While many would unequivocally agree that all the various sects of the often violently disposed “western” religions, be they Christian, Islamic or Judaic, defy logic in their central mythologies, these mythologies are merely the thread of which the fabric of “faith” has heretofore been made. These mythologies do not constitute faith itself, but rather a belief system that seeks to inspire faith, however increasingly ineffectual those mythologies, and perhaps, finally, all mythologies may be. The fact that these ancient (and not so ancient) mythologies are increasingly irrelevant to rational humans does not reduce the necessity in human beings for “faith”.
That word is appallingly discounted and ill-used in your article on atheism, and the lack of respect for the word, and for the necessity of faith itself, is the reason why atheism, as defined by your article’s proponents, will never be widely embraced. Faith is very much akin to hope, and all progressive development begins with hope. One must have faith in life to live it. Mythologies are “beliefs”, which are generally irrational and often totally improbable fictions designed to project the believer past the often horrible circumstances evident in the world via “faith”. Prior to any widespread scientific or rational understanding of the physical world, such projection was the only escape from an often cruel, even intolerable life on this planet. In fact, rationality is still a luxury enjoyed by a relative minority on this planet.
We have only begun to envision a world where mythological beliefs are unnecessary. But, faith itself will continue to be a fundamental (if I may use that word) necessity in the human psyche. After all, faith is what allows us to believe in ourselves, even when all evidence makes our actions seem unredeemable. And, doesn’t your article ask that we accept the reason and rationality of the scientific process, itself an evolving system of beliefs, on faith? Every major scientific thought originated in “a leap of faith”, however rational the premise. The irrational belief system of the religionists needs to be replaced with a rational, scientific (if you will) belief system. But, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. In fact, we will never move past religion unless we “keep the faith, baby”.
Shawn FarnsworthLos Angeles, CA
