CURRENT EVENT: "ATHEISM BENEFITS SOCIETY"

What if one was asked, what is the meaning of life? How would they answer? Author James A. Haught says that an appropriate and acceptable answer would be "I don't know." Within the article, the author describes why he became an Atheist, and why Atheism can be beneficial. He believed that Atheists are among the most honest people. He claims that Atheists do not solely invest their ideas in beliefs that cannot be proven. "Nobody actually knows where beliefs come from." Implying that faith can only prove so much. Like many Atheists, the author relies on physical evidence. Many religious followers base their ideas off of their faith, and the things that their religions have taught them to accept and believe. However, the author helps illustrate the idea that many people do not believe in a certain religion because they need logic. Their ideas only take them so far, and therefore evidence, or some logical understand of how and why things happen cause them to identify as Atheists. Religion ideas do not satisfy their want for proof and logic. "It was a revelation explaining much of existence. Science became an obsession, a portal to understanding reality. Slowly, religion's claims of invisible gods, devils, heavens, hells, angels, demons, miracles and messiahs turned into fairy tales." To the author, this physical proof created his beliefs and ideas. Past faiths in things such as miracles and messiahs disappeared with the concepts that science illustrated. As the author illustrates, many Atheists use religion as an example of why faith could be false. The author uses examples such as earthquakes, wars, suicide bombings, etc., and tries to contradict the ideas of religion by stating things such as, "No compassionate creator would devise killer earthquakes and hurricanes." Furthermore, the author illustrates that the root of his atheism is distrust, and doubt. "Religion offers no proof except writings left by long-dead holy men." These writings are not enough proof in his mind. He doubts their holiness and the ideas they convey because there is no logical evidence that says he should. Faith is not enough to him. "A person with integrity doesn't claim to know supernatural things that he or she doesn't know. An honest person wants solid evidence to support assertions, and is leery of baseless claims." Within his claim he implies that those who believe in religious ideas and faith are actually the wrong ones. There is no logic behind their ideas, and they are passing along an unproven, possibly false message. Therefore, in the author's mind, honesty and integrity come from those who have cold, hard, logical, proof.

James A. Haught. "Atheism Benefits Society." Opposing Viewpoints: Atheism. Ed. Beth Rosenthal. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 10 Feb. 2010 .