A while
back I did a little research for a class I was teaching. I became hopelessly
sidetracked by a series of stories I found on atheists and their political and
social activities. A good portion of my afternoon was spent on
spur-of-the-moment research on the recent endeavors of atheists. Here are just
a few of the headlines I uncovered:
Atheists Demand Cross Found in Rubble be Removed from 9/11 Museum
Atheists Say Nobody Needs Christ in Christmas
Atheists Demand Monument to War Heroes be Removed
Atheists Unveil Monument to Atheists Near the Ten Commandments
Atheists Demand Right to Give Invocations at Government Meetings
Atheists Demand Governor Scott Walker Remove Scripture Tweet
Atheists Demand City Remove Cross in Tennessee
It was fascinating stuff. Although I am not a supporter or an advocate
of their cause, I must confess a reluctant respect for their commitment and devotion
to their beliefs. According to the Pew Research Council, 1.6 % of Americans
identify themselves as atheist. Their tiny numbers have not stopped them from producing
a sea change of educational and societal transformation in recent years.
A few things struck me as I
shifted through the plethora of information I uncovered. Nearly every headline I came across contained
the phrase “atheists demand.” I found this odd. I finally concluded that the typical
atheist must be so convinced by what they see as the righteousness of their
cause that they feel it acceptable to demand others give in to their minority
views.
The number of stories detailing their
undertakings astounded me. There were hundreds of articles describing similar
demands by atheist groups in different locations. This led me to wonder about
how atheists spend their time. They certainly seem to have more of it than most
people. I wondered if they had families, other hobbies, or if maybe there might
be rampant unemployment in atheist circles.
Last but not least, I couldn’t help but notice
that these people get awfully worked up over an issue they believe to be a fairytale.
The question is: why?
I do not believe in Snow White, Superman,
Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. And it does not bother me that some do. I do not feel the need to enact legislation
limiting a parent’s right to spread those legends or fight for freedom from
belief in such things.
I pondered all this for quite
some time and finally concluded that atheists are actually the most religious
people I know. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines a zealot as:
A person who has very strong
feelings about something (such as religion or politics) and who wants other
people to have those feelings: a zealous person.
The Oxford dictionary put a slightly different but noteworthy twist on
that definition:
A person who is fanatical and uncompromising
in pursuit of their
religious, political, or other ideals.
Webster’s defines religion as:
An interest, a belief, or an
activity that is very important to a person or group.
It’s not an overstatement to say that most atheists are fanatical in
their opinions. Atheists are, by their own admission, intent on converting
every person on Earth to their beliefs. They go to great effort and expense to
proselytize the unbelieving. They are passionately dedicated to the pursuit of their
vision of a godless world. Sounds an awful lot like a religious zealot to
me.
Again, the question is: why?
It’s really very simple. Atheists are invested in their belief system
for the same reasons Christians are invested in theirs. It’s a faith thing. Atheism
is all about faith; it’s just that their faith is in nothing rather than in
something or someone. Atheists have more riding on their faith than the average
Christian does.
If Christians are wrong about their convictions, then Christians have lost
very little at the end of their lives. They might miss out on an opportunity or
two to indulge their baser nature but little else. If atheists are wrong and
Christians are right about God, life, and life after death, then things will
not go well for the atheist in the hereafter.
Until recently, I found atheists to be maddening. I was offended by
their dogged insistence that everyone believe as they do. It irritated me to no
end that a tiny minority of the population was working so hard to control the
type of information everyone else can access. I was appalled by their endless
demands and their apparent disdain of fun, revealed by their loathing to all
things connected to Christmas.
I have had a change of heart. I no longer see atheists not as irritations,
but rather as role models for the type of dedication I would like to have to my
own faith. I have come to realize that if I can somehow channel their
enthusiasm while maintaining an attitude of love and spirit of graciousness, I
too might just make the kind of cultural impact that atheists have made.
But a natural man
does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to
him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised~ 1st
Corinthians 2:14 NASB