Douglas Adams

From Celebrity Atheist List

From The American Atheist Volume 37 No. 1 "For the rare reader who does not already know all about him, Douglas Adams is the creator of all the various manifestations of The Hitchhiker�s Guide to the Galaxy, which include a radio series, a TV series, a stage play, record albums, a computer game, a series of internationally best-selling books, a set of graphic novels, and a bath towel. In a long and varied career Mr. Adams has also written the Dirk Gently novels, a non-fiction book (Last Chance to See) on endangered species, worked as a chicken-shed cleaner, a bodyguard for an Arab royal family, and played guitar for Pink Floyd. He�s brilliant, he�s witty, he�s an Atheist, and he has quite a bit to say about Atheism, Agnosticism, and religion."

AMERICAN ATHEISTS: Mr. Adams, you have been described as a �radical Atheist.� Is this accurate?

DNA: Yes. I think I use the term radical rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as �Atheist,� some people will say, �Don�t you mean �Agnostic�?� I have to reply that I really do mean Atheist."...I really do mean Atheist. I really do not believe that there is a god - in fact I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one. It's easier to say that I am a radical Atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it's an opinion I hold seriously. It's funny how many people are genuinely surprised to hear a view expressed so strongly.

To read the full interview, go to http://www.americanatheist.org/win98-99/T2/silverman.html

Adams had a close friendship with Richard Dawkins and even introduced Dawkins to his wife, Lalla Ward.

From Richard Dawkins' Evolution by Ian Parker [1]:

Douglas Adams, a friend of Dawkin's and the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,"  found the 
experience of reading [Dawkin's book The Selfish Gene] "one of those absolutely shocking moments of 
revelation when you understand that the world is fundamentally different from what you thought it was." 
He adds, "I'm hesitating to use the word, but it's almost like a religious experience."

Adams's best known quote about atheism and the lack of necessity for religion: "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"

Dawkins offered the eulogy upon Adams' death in 2001. [2]

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Douglas Adams

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