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diff --git a/thoughts/txt/textfiles.com/affirmative_atheism.txt b/thoughts/txt/textfiles.com/affirmative_atheism.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4d8d1af --- /dev/null +++ b/thoughts/txt/textfiles.com/affirmative_atheism.txt @@ -0,0 +1,400 @@ +Atheism: An Affirmative View (1980) +Emmett F. Fields +What is Atheism that it survives? + +Every religion, from earliest times, has hated and condemned those who +could not believe whatever it was that those old religions happened to +believe. Throughout the ages there have been the 'intellectual outlaws' +who have questioned the "unquestionable," and doubted even the very +existence of the gods. And those individual thinkers have been hated, +hunted, persecuted, and murdered by the religious believers. Yet the +Atheists and doubters are very much with us today, but those old +religions, and the gods they created, have long since ceased to trouble +the thoughts of mankind. + +If Atheism is considered to be a religion, then it is easily the oldest +living religion in the world. Properly stated, Atheism is truly "that old +time religion" that the Baptists keep singing about. + +Atheism is a difficult subject only because of the slander and +misrepresentations preached and published against it. Even the information +that is available in our most trusted and respected reference books is the +distorted and prejudiced view presented by religion. Just as in Communist +countries, where the articles on Capitalism, democracy, politics, etc., +are always written by Communists and from the Communist point of view, so +in Christian dominated societies, such as the United States, all articles +on Atheism, Rationalism, Freethought, etc., that are to be found in +encyclopedias and other reference books, are written by theologians, and +from the Christian point of view. + +The article on Atheism in the current edition of the Encyclopedia +Britannica was written by a Roman Catholic Jesuit Priest, Rev. Cornello +Fabro, Professor of theoretical Philosophy, University of Perugia, Italy. +In the Encyclopedia Americana the article on Atheism was written by Roger +L. Shinn, a professor at Union Theological Seminary. It seems that +religion, like Communism, can survive only when it can control the +information about conflicting beliefs. + +This system of writing the most trusted and basic reference and +information books from the point of view of the dominant ideology in every +society has the dangerous effect of further polarizing and isolating the +peoples of the world within their own narrow beliefs, and of creating +contempt and distrust for all others. + +America was not established to have any dominant ideology, The United +States was meant to be 'a free marketplace of ideas,' where every opinion +could be heard and considered. Today we must consider the various ideas +and opinions as they are presented in great newspapers and reference +books. + +And so it is of the utmost importance that these ideas and opinions be +presented honestly, by the people who accept them, believe in them, and +are convinced they are the best answers to the problems under +consideration. Then, and only then, will people have any real opportunity +to make an intelligent decision about the beliefs they are investigating. +The American people have a right to know that in Atheism there is a moral, +sensible, and scientific alternative to religion. + +There can be no doubt but that the people of this nation must be among the +most deceived and brainwashed in the world, at least, at very least, in +the area of religion. As an Atheist I have a very special reverence for +truth, real truth, truth with fact and proof behind it. And it is +infuriating to me when I go into a public library and read the lies and +misrepresentations that are being fed to the eager, active, and searching +young minds that use our libraries in their quest for truth and +understanding. + +The first step, then, in understanding Atheism is to disregard all the +lies and propaganda that religion has spread against it. Atheism is more +than just the knowledge that gods do not exist, and that religion is +either a mistake or a fraud. Atheism is an attitude, a frame of mind that +looks at the world objectively, fearlessly, always trying to understand +all things as a part of nature. It could be said that Atheism has a +doctrine to question and a dogma to doubt. It is the human mind in its +natural environment, nothing is too holy to be investigated, nor too +sacred to be questioned. The Atheist Bible, it could be said, has but one +word: "THINK." Atheism is the complete emancipation of the human mind from +the chains and fears of superstition. + +There is absolutely nothing negative about Atheism; truth can never be +negative. The Atheist demands proof, or at least reasonable evidence, and +simply rejects whatever does not meet the basic requirements of common +sense. Throughout history all progress in society has come from doubting +and rejecting old ideas, old customs, and old beliefs. The tree of human +knowledge dies as it grows, with new growth growing out of the dead and +dying parts, and replacing it with better and truer beliefs. The +Theologian is an owl, sitting on an old dead branch in the tree of human +knowledge, and hooting the same old hoots that have been hooted for +hundreds and thousands of years, but he has never given a hoot for +progress. + +Morally speaking, Atheism has a great advantage over religion. The great +failure of religious morality comes from their illusion of a morality +above right and wrong. The religious mind has always known it is wrong to +murder and torture, wrong to persecute and hate, wrong to force its +beliefs upon others. Religion has always known these things are wrong, but +the religious mind suffers from the illusion of a "higher morality," and +because of that illusion all history runs deep with innocent blood. In the +name of their "god" and a "higher morality," Christians have waged holy +wars of extermination, have plundered, tortured and murdered those who +could not agree with their religion, or who had never even heard of it. In +the name of this "higher morality" Christians have hated, hunted, +persecuted, and burned alive the "heretic," the "infidel" and the +"atheist." + +And today, as always, when the religious person does a thing that even he +recognizes as being wrong and immoral, his illusion of a "higher power" +and a "greater morality" allows him to perform some ritual, confession, or +prayer, and presto, miraculously, "all his sins are taken away", and he is +free again from all pains of conscience and regret. + +Such foolish illusions do not comfort the Atheist mind. The Atheist knows +there is no morality above right and wrong, and no escape from the pains +of conscience and remorse. Murder is murder, and robbery, hate and +persecution are all crimes against humanity. Morally speaking, it is +better to be murdered than to be the murderer; better to be robbed than to +be the robber, and better to be hated and persecuted than to be among +those who hate and persecute. Morally speaking, then, history tells us it +is better to be an Atheist than to be a Christian. + +Religion claims that immorality always springs from a lack of religion, +but the facts prove just the opposite. Christianity has never been +stronger than it is today, Christians have churches in every community, +they monopolize radio and television time with religious propaganda, they +have forced their religion into our government, our laws, and into our +schools. They have done these things against the Constitution of the +United States, and against the most basic and sacred rights of all other +Americans. Like a sinking ship, with water rushing in and filling every +compartment where it was not supposed to be, so religion has attacked our +nation, rushed in where it was not supposed to be, where it has no +business to be, silencing all opposition, all opposing views, poisoning +the wells of our knowledge, and endangering the very roots of our nation. + +Christianity is that strong today, and yet we have not achieved any +respectable amount of morality in this country. Nowhere is the failure of +Christian morality more evident than in America. During the same time that +Christianity has been growing ever stronger and ever richer, over the past +thirty years or so, the use of harmful drugs has became a national +scandal, the crime rate has been climbing ever higher and ever faster, the +divorce rate has skyrocketed, and during that time our nation has been +embroiled in more wars and international conflicts than in any other +similar time period in its history. During that time, our nation was also +getting its 5000 or so weird religious cults, a byproduct of Christian +indoctrination. Right to-day we have the highest narcotics abuse rate, the +highest crime rate, the highest divorce rate, and the highest 'religion +rate' that we have ever had in the history of this nation. What does +Christianity say about these facts and how to cure them? They tell us we +need more religion and they are determined to force it upon us. +Christianity feels so strong today that it is moving into politics to try +to force its failing morality upon every American through a Christian +Dictatorship and a new Dark Age. + +Once Atheism is achieved, and the mind has escaped entirely from the +religious fears and beliefs that are put upon us from earliest childhood; +and once we can look at religion objectively and impartially, it becomes +entirely obvious that religion has all the characteristics of a form of +insanity. To one degree or another the religious mind must accept, and +believe in, another world; a supernatural or unnatural world, a world +filled with all sorts of imaginary beings called gods, devils, angels, +saints, demons, etc. These imaginary creatures are talked to, asked for +favors, guidance, "signs," or miracles, and then blamed or thanked for +natural events that follow. Except for the cloak of religion, such beliefs +and actions would otherwise cause an individual to be judged insane, and +committed to an institution for treatment. + +The study of history will further justify the theory that religion is a +form of insanity. No sane and healthy minds could have waged the bloody +religious wars and crusades where the conquered were slaughtered, men, +women, and children, even infants, all were put to the sword simply +because they were "infidels" or "heretics." The dungeons and torture +chambers of the Holy Inquisition could not have been run by sane and +healthy minds. And it had to be the insane mind, the religious mind, that +would tie a woman to a stake, pile wood and fagots around her and burn her +alive for the impossible crime of being a witch. No sane person could read +of the horrors, rape and slaughter in a savage book and call that book +"the word of God." And the Jesus myth, about a god who must become a man +and be murdered before he can forgive mankind, is the most insane of all. + +Today, Christianity chooses to ignore, or to hide and deny, its own bloody +history and to claim that it is the very foundation of our morals, and +even of our civilization. Religion also claims to be our only hope and +guide for the future. In view of Christian history these claims are, in +themselves, sheer insanity. + +But Christianity is not the only form of organized insanity in the world +today. The Atheist, being an individual who stands outside all belief +systems, is well aware that there are other religions and beliefs that are +equally insane and dangerous. Christianity is simply most dangerous to the +United States; to our government, our freedom and our future, because it +is here, it is powerful, it is wealthy, and it is entirely unscrupulous. +In addition to its illusion of a morality above right and wrong, I must +add, and emphasize, that it also has an illusion of a "higher allegiance" +to something above truth, above justice, and above America and national +patriotism. It does not require that a person be an Atheist to be aware +that Christian Fundamentalism is today the greatest threat to our nation +and its freedom. + +Communism is by far the worst thing that has happened to the world in the +last two hundred years, but it is also the best thing that has happened to +Christianity since the plagues. During the plagues the churches received +great wealth from people who gave their possessions and land to the church +in the hope that God would spare their lives, and the lives of their loved +ones. And so today religion is again growing rich and powerful from our +modern-day plague; Communism. + +Christians are constantly using Communism as a club to beat down all +opposition to their religion, their power and their schemes. Anyone who +disagrees with them, Atheist or not, is denounced as being a "Communist." +Religion implies that there is an inseparable connection between the +political-economic dictatorship called Communism, and the freedom from +religion called Atheism. Religion chooses to ignore the fact that Atheism +is older than Communism and Christianity put together. + +Even the fear and hate that religion is preaching against Communism is not +aimed at the political-economic ideology that is the cause of our trouble, +but at the "atheistic" aspect that is not the problem. + +Let us consider very carefully what the connection is between Atheism and +Communism in Russia. There can be no doubt but that Atheism is the reason +for the success of Communism. Atheism is the force that brought the +Russian nation up from being one of the most backward, primitive and +religious nations in Europe in 1917, to the point of being one of the most +advanced, scientific and technological, nations in the world today, +Whether we like it or not, we must admit that Communist Russia is a +powerful modern force, and a very dangerous potential enemy. Communism is +an external threat to our nation, and to our very world, that is of great +concern to all Americans, Atheists and Christians alike. + +It must be admitted that Atheism is the engine and the thrust behind +Communism that has allowed it to move forward into the modern world in +such a short time. Atheism is the engine and the thrust, but it is not the +steering wheel. The dominant, controlling ideology in Russia is the +economic-political dictatorship known as Communism. Even the Christians, +if they could be taught to hate a little less, and think a little more, +would have to admit that. + +Atheism is, has been, and will continue to be, the force for progress +throughout the Communist world, it is the powerful engine that powers an +evil ideology. Today we are in a desperate race for our very survival. +America and the free world cannot win that race if we continue to allow a +primitive, medieval superstition to hinder our progress. Because of that +superstition we have lost our lead, and because of that superstition we +may lose the race. + +What is the difference between our own Christian dominated society, and +the Atheist-oriented society in Russia? What is it that will make such a +great difference in the future progress of these two societies? According +to a special report in 'Science 80' Magazine concerning the Communist +threat, reads: "This challenge is expressed not only in growing military +strength but in a bid to outpace the United States and other Western +nations through an educational "mobilization" program designed to prepare +all Soviet youth to participate fully in an advanced technological +society." The article goes on to say "The Soviets have put massive +resources behind their assumption that a decisive advantage is to be +gained by raising the level of scientific literacy and numeracy of their +population." + +And what are we doing in the United States to keep up with the Communist +efforts to advance even further their scientific and math education +systems, systems that are so very important to any modern technological, +military society? At present we have a great push by Christianity to have +their primitive "creation" myth hidden under the guise of +"Scientific-Creationism," taught in our public schools on an equal basis +with the well established and accepted modern theory of organic evolution. +This is the same battle that was fought in the courtroom during the Scopes +"monkey trial" in 1925, a trial which made this country the laughing stock +of the modern world. It is the same war that has been raging between +Christianity and the modern world since 1859 when Charles Darwin's 'The +Origin of Species' was first published. For over one hundred and twenty +years Christianity has tried to prevent us from making any progress in +this basic science. The truth is, of course, that Christianity has always +fought every fact of science and modern knowledge that did not conform to +its primitive Bible, written and copied, as it were, by ignorant, +half-civilized nomads some four thousand years ago. + +How can we hope to survive as a nation, keep our freedom and remain a +force in the modern world unless we cast aside the superstitions of +primitive times, and adopt the scientific, technological, "Atheistic" if +you will, society that reason and common sense demands? It is time, and +long past the time, for Atheists in America to come out of their libraries +and defend our modern world and our nation against religion and Communism. + +Today we live in a world divided and tuned for war; tuned for a war so +unlike any previous war that wisdom can only shudder at the thought of it. +This is a world always fearful that the other side may strike first, and +thus gain some decisive advantage. It is fearful also to strike first +itself, lest it fail to devastate the enemy completely, and leave him able +to retaliate with devastation. Thoughtful people all over the world +realize that the situation is more dangerous than the enemy. That each +side has a tiger by the tail, and both sides are afraid to let go, or even +to lessen its grip, lest that side be utterly destroyed. Intelligent +people all over the world are working for an easing of tensions, a +lessening of armaments, and are searching for a common ground upon which +both sides might find some point from which to begin establishing a +working relationship. A relationship that would lead to a progressive +lessening of the threat of a nuclear holocaust, and the eventual +establishment of a peaceful and lasting coexistence. + +Intelligent people all over the world are working for these things, but +Christian fundamentalists are not. Christians are shouting "No coexistence +with Godless Communism" and "Atheistic Communism must be destroyed." This +is indeed the final proof that religion is a form of insanity. We must +judge Christianity by what it has done throughout its history, and it has +never been a force for peace. We must judge what Christianity is doing +today in preaching hate against that part of our world that has outgrown +and rejected Christianity. And we must judge what chance we have for +survival if our part of the world continues to be held back by religion. +Atheism has brought the Russian nation great progress in scientific and +technological advances, and has made Communism a powerful force in the +world. But Atheism could have been doing great things for us also, if we +had allowed our society to lay aside, through education, the foolish old +beliefs that are hindering our progress, our defense, and our very +survival. + +Where do we begin our long journey back to reality, back to sanity? I +would start with an 'International Encyclopedia of Information,' written +by those who believe the ideas and from their point of view. Imagine an +American going to a library and learning what Atheism is, instead of what +it is not. Imagine a Russian going to his library and learning what +Capitalism is instead of what it is not. Imagine people all over the world +going to their libraries and reading the same histories, truthful +histories, histories that will not need to be changed when ever there is a +political or religious power change. Let Communism write what it believes, +let Capitalism write what it believes. Let both work together to write a +universal history, and if they can't agree about the facts of history, let +them both write their view of history and let them be published side by +side, and let the reader be the judge. The purpose of a history or an +encyclopedia is education, not propaganda. + +After all, it was the Encyclopedia, the French encyclopedia of Diderot and +others, that was so instrumental in bringing Europe out of the Christian +Dark Ages during the Renaissance. There is every reason to believe that a +universal source of basic information would be a great step toward ending +much of the distrust and confusion that is at the very root of our trouble +in the world today. + +There is no part of the world where the people are all bad, and another +part where the people are all good. When nations go to war, people go out +and kill people. People who, under different circumstances, might well be +their honored and trusted friends. Christianity has never prevented a war, +but has been responsible for many wars because of its prejudice against +all other religions, and especially against Atheism. + +Some time ago I prepared "An Atheist's Message to America." I have read it +at other talks and meetings. It reads: + +"The overabundance of religious propaganda in this country would lead us +to believe that the primary purpose of this nation is the preservation and +expansion of the Christian religion. But that is not true. + +Our nation is not, and must not become, the battleship of the Christian +religion. Our struggle in the world is in defense of LIBERTY. To preserve +our own, and, if possible, to help others gain and keep theirs. + +This nation is not fighting "Godless Atheism" nor "Atheistic Communism," +nor any other group or nation that has had Christian hate terms applied to +them. + +We, as a nation, are opposed to Communism because Communism, like +Christianity, is an ideological force that is destructive to human rights +and freedom. It is, in fact, none of our business whether another nation, +or another individual, believes in a god or not. Our only concern is that +every individual must have the liberty to decide just what he, or she, can +and will believe. And have the freedom to express, publish and pursue +those beliefs in perfect safety. + +In short, our only concern in the world is exactly those ideals that this +great nation of ours was originally founded upon." + +And so after all this, let us look again at our original question: "What +is Atheism that it survives?" + +Atheism is the world of reality, it is reason, it is freedom, Atheism is +human concern, and intellectual honesty to a degree that the religious +mind cannot begin to understand. And yet it is more than this. Atheism is +not an old religion, it is not a new and coming religion, in fact it is +not, and never has been, a religion at all. The definition of Atheism is +magnificent in its simplicity: Atheism is merely the bed-rock of sanity in +a world of madness. + +July 20, 1990 + +The above talk was delivered at the Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church in +Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday, October 19, 1980, and was published in the +July-August 1981 'American Rationalist' magazine (P.O. Box 994, St Louis, +MO. 63188.) and has been sold as a pamphlet by them ever since. + +There has been a great change in the world situation during the past year +and a half. The dangerous situation discussed in the above lecture has, at +last, been broken. But it was not done by Christian love or by any +believer in a god. It was an Atheist, Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, who had the +intelligence, courage and leadership to move his country, the Soviet +Union, in a direction of peace and understanding. By Mr. Gorbachev's +wisdom and action, and his alone, the tensions have been greatly reduced. +But already Christians are claiming that the achievement was the work of +their god, and, I am sure, in future issues of our Encyclopedias the +credit will, somehow, (as always) be given to Christianity and its god. + +Nothing changes history like the Christian Historian. + +Emmett F. Fields |