Diagoras is considered the first Greek atheist.
He was a poet and sophist of the 5th century BC. What I think is interesting is, just how much sense he makes. I think just about everyone here would agree that there are no Olympian Gods. Because no one worships them anymore. So most everyone would probably be sympathetic to Diagoras's point of view. There are no Greek Gods. They don't exist and never existed outside of people's imagination.
In the end he was proscribed and had to flee Athens for his life.
As no one here worships Hecules, Orpheus, Demeter and Persephone then I think we can call agree that denying their existence is logical. Making a wooden carving of Hercules and then setting it alight is not grounds for a death sentence! Surely everyone here agrees with this? Even getting upset over such an act would be absurd. YET, and this is the funny thing, look how many people got upset over the cartoons of Mohammad. Mohammad wasn't even half-God (like Hercules). Don't you see how these people are exactly the same as the superstitious Athenians?
2500 years and most people haven't moved past the same ridiculously silly superstitious beliefs.
Michael
On a side note I was walking by the the grocery store the other day when I noticed this HUGE Scientology Temple being reconstructed. I didn't realize there we so many Scientologists here? I hope there never comes a day when a person is proscribed for making fun of Xenu the Intergalactic warlord? Think that's absurd? Think of that next time you sing praises in Church or try to figure out which direction Mecca - you know "God" likes songs and "God" needs people to pray in the correct direction.. :bugeye:
He was a poet and sophist of the 5th century BC. What I think is interesting is, just how much sense he makes. I think just about everyone here would agree that there are no Olympian Gods. Because no one worships them anymore. So most everyone would probably be sympathetic to Diagoras's point of view. There are no Greek Gods. They don't exist and never existed outside of people's imagination.
In the end he was proscribed and had to flee Athens for his life.
As no one here worships Hecules, Orpheus, Demeter and Persephone then I think we can call agree that denying their existence is logical. Making a wooden carving of Hercules and then setting it alight is not grounds for a death sentence! Surely everyone here agrees with this? Even getting upset over such an act would be absurd. YET, and this is the funny thing, look how many people got upset over the cartoons of Mohammad. Mohammad wasn't even half-God (like Hercules). Don't you see how these people are exactly the same as the superstitious Athenians?
2500 years and most people haven't moved past the same ridiculously silly superstitious beliefs.
Michael
On a side note I was walking by the the grocery store the other day when I noticed this HUGE Scientology Temple being reconstructed. I didn't realize there we so many Scientologists here? I hope there never comes a day when a person is proscribed for making fun of Xenu the Intergalactic warlord? Think that's absurd? Think of that next time you sing praises in Church or try to figure out which direction Mecca - you know "God" likes songs and "God" needs people to pray in the correct direction.. :bugeye:
