As there has been so much persistent misunderstanding of atheism by theists posting here and on other blogs, I am copying below an excellent statement made on the Guardian's CiF thread "The anti-God Squad" by 'TheRationalist' on 31 March:
The argument that atheism is a religion that creates its own meaning, albeit a nihilistic one, seems to me to be a common misunderstanding that needs attention.
Atheism is a tiny subset of a much larger mindframe called amongst other things 'reason'. Atheism is, if you like, the branch of reason that responds to theology. That is all it does and it claims to do nothing more.
Let us imagine for a moment that clairvoyantism or astrology were proving a serious obstacle to human progress in the same way as religion, even at its best, is currently doing and must by definition do. There would be a branch of reason that opposed these irrational superstitions in just the same way. It would attack clairvoyantism but it would not be somehow another version of it. Atheism, like anti-clairvoyantism, makes no claims to anything beyond its opposition to superstitious notions. Atheism has no independent existence of religion and provides no alternative philosophies of life.
Reason, however, most certainly does. When, as atheism, it finishes its dialogue with faith it goes back to deciding how the being in its possession should best live a full, rewarding, meaningful and purposeful life.
To summarise: atheism posits nothing about the world - it makes no attempt to create alternative realities, or 'religions'.
If you live your life as a thoughtful, reasonable being, you will find much to do and great pleasure to be derived from art, science, literature, music and the discovery of new things. That, for the reasonable person, is what life is. Atheism, I repeat, for it needs constant iteration, exists only because of theology. When God disappears, so will atheism. Atheism makes no claims and has no desire at all to supplant religion. That is not to say that it does not wish to destroy it, as it wishes to destroy all forms of religious idiocy and oppression.
It is reason that envisages a world in which human beings think for themselves, control, as far as possible , their own destinies, behave socially and are happy. Most of all, perhaps, reason wishes to subvert the evils of authoritarianism, the control through mythologies of the many by the few. Reason wishes to free the minds of children from prejudice, fear and supersition so that they may become independent and thoughtful adults who will work together for the betterment of humanity. Reason wishes for open and honest debate between free and strong-minded people about how best we should live our lives as social animals.
Do not look to atheism for another version of religion or an alternative philosophical manifesto. I stress again that it is purely reactive and will die with religion. It is the governance of reason which we strive for. This, if you dislike the vision, should be the object of your dislike and your attack.
Atheism is a tiny subset of a much larger mindframe called amongst other things 'reason'. Atheism is, if you like, the branch of reason that responds to theology. That is all it does and it claims to do nothing more.
Let us imagine for a moment that clairvoyantism or astrology were proving a serious obstacle to human progress in the same way as religion, even at its best, is currently doing and must by definition do. There would be a branch of reason that opposed these irrational superstitions in just the same way. It would attack clairvoyantism but it would not be somehow another version of it. Atheism, like anti-clairvoyantism, makes no claims to anything beyond its opposition to superstitious notions. Atheism has no independent existence of religion and provides no alternative philosophies of life.
Reason, however, most certainly does. When, as atheism, it finishes its dialogue with faith it goes back to deciding how the being in its possession should best live a full, rewarding, meaningful and purposeful life.
To summarise: atheism posits nothing about the world - it makes no attempt to create alternative realities, or 'religions'.
If you live your life as a thoughtful, reasonable being, you will find much to do and great pleasure to be derived from art, science, literature, music and the discovery of new things. That, for the reasonable person, is what life is. Atheism, I repeat, for it needs constant iteration, exists only because of theology. When God disappears, so will atheism. Atheism makes no claims and has no desire at all to supplant religion. That is not to say that it does not wish to destroy it, as it wishes to destroy all forms of religious idiocy and oppression.
It is reason that envisages a world in which human beings think for themselves, control, as far as possible , their own destinies, behave socially and are happy. Most of all, perhaps, reason wishes to subvert the evils of authoritarianism, the control through mythologies of the many by the few. Reason wishes to free the minds of children from prejudice, fear and supersition so that they may become independent and thoughtful adults who will work together for the betterment of humanity. Reason wishes for open and honest debate between free and strong-minded people about how best we should live our lives as social animals.
Do not look to atheism for another version of religion or an alternative philosophical manifesto. I stress again that it is purely reactive and will die with religion. It is the governance of reason which we strive for. This, if you dislike the vision, should be the object of your dislike and your attack.
