I’ve been in a lot of debates with religious believers over the years. And some of the ugliest, nastiest, most bigoted anti-atheist rhetoric I’ve heard has come from progressive and moderate believers espousing the supposedly tolerant principles of ecumenicalism. I’ve been called a fascist, a zealot, a missionary; I’ve been called hateful, intolerant, close-minded, dogmatic; I’ve been compared to Glenn Beck and Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler more times than I can count. All by progressive and moderate believers, who were outraged at the very notion of atheists pointing out the flaws in religious ideas and making an argument that these ideas are probably not true. Progressive and moderate believers who normally are passionate advocates for free expression of ideas will get equally passionate about demanding that atheists shut the hell up. Progressive and moderate believers who normally are all over the idea of diversity and multiculturalism will get intensely defensive of homogeny when one of the voices in the rich cultural tapestry is saying, “I don’t think God exists, and here’s why.”
As one who considers himself “good without God,” I’ve always been amused by the expectations of religious believers that I respect their beliefs. Never mind that this expectation is very often not reciprocated, the idea being that since I don’t believe in God I’m irredeemably mistaken and therefore unworthy of mutual respect. Here’s the thing, though; while I certainly endeavor to respect the RIGHT of someone to believe what they will (this is still a free country and the 1st Amendment still holds true), I’m under no obligation to respect the beliefs themselves. I can (and very often do) believe someone’s beliefs to be uninformed and ignorant to the point of being total bullshit…but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect their right to believe as they see fit. If someone is going to give voice to their beliefs, I’m well within my rights to call bullshit if I believe it to be warranted. Of course, we may both be errant, but that’s the beauty of our democracy and the 1st Amendment that greases its skids.
When it comes to atheism, though, more often than not it’s not only the belief that’s disrespected, it’s the right to hold that belief. As former Texas Governor/Pastor Rick Perry once said, “Freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religion.” I choose not to believe in a Supreme Being/Imaginary Friend because I choose not to cede control over and responsibility for my life to a force I can neither see nor whose existence I can ascertain. If I had to choose a religion (I identify primarily with Buddhism), I’d go with “Kindness,” if for no other reason than it seems so absent among those who consider themselves to be religious.
Why should I be required to show more respect for a religious person than they should be expected to show me? My spirituality is every bit as valid as anyone else’s. It’s not a “lack of belief” as many religious believers might think; it’s merely a different belief. Until my rights are respected- until an atheist can run for office in this country without being considered an agent of Satan, f’rinstance- I wouldn’t waste your breath talking to me about how I must respects your beliefs. You almost certainly wouldn’t like or appreciate my response.
Respect should be given as well as received, and until religious believers are willing to respect those who don’t share their beliefs, the likelihood of gaining respect from those who, like me, don’t believe in their God will remain deservedly minimal.
