Photo of David Hawkins

Atheist Dave

www.myspace.com/godlessatheistdave

"Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst; every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attempts to stride beyond the grave, and seeks to pursue us into eternity."--Thomas Paine

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  • David Hawkins

  • 36 / Male
  • Colonial Heights, Virginia, US

160042605|36|11111|http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/108/m_6e35c78f93414f70b49b0cb8e04a2ff1.jpg

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Interests

  • General



    People. Art.
    Social sciences, Medicine, defending "Alternative Lifestyles","Other" religions and women's/gay's/minorities rights. Philosophy, anything dealing with the foundation of western culture and the influence of the Enlightenment on the formation of the United States, Theater, Poetry, Literature, art, Independent films, Language/communication, Critical thinking..ect....Social reformation/activism and it's history, "Alternative lifestyles/religions" or ones that our sick society judges as perverse/not normal and I am a car nut too.


    Epistemology

    First published Wed 14 Dec, 2005 (Stanford U)

    Defined narrowly, epistemology is the study of knowledge and justified belief. As the study of knowledge, epistemology is concerned with the following questions: What are the necessary and sufficient conditions of knowledge? What are its sources? What is its (logical)structure and what are the limits? As the study of justified belief, epistemology aims to answer questions such as: How we are to understand the concept of justification? What makes justified beliefs justified? Is justification internal or external to one's own mind? Understood more broadly, epistemology is about issues having to do with the creation and dissemination of knowledge in particular areas of inquiry.


    My goal is to provide a systematic overview of the problems that the questions above raise and focus in some depth on issues relating to the structure and the limits of knowledge/wisdom/understanding and how it is reflected in reality and expressed in Human language exposing our thoughts/thinking to ourselves and others. I plan to explain how everything in our experience shapes our ability to understand the problems that arise from opposing views and how that relates to the Human condition.

    Faith is Not a Virtue(undecided)

    Coming soon to book stores everywhere...Lord willing(pun intended)


    This is my car. Same make, model and color.

    I love performance cars.

    ..Atheist Dave wants you to check out a photo on MySpace in the My Photos album
    http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...


  • Music

    Mostly Metal...Iron Maiden, Pantera, Slayer, The Beatles, Metallica(older), Black Sabbath/Ozzy, Nirvana, Tool, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Gwen Stefani, Atreyu, Evanescence, Megadeth, Sepultura, Danzig, Rob Zombie, Misfits, Rollins Band/Henry Rollins, Billy Idol, Drowning Pool, Manson, Paradise Lost, Cradle of Filth, Lacuna Coil, Kovenant, Godsmack, Disturbed, In Flames, Papa Roach, System of a Down, A Perfect Circle, Mudvayne, Powerman 5000, Willie Nelson, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult(need more cow bell), David Bowie, Phil Colins, The Police.....and a few great local bands.

    Hatebreed - I Will Be Heard

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    The More Loving One
    by W. H. Auden

    Looking up at the stars I know quite well
    That for all they care I can go to hell
    But on earth indifference is the least
    We have to dread from man or beast.
    How should we like it were stars to burn
    With a passion for us we could not return?

    If equal affection cannot be,

    Let the more loving one be me.

    Admirer as I think I am
    Of stars that do not give a damn
    I cannot, now I see them, say
    I missed one terribly all day.
    Were all stars to disappear or die,
    I should learn to look at an empty sky
    And feel its total dark sublime,
    Though this might take me a little time.

  • Movies

    Horror, suspense, political, anything controversial, Indie...Hotel Rwanda, Crash, Bruce Almighty/Evan Almighty, Life of Brian..(Monte Python), The Dancer Upstairs..(IFC?), American History X, The believer, The God Who Wasn't There, History of The World, The original Gone in Sixty Seconds, Two Lane Black Top, The Wraith... I love movies that show how we are more alike than we often think.

  • Television

    Mostly documentary, science, history, sometimes the News etc... Some comedy. The Colbert Report/The Daily show(the most legitimate news reporting on television), Southpark, House, Hot Rod TV, Horsepower TV, Motorweek, Two Guys Garage, My Classic Car, UFC/MMA but not the reality show..
    Islam vs Christianity
    ..

  • Books

    My own..I Am America..And So Can You by Stephen T. Colbert, Our Endangered Values and Beyond The White House by Jimmy Carter, I Don't Believe In Atheists by Chris Hedges, The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine, Doubt: A History by Jennifer Michael Hecht. Atheism: The Case Against God by George Smith, The Jefferson Bible by one of my favorite Virginians, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops by George Carlin...Anything that is thought provoking or questioning society.

  • Heroes

    Elizabeth C. Stanton, Susan B. Anthony (both were godless),Our founding fathers. Civil rights leaders, Abraham Lincoln, The historical Jesus (if there was one). The Gnostic Christians(assuming some of them can be resurrected too. Pardon pun)Sagan, Dawkins, Harris, David Hume, Sigmund Freud, Robert G. Ingersol, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Hugh Hefner and many more, too many to list. I wish I could raise the dead myself for this one:)


    Imagine

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    Landover Baptist Pastor Deacon Fred

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    Things we should have learned about people in history



    Atheists/Agnostics/Free Thinkers you may recognize

Comments

Displaying 25 of 1157 comments

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Blurbs

About me:

"I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men."
--Robert Green Ingersoll

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."
--Abraham Lincoln

"If you look for the bad in people, you will surely find it"
--Abraham Lincoln



I've heard People say "People will believe what they want to believe" as if they actually believed that line themselves. But what I "know" and what I "want to believe" are clearly NOT related.
I know I am not rich, but would like to believe it. If I choose to believe that I am rich then what does it say about my ability to reason? We are not obligated to accept the beliefs of others. Not all beliefs should be tolerated and discerning which beliefs are valid requires a desire to understand others and their differing views and what led them to their beliefs.


I am concerned with understanding reality and I want to understand as much as "Humanly Possible". I want my understanding to be accurate and to reflect what we have as evidence.
Can you choose to believe something in spite of evidence?

What is the difference between Faith, Belief and conviction?
Some people are simply not familiar with the origins of their beliefs and have never questioned them as a result. We should never be afraid to question what we believe.
People often know little of the history of their particular (social)political party/sect/denomination and what they do know is what has been accepted by them is often a reflection of their past experiences and culture. Each social/political/belief system/idea is subject to many possible interpretations. Many claim to have "Truth" only with their specific interpretation which excludes others as valid and often creates an uncompromising "Dogma" which is followed without exception.
How can "truth" be made so unclear? What is it that makes us so afraid to examine all of the evidence/facts about what they believe, even when they are not religious in nature? Why are we afraid to change our minds? Is there any other way to learn?
It goes deeper than religion alone and has a lot to do with habits/learned behaviors of society that are hard to change especially when fear and uncertainty are involved. Should we let fear guide our thinking? Can we have compassion/love for our neighbor without first understanding the social/political/religious environment that they are exposed to and/or brought up in?

.. Why I am an atheist:..

We are the only animal able to express ideas through language. We can express our love which is an emotion that exists only in the mind, ideas exist and can be expressed but it is not a physical existence. The "Christian God" is something that often can only be defined by the individual. I think we all know how misguided and uncompromising these versions of "God" can become allowing for intolerance and hatred which is very different from the teachings of Jesus.

The Christian "God" is often said to be infinite and not bound by logic. This aids in defense of whatever belief you have regardless of facts, so long as you say it came from "God".
"God" is often just another product of the Human mind left open to interpretation by the believer..an idea that changes over time and between cultures and often between individuals who claim to hold the same "truths". But what happened to the teachings of Jesus? Why does it seem so many have abandoned his teachings?
Being a revealed religion makes a belief seem that much more suspect, especially when the "book" says that the "Holy Ghost" can speak to an individual directly. How do we know who/what the "Holy Spirit" is and could John the Baptist have just simply been speaking of Jesus? It seems quite convenient that people can use the "Holy Spirit" to justify any position they wish giving it "divine authority" and thus making it seem unquestionable. We have probably all seen what can happen when people make claims that "God" speaks to them directly with Jim Jones, David Koresh etc.. or one could just read Joshua and Deuteronomy or other books where God commands the slaughter of babies and children of their "enemies".



Believers often claim that God is not bound by logic but contradict the claim when they open their mouths because they introduce logic through language which is a logical construct. As an opposing argument demonstrates itself as sound the argument can immediately change and derail the whole discussion making progress impossible often through semantics. If their God isn't bound by logic then how can an argument be made using logic to support the claims of his/her/it's existence? So why argue the existence of "God"? I'm not so sure that it is beneficial anymore. I would rather see people try to understand each other and decide what "Good and Evil" are and seek a deeper understanding of those who disagree with their positions/beliefs so that they will be capable of showing compassion/love/charity/respect. I would like to see people focus more on the teaching of Jesus which can be understood as true cross culturally without insisting on the following of "Doctrine and Dogma" which Jesus seemed to oppose anyway.

With the imagination, and no logical boundaries, some have already contradicted themselves just by entering into an argument over the existence of a "God". I am just trying to point that out in language so that people will realize that the idea of "God", as defined by our culture, completely contradicts all wisdom and knowledge thus making this particular "God" an idea existing in the minds of Humans and something we should question just as our founding fathers did. Merely a projection of Human ideals, if you could call it that.

Quote
How many of you have ever heard of the Counsel of Nicea? Do you know what the Latin Vulgate is? Do you know when the King James Version of the Bible was published? Do you know what the Deuterocanon is? Did you know there are many books in existence that could have been in the Bible but were excluded?

I try examine all of the information available, even if I think it will be biased and wrong and I am no longer afraid of being "wrong/mistaken". Knowing other peoples view points is very valuable...almost as valuable as finding out when I am wrong and learning from it. Most fear this kind of change when it should be embraced.


I am a Defender of Atheism, social minorities and people with "Alternative Lifestyles/religions". I do NOT like discrimination nor do I want MY government controlling my actions by setting limits on my personal, "Human liberties". I am also a Humanist and was raised a Pentecostal ministers son..lol.
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Who I'd like to meet:

"If Atheism is a religion then not collecting stamps is a hobby." Jason

People who are just a little insane, but "pleasantly" so:) People with "Alternative Lifestyles" and/or "other" religions. Anyone who can accept honest answers to serious questions. Anyone who understands that disagreeing with someone objectively shows respect for their intelligence.
Image and video hosting by TinyPic I'd like to meet people who didn't make me feel even more alone and alien for a change. I'd like to meet Jimmy Carter, Baradk Obama, Ron Paul, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Ergun Caner, George Carlin, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, George Bush, Osama Bin Laden, suicide bombers and anyone who wants to meet me. FREAKS
I'd like to meet this man..

Details

  • Status: In a Relationship
  • Here for: Networking, Dating, Serious Relationships, Friends
  • Hometown: Colonial Heights Virginia
  • Orientation: Straight
  • Body type: 5' 9" / Athletic
  • Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
  • Religion: Atheist
  • Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
  • Children: Proud parent
  • Occupation: Fool