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.
Please explain to me what being an icon is. How do you define it? I haven't been given a script. I don't know what the dialogues of an icon are.
The stories are what no one wants to talk about. So you make up a story because no one is going to tell you the truth.
The richness of human life is that we have many lives, we live the events that do not happen (and some that cannot) as vividly as those that do, and if thereby we die a thousand deaths, that is the price we pay...
As nations can not be rewarded or punished in the next world they must be in this.
It is surely unreasonable to credit that only one small star in the immensity of the universe is capable of developing and supporting intelligent life. But we shall not get to them and they will not come to us.
There is an organic affinity between joyousness and tenderness, and their companionship in the saintly life need in no way occasion surprise.
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