I'm a Believer
I picked up a copy of Leeds Student recently whilst working in the university. I used to read it when I was a student there, years ago, and the title was very nostalgic, though the paper looks a bit different these days.
An article caught my eye. For the first time ever, the university has an Atheist Society.
Now this might, at first glance, seem surprising – there would seem to be a fair few atheists about, so why has there never been one before?
But when you think about it, an Atheist Society is a society of people whose common interest is that they don’t believe in something. So they wouldn’t necessarily have anything else in common, any more than they would if it were a Society of People who Don’t Like Cheese. (nb I wouldn’t join that one either).
The thing about atheists, of the kind who don’t believe in God so passionately that they want to form a society to practise their beliefs, is that they’re really looking for something to believe in. The language used by the society’s President, Chris Worfolk, confirms this.
“I set up the society as I have a strong belief in atheism and want to spread and promote atheist thinking.”
I put it to you, m’lud, that you can’t have a strong belief in atheism. It’s a negative thing, not a positive thing. You could believe in the strength and beauty of humanity at its best: but having a society dedicated to not believing in God suggests that you know that there is a God, but you’re just choosing not to believe in Him.
Let’s listen to a bit more of Mr.Worfold:
“We would like to set up debates with the other religious societies to better understand their position.”
Er - - did you say the other religious societies? You just don’t get it, do you? Go on, say it again, make my day! - - The article continues:
When asked if there was any opposition to the establishment of such a society within the University of Leeds, Worfolk said “I am not aware of any current opposition from the other religious societies - -“
Thank you, Chris, you did it again. Let me break it to you gently. What you are is someone who wants to believe in something. At the moment you think it’s atheism.
Real atheists aren’t interested in God, or in religion – it’s not part of their lives. Whereas, Chris, in fifteen years or so you’ll be sending your children to a church school because the discipline’s good and you like the uniform and you’ll think that there may be something in this God business after all.
An article caught my eye. For the first time ever, the university has an Atheist Society.
Now this might, at first glance, seem surprising – there would seem to be a fair few atheists about, so why has there never been one before?
But when you think about it, an Atheist Society is a society of people whose common interest is that they don’t believe in something. So they wouldn’t necessarily have anything else in common, any more than they would if it were a Society of People who Don’t Like Cheese. (nb I wouldn’t join that one either).
The thing about atheists, of the kind who don’t believe in God so passionately that they want to form a society to practise their beliefs, is that they’re really looking for something to believe in. The language used by the society’s President, Chris Worfolk, confirms this.
“I set up the society as I have a strong belief in atheism and want to spread and promote atheist thinking.”
I put it to you, m’lud, that you can’t have a strong belief in atheism. It’s a negative thing, not a positive thing. You could believe in the strength and beauty of humanity at its best: but having a society dedicated to not believing in God suggests that you know that there is a God, but you’re just choosing not to believe in Him.
Let’s listen to a bit more of Mr.Worfold:
“We would like to set up debates with the other religious societies to better understand their position.”
Er - - did you say the other religious societies? You just don’t get it, do you? Go on, say it again, make my day! - - The article continues:
When asked if there was any opposition to the establishment of such a society within the University of Leeds, Worfolk said “I am not aware of any current opposition from the other religious societies - -“
Thank you, Chris, you did it again. Let me break it to you gently. What you are is someone who wants to believe in something. At the moment you think it’s atheism.
Real atheists aren’t interested in God, or in religion – it’s not part of their lives. Whereas, Chris, in fifteen years or so you’ll be sending your children to a church school because the discipline’s good and you like the uniform and you’ll think that there may be something in this God business after all.
posted by Daphne at 12:02 am
2 Comments:
Hear, hear!!!
An old theology prof of mine used to have a party trick of being able, after a five-minute chat, to determine exactly which brand of organised religion the atheist in question was turning their back on. He never lost a bet.
Atheists - of the passionately committed, can't-stop-talking-about-God, Richard Dawkins persuasion - use as much energy on behalf of God as any theist. And so, perhaps this President chap speaks truer than he knows...
I've noticed a similar thing with humanism. 'Real' humanism seems - if you read Kurt Vonnegut and others like him - to be concerned with transcending the need for religious ritual. Unshackling mankind from the bondage of belief. So why is it that the humanist ceremonies I have attended have comprised a patchwork of numerous different religions? - Viking this, Celtic that, lots of Buddhism and a few drops of C of E and Judaism for good measure?
For me, the really interesting thing is that mankind's vast appetite for ritual is something that will find its way out in some form or other, whether through religion, diet, dress, sexuality or games. Terry Pratchett thinks that humanity should be renamed 'the storytelling ape'; ritual is our way of reminding ourselves there's a story bigger than us out there.
Aww... bless the Leeds Student paper - it's a winner every time!
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