There are many atheists that are careful to draw a distinction between the following two statements:
- I believe there is no god
- I do not believe there is a god
They argue that point 1 is a positive claim to which supporting evidence must be provided. Proving a negative can place an onerous burden on the shoulders of the non-believer. Whereas point 2 is not a claim at all. Those who identify with the former statement are termed hard atheists. While those who identify with the latter statement are known as soft atheists.
I highlight the terminology to illustrate that amongst the atheist community there is a good deal of care taken when specifying what a given individual believes in versus what they do not believe in, as there should be. Theists should respect these distinctions along with the individuals themselves. A lack of belief is not some sort of disorder that requires treatment. Nor is agnosticism, or religious non-affiliation. The religious “nones” have been growing over many years and our societies have not collapsed as a result. In fact some nations with the highest rates of religious non-affiliation have the highest rates of happiness as well, with strong social fabrics based on secularism and the common good. Such examples include the Scandinavian countries of northern Europe. Nor has The Greatest Love felt the need to make Themselves clearly visible in response to the decline of some religious denominations. They do not judge what you believe so long as you act with love in your heart.
That is not to say that beliefs are not important. Beliefs can enrich our lives and provide it with meaning and purpose and they can of course influence how we act. And it is when people are unwilling to believe in anything at all that I become concerned. We must acknowledge that beliefs wield tremendous power and always will.
For example a belief that all people are created equal, caused a British colony to shed her monarchial chains via a revolutionary war to birth a democratic nation in its place.
A belief that humanity belongs amongst the stars caused that same nation to take the first leap to our moon nearly 200 years after its independence was won.
And a belief that all persons deserve the dignity of healthcare have caused us to eliminate the global scourge of smallpox. Similar efforts continue to this day with polio eradication efforts.
No the problem is not with beliefs. It is in finding something that your heart can take hold of and place its faith within. Beliefs do not need to involve a mainstream religion, or a god. Beliefs can start with the love found in our own lives. Believe in the love found amongst our closest friends and family. Once established that belief may grow to encompass a much larger circle, perhaps even a global circle wide enough to, for example, believe that humanity can cure any affliction that may befall her. Or a belief in the power of love to change our World. Or a belief in a better tomorrow.
Rejecting such loving beliefs as these are, must be viewed as a loss of hope. And personally I just do not see it. Yes the World has many problems, but look at how far we have come and the inexhaustible potential we continue to have. We must never lose hope. We must reject such hopelessness and despair for what it is: a loss of faith in humanity.
A loss of faith in our love.
A Love Story 