Goodness, I am an atheist!

By Tripp Johnson, Guest Columnist

After reading Father Richard Ho Lung's vitriolic - and misguided - indictment of atheism for the alleged crime of eroding the moral foundation of humanity (published Friday, July 6, 2012), several thoughts came to mind.

The first was that it's incredibly disheartening to find that one of the appointed leaders of morality in Jamaica blames atheists, such as myself, for the state of the world. That I feel beholden to my fellow men and women rather than to a figure for whom I have observed no evidence should not be held as justification of the judgement that has been dropped on my (and many others') shoulders.

Generally speaking, I agree with the essence of Father Ho Lung's assessment. Many people are concerned with the transient joys offered by consumerism. Where Father Ho Lung has gone wrong is in apparently assuming that all Christians ignore such temptations, while all non-Christians greedily feed at the trough of excess and desire.

The development of consumerism is only as relevant as part of our lives, thanks to the appeal it has with our baser instincts. Attributing this to lack of belief in God is not just intellectually dishonest, but socially divisive. Atheism entails nothing but a lack of belief in God. It does not suggest a desire to hoard material possessions or capital. It does not promote living a life of hedonism or decadence. It simply does not admit of the existence of God.

BARBARIC INTOLERANCE

It would be foolish to ignore what sanctifying the condemnation of atheism could do to a modern community. Rather than being a community defined by tolerance and unity, one might find a culture of opposition - perhaps even animosity - toward 'difference'.

If any behaviour could be classified as "barbaric" - but perhaps more accurately as an artefact of times past - it is our systematic failure to be tolerant of others purely because of divergent beliefs. This is by no means unavoidable, but is conventionally related to mythologies and systems of morality which find their genesis during the Bronze Age, in a region that was late in reaching the conclusion that meals should not be held by hands still coated in the remnants of already digested food.

My life is not one that is based on the godless, "self-serving and egocentric passions" it is presumed to be by Father Ho Lung. I am equally confident in saying his claims are just as unfounded when speaking about the lives of other atheists.

Living life with an eye for the suffering of others and a desire to ameliorate that suffering could hardly be described as selfish. A significant portion of my income goes directly to the poor, and when the volume of my work permits it, my time off is spent volunteering. We are all the product of circumstance, and any measure of success is largely attributable to forces beyond our control.

Once that understanding was brought to light with respect to my understanding that there is no life besides this one, any other attitude towards others seems unethical. I can't think of many people who could honestly denounce this as "a matter of [moral] convenience" (Father Ho Lung's words).

ATHEISM'S FAULT? YEAH, RIGHT!

Upon reflection, it would appear the assessment offered by Richard Ho Lung could not accurately be deemed a charge against atheism per se; it is an assault on those who behave selfishly. It's nonsensical to arbitrarily place the burden of responsibility on atheists.

In fact, I would go so far as to say the world has already reaped the benefits of 'godfulness'. History is replete with innumerable unmarked graves denoting the dire effect of a 'godful' world.

Without alluding to atrocities committed at the dawn of the modern age, one need only point to the recently terminated sectarian violence in Ireland between religious factions; the conflict between Muslim Bosnians, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats in the former Yugoslavia; the ongoing subjugation and extermination of the Palestinians by Israel; as well as the entire culture of conflict in the Middle East, brought as a result of religious fundamentalism.

That's not to discredit the wonderful acts of charity many religious individuals, institutions and faiths are responsible for, as there are many. It's simply to banish the odious assertion that those of us who do not believe in God are not or cannot be good people.

Tripp Johnson is director of research at Johnson Survey Research. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and WTG.Tripp.Johnson@gmail.com.