Sunday, August 17, 2008

Why I look forward to the death of atheism

As should already be obvious, I'm an atheist.

But I'm an atheist who looks forward to a time when there are no people who identify as atheist - to the death, as it were, of atheism.

After all, I don't identify as an a-tooth-fairy-ist; it's just naturally accepted that as an adult, I don't carry such a belief. Being an atoothfairyist is so universally common that it isn't even a term. Atoothfairyism, if it were ever to have existed, is certainly now long dead. It's not necessary to identify as a skeptic of the religious beliefs prevalent in ancient Greece. Such a lack of belief is, essentially, a dead issue.

So it goes with the religions presently at large -- I hesitate to say "modern religion", because there's little about their fundamentals that's modern. I look forward to the day when it's utterly pointless to ever mention a lack of belief in them, because it is essentially universal. When that day comes, atheism as we presently understand it, will be utterly dead. We'll just be people, getting on with life.

Maybe then we can really get to work of fixing the mess we're in.

9 comments:

Blake Stacey said...

Well said. When PZ Myers came through Boston last spring, we Pharyngula fans had a little coffee-shop chat about this and other things, and it turned out that we were secularists who looked forward to a post-theistic future.

Efrique said...

That's a nice term for it, Blake.

Valhar2000 said...

Well, of course we are secularists who look forward to a post-theistic future. It's not like having to deal with religious irrationality is fun.

The only reason to frequent atheist blogs and venues is to have a small reprieve from all the meaningless drivel and get together with like-minded individuals.

Travis Briggs said...

I'm still having trouble understanding why many atheists are also a-religiousts. Not all religions are theistic.

While I certainly would appreciate the day when freethinkers are more than an almost below-the-radar minority, I don't necessarily welcome or look forward to the end of religion in general, or even to any specific religion(s).

Jeremy D Johnson said...

Agree with Travis' statement. To be atheist is one thing, but reject any form of insight from religion is to overshoot (or should we say overkill?) theistic belief systems and dogma.

Sam Harris made a similar point to your blog- that atheism shouldn't even need to be a title. That day may eventually come, and I too welcome it gladly.

Anonymous said...

Well said. Resonates with me. I saw your post on Reddit and submitted it to the Stumble Upon site. Maybe it'll take off. :)

Dana Hunter said...

When you put it like that...

Death to atheism!

If only I could live to see the day. Kids scratching their heads. "You were a what?" We'd be studied in history class. Students rolling their eyes and saying, "Duh! Of course there's no gods. You guys sure were dumb."

Tremendous.

Efrique said...

Hi guys - thanks for all the kind words.

JD - thanks for the submit.

Anonymous said...

I think I have to disagree somewhat with Travis. Theism, and thus atheism derives from the word theos, from greek, for god. And according to the oxford american dictionary the definition of the word religion is "the belief in and worship of a super human controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods".
I think the problem that this whole argument stems from is that atheism, to some, sometimes seems a bit evangelical, even as a religion on its own. Which is, of course, and as often shown by logical argument, complete and utter rubbish.