Do You Believe? Theist or Atheist?

Introduction

The theist or atheist argument is one that has become a common phenomenon in recent years. This takes place not only in intellectual circles but also on the streets. Theists and atheists often get into debates over the existence of a god, the nature of religion and whether religion does more harm than good to individuals and the society at large. These arguments are usually meant for one party to either disprove the other or to gain clarifications about their point of view.

Therefore, it is pertinent to realize that for there to be any productive argument, a number of parameters have to be put into consideration. Firstly, both parties need to be knowledgeable about the subject matter. Also, they have to understand, to an extent, each other’s perspectives in order to avoid misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

They should avoid hasty generalizations based on what they have heard or read somewhere and should instead make a conscious effort to understand why one holds a particular position.

Against this background, in the course of this write up, we shall be looking critically at the following:

• Definition of the Concepts, Theism/Theist and Atheism/Atheist and God
• Common Myths about Theism and Atheism
• Why People are Theists and Atheists
• Things to Avoid While Having a Theism/Atheism Argument

Definition of The Theist/Atheist Concept

1. Theism/Theist

Basically, theism is a belief in the existence of at least one god. There is nothing less, neither is there anything more than this. In defining the concept of theism this way, attention is not necessarily paid to how one believes in their god or their definition of god.

In the light of this, a theist is anyone who believes in the existence of at least one god. This also is not limited to the peculiar religious beliefs or practices of the person in question. Also, there are no levels of theism; one can’t be more theist than another. As long as a person professes belief in some god, they can be classified as a theist.

However, there are varieties of theism such as monotheism – belief in one god, polytheism – belief in multiple gods, omnitheism – belief in all gods, pantheism – the identification of the universe with god/divinity, just to mention a few. Despite these differences among theists, the belief in a god binds them all together.

2. Atheism/Atheist

 

Atheism, on the other hand, is the lack of belief in any gods. Many theists usually commit the error of defining atheism as the denial of the existence of a god. However, it is important that we clarify this. Atheists do not deny the fact that a god exists but actually disbelief the assertion in the first place that any gods exist. An atheist is therefore someone who doesn’t believe in any god whatsoever.

There are primarily two forms of atheism – strong and weak. Strong atheism is the position that there is no god. In essence, strong atheists assert unequivocally that there is no god. Weak atheism however is simply the disbelief in the existence of god. Weak atheists do not necessarily affirm their unbelief directly. They instead reject totally the theistic position.

3. God

 

Now, this brings us to the crux of the matter. In our attempts at defining the above terms, we have always mentioned the term, god. This has been our common denominator. Theists believe in a god while atheists do not.

Now, what/who is God? It is important that we look into this as we go further in this discourse.

As implied earlier, there is a variety of theism. What this means is that theists define God differently. There are as many definitions of gods as there are theistic religions. Therefore, when a theist claims that a god of some sort exists, one of the first questions atheists should ask is “what do you mean by god“? Without understanding what the theist means, the atheist cannot begin to evaluate the claim.

In the same vein, unless the theist is clear about what they mean, they cannot properly explain and defend their beliefs.

Myths About Theists and Atheists

 

A lot of myths abound about theists and atheists. These myths stem mostly from ignorance or a lack of adequate information about the concepts of theism and atheism. In this section, we shall look at these different myths and give necessary clarifications.

Myths About Atheists

 

1. Atheists Deny the Existence of Any Gods

As stated already, many theists believe that what atheists do is actually an act of rebuff to the existence of any gods. This is because many theists are so steeped in their belief that they can’t fathom how/why anybody at all would ever disbelief in the existence of the divine. It is then concluded that such persons actually just reject the belief in God.

2. They are Angry People

Anger is an emotion experienced by all, theist or atheist. So it’s simply gross injustice and unfairness to ascribe such to someone just because they do not share our own views. Many theists even belief that atheists are perpetually angry because they always want to prove an unprovable point. This is quite untrue and unfair because just as we have arrogant atheists, theists who are extremists also abound.

3. They Always Rebel Against Their Family

This is another laughable myth held about atheists by some theists. They feel that because atheists hold views which are generally unpopular, they would be set against their family. While it cannot be denied that this sometimes happens, it is simply an unreasonable act of generalization to assert that it happens to all atheists.

4. Atheists Don’t Celebrate Religious Festivals

Now, the fact that atheists do not adhere to any theistic religion doesn’t mean that they cannot or do not celebrate certain religious festivals, especially those which have become national holidays in many countries. Christmas is one veritable example. Atheists might not believe in the person of Jesus Christ and all he stands for but this does not stop them from having a nice time on the day on which his birth is commemorated.

5. They are Hostile Towards Religious People/Items

This is certainly not true for every atheist. There are a number of atheists who have theists as their spouse, close friends and family members. The fact that they do not share the same religious beliefs with them doesn’t mean that they must be hostile towards them. Similarly, atheists are not always disrespectful of religious items. Not all atheists go around burning Bibles, crucifixes and Qur’ans. This would be a huge infringement on the right of people to the choice of association.

6. Atheism is a Phase

This is mostly said of young atheists. It still balls down to the fact that many theists usually refuse to accept that anyone can actually disbelief in God. Even in some religious circles, there is such a thing as practical atheism which is used in reference to adherents whose lifestyle negates their faith in God’s existence. So, some theists, confused by atheists, simply ascribe this to be the latter’s position as well.

7. Being an Atheist Equates to Being Rational

Both theists (especially those whose religion do not subscribe to rationalism) and atheists themselves are guilty of propagating this myth. Not all atheists are rational just the same way not all theists are irrational. After one becomes an atheist, it behooves the person to carry out research about atheism, try to be rational and not just swallow all they read and hear hook, line and sinker.

8. All Atheists are Materialistic and Selfish

This is obviously not true. Being an atheist doesn’t automatically mean the person is materialistic and does not have an iota of selflessness in them. On the contrary, there are many atheists who are actually the opposite. Many wealthy atheists do a lot of charity. The act is not restricted to rich theists.

Myths About Theists

 

1. Theists are Irrational

While it is true that many theists are irrational in their approach to life and, some even priding themselves about it, it is not always the case. In many theistic religions, the ‘faithfuls’ are expected to rediscover truths about the religion in a bid to understand them better and know why they are rewarded as truths in the first place. After all, an unexamined belief is not worth holding on to.

2. Theism is Dogmatic

Despite the fact that dogmas abound in many religions, it is not all there is. Many atheists are fond of discarding theistic beliefs because according to them, they can’t be proven. However, it should be realized that the fact that they can’t be proven doesn’t mean they are totally untrue. According to the famous Thomas Edison, “no one knows one millionth of the body of knowledge that exists in the universe.”

3. Theists Detest Atheists

It is known that theists do not generally have the best thoughts about atheists. In fact, some religions refer to them with certain derogatory words. However, this doesn’t always reflect in the attitudes of all theists. Many theists and atheists generally get on well.

4. Theism Provides the Basis for Morality

In many religions, there are moral codes that adherents are expected to abide by. Most times, these moral codes are regarded as the sole and ultimate source of morality for the universe. In effect, many theists tend to think that one can’t be moral if one doesn’t at least believe in God. This is a rather myopic way of thinking as many atheists have proven this position wrong by their exemplary lifestyle time and again.

5. Theism Has No Connection to Science

It is so sad that some theists are also guilty of holding this belief. Even though some religions have at some point fought the evolution of science, science is now held in high esteem by such religions. For example, the Catholic church which formerly clamped down on science now has some of her clergymen such as Gregor Mendel and Georges Lemaitre as champions in the field of science.

Why are People Theists and Some Others Atheists?

Most times, the questions pop up: why is so-so an atheist? Or why is that person religious? What makes you believe in God? Or who on earth doesn’t believe in God? These questions come from both theists and atheists who are somewhat confused about the religious standpoint of the other and need to understand the reason behind such. With this in mind, we shall be looking at some reasons for this dichotomy in religious belief.

Why Are People Theists?

1. Personal Experience

One of the sources of knowledge is experience and one peculiar thing about it is that it is usually personalized. Over time, there have been so many reports about adherents of a particular religion experiencing certain unearthly phenomena such as divine revelations, apparitions and even near-death experiences wherein they were able to clearly behold some religious figure.

All these experiences tend to strengthen one’s faith, especially in a case where the person was experiencing a crisis of faith and probably had the intention to leave the religion altogether.

2. Miracles, Signs and Wonders

On the other hand, some people became and are still theists today because of some miraculous incident which they actually witnessed. A lot of miracles abound in various faiths which have led to the conversion of numerous persons, a good number of whom were previously atheists.

3. Indoctrination

In truth, many become theists true indoctrination. This happens mostly to children. Most children, especially those who were initiated into the religion at childhood, were actually indoctrinated. They are generally inexperienced and do not even have a mind of their own yet. It therefore behooves them to ensure they get a clearer understanding of the faith which they profess as they grow older.

4. Favours Obtained From The Religion

Many persons have gained in no small measure a lot from the religion which they practice. These could be materially, spiritually and even emotionally. The least they could do is to remain adherents of the religion. It is therefore usually hard to cut off ties from such religion even at moments when their faith is most shaky.

5. Family Ties

In some families, it has been an age-long tradition to be faithful to a particular religion. Turning to any other outside this would be considered an act of defiance.

6. One’s Religion’s Position About Atheism

As stated earlier, religions have a specific attitude towards people who do not believe in God. In some, there are even derogatory and insulting names given to such persons. It would therefore be considered foolhardy for an adherent, fully aware of this, to leave their religion and join the infidels.

Why Are People Atheists?

1. Multiplicity of Religions

Some atheists actually grew up in religious homes and experienced sound religious upbringing. However, as they grow older and more knowledgeable of the world around them, they begin to see numerous other religions. If not well guided at that point, there is every possibility of them dumping their faith and closing their hearts to any other, for that matter.

2. Science

How many atheists have you met who said I don’t believe in God, science is enough for me. I believe in the facts, not some crappy tale? Many atheists have this ideology. It could have been adopted right from childhood if they had parents who were also all about the facts. Or it could have been picked up later in life and then served as a turning point in their life.

3. Philosophical Arguments

In some quarters, Philosophy as a course of study is actually detested by many who see it as a threat to one’s belief in God. Even though this is a myopic position, it cannot be denied that many people have lost their faith and become atheists after engaging in critical philosophical arguments with others, be they friends or random atheistic zealots.

4. Ugly Experiences

Some people become atheists because of previous not so good experiences with a particular religion or even a theist. This happens most especially to people who were formally devout in their faith.

A typical example are victims of sexual assaults from clergymen. Due to such a harrowing experience and the attendant consequences such as shock, disappointment and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, such persons would most likely drop religion altogether and become a full blown atheist.

Things to Avoid While Having a Theist or Atheist Argument

 

Engaging someone of a different religious orientation in an argument is something that needs tactics, wisdom and wit in order to achieve success. Below are some things to avoid while slugging it out with them:

1. Unclear Definition of Important Concepts

Before one gets into an argument with a person of a different religious belief, one should first of all make sure that the key concepts in the topic for argument are well defined.

2. Being Illogical and Irrational

Now, this is a bad ingredient for a theist-atheist argument. Participants should ensure that they are logical and rational always and not fall for the temptation of making irrational points and illogical statements.

3. Attempting to Impose Your Views on Them

Whatever you say in the course of an argument, make sure you do not make any attempt to impose your religious views on the other party. The argument should revolve around making the other person understand your position and the rationale behind it. Nothing more, nothing less.

4. Being Judgmental

This is very bad. There is no sense in judging anyone for their religious orientation. As stated earlier, the aim instead should be to understand their reason for holding on to that particular belief and nothing more. Aim to understand and not judge.

5. Repeating Already Refuted Argument

Once a particular claim of yours has been debunked by the other party, there is no point making it again in the course of the argument as it would be unintelligible to do so. It could even make the other person get tired of the argument and opt out sooner than expected.

In conclusion, it is pertinent to state here that everyone is entitled to their own religious beliefs. In fact, freedom of religion is considered a human right in many countries of the world. However, the onus lies on the individual who holds a particular belief to broaden their knowledge on it in order to avoid any form of fanaticism. This is also to ensure that it doesn’t serve as a threat to others. In doing this, some level of peaceful coexistence will be upheld.

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