Organized Atheism

Lindsay and I just saw the movie 'Religulous' by Bill Maher yesterday. For those that don't know him, Maher is a very politically charged comedian, or a very humorous political commentator, its hard to say. He hosts a talk show in which he interviews guests of all political varieties. I was not really familiar with him until this movie, and I must say, I am glad I didnt know him because I sure don't want to know him now.

The movie is a documentary on religion, but its not really clear that there is a thesis or driving point at all. Bill Maher is an atheist and he makes that clear quickly. The movie consists of him going around and asking people of different religions to explain some of the most inexplicable passages of the bible. His mission it appears is to make people who will never admit that they are wrong, look like idiots on camera. Asking questions about scripture, and then mocking the answers he recieves. At one point a man is talking about the little miracles he had experienced throughout his life, like putting a glass out the window and asking for water, only to have it start raining. Maher openly mocks him, and tells him that the coincidences in his life are pathetic excuses for miracles. Maher concludes his two hour 'Look at the dumb fundamentalists, lets all point and laugh, MOCKumentary' with a call to arms. Maher calls for all the Atheists of the world to stand up and let themselves be known, establishing themselves as an entity.

This brings us to the meat of this entry. The new movement of Organized Atheism, an ideological shift which has seen the worlds doubters come together to create a new market for the product of reassurance and validation. Richard Dawkins book The God Delusion became an international hit a few years ago and has become, in my mind, a milestone in the creation of this market. I have not fully read this book, in fact, I have barely started it, I hope one day I will finish it so that I can speak on it with more intelligence than I can now. The reason I have not read the book, is that I could tell early on that I would be offended by the tone of the book, a mocking, self righteous tone that felt unnecessary. What is the source of this new kind of Atheism? I am not sure but I know I don't like it.

Bill Maher, and Richard Dawkins are set to become the new deities for a religion of skeptics, but why do we need them, why do we even need to be a we. The only unifying thing about atheists is that we don't share a belief in a higher being. Is that what we share, nothing, is that something to build a cultural movement around? I havent been to a meeting of Non-Alcoholics un-anonymous, should I start my own? do we need to get together every saturday night and talk about how obviously right we are that there is no higher power. I often believe that people are most fundamental about their beliefs when they need to be reassured that they are right. The most avid churchgoers might go so often because they need the constant reassurance that there is a God above them. So would the Dawkins United Non-Church of Toronto have a strong following of people who were scared that they were about to start believing?? The new cult of Atheism scares me.

The call to arms in the last 5 minutes of Religulous was incredibly disturbing. Maher was talking about coming together under atheism while images of war were playing behind him. He was trying to reference the dangers of Religous zeal, but how different would organized atheism be? Maher is the kind of person that I think of when i think about a religious nut. Someone who no longer possesses logic or reason, but is blind in his cause.

Atheism is not about anything, it is not about believing anything in particular, nor following any staunch guideline. To me being an atheist is just having one less thing to worry about. I don't need to read books to prove how right I am, and now I know that I don't need to watch movies to prove how wrong all those believers are.

I think the kind of atheism I like best is found in the strip above. it is self deprecating, and yet a little bit of a paradox but fun and light hearted. Sort of.