Pro- No God

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Lovin' this piece from the NY Times a couple days ago by Zizek on atheism's necessary role in society. Choice quote:

"Fundamentalists do what they perceive as good deeds in order to fulfill God's will and to earn salvation; atheists do them simply because it is the right thing to do. Is this also not our most elementary experience of morality? When I do a good deed, I do so not with an eye toward gaining God's favor; I do it because if I did not, I could not look at myself in the mirror. A moral deed is by definition its own reward. David Hume, a believer, made this point in a very poignant way, when he wrote that the only way to show true respect for God is to act morally while ignoring God's existence."

He's talking about why atheism actually ends up being helpful to the religious, in the end, because we atheists don't discriminate between religions, and see them all (at least for those of us atheists enlightened enough to allow that people are religious for a purpose, and not just dummies) on equal ground.

"While a true atheist has no need to boost his own stance by provoking believers with blasphemy, he also refuses to reduce the problem of the Muhammad caricatures to one of respect for other's beliefs. Respect for other's beliefs as the highest value can mean only one of two things: either we treat the other in a patronizing way and avoid hurting him in order not to ruin his illusions, or we adopt the relativist stance of multiple "regimes of truth," disqualifying as violent imposition any clear insistence on truth.

What, however, about submitting Islam — together with all other religions — to a respectful, but for that reason no less ruthless, critical analysis? This, and only this, is the way to show a true respect for Muslims: to treat them as serious adults responsible for their beliefs."

I do, at times, find myself thinking of religious people as... well, deluded, to be kind. But, having been raised amongst very religious people, I think back on many of them as well-meaning and kind and loving in the best sense of what religion promises to offer. So, while I may not believe what they believe, I respect their need for it. I only wish that admitting to many religious people one's own atheism wasn't met with horrified glares and a tugging of their children closer. Two way street, people.