Atheism and Peace Leo R. Sandy

Atheism Atheism is usually defined incorrectly as a belief system. Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods. The only common thread that ties all atheists together is a lack of belief in gods and supernatural beings. Atheists often disagree on many issues and ideas. Atheists come in a variety of shapes, colors, beliefs, convictions, and backgrounds. We are as unique as our fingerprints.

Atheism cont’d Since 1963, American Atheists has been taking the principled and uncompromising position that our government should give no special treatment or preference to religious belief. Atheists are as moral (or immoral) as religious people.In practical terms atheists often follow the same moral code as religious people, but they arrive at the decision of what is good or bad without any help from the idea of God.

Atheism cont’d Reasons for non-belief: People are atheist for many reasons, among them: They find insufficient evidence to support any religion. They think that religion is nonsensical. They once had a religion and have lost faith in it. They live in a non-religious culture. Religion doesn't interest them. Religion doesn't seem relevant to their lives. Religions seem to have done a lot of harm in the world. The world is such a bad place that there can't be a God.

Richard Dawkins World Famous Atheist

Dawkins cont’d He was born in 1941 and holds a degree in zoology, as well as an MA and PhD, all from the University of Oxford, where he was tutored and supervised by Nobel Prize-winning ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen. Dawkins believes that the theory of evolution and natural selection can explain the universe much better than the idea of an intelligent design carried out by a God.

Atheism and Peace Religious faith promotes human violence to an astonishing degree. Religion inspires violence in at least two senses: (1) People often kill other human beings because they believe that the creator of the universe wants them to do it (the inevitable psychopathic corollary being that the act will ensure them an eternity of happiness after death). (2) Larger numbers of people are inclined toward religious conflict simply because their religion constitutes the core of their moral identities.

Atheism cont’d One of the enduring pathologies of human culture is the tendency to raise children to fear and demonize other human beings on the basis of religion If we want to uproot the causes of religious violence we must uproot the false certainties of religion.

Atheism cont’d Every religion makes explicit claims about the way the world is, and the sheer profusion of these incompatible claims creates an enduring basis for conflict. Religious faith is a conversation-stopper. Religion is only area of our discourse in which people are systematically protected from the demand to give evidence in defense of their strongly held beliefs.

Atheism cont’d It seems profoundly unlikely that we will heal the divisions in our world simply by multiplying the opportunities for interfaith dialogue. The endgame for civilization cannot be mutual tolerance of patent irrationality When we have reasons for what we believe, we have no need of faith; when we have no reasons, or bad ones, we have lost our connection to the world and to one another.

Atheism con’td Atheism is nothing more than a commitment to the most basic standard of intellectual honesty: One’s convictions should be proportional to one’s evidence The atheist is simply a person who has perceived the lies of religion and refused to make them his own. Religious leaders tell people that banning abortions or discriminating against gays is more important than preventing wars or stopping global warming or slowing the transfer of wealth to the wealthy.

Atheism cont’d Southern and Midwestern states, characterized by the highest levels of religious superstition and hostility to evolutionary theory, are especially plagued by many indicators of societal dysfunction The United States is unique among wealthy democracies in its level of religious literalism and opposition to evolutionary theory; it is also uniquely beleaguered by high rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, STD infection and infant mortality

Atheism cont’d Countries with high levels of atheism also are the most charitable in terms of giving foreign aid to the developing world Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on Earth

Atheism Critics of atheism point out all the carnage caused by atheist states like Russia, Cambodia, and China but atheism was imposed and enforced by the government and not developed through the critical analysis of citizens. Atheism and totalitarianism together do not make a winning combination any more than religion and totalitarianism do (WWII Germany, Iran)

Culture and Religion Global Peace Index Shows Least Religious Countries More Peaceful

Quotes We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. ― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Quotes cont’d That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence ― Christopher Hitchens Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead ― Kurt Vonnegut Belief is the death of intelligence ― Robert Anton Wilson

Video Richard Dawkins: Militant Atheism

Organizations Atheist International Alliance Atheist Sites Directory Freedom from Religion Foundation

References What is Atheism? Retrieved from https://www.atheists.org/activism/resources/what-is-atheism Stand up for Your Rights. Retrieved from http://www.atheists.org/ Atheism at a Glance. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/ataglance/glance.shtml

References cont’d Atheists for Peace. Retrieved from http://davidswanson.org/node/514