Friday, April 20, 2007

What do People Have Against Atheists?

I have not been a fan of Dinesh D'Souza but his recent post, Where Is Atheism When Bad Things Happen?, really annoyed me. "Notice something interesting about the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings? Atheists are nowhere to be found...What this tells me is that if it's difficult to know where God is when bad things happen, it is even more difficult for atheism to deal with the problem of evil. The reason is that in a purely materialist universe, immaterial things like good and evil and souls simply do not exist. For scientific atheists like Dawkins, Cho's shooting of all those people can be understood in this way--molecules acting upon molecules."

I don't believe in one or more gods so I can't understand good and evil?!?! I understand some chemistry so I can't understand people and emotions? This is ridiculous and moronic.

What is it about atheists that frighten or confuse the religious so much? You want to believe in a god and follow a religion, fine with me. In such situations it can bring comfort and if that works for you, great. There are plenty of good moral lessons that can be learned from most every religion. There are also plenty of traditions and ceremonies that can help in times of need. Just don't replace facts with beliefs. Don't confuse allegories with historical facts. And don't warp your religious teachings to hate others (though sadly, many religions and other groups find the need to shun disbelievers, claim superiority, convert or conquer them).

As an atheist I'm perfectly able to comfort those in need. To talk through tough times, offer a shoulder to cry on or help a grieving family. And apparently I'm more able than some religious people to accept others for what they are.

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