Chapter 6: The Effects of Free Will

I hope that by now you understand my point of view in regards to the importance of religion. I say this because the rest of the novel may seem confrontational if you don't understand my beliefs. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing, though. Confrontation is the only way to inspire change, and given the fact that this entire book is being written to motivate readers to change their beliefs about Atheists, confrontation may not be such a bad thing. But that isn't really the way I like to do things when it comes to religion. Religion is, and has been, a taboo subject for a very long time for many reasons, the most important being exactly what I said in the previous chapter: Faith is a choice, and every single persons religion is part of who they are deep into their being. It's personal.

Now though, we need to touch on the subjects that make Atheists turn away from organized religion, and I believe there is no better place to start than with what is considered to be one of the most common Atheist arguments; Religion is the birth of all evil.

Choosing where to begin with this argument is quite difficult. I suppose I should start by saying that though I see where Confrontational Atheists get their opinions from, I don't really agree. In the long run, the argument doesn't make sense. See, the Confrontational Atheist mindset tends to blame religion for the worlds problems because they take the actions of radical extremists and blame the entire population for that sub-groups actions. If that's not the case, then they claim that this belief in God is a weak-man's way of dealing with the problems of the world. They tend to consider themselves above Believers, and for this reason they treat the believing population as if they are second class citizens of the world. In my opinion, how is that any better than the hostility created by radical Believers?

The true problem with religion has absolutely nothing to do with God. The flaws lie in the individuals who have chosen to believe extremist views. It is unarguable that religion has been, in documented history, the birth place for some of the most violent and horrific slaughters of human beings, but I refuse to believe that it was God that did this. And that's because, as an Atheist, I believe in Free Will.

Free Will is one of the most important facts of life to most Atheists. By claiming that there is no ultimate being ruling the world, we automatically subscribe to the belief of Free Will. In doing so, we accept that every single thing a person thinks, feels, and does comes from their own mind, a decision they have made on their own without any other form of external control. We believe that every single person has a choice in everything, and their actions are the fault of nobody but themselves.

I believe that this is where religious hatred is born. When you have a man or woman motivated by the word of God, believing that they are causing harm to others for a higher purpose, then they are wielding a weapon so powerful that it cannot be stopped by any mortal means. Though they may be going against everything they believe in, they have been told that it's for a higher purpose, and are therefor operating against the code of their creed. Like a Christian in the Crusades, the violation of the commandment "thou shalt not kill" means nothing when you believe in a free-pass system. And yet, there it sits, one of the 10 laws of the Christian faith that was transcribed in stone for one purpose and one purpose alone, to never be changed, altered, ignored, or violated by man for the rest of their existence on Earth. Let me continue the First Crusade metaphor as an example to explain myself further:

Imagine that you are a Christian European. You have been told by Pope Urban II, a man you believe has a direct line to God himself, that you are tasked with returning the Holy Lands to your own people. In doing so, you will kill countless thousands of others, spill the blood of hundreds upon the soil of a place that they too consider to be holy in their faith. But you are told that these people are savage beasts, and they have no claim to the land because the one true God is yours and yours alone, and that the Holy Land belongs to Him and all those who follow Him. So, you march across the world, and you meet these foreign people, these men who pray to a different God and live their lives by His teachings, and you kill them all because you know that they are following a false God and are sinners. And as your sword strikes every man you come across into the ground, you feel no shame because you are killing for God, and the Pope himself has promised you that you will be absolved of all your sins because killing these people means returning a piece of dirt to the hands of its rightful owners. So with that thought in mind, you assault the grand city of Jerusalem, and you charge through its walls and you kill everyone you see, man, woman, and child. You kill them all not because they pose a threat to you, but because they threaten your God by not believing in him, and by killing all these false-believers, you are sending the sinners to Hell where they belong, just as all your religious leaders have told you.

Now, as graphic as that may sound, I want you to look at where this all began. Try, for a moment, to see it from an Atheist's point of view, even if you are not an Atheist yourself. With such immense bloodshed, it becomes clear why Confrontational Atheists hold so strongly to that belief that Religion is the root of all evil. It's understandable, at least in some degree, to read about something as horrific and senseless as this slaughter and draw the conclusion that all of this was done because of a being called God, and the power he has over all the people beneath him. It's also makes sense why those same Atheists would believe that if you cut the head off the snake, and removed God from the equation, none of this would happen.

But how can we blame God when it was he who told his people never to kill another? How do we blame this all on God when we believe in Free Will?

Almost all of the Atheists that believe that religion is the source of all evil believe in Free Will. They also do not believe in God. So, in not believing in God, there are several very important steps to be taken before making such a rash statement as "without God there would be no evil." First, you must acknowledge that by being Atheist and not believing in God, you also believe that the Pope's direct line to God in this situation is a lie. He cannot hear the voice of God, he does not speak with him regarding issues of the world, and he was not chosen by the ultimate creator to lead his people. He is just a normal man who has reached a seat of political and social power by saying and doing all the right things in the eyes of those who will elect him. With this being the case, the Pope's actions cannot be viewed the same way. It is not Religion or God or any other faith-based power that has motivated him to action. He is just a man in a position of immense power who has chosen to misuse his authority, no different to a King or Queen of a country who becomes a tyrant and kills off his or her own citizens. He is motivated by selfish gain. Be it for wealth, authority, or to be remembered for all eternity, he is just a man, a man who has chosen to take something beautiful like Faith and use it for evil.

The fault here lies not in Religion or in God. The majority of the worlds religions were born through the struggles of life to motivate the people to keep living. Religions gave people strength when they had none, taught men and women to treat each other like equals when those in power refused to do so. They gave the tired, the hungry, and the unfortunate something to live for, because after all, their God or Gods loved them.

The fault lies only in the hands of man. Throughout history, people in power have chosen to abuse it time and time again. They have taken the Free Will that was handed to them at birth, and have used it for terrible terrible things. The only problem is that with religion, the power of warped-faith is one that is almost unstoppable. After all, what better army exists out there than one which believes that even in death, they will live on for all of eternity in the bliss of heaven?