Re: Is Atheism Just Another Faith?
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If what I have just articulated isn't convincing, consider another argument: most of us are wedded to the scientific approach to figuring out what to believe. What we don't recognize is that the scientific approach can itself have some limits (similar to how mathematics has its own limits; see Godel's theorem). In particular, the scientific approach is heavily reliant on logic, and more fundamentally, on thoughts. What if a certain reality could only be perceived if one weren't thinking? Applying it to the present topic, what if God only reveals himself/herself to you when your cognitive system is not engaged?
I am not heavily into meditation, but most mediators I know, especially the ones who have been practicing it for a long time, tell me that they routinely experience a certain sense of "spiritual awakening," which produces an emotional state akin to the emotional state of elevation when they meditate. In such a state, it is possible to experience a certain sense of connectedness and a "peace that transcends all understanding" (to quote Jesus). One recognizes, in this state, that we are all from the same "source," the Universal Intelligence. When one experiences this state, one has received direct and personal evidence of this intelligence, and most meditators I know wouldn't object to referring to this intelligence as God. So, this is not an "egotistical" or "separatist" God, but a God that is truly omnipresent and omniscient.
In sum, I think the feeling that most people (especially those of a scientific bent of mind) have, namely, that there is no evidence for the existence of God, may not be fully valid. I urge those of you who hold this view to ask yourself: Have you been truly open-minded to receiving evidence for the existence of God, or have you made up your mind, instead, that God simply doesn't exist? Also, ask yourself: Have you really tried to silence your mind and experience the state of "no thought" that so many spiritualists talk about? If not, how can you speak to whether God can be experienced (or not) in that "no mind" state?
4. The burden of proof lies on the theist, not on the atheist.
Another prevalent objection to my post was that it isn't necessary to prove that God doesn't exist in order to be an atheist; it is sufficient to realize that there is no proof that God does exist. In other words, to a lot of atheists, the burden of proof lies on the theist, not on the atheist. They argue that, just as one wouldn't believe in Big Foot or in Flying Spaghetti Saucers, one wouldn't believe in God.
I can understand this point of view and have only two (relatively minor) comments. First, technically, if you are open--even if only slightly--to the idea that, if proof were to come along that God exists, you would believe in God, I would categorize you as more of an agnostic than an atheist. Second, notice that for a lot of personal and experiential phenomena (and God is one such, I think), there is no proof that will convince others of what you have experienced. For example, for someone who has never experienced love, you can't convince them that love exists and that it is possible to be so un-self-centered so as to be willing to give your own life for the sake of another. The feeling of elevation, of spiritual connectivity, and the experience of God may be similar: just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
5. Belief in God is divisive and leads to Holy Wars.
This final criticism seems to make the implicit assumption that I am trying to propagate belief in God. This is not true. As I mentioned earlier, I am really agnostic, and in any case, the larger point of my post is that beliefs are unstable and malleable. Atheists can turn into believers under stress, just as the opposite can happen.
Having said that, let me turn to something fascinating that I have observed as a sub-text in many comments: it seems to me that the atheists are really coming from a very good place in subscribing to atheism. Just as David Niose so frequently associates atheism with humanism (which, by the way, is a spurious connection to make--and perhaps even insulting to people like Mother Teresa), I think most atheists assume that the only (or the most reliable) way to make the world a better place is to divest everyone of the belief in God. This view is intriguing, and I tend to think that the world would, in fact, be a better place if there were no religion. However, if your reason for choosing to be an atheist is strategic (meant to promote world peace), then recognize it as such, and say so. Don't say that it is "scientific" or "logical" to be an atheist, or that there is "proof" that God doesn't exist or that the burden of proof lies on the theists.
I find it fascinating that many atheists, who are otherwise good, smart, thinkers and objective/scientific in many other domains, have so little clarity in distinguishing these two conceptually distinct reasons for why it is that they have chosen to be an atheist. It is this confusion that leads to the umbrage that many have taken to my post. If you think about it carefully, the "no atheist in foxholes" hypothesis is actually more damning to believers than it is to atheists, for what it suggests is that believers have faith in God for self-centered (security) reasons, not because they have "true faith."
To an atheist who is absolutely secure in his position that God doesn't exist, the idea that there are people out there (including you) who could change their minds about God shouldn't feel threatening. At worst, it should come across as a hypothesis that doesn't apply to you, and at best, it should be taken as an insight worthy of consideration and reflection. It certainly shouldn't be taken as an allegation of weakness, since coping with the stress of life through revising one's original stance is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of being a normal and healthy human. And a sapient human recognizes the truth of the following statement: If you never change your mind, are you sure you have a mind?
Is Atheism Just Another Faith? | Psychology Today
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"Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running." -anonymous
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06-12-2011, 11:47 PM
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