I want to set these atheists straight but my mic ain’t on.
Read Time:2 Minute, 38 Second
When I was young and heard the word “atheist” I would imagine someone old and mean who hated God and little kids and animals and pretty much anything good. Like some Midwesterners who haven’t ever made the acquaintance of a Black or Mexican individual I had never met an atheist.
It’s only since I’ve been posting here that I’ve come across atheists, and I’ve been surprised to discover that all my life I’d been wrong. Almost without exception the atheists I come across express compassion for those in need, support of racial harmony and are loving individuals who care deeply for friends and family.
The mean, angry and hateful people that I once pictured atheists to be seem to be clustered amongst the Christians instead. Who knew? Well I guess, the atheists knew.
Nothing expresses this goodness more than Mother Hen’s “Atheism and the spirit of gratitude” post. It is extraordinary, and if you haven’t already read it please do.
It was shared on FB, and I commented to the effect that unless someone specifically asks for religious input we should respect one’s right to believe or disbelieve as one sees fit. After commenting I took the thought a bit further. If one is absolutely convinced hellfire awaits non-believers, then it might be seen as one’s duty to save souls from damnation.
But it can be a hard sell:
Atheist: So you worship some invisible guy in the sky, and you believe he created the whole world, the universe and the cosmos?
Me: Yep.
Atheist: Why doesn’t he just show himself? Show up, perform miracles, convince us all?
Me: I don’t know.
Atheist: Why does he allow people to suffer? Children starve, millions die in war. Why doesn’t your god intervene and prevent that?
Me: I have no answer for that.
Atheist: You thank god if you don’t have any cavities or you kid gets an A in math, but you don’t blame him when there’s an earthquake or a plague that kills thousands, right?
Me: Pretty much, yeah.
Atheist: Some of the worst depredations were committed by Christians against indigenous people. How do you reconcile that with your beliefs?
Me: I can’t.
Atheist: You actually believe in virgin birth? god just made a woman pregnant and the kid came out performing miracles? Then 1500 years later the same virgin shows up in Mexico and performs miracles herself?
Me: I actually do, yeah.
Like I wrote, a hard sell. Like being a door-to-door salesman with a terrific product he really believes in, but he can’t produce it or show a picture of it or tell you what it does.
Nothing profound here. Had Christians practiced love of their fellow man on a grand scale rather than as acts of individual charity, had they chosen to spread the Word with kindness rather than guns and steel, had Christians chose to practice what they preach rather than practice avarice and hatred and racism – it might not have been such a hard sell. And I might have won my debate with the hypothetical Atheist.
It’s like trying to make a speech with the mic turned off.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Wow- thanks for the props Oso. I do hope I never come across as a “militant” atheist, as I think of believers as akin to kids who still believe in Santa- mostly a harmless love for a mythical figure they imagine to be good. I can see where magical thinking exists, even in some who claim to be atheists. So long as no one is being coerced to believe in a certain way, and children are allowed to think for themselves to come to their faith (or lack thereof) I have no problem with religion.
Many of my friends, (in life, as well as on line) are the “real deal” Christians, who practice the golden rule, take the Bible with a grain of salt, and treat their fellow creatures decently. Like Mulder on the x-files, “I want to believe” but have never been able to ignore the logical and rational objections my brain keeps coming up with, many of which you illustrated here.
For every corrupt televangelist, or philandering preacher I’m sure there are dozens of good people who work very hard to help their parishioners, and I am privileged to know a few. We have an understanding, and they don’t try to preach to me.
Maybe “God” is the connection we all share as sentient beings in our life journey and manifested as “the human spirit”. I explained to my doubtful kids that Santa was real, as much as the “spirit of giving, love and generosity” was real. It is easier to imagine such a being with a face and a personality. God is not different.
“Had Christians practiced love of their fellow man on a grand scale rather than as acts of individual charity, had they chosen to spread the Word with kindness rather than guns and steel, had Christians chose to practice what they preach rather than practice avarice and hatred and racism – it might not have been such a hard sell.”
Amen!
Great post, Oso.
Thank you greenlight!
Maybe if all the Christians, Muslims, and Jews (and, yeah, maybe even an Atheist or 2) of the world converted to Jainism (an actual religion of nonviolence) the world itself would be a far more peaceful place. Short of that, though, I couldn’t even hazard a clue.
God sucks. Without God the world would be a much better place. Regardless it is a great post O-man. Thoughtful and caring. Thanks and you know I am being sincere 🙂
Absofreakinlutely man.
God’s not the problem.
Religion on the other hand…
I hadn’t quite thought of it that way man, but you’re right.
If you look at realistically if al us Chritians were pacifists we’d have been wiped long ago. Islamist would have crusaded into England in the middle ages and 4D would be hating on Buddhists or something emigrating to England.
Christians are far from pacifists, which is a major part of the Judeo-Christian hypocrisy. As a major sect/cult the Mormons have never fought a major war in the name of Joseph Smith, maybe they are the ones people of faith should turn to. Catholics and Protestants have been kicking the crap out of each other and everyone else for centuries.
Regarding Mormonism Holte-Marie Osmond is fine!
Religion is getting increasingly boooooring….
Maybe we should just ignore it and it’ll go away….
…except Islam which will undoubtedly continue to annoy us for many years to come…
I’m with you on the boring part.
Religion is to war what Nascar is to accidents–if you wait long enough, another one will happen, which keeps things exciting but isn’t likely worth it.
Just my take on it.
What did Spinoza say, Oso? “If a chair could talk, he’d say that God is a chair. If a wall could talk, he’d say that God is a wall. Man CAN TALK so he says that God is a man.” That pretty much sizes it up, doesn’t it?
I think so Will. Thanks for that!
That’s pretty much it, Will.
Duuuuuuude. We must have been having a mind meld when we were writing our respective posts.
Would I sound like one of the “Jesus in my toast” guys if I said it’s a sign?
Yes, it is a very hard sale. The New Atheist are really down on religion when they should only be down on some religious people. My next, upcoming post that is still incubating in my mind is going to be title something like, In Defense of God, or The Best Reason to Believe in God.