The notion of God in conventional religions requires us to believe in a being who is omnipotent and kind, yet permits all kinds of suffering. To believe in this God we have to dismiss all human misery, in one way or another. So why do people believe? I think it's because they fear the eventual annihilation. The religions say that there is no death, --- there is another life after death etc. This kind of "reward" for belief is so enormous that the believers are able to dismiss God created or God tolerated human pain. Here we come on a real social problem. Suppose one is talking to an old and sick person and they ask us "There's a God isn't there?" If we say no we allow their unhappiness to continue. If we say yes we are lying; it's too preposterous to affirm. I guess the best way is to waffle, saying "Well the priest (mullah,minister,rabbi etc) tells us so." and change the subject as smoothly as possible.
I have no doubt that the sum of human suffering is increased by the growth of religion and other things being equal, atheism increases human happiness. So I consider it our moral duty to argue against the existence of this infinitely kind and infinitely powerful and also merciless contradictory fiction. Needless to say the terrorists are firm believers in God.
What I would appreciate from this forum is tips on education, how to dispel these primitive ideas from people's minds, how to inform successfully. I remember when I was a little boy I went to my Grandpa, who was born in 1855 and asked him "Grandpa, everybody says there is a God, do you think he exists?" His answer was "Ask all those people who are telling you there is a God, which one of them actually saw God?"
He was derisive. I was much relieved. His argument would obviously not convince everybody. I could argue against it myself now, 70 years later. I could say that before Leeuwenhoek nobody saw microscopic living organisms and yet they exist etc. Nonetheless I think there is power to the argument that if God is so anxious to get us to believe why not show himself clearly? The attack against religion has to be conducted in many ways. Anybody have some ideas? |
