Are Believers in God Simply Too Afraid to Embrace Reason?
I certainly don't believe that, yet I and others like me are the ones accused by believers in God of failing to find any meaning in this life.
Those believers cling to the idea of a supernatural being for hope. Hope that this life is not the end, but the beginning. Hope that they will spend eternity in a Heaven that none of them can seem to properly or rationally define. Hope that their lost loved ones are still somehow with them, watching them from the sky.
Many of those believers accuse me of hating them. Why? Simply because I rail against this country's regression as a religious society. Because I oppose the imposition of religious tenets as part of public policy. Because I favor stem cell research and support a woman's right to choose and homosexuals' right to marry. Because I question the good in believing in things that there is absolutely no evidence for.
And yet, do those believers respond with evidence? Of course not. They respond with the lies they were spoon-fed in their early years, or at the weakest points in their lives. They respond with the utterly ridiculous notion of faith.
Were "faith" to be exercised in operating rooms, none of us would survive the simplest of procedures. Were "faith" to be exercised in courtrooms, the innocent would be behind bars and the guilty would roam free. So why rely on "faith" when seeking out the meaning of life and what comes next?
Because of fear.
It seems many, if not most, believers in God "believe" because they are so afraid not to. Afraid to embrace reason and scientific truth simply because they are afraid of having to face life on their own.
Paula Kirby, in her article "Reassuringly Rational," in the most recent issue of Free Inquiry, says: "The fear of life without ultimate meaning, of life that's ended by death, or of life that has no guaranteed happy ending, is so great and so deeply rooted in many people that when we (Atheists) point out - truthfully - that life has no ultimate meaning and does end with death and that there is no force greater than ourselves in control of our destiny - they regard us as some kind of aberration, less than fully human. Of course atheists seem scary to them: if we can face the prospect of our own demise so coolly, why should we care about theirs? How can someone who can handle the reality of mortality be in possession of the full range of human emotions, like love and joy, compassion and fear?"
And yet we Atheists do experience such a range of human emotions, as much if not more than believers in God. After all, we accept that this life is all there is, and that acceptance causes us to enjoy it all the more. To live life to its fullest extent: now that's my idea of meaning.
I assure you all that a life without faith is worth living. The earth is no less beautiful simply because a countless number of natural events brought it about. Life is no less precious simply because it ends. In fact, it is more so.
When all believers in God release themselves from these silly yet dangerous superstitions, the world will undoubtedly be a kinder, gentler place. Free from killing in the name of God, free from people risking their lives in war simply because they believe they are going to a better place. Free from ignorance and darkness, from ancient myths that sully our world view.
And when someone accuses that an atheistic society would inevitably decline into anarchy, I laugh, though I am more than a little saddened.
Do you really think so little of mankind?
I don't.
Published by Jack Oceano
Jack Oceano is an attorney whose articles cover a broad range of topics, including politics, legal issues, travel and tourism, dining and nightlife, sports, books, movies, music, and writing. View profile
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59 Comments
Post a CommentI know there is good and evil in the world. I choose to believe in God and his Son, Jesus Christ. I don't believe in the Easter bunny, but I don't waste time writing about it either.
Thanks for the article Jack. I too am an atheist and share some of your views. What I find strange is that when I describe myself as such many people want to know why. Quite simple really. I find as much truth in Alice in Wonderland as I do in the bible. My belief is that man made god in his own image rather than the reverse. Religion became an answer for questions that, at the time, man couldn't answer. When man's study has revealed all the answers then there will be no need for religion.
All-knowing, all-powerful sea turtle... LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
I just saw that!
It's a sad, sad thing that so many people miss out on life while anticipating this 'afterlife' they think they have a right to.
Very well written. I struggle with this issue immensely. Though I choose to believe in the existence of God, I still cant wrap myself around religion. Well said.
Thanks for your comment, Darlene. Unfortunately, faith as a crutch is a dangerous thing. It truly undermines everything in this life.
Interesting that most people think only individuals who believe in the Christian, Judaic, or Islamic supernatural "god" shouldn't be "judged."
Yet Scientologists are judged quite harshly. If I believed in an all-knowing, all-powerful sea turtle, most of these same people would also judge me quite harshly. No one should be made to walk on egg shells when it comes to faith. It should be discussed openly. Only open discussion will permit young people to see the absurdity of belief in a supernatural god, and only then can humanity break away from these harmful myths and superstitions.
I am a person who is still searching for answers. I don't judge people on what they believe or what they don't believe. I take everything that anyone says and do my own research but then again, I try to find the faith in everything. I come from a very mixed family when it comes to religion. My husband and his family are baptist, my fathers family is mostly pentecostal, my mothers family catholic, my sister and brother claim Mormon, my grandfather is atheist. I have learned that there are reasons for why people believe the way that they do and therefore I don't judge them but only see what they do in life.
Jack, I am wondering if you truly read my article. At no point did I dispute that "surgeons and triers of fact need to use skill and reason." The thesis of my argument was that no one, including "surgeons and triers of fact," can ever rely *solely* on skill and reason. Furthermore, for you to state that my article "doesn't address a single sentence" in your article is wholly incorrect, as anyone who reads it and views the direct quotations from your article (set off in italics, mind you) will clearly see. If you feel my response to those quoted statements does not sufficiently answer your claims, then by all means say so and give an explanation as to why not. By making such misleading statements, you risk losing your credibility.
You hate faith because you think you cannot test it. Really? I believe I know of a person who said that if Christ did not rise from the dead, then Christians are the most pitiful of people. How dare they, right? Or maybe you would agree completely, saying that this person is following logic, and certainly not faith. This person was Paul the Apostle (Rom15:19), who questioned his faith every day, and used logic all the time in his writings. And in the end, his faith led him to believe in a God. I cannot convince you that Faith is something you should invest in, yet do realize that faith is not blindness, but rather the sharpening of sight not so often used.