Equal and Opposite Reactions

To paraphrase our fearless (and presumably clueless) leader, "Atheism is on the march!" And it would appear it has plenty to march against. Militant, right-wing Christianity in the West and radical Islam in the East have been gathering strength and exerting influence over politics and matters of war and peace for many years now. American culture is saturated with references to evangelical Christianity to the extent that suburban "churches" now resemble the shape and size of mega-stores like Wal-Mart, where Christian music, literature and other goods are offered at low, low prices. Always low prices.

For those who believe in God, human beings were made in God's image. Yet the world's myriad religious faiths and religions reflect a host of variant images. Which one should a given society reflect in order to perfectly capture the image of God him or herself? Here in the United States, the "Christian" Right is happy to supply that answer, as is the Taliban of Afghanistan and militant Hindus in India. This is all very comforting if you happen to be an American Evangelical Christian, a conservative male Afghan Muslim or an Indian Hindu. It is anything but if you happen not to subscribe to the respective state religions of any of these places, or any other country where one religion predominates the national discourse over policy and culture.

In my view, a religion ceases to serve its own inherent purpose, to even be a religion, when it crosses the line separating worship and service to proselytizing and imposition. In any pluralistic democratic society, no religion or faith-based organization can demand anything more reasonable than to be free to practice according to its traditions and rites. Insisting that public policy and common culture reflect these is beyond the pale, and it should come as no surprise that non-believers are becoming more vocal in opposition to the "Christian" Right's imposition of its values and beliefs upon all Americans.

There are some atheists or nontheists who have abandoned belief in God because they have lost faith in their given religious traditions. I personally don't see a direct correlation between losing faith in a given church or religion and abandoning my belief in God. Nonetheless, for my part I am happy to see nontheists and free thinkers banding together to counter the influence of the "Religious" Right. I have seen moderate and progressive Christian churches react in similar fashion, and encourage this as well. The Catholic Church for its part has remained dishearteningly quiet in the face of the growing influence of radical "Christianity" here in America. I fear this is due to the fact that the Church's agenda currently shares more in common with evangelicals than it does with its more progressive Protestant brethren. The Vatican remained silent in 2004 when American Catholic bishops refused to give communion to pro-choice Catholic legislators, most famously Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry. I've been straining my hears waiting to hear a peep of protest from these same bishops against Republican legislators who have supported the war in Iraq, who support the Bush tax cuts, who vote in support of gutting environmental and workplace safety regulations.

This is all to say that I wish to offer the "Christian" Right and radical "religious" extremists of all faiths a hearty and well-deserved congratulations and job well done. Your efforts have served to sully the name of religious faith and to galvanize a growing number of people in opposition to faith/belief in God. The societies where you strive to exert your influence are more divided for your efforts, while social problems such as poverty, crime and violence and environmental degradation continue to persist unabated. One closing question for you to reflect upon is: Do you honestly believe that this is what God wants from you? Have your efforts contributed in any way to the "peace and justice" that your faith presumably teaches and preaches?

- Doug L.

FOR FURTHER REFERENCE:

"In Europe and U.S., Nonbelievers Are Increasingly Vocal." (Washington Post, September 15, 2007)

"In America, Nonbelievers Find Strength in Numbers." (Washington Post, September 15, 2007)

Rabbi Sherman T. Wine, 1928 - 2007 (Society for Humanistic Judaism.org)

"Time to Become Pre-Emptive Peacemakers." (Washington Post On Faith, September 14, 2007

"No Atheists (Still) Need Apply." (Washington Post On Faith, December 28, 2006)