Sunday Sermonette: Not a Religion
A friend of mine recently wrote a blog entry titled "Atheism Is Now a Religion."
He gave a few weak arguments to prove his thesis. So weak, in fact, that I have a feeling he was only trying to provoke a response. But it's a common trope, and it does deserve a few words more than the usual kneejerk answers. You know, "Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color." "Atheism is a religion like not skiing is a sport." (So there, nyah, nyah, nyah.)
What people usually mean when they equate atheism and religion is "Religious people can be smug, arrogant, and annoying. Atheists can be smug, arrogant, and annoying. What's the difference?" In other words, they'd very much like for both the evangelist and the outspoken atheist to just shut up and go away.
I shan't attempt to defend annoying smug arrogance, except to say that it's a human trait, not limited to any particular group. We all can be thumping boors on topics of particular interest, be it diet, dodgeball, or Doctor Who.
But at the risk of being boring, atheism is just the answer to a question. Does a god (or gods) exist?
There are only two possibilities. Either a god exists or it doesn't.
If it does exist, does it manifest in reality? Is it a thing or force that can be detected in any way?
If it does not manifest in reality, then it is indistinguishable from a god that does not exist, and we needn't concern ourselves with the question further. That, in short, is the atheist's perspective.
Believers claim that it does exist and does manifest in reality, and that by faith they themselves are solely and uniquely capable of detecting it and understanding its motions and motives.
All this would be fine, and trouble me no more than someone expressing his fervent belief that Matt Smith was a better Doctor than David Tennant.
It is believers who are not content. They go further. Not only does a god exist that only they can detect, and not only do they know what it wants, but they are personally charged with carrying out that god's wishes on earth. And what their god wants is public acknowledgement and obedience to rules laid down in ancient texts or revealed to prophets. Those rules include terrible, immoral, inhumane commands, like that homosexuals should be killed or at least shunned, that women should be subordinate and preferably subservient, and that the ancient texts or revealed truths should be taught to children as unquestionable fact and respected by all.
This is where atheists and others who find in the scientific method an unparalleled tool for understanding and discovery are forced to stand and object. In point of fact, many people who are members of religions, who enjoy community and introspection, object as well.
And yes, there are annoying, smug, and arrogant people. They are not limited to any subset of the population. But it's not the fault of science or reason that the claims of the religious aren't supported by either science or reason. Isn’t it more smug and arrogant to say that you know the mind of the Creator of Universes and are its personal spokesman to the less fortunate masses to whom that revelation has not been given?
And do you think that unto such as you
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew
God gave a secret, and denied it me?
Well, well - what matters it? Believe that, too!
-- The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
He gave a few weak arguments to prove his thesis. So weak, in fact, that I have a feeling he was only trying to provoke a response. But it's a common trope, and it does deserve a few words more than the usual kneejerk answers. You know, "Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color." "Atheism is a religion like not skiing is a sport." (So there, nyah, nyah, nyah.)
What people usually mean when they equate atheism and religion is "Religious people can be smug, arrogant, and annoying. Atheists can be smug, arrogant, and annoying. What's the difference?" In other words, they'd very much like for both the evangelist and the outspoken atheist to just shut up and go away.
I shan't attempt to defend annoying smug arrogance, except to say that it's a human trait, not limited to any particular group. We all can be thumping boors on topics of particular interest, be it diet, dodgeball, or Doctor Who.
But at the risk of being boring, atheism is just the answer to a question. Does a god (or gods) exist?
There are only two possibilities. Either a god exists or it doesn't.
If it does exist, does it manifest in reality? Is it a thing or force that can be detected in any way?
If it does not manifest in reality, then it is indistinguishable from a god that does not exist, and we needn't concern ourselves with the question further. That, in short, is the atheist's perspective.
Believers claim that it does exist and does manifest in reality, and that by faith they themselves are solely and uniquely capable of detecting it and understanding its motions and motives.
All this would be fine, and trouble me no more than someone expressing his fervent belief that Matt Smith was a better Doctor than David Tennant.
It is believers who are not content. They go further. Not only does a god exist that only they can detect, and not only do they know what it wants, but they are personally charged with carrying out that god's wishes on earth. And what their god wants is public acknowledgement and obedience to rules laid down in ancient texts or revealed to prophets. Those rules include terrible, immoral, inhumane commands, like that homosexuals should be killed or at least shunned, that women should be subordinate and preferably subservient, and that the ancient texts or revealed truths should be taught to children as unquestionable fact and respected by all.
This is where atheists and others who find in the scientific method an unparalleled tool for understanding and discovery are forced to stand and object. In point of fact, many people who are members of religions, who enjoy community and introspection, object as well.
And yes, there are annoying, smug, and arrogant people. They are not limited to any subset of the population. But it's not the fault of science or reason that the claims of the religious aren't supported by either science or reason. Isn’t it more smug and arrogant to say that you know the mind of the Creator of Universes and are its personal spokesman to the less fortunate masses to whom that revelation has not been given?
And do you think that unto such as you
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew
God gave a secret, and denied it me?
Well, well - what matters it? Believe that, too!
-- The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam