The Faith of Atheism

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post in which I asked this question:

So, how can (weak) atheism be automatically justified when it doesn’t offer an answer to the biggest question any of us will ever ask? Can we really construct a worldview around an unanswered question? That is not a rhetorical question, I would really like an answer.

Recent criticisms of that post never answered the questions I asked. The closest answer I received was this from Austin Cline:

It is true that atheism, as mere disbelief in gods, doesn't tell us whether Apollo, Odin, Krishna, or Yahweh exist. (My reply)

But, nothing explaining how one can construct a worldview around an unanswered question (Mr. Cline should be careful with his sarcasm considering his refusal, or failure, to answer that question). All I received was more talk about how it is the theist who makes the claim that God exists, and therefore the burden of proof falls on him. If he cannot prove his claim, then disbelief is the only logical reaction.

Atheists are atheists primarily because they believe logic has lead them there. Atheists hold on to logic very closely. So closely, in fact, that even though they admit it has failed them, they continue to hold on to it.

So, why hold on to it? If logic has failed you before, and you admit that it has, then why continue to trust in it? It is as if they hope that one day logic will not fail them. One day, even though it has failed them many times before, one day it will answer their questions. And not just the God question. I’m sure if he really cared to, an atheist could list all the times that logic has failed to answer a question.

There is wisdom in old sayings. One old saying that comes to mind now is, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” If I put my trust in someone and he fails me in that trust, then I would be careful about trusting him again. If logic has failed to answer a question, especially an important one such as “Is there a god?” then why continue to trust it? It takes a great deal of faith to continue to trust something that has failed you before. Most people would turn to other methods of discovery once they realized that logic fails. Only the truly faithful will keep coming back. They are blinded by their devotion. They refuse to see reality because it doesn’t fit into the little box they have constructed for themselves.

–J.E. Heath
Enthralled by my wisdom? Get more at per-fidem.org.
Comments? Email us.

Texian Weblog © Copyright 2005, Jason E. Heath