Why I Left My Facebook Atheist Group After 3 Weeks

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Facebook suggested some Atheist groups to join and I thought, “Now here are some enlightened, thinking individuals!” I figured there would be some good discussion as well as some interesting opinions on life and living in general. I lasted about 3 weeks before I finally threw in the towel and gave up. I just couldn’t hack it. I could not take the elitism, the attacks on people, or even the anger and displeasure at any display of belief or religion of any kind. These people in this group seemed to be so tied to their atheism or at least their lack of belief in god or that possibility, to attack anything and anyone that disagreed with that, much like religious people do to them. These attacks extended at a very real level to homeopathy/naturopathy, New Age religions, and anything that is not “scientific” or proven by science and “reason.” Certainly my experience with this group is not indicative of every single Atheist on the planet or even in my state but I found it extremely interesting nonetheless.

The New Rise of Atheism

Atheism has been in the news lately. Western societies are becoming more and more secular. This has been the trend in Europe for decades and many European countries are known for their pronounced atheist tendencies. Many churches in Europe are simply tourist destinations that don’t hold regular services. 2013 brought us celebrity Atheist philosophers Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss in the documentary “The Unbelievers.” In this movie they present popular celebrities who are atheists as well as several presentations by the pair of celebrity atheists on why the world needs to leave religion behind and embrace science, philosophy and reason. The new atheism not only extols the virtues of reason and pre-eminence of science, but directly attacks many of the failed or simply unfair policies that countries, especially the United States, have engaged in because of religion. Atheism is becoming the popular alignment for intellectual people who are “smart enough” not to believe in magical non-existent beings. This is especially true in academic settings. Most academics, in public and private non-religiously affiliated universities, are Atheist or at least agnostic. To find someone who even goes to church is rare and people look down on them. Christopher Hitchens, until his untimely death, was a vocal, vehement and controversial voice against religious based policies. Stephen Fry has taken it on himself to prove god doesn’t exist at every turn and Ricky Gervais seems to be following suit. Atheism makes us return to the question of how secular we want society to be and what that might look like. Are we prepared for life without religion? Politically that is the center of debate in the U.S. and with the continued rise of extreme Islam and other incidents like the shooting in North Carolina of three muslim students, the case for leaving religion behind is beginning to stack up more and more every day in the eyes of many.

Atheists aren’t Monolithic

 That being said not all Atheists are the same and I have found that many are more accurately agnostic and just simply don’t know if there is anything but certainly lean towards there not being anything. However, while, like any other group, they are not monolithic, there are certainly some beliefs that unify these groups. Atheists tend towards the pragmatic and overwhelming put their faith, such as it is, in science and the ability for humanity to solve its own problems. It is an interesting new kind of humanism that believes that a fulfilling life can be had without a belief in a higher power of a universal force.

The Bottom Line

I still love my spiritual path and I know that you can be the smartest person in the room and believe in something outside of humanity, this universe, or even these 3 dimensions that we exist in. To put one’s faith in humanity and humanity alone is dangerous. I believe in people and  I think people can solve many problems. One of the greatest forces on this planet is human compassion. However, we can’t say that without realizing that on the other side of that there are the darker sides of humanity. A quick look at any news site, including this one, will tell you that while humanity is capable of great things, humanity is also capable of terrible things. Does spirituality or religion stop that? Not entirely and in some cases religion makes it possible. As Slavoj Zizek says, “if god exists everything is permissible; if god does not exist then nothing is permissible.” I think that by not experiencing the wonderful fulfillment of some kind of spiritual path you’re leaving out part of life. Many atheists argue that religion is holding us back and I tend to agree. Stem research is a stark example of this. Without the strident anti-abortion lobby, embryonic stem cell research would be actively pursued and that research could lead to treatments and cures for a variety of diseases from Cancer to ALS, Parkinson’s and even Alzheimer’s. While I agree that science and our ability to research new things without the constraints of religious tendency is very important; not believing in a god-concept is certainly no license to abandon medical ethics or to at least have a frank discussion if any course of action, medical or otherwise, is right or wrong or if should be done and what consequences we might have to deal with if a certain course of action takes place. We might not need religion to tell us what is right or wrong but we still need a strong compass to direct the pathway of humanity for it’s highest and best good.