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A lot of people make wild generalizations about what atheists believe. Only one generalization is valid: atheists do not believe in any gods. There are atheists who are
Not believing in God does not make any one road inevitable, but to me it does shut down one option: the option not to care. Many religious people use their religion as a reason not to bother with the world around them, either because they do not think that this world matters as much as their other world or because they think that their friend in the sky will ensure that nothing bad happens to them and their world. Billions of religious people are carrying on as if God will cure the problems of the world. If God wants the world population to be limited he will limit it, if God wants slaves freed and women to have equal rights he will ensure that it comes to pass. Belief in God becomes a justification for apathy and inaction. That is one reason why many of the most active political campaigners have been atheists, with no God to do the work it falls to men. I do not intend to deny the good work done by theist politicians. Many great political movements have been formed and run by believers. However a theistic or fatalistic world view is a common reason for apathy, whatever will be will be, or whatever God wills will come to pass. If you do not believe in God and do have a rationalist view of life then you have to confront yourself over politics. A choice becomes necessary. It is not a tenable position to trust in the benevolence of a God you do not believe in. This was the starting position I had in politics, the world is obviously less than perfect, how can we improve it? |
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