Saying atheism is a belief system is like saying not going skiing is a hobby.
Interpretation
Atheism should not be categorized as a belief system, similar to how not participating in an activity isn't considered a hobby.
Ricky Gervais uses this quote to emphasize that atheism, or the lack of belief in gods, is not a belief system in itself but rather a position of disbelief. He compares it to the idea that not engaging in skiing — a specific activity — cannot be viewed as a hobby, highlighting that atheism is simply the absence of belief rather than a structured doctrine or practice.
In practice
This quote can be used in a debate about belief systems.
You should make something. You should bring something into the world that wasn't in the world before. It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter if it's a table or a film or gardening-everyone should create. You should do something, then sit back and say, 'I did that.'
It's better to create something that others criticise than to create nothing and criticise others. Go create, have fun!!
Science seeks the truth. And it does not discriminate. For better or worse it finds things out. Science is humble. It knows what it knows and it knows what it doesn’t know. It bases its conclusions and beliefs on hard evidence -- evidence that is constantly updated and upgraded. It doesn’t get offended when new facts come along. It embraces the body of knowledge. It doesn’t hold on to medieval practices because they are tradition.
I used to believe in God. The Christian one, that is (There are a few thousand to choose from. But I was born in a country where the dominant religion was Christianity so I believed in that one. Isn't it weird how that always happens?). Luckily I was also interested in science and nature. And reason and logic. And honesty and truth. And equality and fairness. By the age of eight I was an atheist.
People now live their lives like an open wound to be famous - they do bad things because they're rewarded for it.
A Christian telling an atheist they're going to hell is as scary as a child telling an adult they're not getting any presents from Santa.
Ecology is often confused with environmentalism, while in fact, environmentalism often leaves out the fact that people, too, can be a legitimate part of an ecosystem.
There is One great society alone on earth: The noble living and the noble dead.
If one person has a right to something he did not earn, of necessity it requires that another person not have a right to something that he did earn.
All beings come from a mother's womb. We should have a clear realization of the oneness of all humanity.
It is always safe to assume that people are more subtle and less sensitive than they seem.
When we get up in the morning, what we put on is very much a reflection of how we see the world and how we want it to see us.
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