Fanatical Atheism – A Growing Threat?

NOT TOO DIFFERENT FROM THE FANATICALLY

RELIGIOUS, HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT FANATICAL

ATHEISTS CAN BE JUST AS RUTHLESS AND INHUMANE.

There is one major point of distinction between the two,

however. The fanatically religious can be weakened by

pointing to statements promoting peace in their own religious

texts. But fanatical atheists cannot be pacified by pointing to

anything. The ‘science’ they believe in (atheistic evolution)

implies no moral principle. Morality and ethics is optional. It’s

a personal choice. It means you can do ‘wrong’ – just don’t get

caught.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a creationist and I don’t reject

evolution. My problem is with blind, atheistic evolution. It’s

deadly. Literally. Insidiously, atheistic evolution states there is

no right or wrong. In the final analysis, it’s not important how

decently you live your life. It’s only important that your genes

survive into the next generation. This is the bottom line of

atheistic evolution. Fanatical atheists are so eager to embrace

this fallacious doctrine, they cling to any scientific evidence

that seems to support it.

Today, fanatical atheists are bending backwards to subvert and

distort all spiritual belief in an effort to poison younger minds.

Let me be clear. Moderate atheists aren’t doing this, but

fundamentalists are and their population is increasing. They

passionately seek to influence what our children think and

believe even when they’re not in school. Their ultimate aim is

to turn them into atheistic parents who will teach their children

the same. It’s apparently a parasitic scheme to proliferate and

perpetuate atheism across generations automatically through

human hosts. It’s the ultimate virus.

Though this fanaticism is currently small, in this age of the

internet, it seems to be spreading like a virus. This is how it

becomes insidious. 2 become 4. 4 become 8. 8 become 16.

Very soon, within a few generations, a small group of a

thousand fundamentalists can become millions or even billions.

Just a couple of decades after you and I are no longer around, much of this country – indeed our world – can have slipped into a godless, communist-like brutal regime.

Am I exaggerating? Is it possible? Yes and many others believe so, too. The threat should not be taken lightly. Nobody dreamt what Stalin’s and Mao’s worlds would evolve into. They were not nightmares. They were reality. We cannot allow it to happen again.

Most historians will agree that communism and most of its variants have been lethal for its people. Originally intended to be an elixir for all troubles, communism was the great leveler. All people would be equal. All would live under the same conditions. Corruption would be uprooted. All would be answerable to one power. Not God, but the government. An unchallenged, totalitarian, atheistic government.

But “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,”

observed the English historian Sir John Dalberg-Acton. There

is perhaps no greater truth uttered by a man. The slippery slope

of absolute power and atheism – the unbridled belief in

evolution as the determinate of humankind’s past and future –

the survival of the fittest – has horrendous consequences.

Communist regimes around the world such as those of Stalin

and Mao killed 100 million people. Did either of these leaders

kill so many personally? No. They did it through their policies,

military, police, and special groups. All these positions were

populated or enforced by once law-abiding, benign individuals

working hard to put food on the table and feed their families.

What changed? Their worldview. Only fanatical atheism (and

fundamentalist religion) can brew such brutality in otherwise

decent people.

Fanatical atheism is like a dry rot that slowly devalues the

home it infests. It was a core value of the world’s worst

political leaders. In modern history it fostered the death of

countless innocent women, men, and children. This is what can

happen again if we take fanatical atheism complacently.

The threat of fanatical beliefs is real.

Consider this: though its basic intentions seem benign,

communism is inherently totalitarian. Equality is the mantra.

Diversity and plurality of political parties or personal beliefs

are not allowed. Spirituality is subdued as superstitious and

evil. Churches and other places of worship are commonly razed

to the ground. Violence and executions are conducted ‘for the

greater good.’ Only atheistic, evolutionist, Marxist, Leninist,

and Stalinist beliefs are considered rational and scientifically

factual. All else is falsehood. Pre-1989 communist Russia is the

trademark of such atheistic regimes. Indeed, during its high

period students were forced to complete a mandatory course on

dialectical materialism. Spirituality was considered for fools

only and it was rarely spoken of.1

Does history repeat itself? As you know, too often.

Like fundamentalist religion, fanatical atheism is a very

slippery slope. If left unchecked or unchallenged it could

possibly resurrect it’s ugly head some time. The burgeoning

number of movies and publications promoting such fanaticism

in the name of free speech are like an infectious pus. Like

fundamentalist religion, absolute atheism has a dark side. If it

comes to power, even in small pockets of communities, it

commonly uproots or subdues opposing individuals.

Our environment can change very quickly. A few years is

sufficient. All it takes is a fundamentalist to get elected or to

stage a coup or revolution. Even democratic elections can put

fundamentalists into power.

Did you know that democratic governments such as of the US

in the early 1900s enforced inhumane policies such as

compulsory sterilization of people considered weak, mentally

unstable, genetically deficient, or people who were simply deaf

or blind? In fact, the US government was the very first in the

world to begin this unthinkable cruelty. It was for the purpose

of eugenics.

If this can happen with a government that puts “In God We

Trust” on its notes, just imagine what an atheistic government

that printed “In Marx / Lenin / Blind Evolution We Trust”

could do? In fact, you don’t have to imagine. Just inspect the

human rights records of Russia, China, and other communist

countries in the not too distant past.

Fanatical atheism robs people of sympathy, empathy, and

respect for fellow humans. Only people with similar beliefs are

held with respect. Fundamentalism robs them of their emotions

and soul. They become heartless. Many simply cannot agree to

disagree without trashing people personally. They feel insecure

or threatened by anyone who believes otherwise. They respond

with aggression. They don’t even want you to respect both

science and spirituality. They want to enter your mind and

stamp out your spiritual beliefs all together.

Because of their fanaticism these people can become so

obnoxious, some even scorned Mother Teresa when she was

awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. They claimed she had “cock-

eyed judgment.” I think they should look in a mirror.

If a group can be as vicious as this to a person as caring as

Mother Teresa, imagine how they would treat other spiritual

people if they actually came to power.

These fanatics claim that faith is not a virtue, but an evil. They

try to argue that it allows room for practices like suicide-

bombing.

The argument is disingenuous. If it was true, why don’t we see

suicide bombers proliferating in Christianity, Judaism,

Hinduism, and Buddhism amongst other religions? Look at the

Japanese Kamikaze pilots in World War II. They flew their

bomb-laden planes into US warships. Their planes were not

designed to land or return to Japan.

They were suicide missions. And those pilots weren’t fighting in the name of God, but in the name of their country. They were nationalists. In truth, then, suicide-bombing is not a product of religion per se, but of culture.

The falsehoods about spirituality that fanatical atheists are promulgating need to be countered.

One strong method is by educating people about the agreements between the worldviews of modern science and ancient spirituality. These new agreements are not a result of distortion. They have been published in reputed international, peer-reviewed, scientific journals and have been vetted by well-know astrophysicists. More people – particularly children and youth – should know about this.

Finally, I emphasize again that most atheists are moderate and

extremely nice people. Many are highly charitable. They are

intellectually honest and open-minded individuals. Indeed,

some of the people who have read my book GOD IS REAL –

The Stunning New Convergence of Science and

Spirituality are atheists and have written 4-star reviews! That

in itself speaks of their moderation. They are not belligerent

towards the spiritual, just skeptical. I think that’s normal.

Almost everyone becomes an atheist or agnostic at one time in

their lives. All it takes is an unanswered prayer or a tragedy out

of the blue. Just ask your teenager after an incident like the

Asian Tsunami or Batman movie theatre massacre whether s/he

believes in God or whether God is good. A common response

will be “I don’t know.”

Just as atheism and agnosticism are naturally arising

worldviews, so are theism and faith.

But fundamentalism is a scourge of which we should be wary.

Free speech is one thing, sheer ignorance is another. Fanatical

atheism and its latent threat can be resolved amicably through

open-mindedness and exposure to the newly discovered facts

of science and spirituality.

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Website: http://sanjaycpatel.com/