Op-Ed
A is for Atheist
Don’t Kill the Messenger
When I was seven years old, a boy told me there was no such thing as Santa Claus. I fired back, telling him, and the rest of my second grade class, that there was no such thing as God.
Thank Go[o]d[ness] Mrs. Galbraith was a proponent of free speech.
What an astute little girl I was. In the midst of fiery confrontation, I held my ground in the name of reason. I drew a logical parallel between what had been described to me as two omnipresent old men — both invisible, intangible, insoluble, and, I was promised, infinitely benevolent.
But given the way I was raised, my behavior was less than surprising.
My spiritual upbringing was never passively ambivalent, nor was it simply void of religious undertones. Instead, I was actively taught that God does not exist. I was brought up as an atheist, and my upbringing stands.
My name is Katie Engelhart and I am an atheist. And I’m terrified to write it. Because at the risk of sounding sensational, this classification qualifies me for membership in the most distrusted and despised minority group in the country.
It goes without saying that the United States is a deeply religious land. In the context of this election, religious discourse has been tempered with lively calls for ‘religious tolerance.’
And that’s just hunky-dory. But the fact is, ‘religious tolerance’ hasn’t overshadowed God’s presence in the campaign. Because the suggestion is always this: politically speaking, whatever faith you have is OK… as long as you have faith.
A 2007 Gallup poll shows that 53 percent of Americans would vote against a “well-qualified candidate” if they found out that he or she was an atheist. In all of American history, there has only been one openly non-theistic Congressman: Pete Stark, a Democrat serving California’s 13th District.
Yes. This election has shown us that Americans are willing to overlook a lot — black skin and breasts, for instance. But we can be sure that if political candidates don’t espouse some kind of religious view, they won’t even make it onto the ballot, [Goddammit]!
And that fact has allowed discrimination against atheists to become the most widely accepted intolerance in the U.S. of A.
Imagine if John McCain stood up in front of a crowd and said, “My Caucasian heritage informs my politics.”
Off with his head!
But we don’t flinch when similar declarations are made about religion.
“I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,” Obama has said. “I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power.”
That statement is a slap in the face to the 16 percent of Americans who don’t identify with a religious group, or who self-identify as atheist or agnostic (according to the Pew Forum). More than that, it’s blatant and unapologetic discrimination. I find it disturbing that remarks like these are voiced openly in the public square.
It’s interesting to consider the extent to which this phenomenon is ‘American.’ Two weeks ago, Canada had a national election. I consider myself to be a well-informed voter. Still, [with God as my witness] I have no idea whether any of the Prime Ministerial candidates even believe in God. And you would be hard-pressed to find mainstream Canadian politicians making broad appeals to faith.
The stigma attached to the word ‘atheist’ is profound. For me, it’s more difficult to talk about than any other issue. When asked — “What are you?” — I usually launch into a complicated explanation of how “Technically speaking, I’m half Jewish and half Protestant.”
Technically speaking? What [the hell] am I talking about? I don’t believe in God. That makes me an atheist. Full stop.
I think that my discomfort is rooted in the fact that conversations between atheists and people of strong faith are inherently challenging. Because ultimately, atheism and religious belief are irreconcilable.
It’s one thing for a Christian to say to a Muslim — “Sorry, Pal. I think you’ve got God’s words kind of mixed up.” It’s another thing entirely for an atheist to say to a religious follower — “The truths you hold are, at best, things of fiction and, at worst, lies.” Being told your religious conclusions are wrong is tough. But being told that your entire approach to the world is flawed is insufferable.
Politically, I think a lot of anxiety about atheism is tied to popular views about accountability. We think that if a candidate is religious, he will feel accountable to some greater power. We posit that his fear of judgment will drive him to do good. But what if [heaven forbid] we end up with an atheistic president who is accountable to no one? [Well, I’ll be damned!]
According to the University of Minnesota “Study on American Attitudes Towards Atheists and Atheism,” an atheist is the LEAST LIKELY person that an American would vote for. Yup, having ‘Hussein’ as a middle name has been a liability for our Democratic darling [God bless him!]. But it doesn’t compare to the political suicide that identifying as an atheist would bring about.
So what can we do? Richard Dawkins, one of the great geneticists of ou r time [a true godsend!] is swinging back with his “OUT campaign,” which encourages atheists to “come out” of the religious closet. He even sells T-shirts and bumper stickers emblazoned with a huge, scarlet “A” for Atheist.
Sound excessive? No more so than wearing a Star of David or a cross around your neck.
“Coming Out” is about fighting against the stigma surrounding the ‘Atheist’ classification.
The fact is, a lot of you are atheists too, especially if you grew up in an educated, urban environment. But, unlike me, you probably feel culturally affiliated with a religious community. And so you’re able to hide under umbrella religious categories. But why does ‘cultural affiliation’ trump ‘religious belief?’ In other words, why are you a Jew who happens to doubt God’s existence, instead of an Atheist who enjoys the occasional Shabbat dinner?
I continue to struggle with this issue [Lord help me!]. Why do I find identifying as an Atheist so hard? Truthfully, part of me is still afraid that God will hate me for it.
Will stacks of this [godforsaken] issue of The Sun be used to block my entrance to the pearly gates of Heaven?
We’re all ripe with contradiction.
Voltaire, the most prolific Enlightenment scholar, spent his professional life speaking out against religion and the religious institution. On his deathbed, he called for a priest.
No one can be sure what happened. I’d like to think his last words were, “Just kidding!”
Katie Engelhart is a senior editor at The Sun. She can be reached at kengelhart@cornellsun.com. Don’t Kill The Messenger appears alternate Thursdays.
Don't feel alone
Hi Katie,
I know in America you're really frowned upon for being atheist, but fear not there are more of us than you think.
If you feel alone, go to http://www.justgiving.com/atheistbus and see how many feel the same as you.
You don't need to apologise for not being religious or rejecting faith. There is no crime in being true to your own beliefs.
Rob
Right on! Don't be afraid,
Right on! Don't be afraid, more people agree with you than you think. They may just be afraid to admit it.
You are not alone in your
You are not alone in your godlessness. Ithaca has an Atheist meetup group.
http://www.meetup.com/Ithaca-Atheists/
Replace your faith
You can replace your faith that all of this has a purpose with faith that there is nothing but this! Do it and you are simply swapping religions, but foolishly, because you are replacing hope in something greater with faith in nothing at all.
Or be agnostic (the only rational position is not knowing). Atheism is a fool's trap and every bit as much a religion as what it replaces.
Think before you speak.
Atheism is not religion. In fact, there are atheists (Richard Dawkins and Douglas Adams being the most famous) who are explicitly anti-religion.
Why? Look up religion in a dictionary. Religion is the service and worship of God or the supernatural. What's the supernatural? That which is of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe. Now, how does atheism worship and serve the supernatural? There is no place for the supernatural in an atheistic worldview. Please know what terms mean before you use them; your description of atheism is utterly insulting.
Religion *can* be a joke...
I have an answer to the "what religion are you?" question. It's non-offensive, but generally puts a complete stopper on the subject:
"I used to be an agnostic, but now I'm not so sure."
Some people actually even get the joke.
Jim Deutch
But what about???
The fact that atheists have hearts made of ice? Is that the type of politican you want to send you tight-lipped thank you notes for purely rational-minded donations?
Atheists are just like anybody else
Atheists have "hearts of ice"? I deny that. What an ignorant, intolerant thing to say. Atheists are just like everybody else -- the only difference is they don't believe in gods.
Thank you for your courage,
Thank you for your courage, Katie.
Come to the UK!
While we're supposed to be "Christian (protestant)" no-one cares. We have so many faiths, but we're secular.
Most people don't even consider god(s) in their day to day life, and while we're not intolerant of faith, no one really cares.
I love being an atheist in England :)
I'm not afraid to say
I'm not afraid to say proudly "I'm an Atheist!" (Capital A!) If more people stopped worrying about what the rest of the country thought of us, the REAL statistics would come out, and I think it's far more than the 16% you quoted, Kate. Come out, all you Atheists! Say it loud, say it proud! I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD!
PS. I read somewhere that the higher your IQ, the less likely you are to believe in a deity. Makes you think! (Pun intended). ;)
Nice article. Hatred of
Nice article. Hatred of atheists is probably the most damaging cultural problem America faces. Not many other countries (outside the Middle East, perhaps) discriminate so blatantly against their smart people.
What about Buddhists, Taoists, Confucianists, etc.?
Katie, like Dawkins, you make persuasive arguments against deist religions. I agree with most of it, and support our right to non-religion.
Such arguments do remind me of an old joke: An Englishman is pestering another Englishman about his religious views, until the man says that he is an Atheist. "Well yes," replies the pest, "but do you not believe in Protestant God, or in Catholic God"?
I happen to live in a predominantly Buddhist environment, where the religion is less dependent on faith in deity, yet still carries the tenets of religion. I had various experiences of conversion; most recent I describe here:
http://www.sua-alternative.org/2008/09/atheism-in-self-defense.html
Thanks for the post; us atheists do need to come out of the closet.
We are here, we don't buy into your religion, get used to it!
Anna
While I respect the
While I respect the strength, hope and sense of purpose religion gives people, I am an atheist.
Love, compassion and the will to do no harm is called conscience. I never needed a book or a church to teach me right from wrong. I was taught by my parents. My mother was Catholic and my father was Agnostic and I was raise as a Catholic. I decided against the existence of God as I grew older.
I did not “turn away” from the church. My questions and interest for more knowledge than the church could provide, came while attending Catholic elementary school. I had nuns and priest teaching me that were intolerant of my many questions. So I would read and read, everything I could get my hands on, science books, history books, the Bible and even the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. (was a nerd with a lot of time on my hands)
Everything I read, even the Bible, lead me farther and farther away from the “answers” the church had to offer.
There is a quote that has stuck with me for so many years:
"It is said that men may not be the dreams of the Gods, but rather that the Gods are the dreams of men." - Carl Sagan
I have had this discussion with people who say they will pray for my soul because until I believe in the existence of God or accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior, I will never gain everlasting life, go to heaven or whatever. I tell them please don’t.
What if I am wrong, and there is a God...
Because I questioned his existence used the brain he gave me to make my own conclusions rather than blindly follow the dogma of the church I was born into, I would be denied everlasting life. Even though I help others whenever possible, I stand up against injustice and hatred and try to do the right thing and be a good person everyday of my life, God would deny me a place in heaven just because I didn’t believe in him…
It makes God sound pretty insecure and vindictive.
If God existed, I don't think that is the type of God God would be.
_________________
In Regards to Canada
In regards to Canadian politicians and religion, one of the major factors is the province of Quebec. While there are a lot of religious people in Quebec, the people are very distrusting of religion and don't want religious people in charge. If there was a candidate talking heavily about their religion, they would become greatly unpopular in Quebec, and all the federal parties desperately need Quebec votes.
damn good article... you
damn good article... you said everything i was thinking and you said it perfectly. you're also cute too, can i get your number? :-D
I'm an atheist too.
Thanks for this article. We really had to stand up and speak out.
Lol, that is hilarious.. :P
Lol, that is hilarious.. :P
Great article!
I appreciate the fact that you wrote this knowing it was going to be in a completely open forum. I would like to add that Richard Dawkins books have helped me get some of my best semi-theistic friends to realize that they were actually atheists. I was born and raised in the Bible Belt and after I lost my faith at 18 I had so much trouble trying to integrate into society. It eventually became such an issue that I got the word ATHEIST tattooed in giant bold letters on my left forearm. For the colder months I had neighborhoodies.com make me a hoodie that says TEAM ATHEIST on it in huge letters. Oddly enough I've found that instead of getting hassled all of the time, I get hassled less. It has improved my quality of life to be so "out" and open about how I feel about religion.
Good article. I do think,
Good article. I do think, though, that the "Jew who happens to doubt god's existence" label is a bit different, because (as I'm sure you know) Jewishness is cultural as well as religious. I like the label "Jewish atheist"--much catchier!--but you would never hear someone call him or herself a Christian or Muslim atheist.
I know exactly how you feel.
I know exactly how you feel. I live in a rather Catholic town, in the Irish Riviera of Massachusetts, which is a state known for it's acceptance, and yet still it's a struggle for me to tell people I'm an atheist. I mean, I'm 15, I'm still in high school, so unfortunately I'm not spending my days with the most intelligent individuals. Most of the time, when I try to explain my views to people of faith, they just don't get it. None of the little tricks and tips online about how to explain being an atheist to believers ever work.
Sixteen percent? That's
Sixteen percent? That's simply laughable.
A is for Atheist
Katie, I really loved your article. It is so to the point and clear. I admire you for your courage to not write but publish your feelings and beliefs on the subject of Atheism. I am a 58 year old woman, an atheist. I've just recently "came out of the closet" and let my friends know. Of course, my deeply religious Christian girl friends are doing their best to try to convert me. In fact, if I get one more damn forward email regarding God, Jesus or Christianity, I think I am going to scream. -- I discovered I had bone marrow cancer in 2006 (Multiple Myeloma). One of my friends had the odacity to tell me that people who don't have a strong Christian belief get things like cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. When I ask her why then had some many people in her church (2nd Baptist of Houston, huge church) had been diagnosed with more than just cancer and heart disease. Of course, she never answered that question. Others kept saying that God gave me cancer for a reason and that I should use my experience with cancer to help inform others, etc. Mmmm! I wonder if God had those three young guys pull me into a car who had beaten and raped me, then put out on a freeway to find my way home for some higher purpose. (LOL)-- I'm fortunate that I live in LA (Santa Monica) where there is a tolerance for just about anything you do, except child molestation, rape or murder. Can you believe...even in very liberal area, I am one step above a child molester, rapist and murderer. Kind of makes me laugh. -- I read an article on the internet that was a response to someone stating that they learned atheist are unhappy people. For me, there is nothing more freeing than being an atheist. Unlike you, I did grow up in a "Christian family." Fortunately, the church didn't bestow much guilt, but my mother sure did. "God will punish you for this!" "God will punish you for that!" I was so sick of how God was going to punish me for every damn thing I did, I couldn't wait to get away from her. -- One time I went to church with my (ex) husband and his family. When his mother asked me how I like the sermon, I replied "I feel guilty for not feeling guilty. Do they always give such a guilt-ridden semon just before they pass out the basket for money?" She was, of course, insulted. Her problem. -- I didn't mean to go on some much. I just want to say Thanks again for such an inspiring article. I am going to post it on my website in the Religion & Spirituality section of SantaMonicasBest.com. Check it out if you like.
Lee Davis