# You're right, Danny C...there is no god. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 25, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983 "2011-01-25T23:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/1 "2011-01-25T23:35:10Z")
Today I looked up and called a very old acquaintance–one whom I haven’t seen or spoken with in 13+ years–to tell him that he had been correct all along: god is a myth, the Bible and Christianity are bullshit, and I sure enough outgrew them all. Now, he wasn’t home and I could only leave him a message, but still… See, back when I was in college, I was still pretty much a Xtian fundie. (I’ve alluded to my past religiosity [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=560789) and [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=567839) and [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=559968).) For a few years I worked with a guy–let’s call him Danny C.–who was an atheist and scientifically-minded skeptic. He and I would occasionally get into fairly intense religious debates, with me always taking the role of the “caring” and “loving” evangelical who altruistically wanted nothing more than to see him (poor widdle sinner that he was) come to “a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ”. :rolleyes: I really was such a self-assured, sanctimonious little apologist prick back then. And I used all the lame, easily-refuted theistic quasi-arguments in the book: Appeal to Design, Pascal’s Wager, etc, etc, ad infinitum. Danny C. would often end these discussions by saying, “_Mark my words: you’ll outgrow this shit. You’re a smart guy, and one day you’ll realize that it’s all just a myth._” This used to make me **FURIOUS**. I felt like he was being insulting and patronizing and dismissive. Except Danny was exactly spot-on fucking **right** about that. I became an atheist in 2003, and have often thought about him, since. And for a long time I have wanted to let him know that he was right–both about the question of God, and about my eventual apostasy. He’s not on FaceBook or anything, so I had to look him up the old fashioned way, and give him a ring. Feels good to have done so. Now, Danny was never the most eloquent of arguers, and he had some pretty serious character flaws that I–full of Christian cocksurety and confirmation bias, at the time–attributed to his not being a “partaker of the divine nature” like I was. :rolleyes: But when you’re right, you’re right, and I have long wanted to tell him that he was right. And today I did just that. I really do hope it means something to him; **not in the sense of a “victory” in a long-forgotten and hopelessly minor debate with a friend, but in a confirmation that he was, all along, speaking up for what was true and good**. I hope that one day, if any of my currently Christian friends leave the faith, that they’ll look me up to thank me for trying to talk sense to them, and to lead them toward intellectual freedom. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/2 "2011-01-25T23:57:27Z")
That took some guts. Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/3 "2011-01-26T00:12:22Z")
Ten bucks says Danny’s a churchgoer now! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/4 "2011-01-26T00:14:46Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Ten bucks says Danny’s a churchgoer now! 😉 Ha! I wondered about that. Pretty unlikely; the guy was WAAAAAAYY too arrogant to ever become a member of a religion. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/5 "2011-01-26T00:34:59Z")
Here’s a belated welcome to the club! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/6 "2011-01-26T00:42:53Z")
Witnessing threads go in GD, so I’ll move this thither. **twickster** , MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/7 "2011-01-26T00:45:54Z")
> [@Cyningablod](#): > > I hope that one day, if any of my currently Christian friends leave the faith, that they’ll look me up to thank me for trying to talk sense to them, and to lead them toward intellectual freedom. You “used” to be sanctimonious and self-assured? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/8 "2011-01-26T00:53:01Z")
> [@Cyningablod](#): > > Pretty unlikely; the guy was WAAAAAAYY too arrogant to ever become a member of a religion. Actually, it’s the arrogant ones who are most vulnerable to [del]Satan[/del] God’s “recruitment” plan – see _The Cross & the Switchblade_ for a host of examples. All those who they know everything are likely to acquire beliefs which enable their narcissistic viewpoint of everything…including hard-core atheists, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/9 "2011-01-26T00:53:20Z")
He had a _belief system_ that was contrary to your _belief system_. Do I have that right? Now with the passage of time _your_ belief system is the same as _his_ belief system. In some parts thats called a _conversion._ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/10 "2011-01-26T01:02:39Z")
> [@raindog](#): > > He had a _belief system_ that was contrary to your _belief system_. > > Do I have that right? > > Now with the passage of time _your_ belief system is the same as _his_ belief system. > > In some parts thats called a _conversion._ No. He refused to adapt the belief system that **Cyningablod** practiced. Now with the passage of time **Cyningablod** agrees with him that that particular belief system makes no sense, and dropped it. In some parts, that’s called _Wisdom_. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/11 "2011-01-26T01:03:03Z")
ETA Which often causes euphoria and a compelling (and irresistible) need to _witness._ ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/12 "2011-01-26T01:05:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > No. > He refused to adapt the belief system that **Cyningablod** practiced. Now with the passage of time **Cyningablod** agrees with him that that particular belief system makes no sense, and dropped it. > > In some parts, that’s called _Wisdom_. Except when [affirmative] belief is mistaken for non-belief. Then its called _ignorance._ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/13 "2011-01-26T01:09:12Z")
> [@Cyningablod](#): > > Danny C. would often end these discussions by saying, “_Mark my words: you’ll outgrow this shit. You’re a smart guy, and one day you’ll realize that it’s all just a myth._” This used to make me **FURIOUS**. I felt like he was being insulting and patronizing and dismissive. That’s because he was. Your friend was an asshole. Incidentally, how would you react if you hear back from your friend, and learn that he’s converted to Christianity since you last spoke? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/14 "2011-01-26T01:10:38Z")
-deleted- This thread moved way too fast… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/15 "2011-01-26T01:46:02Z")
> [@Cyningablod](#): > > I felt like he was being insulting and patronizing and dismissive. Yeah, probably, but you deserved it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/16 "2011-01-26T02:08:16Z")
[10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On](http://www.cracked.com/article_15759_10-things-christians-atheists-can-must-agree-on.html) ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/17 "2011-01-26T02:29:16Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > [10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On](http://www.cracked.com/article_15759_10-things-christians-atheists-can-must-agree-on.html) Haven’t read the whole thing, but it’s bullshit before the list even started. I notice he didn’t use Hitler as a death you can’t be happy about. Oh, and comparing nudity to lying and betrayal… yeah, not so much. Stupid stupid list, thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/18 "2011-01-26T02:51:37Z")
Way to miss the point. ---
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/19 "2011-01-26T15:37:10Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s because he was. Your friend was an asshole. Generally, yeah. He just wound up being an asshole that was correct in his assholish prediction. 😃 > [@](#): > > Incidentally, how would you react if you hear back from your friend, and learn that he’s converted to Christianity since you last spoke? Honestly, I’d be about 98.7% amused, and 1.3% disappointed. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983/20 "2011-01-26T15:38:14Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Yeah, probably, but you deserved it. Yup. But it was still pretty condescending. Lots of folks _don’t_ end up leaving their faith, and he had no way of knowing which I’d be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-right-danny-c-there-is-no-god/568983.md?page=2)