The Promises of Atheism

In the Atheist Fortune Cookie file, I came across this little gem:

My first reaction upon reading this was that it would certainly explain some of the things I've experienced during my years as an outspoken atheist. After all, how often do we see the last line of defense from a believer: "I still believe because I want to believe!"? While few of the people I've debated have actually said those words, their final statements certainly appear to boil down to this.

So, what makes so many people want to believe in their religions? The extravagant promises certainly appear to get a lot of attention, especially from those who convert into the religions. It is an appealing thought to imagine that after a life fraught with disappointments and heartache, there will finally be a time and place that we'll come to where nothing is disappointing, and all our desires are given to us unalloyed. I'm the first to admit that I haven't experienced any relationships with other people that didn't fall short of what I desired (I suspect that the only people who could come close to having a fully satisfactory relationship with another human being would be identical twins - but there I may be far from the mark). Still, when you get down to it, much of the appeal of all religions is nothing more than wishful thinking, plain and simple. It purports to tell people all sorts of wondrous knowledge of "the supernatural," which is forever out of our ability to experience first hand, if it exists at all.

The problem with all this, however, is that believers have no way of truly knowing that their religion will, in fact, carry through on the promises given them. In the case of Christianity, particularly, the situation is rather strange, as the New Testament has been promising that Jesus will "return" from heaven to wrap things up "any day now" for nearly 2000 years. While generation after generation has been disappointed in this particular promise, believers have been happy enough to rely on the other promises that their religion makes - that of allowing them into heaven immediately after their death. So their religion becomes a game of waiting for death to be able to cash in on the most spectacular of its promises.

But what of the last part of the quote above? It says that Atheism promises nothing. In a way, this is true. As I understand it, Atheism is an absence of beliefs in any sort of god. When looked at in that light, it does tend to make Atheism look rather unappealing. It can't "promise" anything as pleasant as heaven or as satisfying as watching those whom we think deserve it getting punished. After all, it's simply the negation of the promises of religions. Atheism is a matter of looking over the promises made by the various religions and saying "Hmmm - I don't think so." Atheism is more a matter of looking at the world in a skeptical light and accepting only that for which there is evidence.

So perhaps Atheism promises nothing - yet it delivers so much more to atheists than what it promises. It delivers the ability to see our surroundings for what they are - our true home, the only place where we will ever have a chance to be happy. It delivers the realization that while nothing we do is "perfect," those things we do are as close to the ideal as we will ever come. If humans are ever to have happiness, it'll only come through our own efforts. If there is ever to be some sort of justice, it will be achieved through human work. If we are ever to live in peace, it will only come when we learn to reconcile with our enemies and share our home in the real world, instead of leaving it for future generations or God to accomplish it for us.

Can we accomplish these things? Perhaps not. One thing is clear to me. None of the things I personally like to dream about - peace, happiness, love and so on - will ever be given to me by any god, no matter what promises are given. If I'm ever to have a chance to get the things I want, I'll have to work for them. In the same manner, such is the case of all the human race.