For many “professing” Christian theists there’s nothing quite like watching an atheist get an intellectual walloping from a preacher. There’s just something apocalyptic about it, and it most easily occurs when the atheist tries to chop up religion to irrelevancy without realizing that he is himself awfully religious. However, a true Christian believer should never take delight with, or participation in, belittling, or persecuting, another. Christ calls us to “Love One Another (Loving Thy neighbor) ;” even those who might persecute us by .
It happened again recently at the Cambridge Union debating society when former Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams took on the best known name in contemporary atheism, Richard Dawkins. They were debating whether religion has a role in the 21st century.
Dawkins said it didn’t.
Williams said it did.
Everyone needs and everyone has a “God.” That’s why we’re so religious. In the end, Williams was handed a decidedly strong victory with more than two times as many votes from the audience as the infamous atheist, Dawkins. It was a triumphant day for the faithful and a shameful one for the irreligious.
But actually no one really is irreligious. This world beats to the rhythm of religion in a thousand ways, and absolutely everyone is religious — including atheists.
Religion certainly includes an idea of a God under whom man is inherently subservient, but religion also governs the belief system undergirding the way people think about, and live, their lives. It tells them who their authority is and it informs their values and behavior. It gives them their sense of morality and goodwill, and it guides them in the way they treat themselves and others. Religion does nothing less than construct one’s view of the world.
Atheists are, in fact, some of the most religious people.
First, they have a functioning God under whom they are subservient (normally it’s science or rationality, but mainly themselves), and that idea of God informs the way they live and interpret their lives. It informs their biases and determines their values, and governs any sense of morality or ethics they adhere too, or ignore.
Once that’s all settled all that’s left is the preaching.
And they preach all the time. This new breed of atheists is obsessed with the idea of God. They write books, deliver speeches, comment – bomb the evangelical blogosphere and generally rant on ad nauseam about the ills of believing in God. Honestly – comically – some atheists must type the word “God” on the Internet five times more often than most Christians I know and they do it with the fury of a fire-and-brimstone zealot!
Maybe no one invokes the name of “God” more than they, and they are doing so in more and more virulent ways such as the shocking moment when Dr. Dawkins recently told Al-Jazeera television that he believed being raised Catholic was in itself even more psychologically damaging than being abused by a priest!
Instead of just ignoring God, or the idea of God, atheist preachers feel somehow compelled to rid the Earth of him; so they argue endlessly that theists can’t prove God exists without confessing that they can’t prove he doesn’t either.
Occasionally, some of them discover that they do indeed worship a God, but it is an insufficient one. They worship a God that loses his car keys when they are in his hand, or that misplaces the glasses on his face – a God filled with flaws and inadequacies, and a God (themselves) whose probability of helping them supernaturally is absolutely zero.
Everyone needs and everyone has a “God.” That’s why we’re so religious.
It’s a matter of which religion is yours.
One of the nice things about the Christian God is that he seems to be as concerned about those that do not believe as those who do. Or as one skeptic-turned-believer has said of the Him, “a young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere – God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous.”
He knew it well.
For C.S. Lewis, the iconic British scholar, was himself a convert from the religion of the atheism to the religion of Christianity because, as he later said: “atheism turns out to be too simple. ”Oddly enough, atheists often accuse theists of being the simple ones. We are “anti-intellectual,” they say, and in so doing they become exactly what they accuse us of being. It must be an unfortunate plight to be both anti-intellectual and religious!
The United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rules Atheism is a Religion:
After finding that plaintiffs atheism was not a “religion” within the meaning of the First Amendment, I (District Court for the Western district of Wisconsin) granted summary judgment in favor of defendants in an order dated February 9, 2004. On August 19, 2005, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed this court’s decision, holding that atheism was plaintiffs religion and that summary judgment was improper because defendants had advanced no secular reason for permitting inmates of other religions to form study groups while denying plaintiff the same permission: To review the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision visit: Kaufman v. McCaughtry, 419 F.3d 678, 682 (7th Cir.2005).
This is utterly hilarious, and perfectly demonstrates the rank ignorance of those who follows Christianity and religion in general. So much so, I will not eve stoop to bother with an explanation.
I shall merely allow you to sit there hugging yourself at your cleverness.
I think perhaps you ought to get out a bit more?
Once again, thank you for the laugh. 🙂
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You allow me? Firstly you are quite mistaken. I do not set here smug nor think myself clever. It appears obvious, however, either you have not interpreted the magnitude of the post or it’s significance generally.
Because of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision the article itself became reality for you and all of Atheism.
The article commences with “theists” (and not Christians) might find some delight in the ……….. Allow me to confront something important to you… I am not a theist, sir; I am a Christian.
Additionally I pointed out, within the 1st paragraph that (emphasis supplied) Christians do not, and should not, act in this manner.
I am, most likely, one of the few Christian believers who are in empathy with Atheists as a result of the decision by the 7th circuit. As I realized, from conversations with Atheists, your appeal and independence from religion generally.
Your comment: “I will not eve(n) stoop to bother with an explanation” is because you haven’t either explanation or argument. Atheism is, and forever more will be, a religion.
You have your belief system; you have confirmation through the courts of your existence; you have churches and fellowship; you have a doctrine and dogma; and, I might herein include, you have your high priest as in people like Dawkins. Lord knows it has been established you have a god (whether self, science or whatever).
So, before you cast your first stone (again) think of something’s entirety before opening your thoughts to someone NOT the enemy.
And remember this, if your mad about the posting then consider the Atheist who brought the suit originally. Blame him/her for the outcome…. not Christianity or a Christian as myself. You see, Every religion has it’s Judas….. Ours betrayed Christ….. yours betrayed Atheism generally and it’s people.
It took one Atheist to take prayer out of schools – as a matter of religion – it has now taken only one Atheist – as a matter of law – to make you a religion….
Seems then that an Atheist could be construed as both our enemies…. but I have none, how about you?
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LOl…a judgment that is almost 10 years old…have you bothered with any follow ups?
This may stand in one state, or even in your country, but it sure hell doesn’t affect me or my country.
And I certainly don’t see millions of atheist acknowledging they are now religious merely because of a legal technicality. What crap.
The rhetoric you spew re atheism is meaningless in context and merely gives you a feeling of “Told you so”
How pathetic that you would even consider this vaguely important.
Why religious people, and especially Christians, have this dire need to put up countless blogs espousing endless diatribe about their faith, is really beyond reason.
Are you so shallow you need to continually bolster what is ostensibly a gross fiction without any verifiable evidence whatsoever.
What is your aim? Do you truly believe that the doctrine you follow via some decrepit ancient text has any real validity?
The world is inexorably moving toward secularism, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.
You think you can run, but you can’t. The real question is not that the truth will catch up with you – this is inevitable – but what will you do when it does?
Amen Ra to that.
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I read your post and I’m sure that you are expecting Atheists to come ranting and raving over you and the court labeling Atheism a religion and I’m sure some will. However, I will not. I have only a few comments concerning your article and please understand It is not my intention to ever disrespect you as a person as I consider you a friend. I may disrespect your beliefs but it is nothing personal against you.
Firstly, I find it interesting that you would use the school newspaper as your proof of a win between Dawkins and Williams. It is very easy to use to a severely tilted audience to claim a win for Williams. It really doesn’t matter to me who won or lost. Most debaters are not looking to win, convert or de-convert but to simply debate.
Secondly, it is real easy for a court to make a ruling without taking into consideration what Atheists have to say about themselves. As a Atheist I can only speak for myself and I do not consider myself to be a part of a religion. I spent 35 years of my life in Christianity before I finally stepped away from all religion and no court will ever speak for me. I understand that Christians need Atheism to be considered a religion so that they can hem us into the same corral and make us tolerable to all theist. If they can pin a religion button on us they feel they may be able to control us. What they fail to realize is that most Atheists stepped away from religion because of the control religion tried to have over us. i am free from religious dogma and I plan to stay that way.
Let me reiterate something I stated above, I respect you as a person and would hope that through our few conversations I have gained your respect as well. Even though we share opposing views on religion and God, we do have one thing in common; our love for humanity.
http://noreligionrequired.wordpress.com
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The is no conflict between you and I. I thank you for your respect of me, and the friendship you offer. It is accepted and equally extended to you as well.
You have always given both myself and my blog your utmost respect. You are welcome here anytime, noreligionrequired.
Your Friend Always,
Michael
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Thank you Michael. I will always give you and your blog my respect.
Even though I know your followers will probably never visit my blog, please know that you and your followers are welcome to my blog as well.
http://noreligionrequired.wordpress.com
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I do hope you are wrong, my friend. I see nothing wrong in visiting your site. Many, I am afraid, will feel they are sinning, in a narrow minded way, should they visit. I want you to know, I do not feel that way. Never have.
How can one be called to love thy neighbor – and yet – shun our fellow man? I see it often and wrestle with it.
I once posted an article named “Do Atheists have Morals? or, something to that effect. My conclusion, if I recall appropriately on the subject, my answer was an overwhelming Yes…..perhaps more so than others, my friend.
Good night my friend;
Michael
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