For years, there was a Page titled “My Atheism” in the main Menu. It wasn’t really about atheism, but the period of vague deism, spirituality, and mysticism I went through for 8-10 years after leaving Christianity. I had to point people to my blog post Evolution of an Atheist. It was time to reboot. This will (may be, depending on my ADHD and all the other stuff I have going on) be the first of several pages with resources for people who have deconverted, are in the process of deconstructing, or have questions/doubts and don’t know where to look. This page is a work in progress, so you can check back every once in a while to see what’s been added. Links to additional pages will be added here when appropriate:
- Philosophical arguments against theism & god(s)
- Sassy & Snarky Atheists for Thinking & Laughs
- Criticizing Christian Apologetics
Full Blown Atheism
On the Dawkins Scale, I’m a 6.5, or a pretty strong atheist. I don’t think I’d ever say that I’m a 7, meaning that I am absolutely confident that there is no god at all. If a god really exists outside space & time, who created everything, science is incapable of proving it. However, I see no convincing evidence that any deity, worshipped by any human past or present, exists. If it does, it’s not a personal god and doesn’t give a damn about it’s creation. Which means there’s effectively no god. I’ve read so many books, listened to so many lectures and debates, and never found a reason to even consider changing my mind.
Is it possible that I might change my mind one day
What is Atheism?
So many people have a problem understanding that atheism is an answer to literally just 1 question. This video by @MindShiftSkeptic is one of the best I’ve seen on what atheism is and isn’t.
For those navigating the whole deconstruction/deconversion process, Brandon has a great playlist:
Atheism and Problems with Abrahamic Versions of God
In the US of course, most discussions/debates/disagreements are between unbelievers and Christians of various denominations. The problems with the god of Christianity are pretty much the same as with Islam and Judaism. Over the last 7-8 years, I’ve spent a lot of time reading, watching, and thinking about reasons to believe or not to believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. After all, if there really is a god, I do want to know and believe. To worship would be something else entirely, as I’m currently convinced that – if the Christian god exists – that god is a monster and unworthy of worship. I want to believe as many true things as possible, and to not believe things that are not true.
In all that time, I have never encountered any argument or evidence that has changed my mind. While I’ve tried to articulate my beliefs in numerous discussions/arguments online, I’m not the best at it. However, I’ve found many people who do so very well. I’ve compiled the below list of responses to Young/Old Earth Creationism, The Problems of Evil/Suffering and Hiddenness, Miracles, Consciousness, Fine-Tuning, Evolution Denial, and any other apologetics argument for God/Jesus/Holy Spirit that I’ve encountered. I hope all of them are helpful for anyone questioning their beliefs, in the process of deconstruction, or have recently reconverted and are struggling to express their new unbelief. The vast majority of the people featured are ex-Christians, just like I am, so they’ve all had to struggle with these same questions.
You can visit my Anti-Apologetics YouTube playlist, linked below. It’s quite a hodgepodge of different creators and topics, not organized at all, but most of my favorite creators are represented there. It’s kind of a Tl;dr playlist.
Debunking Young Earth Creationism
One of my favorite combined science and anti-nonsensical Christian ideas YouTube channels is that of @GutsickGibbon, run by Erika. She’s a PhD student in primate anthropology, and her science content on primate evolution is phenomenal. Here’s one of her Playlists on that topic, followed by a playlist of what she calls “Bite-Sized Busts,” which thoroughly crush the idea of Young Earth Creationism. I personally love her combination of intelligence, incredibly detailed and well-sourced/cited information, sass, and sarcasm.
Evolution is Real
As we atheists so often have to say, atheism and evolution are not synonymous. One can be an atheist and not accept the Theory of Evolution, just as many Christians do accept it. However, given that so many Christians don’t believe evolution is the most accurate explanation of the diversity of all life on earth, it’s helpful to actually understand what evolution is, how we know it’s true, and all the supporting evidence. The superb science channel of Forrest Valkai @RenegadeScienceTeacher has this amazing playlist on it.
Supporting Black Atheists
A little off topic, but since this page is about Resources for people who are, or who have, deconstructed religious beliefs, I’m including creators of different communities worthy of a shout-out. I’m about as Northern White European as one can be (German, Polish, French, English, Scottish, Welsh) and have grown up about as white as one can be in the US. Over the last 3-4 years, I have worked hard to expand my understanding of topics on a wide range of topics, including race and racism in the USA, both historically and currently. That said, you’ll notice that almost all of the content creators I reference on this page are also white. I have tried to find more YouTube channels of Black and Brown atheist creators, but somehow I’m searching wrong, or the almighty algorithm is denying me, I don’t know. I would love to find more non-white atheists to follow, so please – if you’re aware of them – tell me, and I’ll update this page! One person I have found however, is Brady Godwin @ichapod. His playlists are a mix of his own videos and those of people he recommends, but this interview he did was a really good one. I also recommend his book, Let There be (Gas)Light: Does the Bible Tell the Truth about Our Creation, Fall, and Redemption?
The Kalam Cosmological Argument
Christian apologist William Lane Craig is probably most well-known for his defense of the Kalam Cosmological Argument as a reason to believe in not just any god, but specifically the Christian god. Personally, I think it’s a terrible argument, but I get that it’s a philosophical discussion worth having. As odd as it may sound however, I have found Scott Clifton @theoreticalbullshit, a soap opera actor on The Bold and the Beautiful, and an amateur student of philosophy, to have one of the best playlists arguing against the KCA, often using WLC’s own words against him.
Breaking Down Biblical Stories
Another one of my favorite new (in 2023) atheist YouTubers is Kristi Burke, aka @JezebelVibes. She’s much bigger on TikTok, but I deleted that app after a week to avoid the mind-numbing time-suck it is. LOL No, I’m not a Boomer, but yes, I’m a GenXer. She does a lovely job, in a kind, sweet way (with a little sass thrown in), of looking at the Biblical stories we ex-Christians grew up believing but not really examining…and showing how awful they really are. Her Playlist on that is great, but do look at all of her content.
Another channel that isn’t as active, but has made AMAZING animations that highlight the absurdity of Biblical stories in years past, is @NonStampCollector. His 2 animated videos about Noah’s Ark are hilarious!