By Samuel Letchworth
In the modern scientific world, atheism has come into vogue more than ever before. In the attitude of many academics, science, in its consistent pursuit of fact and reason, has cast religion largely into the category of unfounded superstition. Under the scrutinizing eye of logic, God tends to seem, well, illogical.
Symbol of American Atheists
Atheism is not to be confused with agnosticism. Agnosticism, from the Greek “gnosis,” meaning “to know,” simply means “to be unknowing.”
An agnostic does not presume to understand the mystery of the cosmos or to admit that there is or is not a god.
An atheist, on the other hand, has arrived at the conclusion that there is no god or gods or otherwise higher, conscious power over existence.
The proof is in the pudding, and for the atheist, it’s a pudding-less world.
Many people arrive at the atheist conclusion by examining the erstwhile actions of religion.
“If you think about it, religion is responsible for nearly all the wars of the world,” UA student Charlie Baker said. “Without religion, man might be peaceful.”
UA student Jeff Smith said the idea of God “is a human invention.”
“Where God has not been used as a tool of oppression and war, God has served as a false comfort for people afraid of death,” he said. “The human race is more mature now. We are growing out of God.”
Atheism is not as well represented on campus as other philosophies are, but student groups do exist. On its Facebook group, UA-based Occam’s Razors describes itself as associated with the Center for Inquiry – On Campus, which is dedicated “to the enhancement of free thought, skepticism, secularism … and atheism on college and high school campuses” throughout the country and world.
But there is no “church” of atheism, and for the most part, local atheists have few support groups or communities. They just don’t seem to need one.
“Religion is an insurance plan,” UA alumni Kyle Wasser said. “Nobody needs after-death insurance. The fact that we are alive is reason enough to live and die. Experience in and of itself is God.”
Wasser is not a cut-and-dry atheist.
“I don’t believe in God,” Wasser said, “but you can’t prove that God doesn’t exist and you can’t prove that he does. Proselytizing atheists are just as bad as religious fanatics.”
Theists would accuse atheists of arriving at their godless conclusion out of arrogance and apathy. Atheists would reply that theists are frightened, weak and lonely people. But both theists and the atheists presume to know, definitively, about the existence of God. And you can’t argue with faith, or lack thereof.
The Christian author G.K. Chesterton wrote, “The point of having an open mind is to shut it on something solid.” UA student Greg Gehle said, “An open mind is a terrible thing to waste on religion.”