Why Atheists Shouldn't Make Fun of Religious Believers
Bill Maher will be releasing his new documentary, Religulous, this Friday. I was interested at first, but the more I saw, the less I wanted to see. I think Bill, and other atheists like him such as Richard Dawkins who "go on the offense" are making a mistake for two reasons:
1. In centuries past, those who have sought freedom from religion have been persecuted for their lack of belief in God. Bruno is perhaps the ultimate example. If atheism has within its system a superior ethic for the treatment of other human beings, shouldn't its proponents lead out? The mockery and persecution of others for their beliefs is, in my view, the antithesis of ethical atheism. Rational argument, tolerance, education, and uplifting humanism on the other hand, is what I see as the height of doubt.
2. Irrational belief is the "default setting" for human beings, and as long as our species has death and birth, irrational belief in something will always outpace the philosophy of doubt. Since doubt requires considerable time and education, atheists---by mathematical constraint---will always be in the minority. Mocking the religious, therefore, may be a grave tactical error in the fight for populous doubt: a short-term win may become the impetus for a long-term washout. Supposing religious belief is ignorance, then the opposition need only reproduce faster to win; meanwhile, atheists need to both reproduce and educate their offspring.
If you are an atheist, I hope you will hear this plea: Don't take the low road to "bringing people around" to your view. It will backfire.
