I have never understood why it should be considered particular admirable to be „deeply" religious. I think being a convinced atheist deserves more respect because it requires the courage to stand on one's own feet and face reality as it is. In my eyes, religious people choose the convenient solution, like "Pascal's wager," named after Blaise Pascal, the 17^th century French mathematician who said:

It makes more sense to believe in God than not to believe. If you believe, and God exists, you will be rewarded in the afterlife. If you do not believe, and He exists, you will be punished for your disbelief. If He does not exist, you have lost nothing either way."

Personally, I prefer the alternative, „The Atheist's Wager":

It is better to live your life as if there are no Gods, and try to make the world a better place. If there is no God, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent God, He will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in Him.

Some of the most admirable persons I have met are Buddhist monks. They submit to a very strict set of rules of conduct from the idea that if you do good deeds, you do well for yourself. Whereas devoted Christians believe that human beings are born sinners, Buddhists believe that the true human nature is love, and that is what we should encourage. Buddhism is pacifistic and has — unlike the monotheistic religions — no blood on its hands: No war in history has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism.

Am I an atheist? I have a deep respect for sincerely religious people, but I do not believe in god as an objective idea, as anything that can be defined. Ajahn Sumedho states very beautifully and clearly in one of his talks: „The Ultimate Truth cannot be understood, but it can be realized." He means that it is something that must be experienced directly, it cannot be explained, you cannot understand it by believing in something or somebody or by listening to a teacher or guru, but you can live it. This is what the mystics have been saying for centuries.

All religions based on love and respect for others can be used as tools to search for „The Ultimate Truth." I may never find it, but I will probably continue to search for the rest of my life.

Recommended sources:  
Douglas H. Harding, Religions of the World  
Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a Candle in the Dark  
Karen Armstrong, A History of God  
Clifford A. Pickover, The Paradox of God and the Science of Omniscience  
Gary Greenberg, 1001 Myths of the Bible  

Published in the 2003 July/August issue of the American Rationalist ©.

Po przeczytaniu tego tekstu, czytelnicy często wybierają też: Racjonalista.pl (PL) Religion as a Comfort?

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