From: gdicovit@gmuvax2.gmu.edu (Gregory Dicovitsky)
Subject: Re: athiesm & hope
Organization: George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 05:35:40 GMT

Having been unable to recall the article which asked the question, "Where do
athiests find hope?" I have decided to post here. I apologize to the author
of this earlier article for not giving a direct reply. It was a simple and 
insightful question.

Athiesm is based in hope. Its first form may often appear to a beleiver to be 
based strictly upon a person's revulsion with the dogma they are exposed to, 
however, such a reaction would not take place unless there was a beleif
somewhere in the subconsious that "some alternative" that would better 
explain their universe. This reaction is one of hope, hope that there is a 
better explanation. 

As a side note: I have found many theists feel threatenned by athiesm. I can't
blame them. They generally find their beleifs comforting and beautiful, 
whether they're Catholic, Protestant, Moslem, Jewish, etc... They don't like 
to have what comforts them threatenned. It's a very human reaction. 

Athiesm may sound scary at first. There is no afterlife. There is no supreme
being watching over us. Both these items imply that we as humans have complete
responsibility for our actions. That's a heavy moral burden. I view it as 
a challenge that we athiests face. We can and do meet it. I have heard the 
argument taht athiests are not reliable, because they are not accountable to 
anyone or anything. My reaction: if an athiest is a good person, he is a 
good person because he wants to be, not because it's forced on him. 

Athiests can and do take pride in being good, ethical people. In our ethical
values, we can pick and choose from the best that the religions can offer, 
and improve on them at will. This provides our society with a growth path for
ethical development, where other societies, where rules based in dogma are 
maintained run the risk of reaching a point of perpetual stasis, since they 
will be bound to such rules. 

Another item is that athiesm is free from the humano-centric views that 
many religions take. If there is a supreme being, it is a very egotistical 
thing to say that you are made in its image. Athiesm holds no such pretense. 

Another is the hope that the truth of the universe can be found anywhere in 
the universe, not just to the few select cultures where gods reveal themselves
and others. I would personally hold a system of beleifs in high regard if two
cultures, without ever having any contact, arrive at the same conclusions. 

Another is that, despite the dogma, the wars, the crime, humanity is, at its
core, a good force. Yes, we've had our blunders, and we will continue to make
more.  But civilization has grown, making life less harsh for much of the 
world's population. We're now starting to understand our environment  as 
well. Despotic rulers are fading from the scene being peacably replaced by
democratic governments. Wether we know it or not, we are not inclined toward
evil. 

In short, athiesm is empowerment. We have hope that someday either we or 
our descendents will understand the true nature of the universe. We are 
willing to take responsibility for our actions, and humanity's actions, and
we beleive we can make our universe better for our children. I beleive that
it is inherently in our nature to do so. We are empowered to take the best
of each religion, and incoporate it into our systems of ethics. We live without
dogma. 

I too am curious about the positive aspects of athiesm. I would like to see
more discussion. I beleive I have barely scratched the surface on why athiesm
and humanity are both good. What give other athiests hope?