Is Richard Herring the son of a god he doesn't believe in? He may not be the Messiah, but he is a very funny boy.

For this long time apathist, none of His arguments were very new - the Bible is inconsistent, God is petty, etc. - but the sheer enthusiasm and obvious joy He brings drew huge laughs from the audience.

The show is unremittingly funny - weaving skilfully between observational comedy and pure scatological filth. Something for everyone, then.

The only weak point, I felt, was the ending. I'm not sure whether He lost the courage of His convictions, or it was the abrupt change of pace. As it was, it was merely hilarious, rather than being side-splitting.

If you get a chance this week - do go and see the show in London. If you live in the wilderness, he's taking the show around the country.

I'm not saying I'm a better comedian than Richard Herring. That's for other people to say... - Terence Eden

If I were a superior comedian, this is what I'd change about Herring's obviously rubbish show.

Bollocks. He's a professional funny man and I fiddle with phones for a living. Go see his show.

So, when the 2011 census rolls around, how should I identify myself to the state?

The Census Campaign

An offshoot of the Atheist Bus Campaign, the Census Campaign wants non-religious people to identify as "no religion".

Last census, hundreds of thousands of people stated that their religion was "Jedi" - more that all the Jews and Buddhists combined.

So, am I a Jedi? Is it my religion?

The Case For

• I got married in a Star Wars ceremony
• I dedicate my sabbath to studying and recreating the events from Star Wars (sometimes through the medium of video games)
• I can recite large sections of the text from memory.
• I try to do live by Yoda's teachings.

The Case Against

• I occasionally dabble in Whovianism. Am I an apostate?
• ...
• ...
• Jedi is a fictional religion (although, so are all religions).

Who am I kidding. I'm not a Jedi. Not because I am too old to begin training, but because telekinesis is beyond my ability.

Actually, it's more profound than that.

I Have No Religion - And I Want My County To Reflect My (non) Beliefs

The census campaign sums it up rather well, and I want to expand on their points.

There are many state activities which could be curtailed if politicians and newspapers knew that the malign influence of religion was on the wane.

There are a few specific issues which convince me that I want to renounce Jedi-ism and let the country know I have no religion.

• The wicked and divisive institutions which purport to be "faith" schools.
• The religiously motivated attack on women's reproductive rights.
• The sexist space in the House of Lords reserved for Bishops. (Sexist because the misogynists in the church won't ordain women.)
• The willful murder of innocent contractors on a building site.
• Religions' ruinous drain on the state and its tax-exempt status.
• The entrenched homophobia of many religions
• I could go on, but you get my drift.

It would be remiss of me not to include some opposing views from Church Mouse and "Archbishop" Cranmer. Both of whom, I concede, put up a reasonable argument as to why "Cultural Christians" should not say "no religion".

Ultimately, I have a very small chance to make a difference. I intend to use it. I urge you to do the same.

At its very root is the fact that I just don't care.  Arguments about religions and their various gods are tedious; by their very nature there is no way of resolving them.

So, lets take some points.  See if you agree or disagree with my reasoning.

• There is no evidence of gods.
• Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
• Pascal's wager shows (when corrected for high numbers of gods[^gods]) that it is irrational to worship any one god for fear of angering any of the other gods.
• Most religions hold that gods can only be understood supernaturally - usually this means post-mortem.
• It therefore holds that any gods who may exist will be reveal themselves after death.  Traditionally, in the West, this means a day of reckoning and / or being consigned to heaven, hell or purgatory.
• I cannot know gods in life - nor can anyone else - after death I will either experience nothing or I will find out which gods I should have been worshipping.
• The probability of my death is 100%
• So, at some point I will either have the definitive answer or be in no position to care.

There is no way to know - the very discussion of the subject is pointless**.  Hence apathy.

This rock we're stuck on is billions of years old.  I'm going to be on it for a handful of years (time-travel, cryogenics and reincarnation not withstanding).

I can choose to worry about whether something, somewhere, cares who I love, what I eat or how many thetan souls reside in me.

Or, I can choose not to worry.  To have fun. Do good. Leave the world in a slightly better state for those who are left after I've gone.

Footnotes

*Pascal's Wager is simply explained as "If there is a god and I don't worship her - I'll go to hell. Whereas, if there is no god and I worship her - I've lost nothing.  Therefore, it's more rational to worship god on the off-chance she exist becuase the punishment is so terrible."

This falls down in several areas

• What if you are worshiping the wrong god?  Most gods seem rather vengeful; there are lots and lots to choose from.
• Have you lost nothing by spending a portion of each day venerating an imaginary friend?
• Finally - and this depends on the rationality of any gods - would they welcome you with open arms if they knew you didn't really believe but were just playing it safe?

**So, why spend so much time talking and blogging about it?  Sadly, we live in a world where rationality is under assault.  It is necessary to gently let people know that they are not alone.  That there is rationality in the world.