On Atheism

I usually don't blog on something as heavy as atheism, but lately, there's been a few articles on the matter. I suspect events in Iraq and the rightward turn of presidential politics and the hypocrisy of folks like Ted Haggard have lead open-minded folks to think about atheism.

Let's look at the pros and cons of religion. I'll start with the cons, as that's easier for me to enumerate. Think of all the wars that are started where religion is part of the basis. Let's start with Iraq. No, not US and Iraq. Iraq and Iran. In the 80s, these two countries warred with one another, Shiite vs. Sunni. Why? Religious differences. In Muslim rhetoric, there is often great discussion of who is "good" and who is not, and this can lead to a lot more than a war of words.

Religions often promote conservatism. Number 1 example is the church's stance on homosexuality. To be fair, a few churches are more forward thinking on the matter, but the majority consider it a sin. This, despite the fact, that many other acts are considered sinful in the Bible (and other religious tomes) such as keeping the Sabbath holy (how many people have had to work on Sundays?). There are many things considered just as wrong, if not more so, but the reason it's such a big issue in religion is because it's personally frightening to many people, or at least, many Americans.

Ironically, in societies that segregate men and women, men are far less homophobic. How many American men would consider putting an arm around another man's shoulder? This would freak many an American out. Yet, there are actions carried out by the most macho of men, football players and other athletes, that would be considered, well, gay. For example, football players routinely slap each other on the butt. Try doing that to your fellow worker to see if this relatively "manly" action is perceived in a friendly sort of way.

Indeed, sometimes the geekiest amongst us, often lacking the athletic machismo, find that, at least, they can push away what is perceived as an untoward advance.

This homophobia doesn't necessarily result from any religious proclamations. Indeed, even the most left-leaning liberals can't help but be unnerved if a friendly action is perceived as more than simply friendly.

But those with religious leanings can then wave Leviticus to the masses, claiming the evils of homosexuality, thus giving backing to something they already feel uncomfortable with. Indeed, for all the friendly back-patting in football, there is no active NFL player who has come out. All who have done it have done it after retiring. Former players have claimed the reason is that players would have to answer questions they don't want to answer.

Beyond this, there's evangelism, which promotes Chrisitianity among the heathen and not-so-heathen masses. I once read an observation that Christians, who seem offended at gays, should indeed, be offended by another group even more. Jews. After all, Jews don't believe in Christ as Saviour.

Now, I don't want to foment anti-Semitism, and I have to thank our PC culture that American Christians try very hard not to offend, even if they don't spend a great deal of time learning about Judaism or Islam, but there are those that proclaim Christianity in schools or the athletic field, without respecting other religions.

Again, conservative bias sometimes comes out where the most ignorant will claim "America is for Christians", despite the fact that its earliest inhabitants came to escape religious persecution (though, to be fair, they simply wanted to practice their own form of religious persecution, rather than take a more enlightened approach).

I could go on and on about the cons of religion, how the current President chooses to ignore science, even as the tools used in war require a strong knowledge of science and technology. How conservatives focus on a narrow section of biology (evolution), and perhaps, by extension, slam all of science. At least, there isn't a strong movement to return to the days of the Earth as the center of the Universe.

What about the pros?

There are indeed pros of religion. Perhaps the one strongest pro of religion, is that, by and large, many of its practitioners try to be good. Christians, by and large, try to be good, and I've met many a nice person. All the Mormons I've met have been nice people, even if the rest of Christian-dom doesn't believe in their addendum to the Bible.

But perhaps the reason many people favor religion is the community it creates. Whether or not this community is "enlightened" (by science, open-thinking, rational thought, etc), doesn't matter that much. People simply like the church because it provides a support structure.

And in this department, atheists can hardly compete. Indeed, for atheists to organize for such support, might be akin to some other pseudo-religion.

This isn't to say, I suppose, that one couldn't create a secular alternative to religion, just that no one has done so, because the strong belief in religion wouldn't be there. It's possible to replace it with themes we normally associate with religious organization.

After all, why can't we have a group that does good works, a kind of humanist compassion? But could people commit their lives this way? Who would lead such a group? Would it not be suspect to the same kinds of issues that organized religion faces?

The answer, alas, is probably yes. After all, atheism, in some sense is the opposite of organized religion, in particular, the organized part of organized religion. It's the organization that is more problematic than the religion.

I bring this point up because I wonder whether atheism needs to look to this step to move it forward, to embrace literacy, science, and good works, or whether atheists are too disparate to have enough common beliefs, beyond simply a lack of belief of a Supreme Being.