Atheism: Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
(Italics)
(The Doctor's "humans are happy to believe in something that's invisible" quote is from World War Three.)
Tag: 2017 source edit
 
(50 intermediate revisions by 21 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Atheism''' is the belief in the non-existence of a [[god]] or gods.  Atheism is not to be confused with [[agnosticism]], the belief that it is not possible to know whether or not a god or gods exist.
{{wikipediainfo}}
'''Atheism''' was the lack of belief in the existence of a [[god]] or gods.


==In-universe==
== From Gallifrey ==
The [[First Doctor]] told [[Galileo Galilei]] that he was an agnostic and fully expected to be an atheist by the end of his travels. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Empire of Glass (novel)|The Empire of Glass]]'').  The [[Seventh Doctor]] later said that he had "abjured religion". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[All-Consuming Fire (novel)|All-Consuming Fire]]'')  The [[Ninth Doctor]] spoke disparagingly of humanity's willingness to "believe in something invisible". ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'')
=== The Doctor ===
The [[First Doctor]] told [[Galileo Galilei]] that he was an agnostic and fully expected to be an atheist by the end of his travels. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Empire of Glass (novel)|The Empire of Glass]]'')


[[Sarah Jane Smith]] was an atheist. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Dreamland (audio story)|Dreamland]]'')  While drinking in a beer tent on the planet [[Crex]], [[Bernice Summerfield]] asserted, "There is ''not'' a God!" ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Human Nature (novel)|Human Nature]]'')  As [[Lord President|Lady President]] of [[Gallifrey]], [[Romana II]] commented, "There are no gods". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Neverland (audio story)|Neverland]]'')  [[River Song]] commented to a [[Roman]] commander, "You've been a soldier too long to believe there are gods watching over us." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
The [[Seventh Doctor]] later said that he had "abjured religion". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[All-Consuming Fire (novel)|All-Consuming Fire]]'')


The [[Ninth Doctor]] spoke disparagingly of humanity's willingness to "believe in something invisible". ([[TV]]: ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'') Regardless, the [[Tenth Doctor]]'s perceptions about religion were altered upon meeting [[The Beast (The Impossible Planet)|the Beast]], an entity that claimed itself to be [[Satan]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Satan Pit (TV story)|The Satan Pit]]'')
=== Other Time Lords ===
[[Susan Foreman|Susan]] once said that [[religious education]] at [[Coal Hill School]] was just "[[history]] with more blatant fibs", and was much more knowledgeable about [[god]]s from outer space than those made up to make people feel better. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Time and Relative (novel)|Time and Relative]]'')
As [[Lord President|Lady President]] of [[Gallifrey]], [[Romana II]] commented, "There are no gods". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Neverland (audio story)|Neverland]]'')
== From Earth ==
[[Erimem]] once stated that she did not believe in the [[Egypt]]ian gods, ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Eye of the Scorpion (audio story)|The Eye of the Scorpion]]'') though she later called upon [[Osiris]] when the [[Fifth Doctor]] was in need of healing. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Bride of Peladon (audio story)|The Bride of Peladon]]'') [[Sarah Jane Smith]] was an atheist. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Dreamland (audio story)|Dreamland]]'')
While drinking in a beer tent on the planet [[Crex]], [[Bernice Summerfield]] asserted "There is ''not'' a God!" ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Human Nature (novel)|Human Nature]]'') Though she was an atheist, she did believe in an afterlife, but she found her seemingly-conflicting belief odd. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Falls the Shadow (novel)|Falls the Shadow]]'')
[[River Song]] commented to a [[Roman]] commander, "You've been a soldier too long to believe there are gods watching over us." ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
== Elsewhere ==
The people of [[Elbyon]] were unable to conceive of gods or an [[afterlife]] because to do so would have been extremely dangerous in the presence of the planet's "[[magic]]" technology. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'')
The people of [[Elbyon]] were unable to conceive of gods or an [[afterlife]] because to do so would have been extremely dangerous in the presence of the planet's "[[magic]]" technology. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'')


Atheism may or may not correlate with a lack of religious belief or practice (for example, [[Buddhism]] has been described as a non-theist religion). [[Wilfred Mott]] used the expression "God save their souls" when southern [[England]] was destroyed in an alternate timeline, but said he seldom entered churches because they were "too cold". ([[TV]]: ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')  The [[Eleventh Doctor]] described his companion [[Rory Williams]] as "not religious or superstitious". ([[TV]]: ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]'')
When he was five years old, [[Skagra]] decided that God did not exist, and deduced that that meant there was a "vacancy." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Shada (novelisation)|Shada]]'') The [[Dalek]]s claimed gods didn't exist. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Final Phase (audio story)|The Final Phase]]'')


==Real life==
[[Category:Religion from the real world]]
Various ''Doctor Who'' writers and actors have been self-identified atheists, including [[Dave Stone]], [[Russell T Davies]], [[Mark Gatiss]] and [[Sylvester McCoy]].  [[Douglas Adams]] described himself as a "radical atheist".  Biologist [[Richard Dawkins]], who made a cameo appearance as himself in [[TV]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]'', is an extremely well-known advocate for and writer on atheism.
[[Category:Religion stubs]]
[[Category:Religion from the real workd]]

Latest revision as of 22:23, 15 December 2023

Atheism

Atheism was the lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods.

From Gallifrey[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

The First Doctor told Galileo Galilei that he was an agnostic and fully expected to be an atheist by the end of his travels. (PROSE: The Empire of Glass)

The Seventh Doctor later said that he had "abjured religion". (PROSE: All-Consuming Fire)

The Ninth Doctor spoke disparagingly of humanity's willingness to "believe in something invisible". (TV: World War Three) Regardless, the Tenth Doctor's perceptions about religion were altered upon meeting the Beast, an entity that claimed itself to be Satan. (TV: The Satan Pit)

Other Time Lords[[edit] | [edit source]]

Susan once said that religious education at Coal Hill School was just "history with more blatant fibs", and was much more knowledgeable about gods from outer space than those made up to make people feel better. (PROSE: Time and Relative)

As Lady President of Gallifrey, Romana II commented, "There are no gods". (AUDIO: Neverland)

From Earth[[edit] | [edit source]]

Erimem once stated that she did not believe in the Egyptian gods, (AUDIO: The Eye of the Scorpion) though she later called upon Osiris when the Fifth Doctor was in need of healing. (AUDIO: The Bride of Peladon) Sarah Jane Smith was an atheist. (AUDIO: Dreamland)

While drinking in a beer tent on the planet Crex, Bernice Summerfield asserted "There is not a God!" (PROSE: Human Nature) Though she was an atheist, she did believe in an afterlife, but she found her seemingly-conflicting belief odd. (PROSE: Falls the Shadow)

River Song commented to a Roman commander, "You've been a soldier too long to believe there are gods watching over us." (TV: The Pandorica Opens)

Elsewhere[[edit] | [edit source]]

The people of Elbyon were unable to conceive of gods or an afterlife because to do so would have been extremely dangerous in the presence of the planet's "magic" technology. (PROSE: The Sorcerer's Apprentice)

When he was five years old, Skagra decided that God did not exist, and deduced that that meant there was a "vacancy." (PROSE: Shada) The Daleks claimed gods didn't exist. (AUDIO: The Final Phase)