10 myths-and 10 Truths-About Atheism
By Sam Harris
December 24, 2006
The Los Angeles Times
SEVERAL POLLS indicate that the term "atheism" has acquired such an
extraordinary stigma in the United States that being an atheist is now a
perfect impediment to a career in politics (in a way that being black,
Muslim or homosexual is not). According to a recent Newsweek poll, only 37%
of Americans would vote for an otherwise qualified atheist for president.
Atheists are often imagined to be intolerant, immoral, depressed, blind to
the beauty of nature and dogmatically closed to evidence of the
supernatural.
Even John Locke, one of the great patriarchs of the Enlightenment, believed
that atheism was "not at all to be tolerated" because, he said, "promises,
covenants and oaths, which are the bonds of human societies, can have no
hold upon an atheist."
That was more than 300 years ago. But in the United States today, little
seems to have changed. A remarkable 87% of the population claims "never to
doubt" the existence of God; fewer than 10% identify themselves as
atheists - and their reputation appears to be deteriorating.
Given that we know that atheists are often among the most intelligent and
scientifically literate people in any society, it seems important to deflate
the myths that prevent them from playing a larger role in our national
discourse.
1) Atheists believe that life is meaningless.
On the contrary, religious people often worry that life is meaningless and
imagine that it can only be redeemed by the promise of eternal happiness
beyond the grave. Atheists tend to be quite sure that life is precious. Life
is imbued with meaning by being really and fully lived. Our relationships
with those we love are meaningful now; they need not last forever to be made
so. Atheists tend to find this fear of meaninglessness . well . meaningless.
....
