Do you have enough faith to be an atheist?

It wasn’t meant as a trick question. It just came up in conversation. I was talking with a lifelong friend who has started attending an Alpha Course. Like many in our modern, secular world he is open to the possibility that there might be a God but doesn’t see that there is enough evidence. Having faith in a God seems a step beyond reason, a leap in the dark. He is an atheist because he doesn’t think he can have the kind of faith that he sees in believing Christians β€¦

So … you don’t have enough faith to believe in God β€” but you do have enough faith to be an atheist?

… I asked him. Meaning what?

Atheism is a faith with a set of beliefs 

Is atheism really some kind of faith? Yes. Like any other faith it’s possible to identify atheism’s central beliefs. Granted there is some variance across atheist believers – like any other religion. And depending on who you talk to, some atheist believers are even β€œfundamentalists”, intolerant to any other worldview, and evangelistic in spreading their own beliefs β€” again like other religions. Here is what we could say is their basic creed:*

  • The universe exists by chance
  • Everything can be discovered by science
  • Humans are the ultimate judge of all things – there is no final moral reckoning
  • Any value or purpose of life can be worked out from the wisdom of mankind
  • Nothing exists beyond this life – there is no ultimate source of trust in the universe
  • There is no purpose or meaning to the universe (And it’s a silly question to ask anyway β€” see below)
  • Human ideals are progress, tolerance, and individualism

The universe and chance

….. that looks like a belief system to me. But not only that, secular atheism is pretty exclusive in its beliefs:

Atheism is a faith that claims there is only one kind of truth

If it’s not scientific it doesn’t count

The idea that we must answer all questions about our universe and our being by science alone is widespread. There’s even a name for it β€œScientism” – which roughly means that all questions must be answered by scientific method, all truth must be amenable to science. Now science certainly is an excellent tool for understanding our world but it cannot answer a lot of questions we as humans have, like say … Why is there a universe at all? … What is the value of a human being? Richard Dawkins says these are β€œsilly questions”, which is a cheap shot at saying there’s something wrong with you if you ask them.

Let’s look at another faith – the one that believes in God.

This faith takes on board not just science that emerges empirically from a lab, but ALL the evidence. As well as science, this faith takes on board historical evidence for the life of Jesus Christ and the reliability of the Bible (evidence which is a mile high compared with many historical events). This faith considers the facts of an empty tomb and the witness of early disciples who were transformed into starting a worldwide movement called the church. This faith takes seriously the notion that our universe is incredibly β€œfine-tuned” for life to an almost incomprehensible extent.  And this faith takes into account peoples’ experiences over 2,000 years β€” people who convincingly claim their lives have been changed. This faith understands that there are other kinds of evidence and other kinds of truth besides scientific … there is spiritual, ethical and moral truth, there is experiential truth, truth as allegory and metaphor. There is literature, history, philosophy…. There is not just science.

Scientism in any case is self-defeating. Saying β€œit’s not scientific so ignore it” … is itself not scientific. There is no scientific theory that says β€œall answers must come from science”,  no experiment that can prove β€œscience must be your only worldview”. Surely the way to approach all questions is to say, I want to find out the truth – even if that that truth lies outside my narrow comfort-zone.

Atheism and Christianity

Atheism is a faith that doesn’t add up

John Lenox, Professor and Christian at Oxford points out something else: if your brain is the result of mindless, unguided processes – why would you even trust it?

To be sure, atheism is a belief system in many ways like any other. Yet when you say that to atheists it touches a raw nerve as I have found – but great discussions can result!**

Prof John Lenox again:

Atheists like to say that Christianity is a fairy tale for people who are afraid of the dark; I suggest that atheism is a fairy tale for people who are afraid of the light

I don’t have enough faith to believe that the universe is some kind of gigantic car-crash, a colossal accident that just happened to come about. I don’t have enough faith to believe that there was a big bang followed by an ordered world. It’s a step beyond reason, a leap in the dark. I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

This blog was published by Premier Christianity and attracted a lengthy comment threads as did a reply post by atheist Cory Markum.

Next in our series The Atheism Thread: The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist
*List mainly derived from Mission Under Scrutiny, Andrew Kirk
** See for example extended comment threads on a previous blog and also here.New Atheism

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[…] This article was written for the Unbelievable and published by Premier Christianity Looking for more? Try Do you have enough faith to be an atheist? […]

Gary M
Gary M
7 years ago

I believe that traditional/conservative Christianity can be proven false in just five minutes by knocking out the three pillars of the Christian Faith (belief system): 1. The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus 2. The Accuracy of Old Testament Prophecy 3. The Witness of the Holy Spirit And here is the evidence that destroys these three superstition-based claims: 1. Based on cumulative human experience, it is much more probable that the early Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus was due to one disciple’s bereavement hallucination (probably Simon Peter’s) than a once in history reanimation of a three-day-brain-dead corpse. Persons who experience hallucinations… Read more »

De Ha
De Ha
7 years ago

β€œScientism” is a Theist strawman where you accuse those who believe in Science of taking a completely unscientific attitude towards Science. 

It’s like accusing feminists of kidnapping women and chaining them to office cubicles. It’s A rediculous exaggeration that completely defeats the point.

De Ha
De Ha
6 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

There you go again! β€œScience can be your only worldview” is a strawman. Hell, even the word β€œWorldview” is a concept I tend to reject. Rule of thumb; if you can’t find where someone SPECIFICALLY said the thing you’re accusing them of saying, don’t say β€œ since this statement itself is not provable scientifically” I stated no such thing or anything close to any such thing. In your mind, I IMPLIED it, but your fever dreams are beyond my controll.  This is exactly why it’s a strawman that makes no sense. You think β€œScience” is just a thing the elete do… Read more »

Matthew
Matthew
7 years ago

I’ve found that Christians love to equivocate on the term β€œfaith.” Biblical faith is not merely something like, β€œoh, I have faith that the sun will come up tomorrow” or β€œI have faith my car will start.” Biblical, religious faith is belief even when there is no strong evidence or reasons to support your beliefs. Some typical examples of this kind of faith, which are highly praised by β€œGod,” come from Hebrews 11 (the β€œHall of Faith” chapter): Abraham went out of his country (by faith) not even knowing where he was going, and Sarah was past childbearing age, but… Read more »

Matthew
Matthew
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

You’re equivocating on β€œbelief” and β€œtrust.” β€œBelief” or β€œtrust” in a chemistry experiment or in testable scientific theories is not at all the same as a β€œbelief” or β€œtrust” that god will make a 90-year-old woman pregnant (e.g. Sarah in the bible). You really are violating the 9th commandment here.  β€œYes,” I am interested in empirical/scientific evidence. Hopefully you are too. You wrote that there is β€œhuge evidence and reason for Christianity,” but no one disputes that. Of course Christianity exists and has had a long history. I assume that you meant to say β€œfor god,” rather than β€œfor Christianity,”… Read more »

David Snell
David Snell
7 years ago
Reply to  Matthew

Hi Matthew
For me there are 4 understandings in the word β€˜faith’ mentioned in scripture Hebrews 11 being one.There is also β€˜the faith’ which Christians are a part of.
To reject a Creator God and settle for a 30000000000000000000000000 (at least) chance of creation just happening requires a decision β€ša decision based probably on other peoples ideas.

Paul Hobson
Paul Hobson
7 years ago

As someone who came to faith 10 years ago I’ve concentrated much of my reading since then on deepening my understanding of the Christian faith, and how to better live it out. It’s been valuable to understand a little more the varied thinking of people who do not believe in God/a God. Thanks for writing the blog and inviting comments.

De Ha
De Ha
7 years ago

It wasn’t meant as a trick question. It just came up in conversation. I was talking with a lifelong friend who has started attending an Alpha Course. Like many in our modern, secular world he is open to the possibility that there might be a God but doesn’t see that there is enough evidence. Having faith in a God seems a step beyond reason, a leap in the dark. He is an atheist because he doesn’t think he can have the kind of faith that he sees in believing Christians β€¦ So … you don’t have enough faith to believe in… Read more »

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[…] to beliefs which are clearly a result of their atheism. We covered many of these in the recent post Do you have enough faith to be an atheist? In fact Andy shows that not only is atheism a belief system – a faith – it is a core part of an […]

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[…] I didn’t and I don’t have enough faith to believe that incredibly implausible scenarios happen in sequence, by accident. I don’t have enough faith to believe that things appear and start by themselves. I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist. […]

Illum
Illum
7 years ago

Well, the fact that some atheists – the people – might accept some things on faith doesn’t mean that atheism is a position of faith. Atheism – the definition of the actual ism – is that one doesn’t believe any gods exist. That doesn’t have anything to do with faith. Faith is a possible reason for believing something as true; not a reason for not believing something as true. Faith is implied to be belief about something. I freely grant you that some atheists – the people (!!) – might possibly accept some of those things. And possibly on faith… Read more »

Damien van Hoogen van
Damien van Hoogen van
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

WOW! Not sure how I got to this page, but ill leave my mark. Atheism is not a belief system β€” its an adjective like blonde or tall. You cannot infer anything about an aetheist other than they don’t believe in god. Just as I cannot infer that theists are weak minded or homophobic. I can statistically infer things, and those statements would be valid, but not polite to infer, as you may have just discovered. This is called stereotyping.  Atheists mostly to be children of the enlightenment who cant be pressured or frightened into believing things without evidence, it doesn’t… Read more »

Damien van Hoogen van
Damien van Hoogen van
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

Hi Chris,

You seem to have ignored a large chunk of my contribution or perhaps just not understood it.
Another example perhaps: Just as the label theist does not tell you whether a person believes in Allah or Zeus, nor does the label atheist tell you somebody believes in evolution. Again; yes you can make statistical inferences based on survey data but then your not describing a person, your making inferences about a person.

To your second point: it is completely wrong that we could provide treatments for these suffering and dying children

Damien van Hoogen van
Damien van Hoogen van
7 years ago

whoops.… hit post prematurely

To your second point: it is completely wrong that we could provide treatments for these suffering and dying children. There are many thousands of ailments we cannot cure even with all the will and resources in the world. Even if we could, this would have only been true for the past decade. As of 200 years ago, a full 1/3 of children died before the age of two. What kind of cruel god would do such a thing. Answer: Loki?

Damien van Hoogen van
Damien van Hoogen van
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

HI Chris, You are talking past me at this stage regarding my first point. In case it has been lost in the semantics: Atheism says nothing about a person other that they don’t believe in a god. But you can take it or leave it I suppose. Re suffering, just to name a few: Cancer, Alzheimers, HIV, AIDS and type 1 diabetes. There would be many others if you cared to look. If we are talking infants specifically then: Premature babies (20 weeks), SIDS, Pnemonia, Whooping cough, cogenital diseases, infections and general birthing problems like asphyxiation. The first two on… Read more »

Damien van Hoogen van
Damien van Hoogen van
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

Hey. No I don’t have any beliefs that aetheism has let me towards (as you say). Why would it? If you started from a belief in god then it might change things for you but that’s not a sensible starting point. I began life not believing and continue to not believe in any gods. The absence of a god does not figure into my assessment of almost every decision I make and thought I have.  That’s fine I knew you could not account for the suffering in any sensible way. Many academic religious scholars more articulate and knowledge than both of… Read more »

Damien van Hoogen van
Damien van Hoogen van
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

Hi Chris, Feel free to accuse me of waffle if you think I’m guilty of it β€” I definitely wont take offence, although I may disagree.  No I never said β€œgod would not allow suffering” or any permutation of this. This term is pretty popular now; strawman β€” you are responding to a point I never made. The point I did make was made repeatedly and has been made by many great thinkers and religious scholars β€” although you seem to be much busier than i am, so I will be charitable and assume it was an innocent mistake. In… Read more »

Agshin Jafarov
7 years ago

Atheism is like faith and has many attributes of a faith but it is also different from the faith as traditionally understood. I have the first hand experience of some of the features that make it very much similar to a faith. In the Soviet Union atheism or naturalistic worldview blended in with atheism and scientism was systematically enforced through educational system. When I was growing up, there was a time when simply talking about God or taking religion seriously would make people laugh at you.
So yes, atheism is kind of a faith.

Agshin Jafarov
7 years ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

Actually, it is quite opposite nowadays, Chris. I grew up in Azerbaijan (Muslim-majority nation) and during the Soviet regime (it was one of the 15 republics within the USSR) majority of people in my country were secularized Muslims who did not care much about (any) religion. Basically, the religion (in this case Islam) was reduced to folk faith of older generation. But after the fall of the Soviets the situation drastically changed. Nowadays conservative Islam is on the rise and being atheist in my country is not as accepted as it was, say, twenty years ago. Nowadays, atheism is kind… Read more »

Ron Hyde
Ron Hyde
7 years ago

Hi Chris Just read the Atheists Faith blog. really good and certainly made me think. Some really good points I will use next time I get in a debate with an atheist!

mart
mart
7 years ago

One of the best yet! Excellent! Many thanks .….. typo β€¦β€œfairy take”

APK
APK
7 years ago

Not sure I will remember all your points but really good summary of what exactly atheists believe (even though they say they don’t believe!)

Sunil Raheja
7 years ago

Great insights Chris! As you rightly point out atheism is itself based on faith β€” that there is no meaning or purpose to the world and everything is a matter of chance. But if I am going to say that I don’t want to say that I have no meaning or purpose either β€” instinctively i want my life to matter. Also it is tautological β€” if there are no absolutes how can I make an absolute statement that there are no absolutes? The real issue seems to be I don’t want there to be a God, and there are… Read more »

Cathy Buntin
Cathy Buntin
7 years ago

Hi Chris thanks for this that is a really interesting concept I have never thought that Atheism is a faith. I really enjoyed this article thanks for sharing