol, the irony!) He tried to drive me away saying "People like you are ignorant. I'm not here to argue with you. Please get out and mind your own business."
Not wanting to prolong this duel any longer, I just said: "Yea I will, now you mind your own business" and moved along.
I only realized later, I should have said this: "You're the one who is stupid and ignorant for believing in god without any proof. I'm smart because I ask for proof before believing what someone else tells me." I should have also said: "My mother and father created me. Who created you?"
Later on, I was thinking why there is no "Atheist Book Store." I thought of what an atheist book store would be like, and what it would carry:
- Sell books by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and other atheist authors.
- Show what questions "God" rises and why religions can't answer them.
- Show the damages religions have done to mankind, justify the elimination of religion, show how education can help eliminate superstitious beliefs and religion.
- Sell various creative pictures that describe several key points of atheistic world view, pictures suitable for framing and display in the home of an atheist.
- Make known the psychological explanations for phenomena such as ghosts, magic, miracles, exorcism, horoscopes and other supernatural experiences.
- Make known the psychological damages religion creates on a human being during his/her life.
- Provide a channel of anonymous and non-anonymous support for atheists and religion-changers who are or feel suppressed in their own home or community.
- Install a touch-screen console with various searchable and browsable videos of atheist YouTubers such as QualiaSoup and TheraminTrees.
- Sell DVDs containing several of the videos of YouTubers (with permission, of course).
- Display a flip-chart or plaque on evolution and explain why it's fact based and devoid of myths.
- Display the known life cycle of a human being in a flip-chart or plaque, describing the process from conception through birth, growth and death, ending with funeral (different types of funerals). Use a female figurine to distinguish from major male-chauvinistic religions.
