I don't mind if other people call me an atheist, but I call myself a naturalist. Atheism doesn't tell you much about what I do believe in; the term naturalist opens up the discussion better. Greg Graffin More Quotes by Greg Graffin More Quotes From Greg Graffin The thread of culture that runs through the entire history of punk is also a dedication to challenging the authoritarian. Greg Graffin dedication challenges running This era in human existence where so much information is out there, it's easy for someone like Donald Trump to use that to make his claim that information is fake news. And there are people who think 'I guess we should believe the President when he says it's fake news.' Greg Graffin believe people thinking I definitely was attracted to similar things in punk and science. They both depend on a healthy dose of skepticism. Greg Graffin skepticism punk healthy I don't think anyone is going to Hell, because it only exists in the minds of people who wish ill will on others. Greg Graffin ill-will people thinking Bad Religion has never been about criticizing people who are Christian. But we've always been about pointing out the irony and contradictions in Christian theology and the more extreme versions of Christians that seek to challenge modern secularism. Greg Graffin christian challenges people It's been an objective of mine since I started writing songs to include both intellect and energy. Greg Graffin energy writing song There are certain ways you have to delude yourself. Self-delusion is important, for instance in family life. You know what I mean? If you're in love with your wife you have to go in there with blind faith. You have to support everything. And with your kids, you have to believe that you're doing something that has higher purpose; even though you don't have any evidence that that's the way it's going to turn out. Greg Graffin love-you mean believe When I create, I feel that I am a participant in the grand pageant of life, a part of the ongoing creative engine of the universe. I don't know if that feeling is enough to replace the solace of religion in the lives of most people, but it is for me. Greg Graffin creative feelings people Most songwriters who have been lucky enough to have their song on the radio or be heard widely don't know anything about science. The best songs have a strong dose of metaphor. Most songs about science don't have that. Like 'She Blinded Me With Science.' It's a stupid song, no offense to Thomas Dolby. Greg Graffin strong stupid song A lot of philosophy is bull***t, but a lot of it is what we write songs about too. And it's organizing your thoughts, organizing your intellect. Greg Graffin writing song philosophy We should enjoy and make the most of life Greg Graffin enjoy should I don't believe, for instance, that evolutionary biology or any scientific endeavor has much to say about love. I'm sure a lot can be learned about the importance of hormones and their effects on our feelings. But do the bleak implications of evolution have any impact on the love I feel for my family? Do they make me more likely to break the law of flaunt society's expectations of me? No. I simply does not follow that human relationships are meaningless just because we live in a godless universe subject to the natural laws of biology. Greg Graffin impact law believe Dont take Portlandia too personally - Its just a stupid TV show Greg Graffin tv-shows tvs stupid Whether or not punk is the flavor of the month is not important for us. Bad Religion has been popular through many different climates. When heavy metal was popular, when new wave was popular, Bad Religion was still there underneath the mainstream selling more and more records. Greg Graffin selling-more flavor-of-the-month important We delude ourselves into believing that morality comes from somewhere else, whereas in reality we behave as we've been told to behave. Greg Graffin somewhere-else believe reality You can't take up all the music bins at a CD retail outlet with Spice Girls CDs and leave nothing for the Joan Jett catalogue. Greg Graffin cds retail girl One of our great thematic traditions in Bad Religion has been to question human nature. Greg Graffin tradition human-nature humans If there is no destiny, there is no design. There's only life and death. My goal is to learn about life by living it, not by trying to figure out a cryptic plan that the Creator had in store for me. Greg Graffin life-and-death destiny goal A fossil is so powerful. It's moving. This is my ancestor. The naturalist is moved by the fossil... not the cross. Greg Graffin fossils powerful moving It gives evolutionary biologists great status if they champion competition and the economists have to consult them. The economists have to consult the evolutionary biologists, because they are the ones who invented the idea of competition. It comes from the field of evolution. Greg Graffin competition giving ideas
