Without God, You Have No Hope

Today I got into a slightly confrontational argument with a small group of Christians in the cafeteria today at dinner. They were talking to one person who looked down and a bit beat by their words, and I heard the whispers of Hell and the words, "When you read the Bible don't read it with your mind. Open up to it."

I asked him why he left church (he indicated earlier that he used to go) and he said he just fell out of it. I confided in him that I myself have left church years ago and it was the best decision of my life. Through glares of a Christian woman I explained to him that ultimately it is his decision what path he takes and that he must take responsibility for his own actions and beliefs.

Then the woman turned her attention towards me and started berating me about my own beliefs. At first she didn't know I was an atheist but a Christian friend of mine introduced me to her and he couldn't bring himself to say, "he is an atheist."

So I said, "Yes, hi, I'm the prominent atheist on center." Which is the truth. I'm one of the most outspoken atheists at this Job Corps center. She seemed taken aback. She became visibly angry and berated me. A few gems were her telling me: 1.) That I should keep my beliefs to myself and 2.) That I have no hope because I don't believe in Heaven and Hell.

Is that how atheism is viewed? That I should shut up and wallow in misery? She seemed confused that I didn't feel I had no hope. I feel quite the opposite. How can this be? How can someone that believes in no gods feel any hope?

Never mind the hollowness in believing in a god simply to have hope. I'm sure thousands believed in Zeus, Ra, and countless other gods for hope. I don't see how the Christian God is any different in this aspect. Am I, an atheist, liable to feel hopeless due to my lack of belief?

The answer is a resounding no. I do not feel hopeless. Quite the contrary, in fact, and I think that confuses many people of faith. To them, hope is looking forward to dying so you can go to Heaven. I don't see how that is hopeful at all.

As a Bad Religion song states, "What good is something if you can't have it until you die?" I think this explains my view pretty well regarding faith-based hope and I think it serves well as a reminder of how empty such promises are.

My hope lies in humanity, in the expanding of knowledge. My hope lies in us continuing to learn and grow as time goes on as we have been doing. Times in the Dark Ages and before were barbaric, cruel, and immoral. We've advanced quite admirably; when was the last time you attended a witch burning or a gruesome gladiator battle to the death?

I find religious hope troubling. It takes the ball completely out of our hands and thrusts it into the hands of a malevolent deity bent up on control. The only hope for humans is to hope they end up in Heaven upon death? Perhaps I go to far to say this, but I can't imagine I am, isn't this demeaning to the life we have?

I tried explaining it. I don't think she could grasp what I was saying. She knew nothing more than that her faith in God and in Heaven were what drove her to live. She couldn't see my motives for living. I find something very sad about that and wonder how despair doesn't set in with such beliefs.

She seemed to think it was arrogant to think man handled his morals and hope himself. I find it empowering and the true key to happiness.

In any case, I hope I left the man they were targeting for conversion with some food for thought. I didn't pitch to him that atheism was the true path, nor did I even ask him if he believed in God or not. I simply told him to empower himself and to think for himself.

I also realized something. The greatest tool against religion is to ask, "why?"