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.
Interpretation
Ricky Gervais reflects on his transition from belief in Christianity to atheism, shaped by reason and a quest for truth.
In this quote, Ricky Gervais shares his journey from childhood belief in Christianity, influenced by his cultural background, to atheism. He emphasizes the importance of science, reason, and values such as honesty, truth, equality, and fairness in shaping his worldview as he matured, suggesting that belief is often a product of one's environment rather than inherent truth.
In practice
Sharing this quote in a debate about the influence of culture on 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.
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.
It’s a strange myth that atheists have nothing to live for. It’s the opposite. We have nothing to die for. We have everything to live for.
All abstract sciences are nothing but the study of relations between signs.
Hazard has conditioned us to live in hazard. All our pleasures are dependent on it. Even though I arrange for a pleasure, and look forward to it, my eventual enjoyment of it is still a matter of hazard. Wherever time passes, there is hazard.
We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams.
Space and time are the framework within which the mind is constrained to construct its experience of reality.
I support all people on earth who have bodies like and unlike my body.
Slavery takes hold of few, but many take hold of slavery.
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