The Future of Atheism
The 21st century has seen an unprecedented growth
in the number of atheists in the world. The current exposure that atheism is
getting from all sorts of media platforms is overwhelming. I’m an atheist and
I’m proud of the courage that atheists all over the world have mastered, both
individually and collectively, to stand up against the established religious
orders that are currently in control of the masses. Atheism has generated a lot
of debate questioning the most treasured beliefs that the human species have
held on so dearly for millennia. Today, atheism has a wide range of organizations
most of which can be geographically categorized. In every country in which the
freedom of expression is well entrenched there are a couple organizations that
trumpet atheism and free thought. The wave of atheism has been euphoric in many
countries. This euphoria led to the emergence of a number of prominent
personalities who have helped in granting atheism its rightful place in modern
debates. Richard Dawkins, Aryan Hirsi, Sam Harris, the late Christopher
Hitchens and Paul Barker are some of the most famous people in atheist circles
due to their fearless condemnation of organized religion and its negative
effects on the social and moral well-being of the human species.
In the discussions about religion and atheism one question
has been prominent. Where did life on this planet come from? Was it through
creation or evolution? On this questions, it is blatantly clear that atheists
through their reliance on scientific evidence offer a better explanation than
the mythological stories told in religious texts. Atheism is winning there is
no doubt about that, and the few who think otherwise are in this case, wrong. Beyond the horizon, I see a future where no child
will have to be brainwashed with religious stories, a future where a majority
of the population will be capable of viewing reality objectively. This is where
it gets tricky. Atheists have been so preoccupied with demolishing the
structures built by organized religion that no significant attention has been given
to the consequences of the success of atheism.
In the case that atheism succeeds (I have no doubt it will),
the future will most likely see the acceptance of atheism by the general
populace. As a species we are getting smarter and more knowledgeable about the
universe around us every second and this knowledge helps us in understanding
who we are and rejecting information that is not backed by ample, quantifiable
evidence. The main questions that we should ask ourselves as atheists is, how
will a world that fully embraces atheism be like? Will a society that is
majorly comprised of atheists and skeptics accommodate religious people? Will
the right to religious freedom be upheld in an atheistic society? Will the said
atheist society be autocratic and unforgiving when it comes to religious
matters? Will the atheistic society treat remnant religious individuals the
same way atheists are treated today in some countries, by imprisonment and
death? In such a society, will the few remaining religious adherents be treated
as psychotic individuals who deserve to be locked up in an asylum or will they
be treated with the dignity they deserve as human beings? What role will
atheism play in establishing a new social order based on secular principles?
Will the principles of atheism and free thought be corrupted by being
transformed into political slogans and doctrines? Will such a society be much
better than the current one or will it just be a reversal of the status quo
with atheists as a majority?
I do ‘pray’ I get the answers to this questions in my
lifetime.
