Who Would Jesus Shoot?

Unlike a certain segment of atheists today, when I was an atheist, I didn’t spend my time militantly attacking something I said I didn’t believe. Why bother? Why perseverate on disproving the existence of shape-shifting reptilians when I don’t believe there is such a thing? Those who do believe in shape-shifting reptilians will figure it out eventually. Unless I think the belief in shape-shifting reptilians is the cause of all the injustice in the world and others are too stupid to see that! Then I should frequently point out to them how stupid they are!

Indeed, this seems to be the position of militant atheists: Belief in God is the cause of all injustice in the world and believers are too stupid to see this. To save the world from injustice (a noble goal) they must frequently remind each other and also inform others that believers are dangerously stupid.

There are a couple of glaring errors here. First, it is not true that belief in God is the cause of all the injustice in the world. Militant atheists will trot out many instances of religious conflicts, holy wars and inquisitions to bolster their case. Details help in this emotional reasoning-how slowly were victims skinned, in what order were tortures inflicted to keep the victim alive and suffering for the maximum amount of time?

Many of these stories are true. In the name of religion, many horrible crimes against humanity have been committed. Two points: 1). These were done by human beings using religious justifications for political (power/control) purposes. They prove nothing about the existence of God, but they do testify to some kind of darkness in the hearts of men. 2). Human beings who do not believe in God do the same kinds of things. As Joseph Stalin said, “Death is the solution to all problems. No man – no problem.” Not a big believer, Stalin; nor was Pol Pot or Ghengis Khan.

In fact, politicians have known for millennia that a person’s beliefs can be exploited for political purposes. Seneca, a Roman philosopher and statesman who died in 65 AD, expressed it well, “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.” The wise, though regarding religion as false, are wise enough to use religion for their own ends. In Seneca’s statement is a clue to the real cause of human injustice and it has nothing to do with a Supreme Being, though it intimates that some human beings, the wise, are Supremes.

Since some human beings are superior to the great mass of fools, it is only right that they rule. This line of thinking drove colonial expansions and genocides of indigenous people for hundreds (thousands?) of years. This line of thinking leads to the divine right of kings, the infallibility of popes and the monotonous oppression by dictators of the common man. But the common man is only a fool, so where is the problem?

There is a whiff of this attitude in militant atheism. They are the wise, the “Brights” as Richard Dawkins says. Believers are at best deceived and at worst festering pimples on the arse of human progress.

I talk often with atheists, militant and otherwise. When I was an atheist, I was also a human being. Human beings deserve respect just because they are human. Those who do not see this, theists or atheists, are part of the problem of injustice and not part of the solution. I have made some valued friends among atheists because after talking for awhile we find we share values. Recently I talked with Franco* arguing about disobeying laws that violate our conscience. Ultimately we found we agreed and Franco said, “That’s why you’re my favorite believer.” I said, “I love you, too, Franco.” He said, “Maybe there IS hope for the world.”

Yes. There is hope for the world.

I have also talked with militant atheists who trot out a dogmatic laundry list of ways I am stupid, spiced with insults and profanity. In fact, I am not stupid, so that’s off the table. Now can we talk like two human beings? Often the answer is, “No.” Then the standard issue: the absurdity of miracles, Zeus in the sky hurling thunderbolts, a war against science, rational thinking vs. superstition, the infallibility of science, the progress of man without God, genocides in the Bible, Jesus never existed, etc.

I may eventually answer each of these objections, but it won’t make any difference to a militant atheist, because they are doing the same thing we all do. They are choosing to take a position regarding a truth claim based on their personal feelings and the probabilities they have managed to rake into a pile. As Simon & Garfunkel put it, “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” I do this. So does my friend Franco, so did Stalin and Pol Pot and Genghis Khan. It’s what we humans do. Admitting our bias and fallibility-proceeding with a bit of humility-is the antidote to The Supremes inflicting suffering on the “fools.” This Supreme attitude is our common enemy, which goes unnoticed if we think we are Supreme or if we are busy attacking each other.

*name changed to protect his privacy

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