Radical Atheist

I’m not a militant atheist, I’m certainly not a dogmatic atheist. But I am an atheist, or as I prefer, a disbeliever. I have no interest in offending the religious, it isn’t my intention to insult. But I am quite opinionated, well-read, a former believer, a spiritual non-believer. I will not back away from or disavow my opinions. If that causes someone offense, if they perceive insult, that’s their problem. They’re always free to ignore me.

I am a humanist (not an official Humanist). I share with all other humans certain traits, behaviors and aspirations. I understand the need and origin of religious belief. But I have no respect for any belief system that divides humans, any dogma that egotistically states that some humans (always humans like themselves) are better than everyone else, more deserving of an enjoyable life, more favored by some divine authority. All of us reading this are humans.

I’ve never been embarrassed to admit that I am a product of evolution, that I share the same origins as every other human on the planet. We should feel no pride or shame for what we are due to nature; we had no choice in our race, our sex, our hair natural hair color or lack of hair. What fairly brings us pride or shame is what we’ve made of ourselves with what nature gave us. We are judged by our attitudes, our beliefs, our statements, our behaviors. Those are what divide and unite us. It’s not our fault I’m white and you’re Black. We can’t help that you’re a woman and I’m a man. But once I’ve formed an opinion about Blacks and women I am fully responsible for those opinions. I don’t accept the excuse that “God made me this way”. You’re perception of god is not to blame for your racism, your smug superiority, your callous disregard for your fellow human. We choose our beliefs, they are our responsibility for better or worse. To own your attitudes and beliefs is to be fully human. To realize that natural handicaps come in all shapes and sizes, aren’t always obvious and say nothing of the human inside is to be fully human.

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Those who have reached the conclusion that gods either do not exist or are so improbable as to be unlikely in the extreme are atheists. Other than that one specific philosophical opinion, atheists do not necessarily share any other conclusion, interest or attitude.

It’s difficult to form a cohesive social network based solely on the issue of atheism. Atheists are often too different in what they do believe to feel a strong fraternity with others just because they both disbelieve in gods.

And it’s for this reason atheism fails to capture the interest of most people. Indeed, it actually repels many. Their is no community aspect to atheism.

Humans are pack animals. We respond to strong leadership, we take comfort in numbers. Strays and those outside the pack are suspect, potentially dangerous. One particularly powerful pack in this country is the religious pack. By having the numbers, this pack has established itself as the predominant pack in this society. Those outside this particular pack are viewed as so dangerous they required legislating against. This pack is so large it presumes the title of “normal”. It has determined that its standards be the standards for everyone of every faith and of course those of no faith. As compensation for requiring the sacrifice of personal freedom, it offers the sop of community. Even a fool feels less lonely in a crowd of fools.

But we can’t underestimate the power of community. There’s power in numbers. Might may not make right, but it’s still might. Because of our pack mentality, we are suckers for groups, communities, nearly any collection of human beings assembled for any old reason. We have ample evidence of humans surrendering, of their own free will, their rationality, logic, common sense, skepticism and disbelief when the appearent reward for doing so is sufficiently desireable.

I was recently reading a discussion between atheists about the benefits of using groups like MeetUp to get together with other atheists. Atheists are no different than anyone else in being pack oriented. Unfortunately many of us are a pack of cats. The packs we form often leave much to be desired, when a pack can be formed at all.

By not offering a community, we fail in marketing. We have to concede to the religions that they prevail in meeting that human need better than non-believers on a social scale. We aren’t different in the way we feel about our friends and families, but we tend to commune with those who share our common beliefs, not common disbeliefs. Just like Christians, Muslims, the Amish and the Scientologists do. Otherwise there would be a “Church of the Non-Atheists”.

There is one community that being an atheist allows a person to appreciate, the community of humanity. You don’t have to be an atheist to be a humanist, but being an atheist frees you to see humanity as it exists in reality, not fantasy. Granted, the community of humanity is open to all, totally inclusive, non-judgmental, all the things that religion isn’t. That’s why every successful religion has told its believers that they are separate from humanity, that they’re special, the select, the chosen few selected by the god itself to know the real truth about everything, the secret of reality, the answers to all the really big questions. Religious communities make their members feel comfortable with this attitude that drips with pride and superiority. Otherwise reasonable people who practice skepticism and common sense in every other aspect of their lives can fall prey to this insidious group-think, and do, in large numbers around the world.

And one of the greatest attractions is the religious community.

The best we can do is sneak into Unitarian services and try not to wince too often. Cookies and punch if you’re successful.

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Calling any politician a liar is only stating the obvious. But let’s be honest. Almost everyone is a liar, at some time and about some things. Lying is human nature. A good politician is one who lies less than most and is more transparent and obvious about it. Parents lie to their kids (Santa?). Spouses lie to their significant other. Theists see that as a negative. Realists accept that it’s an undeniable aspect of being human, one that can be employed for good ends as well as bad. We believe the context dictates the nature of a lie.

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No one likes being lied about.

One of the most frustrating things about being an atheist is reading and hearing the religious, either through ignorance or maliciousness, contend that atheists can’t be loving, caring, compassionate people simply because they don’t accept the claims of this religion or that religion. Don’t believe me? Here’s what theists want their children to believe…

No doubt it makes the religious feel all smug and self-righteous to envision atheists as grumpy, mean old bastards.

Unfortunately, there’s no meat on those bones.

I wonder if theists ever question why so many people that describe themselves as humanists are also atheists? I wonder if theists have actually asked an atheist why they are atheistic, and actually listened to their answer?

The majority of atheists I know, have heard and have read about reached the conclusion that religions are detremental to peace and harmony among humans because they care about their fellow man. Atheists, unlike theists, know that all people are equal. We are all humans, all members of the same species. We don’t place ourselves above the rest of humanity. We don’t claim a special relationship with a fictional god. We don’t exclude those who don’t live like us, think like us, dress like us or believe like us. Atheists aren’t trying to make every American live like an atheist, we want all people to be free to live as they wish, think as they wish and believe as they wish without interference from the government or any other single group within society. We don’t strive to create an atheistic society, while the Falwell’s in America publicly confess they intend to see our secular country become a theocracy. We don’t claim special knowledge of absolute truth.

We are atheists because we care about people. We suffer when others suffer. We feel their pain because they are like us, we are all humans. We hate to see children and innocents die in wars fought for no better reason than a disagreement over whose imaginary friend is superior. We suffer with those who die for want of medicine and aid withheld because some religious leader doesn’t think his god approves of providing it. We fear for our planet as populations grow without restraint because a virgin pontiff doesn’t condone condoms. Our hearts go out to our gay brothers and sisters who are oppressed and harmed simply because some people say their god doesn’t approve of them.

Atheists and humanists hold the moral high ground when it comes to compassion and true love for all humanity. It’s pretentious and false for the religious to try and claim the same degree of concern. They only care that everyone shares their fantasy. They don’t especially care if you’re hungry, ill or without hope. Just accept their beliefs and their god will care for you, or if he fails to do so, claim that your condition is their god’s will for you. Sure they offer charity, but that comes with a big string attached. If you refuse to buy into their belief system, their charity will become condemnation. They want to believe you’ll suffer for all eternity to having the gall to refuse the “love” of their god. Charity will be the furthest thing from their minds.

Theists attempt to claim that atheists provide no charity, that we don’t have our own Salvation Army (think about that name for a moment), our own ministries to the homeless, that atheists don’t contribute to causes that help others. What they fail to take into account is that we have no “god” in whose name we perform our acts of charity. We have no organization to show the world how concerned we are. Our acts, our donations are done individually. We give what we can where we can, without the showy “we’re doing god’s will” self-promotion. We don’t love in the name of a god, we love in the name of humanity. Our goal is not to get everyone into our club so we can collect their tithe every week. Our goal is the good of humanity, peace on Earth, a brotherhood of man.

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If I had the power to produce exactly what I want for next Christmas, I would have all the kings and emperors resign and allow the people to govern themselves.

I would have all the nobility crop their titles and give their lands back to the people.

I would have the Pope throw away his tiara, take off his sacred vestments, and admit that he is not acting for God, is not infallible, and is just an ordinary Italian.

I would have all the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and clergymen admit that they know nothing about theology, nothing about hell or heaven, nothing about the destiny of the human race, nothing about devils or ghosts, gods or angels. I would have them tell all their “flocks” to think for themselves, to be manly men and womanly women, and to do all in their power to increase the sum of human happiness.

I would have all the professors in colleges, all the teachers in schools of every kind, including those in Sunday schools, agree that they would teach only what they know and not palm off guesses as demonstrated truths.

I would like to see all the politicians changed to statesmen:

• Men who long to make their country great and free
• Men who care more for public good than private gain
• Men who long to be of use

I would like to see all the editors of papers and magazines agree to print the truth and nothing but the truth, to avoid all slander and misrepresentation, and to let the private affairs of the people alone.

I would like to see drunkenness and prohibition both abolished.

I would like to see corporal punishment done away with in every home, in every school, in every asylum, reformatory, and prison. Cruelty hardens and degrades, kindness reforms and ennobles.

I would like to see millionaires unite and form a trust for the public good.

I would like to see a fair division of profits between capital and labor, so that the toiler could save enough to mingle a little June with the December of his life.

I would like to see an international court established in which to settle disputes between nations, so that armies could be disbanded and the great navies allowed to rust and rot in perfect peace.

I would like to see the whole world free — free from injustice, and free from superstition.

This will do for next Christmas. The following Christmas, I may want more.

From: Robert Ingersoll’s “What I Want For Christmas” (1897)  via: Unreasonable Faith

My gift to all of you this holiday season; reason, common sense and freedom of thought. May they abide with you through the season and as long as you live.

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Theists are no more tolerant of those in disagreement with their perceptions than anyone else.

Theists may think they’re something special, beyond human. The rest of us see people as people. I’m a humanist atheist. I like my species. I think on average we’re fairly decent mammals. No matter how fancy you dress us up, we’re still all humans. If we could base our social behavior on the fact of our common humanity, there would be fewer things to be intolerant about.

Intolerance arises when one group of humans wants to be accepted as superior and separate from another group of humans. Religion is one of the many human belief systems that try to impose a false hierarchy on society.

Religions seek to artificially classify some people as blessed and the rest as heathens, and expect society to reflect their arbitrary classification system based on nothing more than their insistence that their interpretation of the wants and needs of the invisible and all powerful “Divine Whatever” are the most right.

Intolerance need not be tolerated.  It need not be legislated against or deposed by force.  Intolerance will decrease as humanity increases.  The more of us there are, the greater the need to be tolerant.

Religions stand in our way.  They need to be exposed as ancient, irrelevant attitudes that have outlived their usefulness and certainly don’t contribute anything of value to society that can’t be provided without all the supernatural and superstitious trappings.   Once religion has passed into irrelevance humans will still be capable of acts of extreme compassion as well as acts of extreme cruelty.  The only difference will be that acts of compassion will stem from our realization of our common humanity and acts of cruelty will have fewer reasons to occur.

Pat Condell on "Faith"

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I love the word loco. While it suggests something isn’t quite right in a person’s head, it stops short of presuming actual insanity. Loco is even more meaningful when linked with its most common modifier, plumb. “Boy, you’re plumb loco” conveys my amazement that anyone would think, do or say something so dangerous/insipid/moronic. And we know that “motive” refers to motivation, the reason for something. So a loco motive would be religion, for example; a crazy way to reason about reality.

Could anything exert a more powerful influence on humanity than religion? Is there closer to a common human language than the notion of gods?

Yes, several things. Food is one item that transcends divisions, as is music and dance.

I don’t know that I fully understand the difference between Humanism and humanism. In general I’m a lower-case kind of guy, so I’ll confess that I consider myself a humanist. I am fascinated by my fellow humans, I think we’re a very interesting species. I feel a strong kinship with other humans. Religion offends me because all the various expressions of belief in gods include an element of divisiveness. It encourages a feeling of separation from other humans. Unlike religion, you don’t have to be taught how to dance or sing. They are instinctive behaviors.

Combine music, dance and people, especially children, and you have a compelling reason to be optimistic about the future of our species. Many things I see every day tempt me to become a complete pessimist. Then I see something like the following video and I realize I’m still the foolish romantic, still a humanist. Watch and enjoy.

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