Armin Navabi > Quotes

“Not knowing the answer to a question is not a valid excuse for making up a fairytale to explain it.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“There is no evidence to suggest that God helps people. There is, however, ample evidence that people can help themselves and each other.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” This touches on the heart of the argumentum ad populum fallacy. Physical reality does not require belief to sustain it, and belief will not modify the rules of the universe.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Close analysis of ‘miracles’ have never led to any proof for a supernatural explanation, and, in fact, many have proven to be cheap magic tricks, hallucinations or primitive misunderstandings of natural phenomena.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“The religions that we have today are a small fraction of all religions that have existed throughout human history. The ones that we are left with have survived because they have more effectively adapted to attract and hold the allegiance of many people.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“the truth is true even if no one believes it, and untrue claims are still untrue even if everyone believes them.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“An all-loving god would surely not damn his children to an eternity of torture simply for being born into a culture that believes in the wrong deity, follows the wrong holy book or attends the wrong type of church services.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“In order to indoctrinate their followers and secure obedience, religions frequently tear people down, creating an emptiness that must then be filled with Jesus, Allah or any other deity. People are told that they are inherently bad or sinful and that the only way to become good is by giving over control of their lives to faith. As there is no evidence that any of that is true, religion, in effect, is creating an imaginary problem simply so that it can sell an imaginary solution.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“religious beliefs have been so widespread because they tap into the psychological desires of many people, not because there is any external proof of their veracity.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“The idea that a large group of people believing in something automatically makes it true is a logical fallacy called argumentum ad populum.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“No satisfaction based upon self-deception is solid, and, however unpleasant the truth may be, it is better to face it once for all, to get used to it, and to proceed to build your life in accordance with it.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“An unknown cause is not the same as divine intervention.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Similarly, while prayer is frequently a person's first response to a disaster, it's often the least helpful. Instead of praying for disaster victims, it would be more helpful to donate blood, send donations or volunteer. These are actions that can actually have a positive effect on someone.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“There are many examples that show that events with very small probability are not miraculous. In fact, they're commonplace. Mathematician J.E. Littlewood suggested that each one of us should expect one-in-a-million events to happen to us about once every month. Failing to recognize this is due to us ignoring the astronomically high number of events that occur which we find insignificant. Events that we do find significant, such as winning a lottery or dreaming about your mother calling you right before waking up to her call are just a tiny fraction of many other insignificant events with the same or even lower probability of occurring, such as the chance that you had a dream of your mother calling you and also running out of milk five days after at 7:21 am.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“If morality truly stemmed from an all-powerful deity, it would not change over time.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“It simply doesn't make sense to make an unfounded claim with no evidence to back it and demand that the other person to either agree with you or disprove your unfounded statement.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Belief in God can come with a high price for some. Some of the most powerful nations in the world are making major political decisions based on a belief in God. Wars are fought using religion, and the rights of some individuals and groups are oppressed in the name of God. The lives of billions of people around the world are affected by religious beliefs.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“There is no single outside force imposing meaning on the events of your life. There is no evidence whatsoever that people’s life events conform to some sort of divine plan or predestination. Life is, objectively, meaningless; given the size and scope of the universe and our tiny role within it, it’s absurd to think that we might have any sort of cosmically vital role.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“With no evidence for an afterlife, we should recognize the true value of our current lives as our one and only shot at happiness. Wasting it on unfounded claims and ancient myths is an absolute tragedy.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“According to some believers, God answers prayers in one of three ways: “Yes,” “No,” and “Wait.” This sounds reasonable and even wise before you realize that this explanation is inherently meaningless. In fact, those three answers cover every possible outcome of any event. Either it will happen now, it will happen later or it won't happen at all. This is true whether you pray to a deity or to a bar of soap; it does nothing to prove the existence of a deity.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Part of the beauty and wonder of being alive is the opportunity to make your own choices and create your own meaning.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Terrible things happen to people every day. Children die tragically young, natural disasters wipe out whole communities and people die from accidents and disease. These do not suggest a righteous and compassionate god. These suggest that God is either powerless, cruel or non-existent.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Anecdotal evidence is basically any claim that says, “This is true because it happened to me or someone I know.” While it may be true that the event occurred, anecdotal evidence does nothing to explain why or how it happened, which is why anecdotal evidence is of little use in science.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Allah”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Curiously, many believers do not demand more context when mentioning verses describing love, charity or any other positive aspect of their scripture; verses are only viewed as being out of context when the content is unflattering for believers. This sort of cherry picking is a convenient viewpoint to hold but certainly not a defensible one.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“As science historian Michael Shermer notes, “Smart people believe weird things because they are better at rationalizing their beliefs that they hold for non-smart reasons.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“In the United States alone, about 140 children with easily treatable conditions died between 1975 and 1995 after parents withheld medical attention, relying only on prayer and faith”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“For example, say you are given a wrapped package. You believe that the package contains a diamond necklace. However, in reality, the package contains a Game of Thrones DVD box set. No matter how firmly you believe in the diamond necklace, that does not change the actual contents of the package. Your faith in the necklace does not affect the nature of what is actually inside of the box.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“Indeed, religions do seem to incite violence (2) (3).”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God

“As science explores the nuances of human relationships, it becomes clear that morality can exist outside of religion.”
― Armin Navabi, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God