Welcome to The DRAFT version of The ABCs of Atheism, by Judas H. Peters. This page is constantly updated, so keep checking back until you see a sign that this book is published and available for purchase.
I am very excited to be working on this ABCs of Atheism project so I'm making much of my work-in-progress publicly available. At this stage of the project I'm always up for helpful tips, comments and criticisms. The text is almost entirely first draft (what I call the "vomit" stage). As to the artwork you'll notice three (or four) stages: sketch; first color study; (sometimes a second color study); final draft.
Let me know in the comments on this page if you have any thoughts or objections!
I have heard many Christians, apologists, anti-atheists, and even atheists make the case that there's nothing "positive" about atheism. I have heard many people say that atheists don't or can't stand for anything because we don't have anything to offer except that we are not (A-) believers in a god (-theists). Every time I heard this, it bothered me because I felt that there was something positive about atheism - I felt I became a better person when I became an atheist.
This project is about projecting the positive aspects of atheism to the world. This book is intended to explain to christian apologists, fellow atheists, and to children of all faiths or non-faiths what atheism has to offer. We atheists have a way of thinking about the world that is different from our theistic brothers and sisters and I intend to explain and celebrate that.
We atheists need a positive book to give to our newborn brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews and I'm hoping my ABCs of Atheism does the job. Have fun stirring the pot!
B: Bear / Belief
This is going to feature two bears: a brown bear and a sloth bear. They'll be on the ground watching bees.
___________________________
C: Coelacanth / Cat / Creation
I may keep this as "creation" but I might also change to "critical thinking" in order to put the title of this book to ABCs of Atheism, Belief, and Critical Thinking...
___________________________
D: dog / dogma
other ideas: desire, dance, different(ce), discover(y)
Maybe switch to dingo?
DOUBT
diptera? The order of all flies? That might make for a great graphic.
Newest idea:
Darana Dingo knows that floods are a natural disaster, but her friends and family believe the deity Djunkgao causes floods.
Newest newest idea:
Daku Derby Toadlet is going to be doubting the existence of Dilga (deity of fertility and growth), so she is going to live as if Dilga doesn't exist at all - by ensuring the survival of her eggs by carefully attaching each one to a piece of vegetation under the water. Doubt is a good thing - it can help you make good decisions about the future, having many back-up plans, taking many precautions.
E: elephant / Earth
other ideas: evolution, evaluate, existence, explanation, experiment,
Earth is for enjoying
Eka-Obasi is the West African goddess, "The Tortoise-shelled" who symbolizes the earth.
Potential text:
Emeni Elephant loves her planet Earth for giving her a home to stomp around and play in. When Emeni was young, she believed that the Goddess Eka-Obasi would protect the Earth from all dangers. But now Emeni is an atheist and realizes that she needs to protect the Earth on her own so that she can continue stomping and playing for years to come.
Fun Facts:
Emeni is the African name that means "do no harm" (such as, do no harm to the Earth).
Eka-Obasi is a West African goddess that protects the Earth and is often depicted as a turtle (a turtle will be in the final image).
___________________________
Flying Spaghetti Monster. A fox is going to be drawing all sorts of pictures and comics about the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
___________________________
Giraffe
gods
New idea: Grief. This page will be about grieving the loss of a loved one, will possibly feature a group of animals burying a pet.
___________________________
Heresy/Heretic: I can still keep in the hair/heaven things. I could just say, It was heresy to wear one's hair in a certain way. Now she wears her hair however she wants and it's fine.
___________________________
Isa Ibex
I: Infidel (Iconoclast?)
intellectualism: belief that all knowledge is derived from reason
___________________________
J: Joy
This page will focus on how someone without religion can seek joy in any way they desire. I may include some Jainism symbols, and make distinctions between how a Jainist monk must practice celibacy and refrain from pleasures such as tastes, smells, and touch sensations.
___________________________
L: Love
Love is...
(I'm still working on the text for this one!
___________________________
M: Morality
___________________________
N: Nothing
N: Narwhal; Natural
___________________________
Occam's Razor
Open Mind
___________________________
___________________________
Q: Question
___________________________
R: redemption
___________________________
S is for Sloth / Sleeping in on the Sabbath
I'm going to change this to an image of a sloth in a completely comfy bed, nice patchwork quilt.
___________________________
T: temporal
___________________________
U: unbeliever; ungodly; undecided;
New word: UNCERTAINTY
Somehow come up with a scene that shows uncertainty, maybe the existence of leprechauns or Bigfoot, or monsters, or something.
___________________________
V: values
Vulture (white rumped vulture) which is in India, we will contrast with Vishnu's teachings on values, or the Hindi teachings on values.
Atheists value self-identity, caring for all humans, etc. humanist values.
___________________________
W:
wants; free WILL; wish
wishing and pryaing are things we do when we think we need some help.
If you want something done (and you want it done right), you'll just have to do it yourself.
Wema (virtue goodness) Wildebeest is studying, a Wildebeest resembling a Masai Witch Doctor asks if he can do a spell for him, and he replies, No Thanks, I'll study instead.
___________________________
(Note: Xipe is the aztec god of sowing and planting.)
Xenotransplant?
Xenograph?
x as the unknown in algebra.
(5 + x) / 2x = 24
NEW:
We name the unknown.
It's okay not to know it.
If we have an unknown,
we give it a name.
the fact wedon't know it is okay.
If we know we don't know it and work really hard,
We'll find the answers one day.
___________________________
Y: ...yet
As in, "we don't know how the Universe began...yet."
___________________________
Z: zetetic
I am very excited to be working on this ABCs of Atheism project so I'm making much of my work-in-progress publicly available. At this stage of the project I'm always up for helpful tips, comments and criticisms. The text is almost entirely first draft (what I call the "vomit" stage). As to the artwork you'll notice three (or four) stages: sketch; first color study; (sometimes a second color study); final draft.
Let me know in the comments on this page if you have any thoughts or objections!
I have heard many Christians, apologists, anti-atheists, and even atheists make the case that there's nothing "positive" about atheism. I have heard many people say that atheists don't or can't stand for anything because we don't have anything to offer except that we are not (A-) believers in a god (-theists). Every time I heard this, it bothered me because I felt that there was something positive about atheism - I felt I became a better person when I became an atheist.
This project is about projecting the positive aspects of atheism to the world. This book is intended to explain to christian apologists, fellow atheists, and to children of all faiths or non-faiths what atheism has to offer. We atheists have a way of thinking about the world that is different from our theistic brothers and sisters and I intend to explain and celebrate that.
We atheists need a positive book to give to our newborn brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews and I'm hoping my ABCs of Atheism does the job. Have fun stirring the pot!
___________________________
A: Alligator / Atheist
Draw: asteroids?
Fun Facts:
- Aisha was named after Mohammad's wife.
- In this image, Aisha Alligator is supposed to be sitting on a Muslim prayer rug.
- Most of the stars in the image are based on an actual night sky (except for the edges), yet the big and little dippers are fairly accurate.
Draw: asteroids?
___________________________
B: Bear / Belief
This is going to feature two bears: a brown bear and a sloth bear. They'll be on the ground watching bees.
Text on letter page:
Bernardus Bear and Burhaan Bear are two bears with very different beliefs. When you believe something, you think it is true. Bernardus believes what he thinks sounds nice, while Burhaan believes things that he himself understands and experiences to be true.
Word bubbles:
Bernardus Brown Bear: I believe honey comes from Bacchus(should I use Mellona, the goddess of honey/bees?), the god of wine.
Burhaan Sloth Bear: Really? I believe honey comes from bees...because I've seen them make it!
Fun facts:
- Bernardus is the roman name for "bold as a bear", and in this image Bernardus refers to a roman god/dess for the origins of honey.
- Burhaan's name is an Indian name that means "proof".
- Sloth bears are from India, and have evolved a long snout for eating insects. Sloth bears also dine on honey.
C: Coelacanth / Cat / Creation
Text on letter page:
Cupun Cat looks down at Chikuk Coelacanth (SEEL-uh-canth) and considers the creation of the Universe, creation of life, and creation of cat-kind.
Cupin understands that cats (and all animals) were created through a process called evolution, and that her ancient ancestors were not very cat-like at all.
Cupun and Chikuk both share the same ancestor, their grandparent the eusthenopteron. Chikuk’s form has been around for a long time, but Cupun Cat’s form first went through the Tiktaalik, then the Cotylosaur, through the the therapsid, and through many other forms before her family became the cat that she knows today.
Cupin understands that cats (and all animals) were created through a process called evolution, and that her ancient ancestors were not very cat-like at all.
Cupun and Chikuk both share the same ancestor, their grandparent the eusthenopteron. Chikuk’s form has been around for a long time, but Cupun Cat’s form first went through the Tiktaalik, then the Cotylosaur, through the the therapsid, and through many other forms before her family became the cat that she knows today.
Word bubbles:
Cupun Cat: Hello, cousin Chikuk Coelacanth!
Chikuk Coelacanth: Hey cousin, Cupun!
Fun facts:
- The Coelacanth is a fish that is extremely old, and has bones in its fins similar to our arm bones.
- I used Inuit names for the cat and coelacanth because the Tiktaalik was named for an Inuit word for a type of Cod, a name which was suggested by Inuit elders
- The other four animals on the page represent major milestones of evolutionary development from the Eusthenopteron to mammals.
I may keep this as "creation" but I might also change to "critical thinking" in order to put the title of this book to ABCs of Atheism, Belief, and Critical Thinking...
D: dog / dogma
other ideas: desire, dance, different(ce), discover(y)
Maybe switch to dingo?
DOUBT
diptera? The order of all flies? That might make for a great graphic.
Newest idea:
Darana Dingo knows that floods are a natural disaster, but her friends and family believe the deity Djunkgao causes floods.
Newest newest idea:
Daku Derby Toadlet is going to be doubting the existence of Dilga (deity of fertility and growth), so she is going to live as if Dilga doesn't exist at all - by ensuring the survival of her eggs by carefully attaching each one to a piece of vegetation under the water. Doubt is a good thing - it can help you make good decisions about the future, having many back-up plans, taking many precautions.
___________________________
E: elephant / Earth
other ideas: evolution, evaluate, existence, explanation, experiment,
Earth is for enjoying
Eka-Obasi is the West African goddess, "The Tortoise-shelled" who symbolizes the earth.
Potential text:
Emeni Elephant loves her planet Earth for giving her a home to stomp around and play in. When Emeni was young, she believed that the Goddess Eka-Obasi would protect the Earth from all dangers. But now Emeni is an atheist and realizes that she needs to protect the Earth on her own so that she can continue stomping and playing for years to come.
Fun Facts:
Emeni is the African name that means "do no harm" (such as, do no harm to the Earth).
Eka-Obasi is a West African goddess that protects the Earth and is often depicted as a turtle (a turtle will be in the final image).
Flying Spaghetti Monster. A fox is going to be drawing all sorts of pictures and comics about the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Giraffe
gods
New idea: Grief. This page will be about grieving the loss of a loved one, will possibly feature a group of animals burying a pet.
___________________________
Heresy/Heretic: I can still keep in the hair/heaven things. I could just say, It was heresy to wear one's hair in a certain way. Now she wears her hair however she wants and it's fine.
___________________________
Isa Ibex
I: Infidel (Iconoclast?)
intellectualism: belief that all knowledge is derived from reason
Currently I have an image focusing on "imagination" but I am thinking of turning this image into a schoolyard / playground and focusing on "infidel". I will show a few ibexes looking mean towards the atheist ibex (Isa), while some nice ibexes are walking with and consoling Isa.
J: Joy
This page will focus on how someone without religion can seek joy in any way they desire. I may include some Jainism symbols, and make distinctions between how a Jainist monk must practice celibacy and refrain from pleasures such as tastes, smells, and touch sensations.
___________________________
K: Kinship
Knowledge, Kafir
Ooohhh, darn, I originally wanted an Islamic setting so I could use the Islamic word Kafir (kuffar) with the Kaiser's Spotted Newt...instead I used the Kiwi as the animal, set it in New Zealand, thinking that it was cool that the Maori religion actually believes that all life is related to each other...
Darn. which is the best option?
___________________________
L: Love
Love is...
(I'm still working on the text for this one!
M: Morality
___________________________
N: Narwhal; Natural
Open Mind
P: penguin / pride
I was originally going to make this page about poverty and how atheists would want to ease poverty because there is no god to do it, but I may change this to PRIDE instead. While not necessarily an atheistic value, PRIDE is considered sinful in at least christian culture, and I want to contrast PRIDE with the idea of thinking that a supreme being helped us along the way.
___________________________
Q: Question
___________________________
R: redemption
S is for Sloth / Sleeping in on the Sabbath
I'm going to change this to an image of a sloth in a completely comfy bed, nice patchwork quilt.
___________________________
T: temporal
___________________________
U: unbeliever; ungodly; undecided;
New word: UNCERTAINTY
Somehow come up with a scene that shows uncertainty, maybe the existence of leprechauns or Bigfoot, or monsters, or something.
___________________________
V: values
Vulture (white rumped vulture) which is in India, we will contrast with Vishnu's teachings on values, or the Hindi teachings on values.
Atheists value self-identity, caring for all humans, etc. humanist values.
___________________________
W:
wants; free WILL; wish
wishing and pryaing are things we do when we think we need some help.
If you want something done (and you want it done right), you'll just have to do it yourself.
Wema (virtue goodness) Wildebeest is studying, a Wildebeest resembling a Masai Witch Doctor asks if he can do a spell for him, and he replies, No Thanks, I'll study instead.
___________________________
(Note: Xipe is the aztec god of sowing and planting.)
Xenotransplant?
Xenograph?
x as the unknown in algebra.
(5 + x) / 2x = 24
NEW:
We name the unknown.
It's okay not to know it.
If we have an unknown,
we give it a name.
the fact wedon't know it is okay.
If we know we don't know it and work really hard,
We'll find the answers one day.
Y: ...yet
As in, "we don't know how the Universe began...yet."
___________________________
Z: zetetic
When you get finished, give me a shout. I may be interested in putting this up at Ruthless
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's going to be a while. I originally thought I could finish this up by Xmas, but looks like it's going to take much longer.
DeleteCurrently working on my second draft. Once finished, my third draft is going to tackle the heavy duty text work.