So many words are spilt today arguing about the non-existence of an almighty that it’s easy to forget that atheism isn’t the end goal. Far from it.
Atheism is just the beginning. It’s the question of what comes after God where things become really interesting.
Because atheism is ultimately only a negative thesis: it simply states that there exists no god or gods. As such, to say I’m an atheist tells you something about what I don’t believe in, but it tells you almost nothing about what I do believe in.
It’s the positive beliefs that really matter – beliefs in values and morality; in how the world is, and how it ought to be; about what constitutes a good life; in how society ought to be run.
Hammering away at religion and promoting atheism without also positing some positive beliefs only tears down one edifice, flawed though it may be, while leaving a gaping void in its stead.
The retreat of religion also isn’t without cost. Religion has long been one of the pillars of our society, and its erosion carries away some good with the bad.
Religion has always been more than just a system of beliefs and a set of moral prescriptions.
It has long been a hub of our community, where we’d gather weekly to mingle with our neighbours, strengthening social bonds and fostering a sense of belonging that is so often absent in today’s siloed neighbourhoods.
As one simple example of the significance of this function of religion, consider that a few decades ago you were very likely to meet your spouse at church.
Yet, today, without that community melting pot, many are forced into the hostile environs of clubs and bars, or to engage online dating services for lack of spontaneous interaction with those of their community.
The church – or the temple, the mosque, the synagogue – also wasn’t only a place of worship, it was a place of solace.
When times were tough, there was always somewhere to turn. In fact, these days one of the biggest causes for non-believers to return to the church is a divorce or death in the family.
Sure, we have counsellors and psychiatrists today who do invaluable work, but they’re one-off services rather than integrated into a one-stop package deal.
Religion also offered something that is rare in the secular world: it provided us with a sense of our place (however small) in this magnificent universe. It provided us with wonder, humility and a feeling of where we fit in to the world.
Certainly, such sensations can come from a night of astronomy, from reading a book of poetry, a walk along a mountain range or by contemplating DNA.
But, again, these are isolated experiences rather than woven together within an overarching framework of meaning.
Of course, this is not to suggest for a moment that religion is all good.
Religion is often stifling, overly conformist and traditionalist, fear- and guilt-inspiring, and doles out moral proclamations that often cause more harm than good, such as blanket prohibitions on abortion or euthanasia, or limits on stem cell research.
Religion can oppress as much as uplift. And, ultimately, any worldview based on the shaky metaphysics of the supernatural is bound to make errors in its belief system and moral outlook.
So, with what to replace religion? Humanism is one option – and, I think, a very promising one. But it’s only part of the answer. Humanism still struggles to be more than a list of dry rational beliefs – fine though they are.
Yet while the language of moral philosophy might be reason, the language of morality itself is poetry. Humanism needs to engage and inspire as much as stimulate rational reflection.
In order for any secular worldview to truly provide an alternative to religion, it has to be more than something we can believe in. It has to be something we can participate in.
Secular philosophies need to evolve beyond their negative statements and dry rational principles to become secular cultures.
They need to reach out and engage the community, bring people together, educate us, lift us when we’re down, inspire us and give us a place in the world.
And if they do so, perhaps much of the argument over atheism might fade away.
Many who are reluctant to turn their backs on religion may not be entirely unsympathetic with the atheist argument, but they may be unwilling to unshackle themselves from an institution that provides them with so much.
When secular philosophies can offer the same or better, and when secularism moves beyond simply stating that God doesn’t exist, then we might truly see an end to religion.
Tim Dean will give a talk for the Secular Party in Sydney tomorrow night. See all the details here.
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