this week i stumbled upon a video that i actually enjoyed
by a theist a priest to be precise the video was called an open letter to atheists from a priest
i listened and now i'd like to respond welcome to today's video
hello i'm the skeptic i watch videos on youtube that make extraordinary claims whether that's
flat earth strange conspiracies or even the claim that a god is real and then i explain
why i can't accept the position before we get into today's video please do subscribe hit that
bell notification to be alerted for my next video and drop a like that would be amazing
in this god squad video breaking the habit has an open letter to atheists which is so
well delivered i thought it only right to actually respond it's nice to get mail back right with over
200 000 subscribers father casey seems to deliver messages to many so let's see what he had to say
atheist hello there thanks for clicking on this video it means a lot to me really
uh i'm a religious guy who's devoted my life to a god you don't believe in so you're taking
a bit of a risk here that i might insult you make you feel bad about your life or at the very least
waste your time it's okay you can't make me feel bad for not believing in something much like you
probably don't feel bad that you don't believe in a flying spaghetti monster i really do appreciate
it and i hope not to do any of those things here rather i'd like to pose a question to you it's a
very simple question in fact it is more of an exhortation from me to you i would say i'd do
anything but then i'm not meatloaf and i won't do that this question is not meant to trick you or
convert you i don't have some super ingenious question that will somehow inspire faith in a
deity as much as i'd love to imagine that if you had a single question that instantly would convert
anyone some irrefutable proof that there was a god through one question that would be a great trick
unfortunately i'd rather just like to challenge you you say that you're an atheist that you don't
believe in gods and i just want to know one thing are you a good one am i good at not believing in
something without evidence sure i think so are you a good atheist it's a question that i ask
with two things in mind hang on this started with only one question but okay it's the first being
related to morality while religion in general and christianity in particular doesn't necessarily
make someone a moral person these ways of life do necessarily demand morality of adherence there is
a particular code of life that one must live in the case of catholic christianity that code is
one of peace and justice mercy and forgiveness sure have we all forgotten the crusades it's a
code that seeks to care for the poor and seek reparations for those who take advantage of the
vulnerable catholicism and actually religion as a whole doesn't hold the monopoly on all that
sure it teaches it but it also teaches how to own people as slaves giving instructions on beating
your own slaves and if they don't die after two days you can walk free it's all found in exodus
now lord knows we don't always live up to our founder and you don't always own people and beat
them phew that's good to know have actually done some pretty atrocious things through the years
but it is our faith that at least informs us when we do these things and gives us and reminds us
a moral code to live by reminds us that it's not an option we must strive to be good people now
as someone who doesn't have this foundation who doesn't believe in a god or adhere to a religion
there is no superstructure making this demand on your life correct and i don't have anyone
telling me that rapists should marry their victims or that women shouldn't have a choice
with what they can do with their body no one telling you how to live in certain situations
without a belief in an afterlife there might be a feeling that all the world is futile so what
difference does it make and here is the problem theists think that non-believers have nothing to
live for with no afterlife to go to and they're looking at it all wrong i have nothing to die for
i have everything to live for because i see no reason to believe that my soul in huge inverted
commas will live on when i die i need to make everything count now have the best life live
the best life ensure that i do my best so i can be comfortable and so that my children can be secure
when i'm gone and also when i'm no longer around people can say yeah that guy he was pretty decent
not having something to look forward to when i finally become worm food means i should enjoy
every second i have here now this of course does not need to be the case some of the
world's greatest humanitarians some of the most influential figures today promoting peace and
justice efforts are not adherents to a religion but live morally out of a commitment to humanity
so you've basically just said that you don't need to be religious to be a good person a recognition
of our interconnectedness and acknowledgement that there is something good in itself
about loving one another about sacrifice don't forget to not take sacrifice literally i can
sacrifice my time to help others and so i ask you are you a good atheist even though there
may be no eternal reward or punishment even though you're free to do whatever you want
do you choose the virtuous path that benefits not only you but others i wouldn't call it virtuous
but sure i don't go around murdering and raping if that's what you're asking the world needs good
atheist uh the world needs good humans it doesn't matter if they don't believe in an entity now of
course the word good points to more than just a sense of morality it also represents an evaluation
of aptitude when i ask if you're a good atheist i want to know if you're good at being an atheist i
mean i don't have an award or anything do you articulate why you don't believe in god in a
coherent way or just think that religion's dumb so use logical fallacies i don't see
how you can't articulate that you don't see any convincing evidence that there are any gods it's
pretty easy i have never been presented with an argument convincing enough to prove there is a god
see i just did it have you explored the depths of your mind and heart asking the real questions
of life of death faith and reason seeking to understand what this human life is really about
you just not want to go to church so this'll do can i say both have you read the critical
atheist thinkers of history people like nietzsche sartre fuerbach high digger people who really ask
the challenging questions who pose thoughtful insights of the world or just stick with people
like richard dawkins people who provide great sound bites for the cause ep but do little to
add anything to the world other than strongman arguments and divisiveness just because you don't
agree with what dawkins says doesn't mean his words aren't valid you believe in a man in the sky
that can't be proven at least we know dawkins is real have you read for yourself the works of real
theologians people articulating our beliefs in the best way we know how i'll be honest here whenever
i listen to a theologian i tend to hear the same unconfirmed babble spouted at such a speed and
with such intensity that they're right that i get bored and switch off carl rauner john henry newman
joseph ratzinger augustine of hippo andre de lubac or do you stick with the simplicity of evangelical
pastors from some rural anti-intellectual church i ask all of this not to be
accusatory at least not overly accusatory but to simply challenge you to go deeper in your thought
simply declaring yourself an atheist and going about your life isn't enough it's not i can't say
nah i don't see any reason to believe any god claims and then continue with my day because
that's what i do just as saying you're a christian and never reading the bible wouldn't be enough
ask more questions read more perspectives be able to articulate your understanding of the
world with logic and reasoning that will actually add something to the world quit telling me how
to live my life father casey because here's the thing people of faith need you to be good atheist
we do as a christian i don't want you to be a bad atheist with an unexplored mind just regurgitating
fallacies i want you to ask questions that we've never thought to answer like you claim there's a
god so with that positive assertion can you prove it with evidence convincing enough to
make me agree with you i'm sure theists get asked that all the time i want you to be so smart that
it challenges us to be smarter as crazy as it sounds i would much rather you be a good atheist
than just an atheist and so that is my humble message to you from one believer to a non-believer
we may not agree on much but that doesn't mean that we don't need each other or can't learn
something from one another we do and we can i'm still waiting to learn about how to prove god
but i can continue to wait i guess peace and good to you father casey well that certainly was a fun
one how would you have responded let me know in the section below and whilst you're there feel
free to let me know if you'd like me to take a look at any more extraordinary claims and i can
make a video on that too but as for responding to this video we can skeptic this off the list don't
forget to hit the like button and subscribe if you haven't already from me the skeptic stay safe keep
thinking logically and ask questions skepticism is the first step towards truth see you next saturday
you