This piece was originally published on AlterNet.

When believers talk about atheists, they often don’t bother to talk to any first. What are they afraid of?

Did you hear the one about the Anglican minister who said atheists have no reason for grief?

I wish I was joking. I’m not. In a widely- disseminated and discussed opinion piece, Anglican minister Rev. Gavin Dunbar made an interesting and even compelling argument that grief is necessary for love and humanity… and then went on to argue that, unless you believe in God, you have no reason to care whether the people you love live or die, or even to love them in the first place.

Again: I wish I was joking. I quote:

The new atheists proclaim their gospel with the fervour of believers: God is dead, man is free, free from the destructive illusions of religion and morality, of reason and virtue. But then a someone dies, suddenly and cruelly, like the young man known to many in ..[this] parish [in [Eastern Georgia] who was killed in a freakish accident last weekend. And his death casts a pall of grief over his family, his friends, their families, his school, and many others. Yet if he was no more than an arrangement of molecules, a selfish gene struggling to replicate itself, there can be no reason for grief, or for the love that grieves, since these are (we are told) essentially selfish survival mechanisms left over from some earlier stage in hominid evolution. Friendship is just another illusion. But of course we do grieve, even the atheists. And in so grieving, they grieve better than they know (or think they know).

The grieving atheist cannot provide any reason why he grieves, or why he (rightly) respects the grief of others.

My first reaction… well, to be honest, my first reaction was pretty close to blind rage. As an atheist, I’ve been targeted before with bigotry, with hostility, even with hatred and threats of violence. But rarely have I encountered a critic of atheism who was so ready to deny even my basic humanity. Rarely have I encountered a critic of atheism who was so ready to tell me — and to tell the world — that because I am an atheist, I see not only morality and virtue, but love and friendship and grief, as an illusion. I actually agree with Dunbar that grief is one of the things that makes us human… and it filled me with rage to be told that, because I don’t believe in a magical soul animating my body, because I don’t think I’m going to see my dead loved ones in an invisible forever happy place, I am somehow incapable of experiencing this essential humanity. My first reaction on reading this piece was pretty much to scream “Fuck you” at my computer screen, and be done with it. Continue reading “Why Are Believers Willfully Ignorant About Atheists?” →

Harebrained speculation time!

I’ve been reading a little bit about a cognitive bias I hadn’t heard of before — the Just World Hypothesis, or the Just World Fallacy. It came up several times in the conversations about sexual harassment and victim-blaming — but it occurs to me that it may shed some light on religion, and why people believe in it.

In a very quick, over-simplified nutshell: This hypothesis asserts that human beings have a cognitive bias. We are prone to thinking that the world is fair, and that people get what they deserve — both good and bad. So if bad things happen to someone, we’re unconsciously inclined to think that it’s the consequences of their bad character or bad past behavior. Similarly, when good things happen to someone, we’re unconsciously biased towards thinking that they earned it. Studies show that our opinion of other people goes up when good things happen to them, and goes down when bad things happen to them — even when those events are entirely random. The obvious form that this bias takes is blaming the victims for crimes or disaster or illness — but it takes other forms as well, such as assuming that rich or privileged people have earned their wealth and privilege.

There are apparently a number of theories as to why we would have this cognitive bias. This bias may support our tendency to see the world in terms of agency, things being caused intentionally, rather than random chance. It may make it easier for us to see ourselves as having agency, and thus make us more likely to take action in our own lives. It may help us resolve our own guilt / cognitive dissonance if we think we share some responsibility for the harm being done — such as buying products produced by exploited and abused laborers — or the guilt / cognitive dissonance we may experience if we feel that we ought to intervene in the harm, but are choosing not to. (There are probably other theories about the reasons behind this bias as well: I’m not an expert in psychology, and I just found out about this thing the other day.)

So what does all this have to do with religion?

I bet you see where I’m going with this. Continue reading “Religion and the Just World Fallacy” →

Daylight Atheism, the new book by Daylight Atheism blogger Adam Lee, is now available on Kindle!

Here’s what I had to say about it:

Adam Lee has long been one of my favorite atheist writers. (In fact, his blog is a big part of why I got into the game.) And this book is a perfect example of why. His writing is both clear and passionate – a tricky balance. He dismantles theism with precision and righteous anger, and offers an optimistic vision of the alternative. Atheists will find both ammunition and inspiration here – and theists who care whether the things they believe are true are encouraged to test their faith in this white-hot furnace.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what some other people had to say about it:

Adam Lee has been a voice of reason for atheists (and curious Christians) online for many years and this book, as with all of his writing, makes a strong case for the atheist worldview. I suspect you’ll find it very convincing since Adam does such a thorough job of laying out the evidence against faith and sharing what many other atheists before you have said about it. Whether you’re brand new to atheism or a seasoned philosopher, there’s something in here to help you leave the darkness of faith and come into the daylight.
-Hemant Mehta, blogger at Friendly Atheist, author of I Sold My Soul On eBay

For those who have left biblical religion or are wavering, Adam Lee’s book is an intellectual and spiritual journey. Lee looks at Bible-belief with both compassion and unflinching honesty, but he doesn’t stop there. Through a window into his own inner life and the words of leading freethinkers, he opens up the rich depth that can be found in life – and death – beyond religion.
-Valerie Tarico, blogger at Away Point, author of Trusting Doubt

Adam Lee’s writing has made him one of the most widely-read atheist bloggers – and rightfully so. This effort should secure him a place amongst atheism’s most informative and relatable authors.
-J.T. Eberhard, blogger at What Would JT Do?, campus organizing coordinator for the Secular Student Alliance

Atheists—and their argument—inspire so much fear because they’re so unknown. Unlearn your fear by reading Adam’s book and realizing that atheists really are just like everyone else. In fact, you probably know one and just don’t know it yet.
-Amanda Marcotte, blogger at Pandagon, author of It’s a Jungle Out There and Get Opinionated

To a believer, atheism can seem dark, cold, and frightening. Adam Lee opens the shutters and lets the sunlight in. Daylight Atheism speaks clearly and passionately of the joy of living a reality-based existence guided by respect for each human person. Highly recommended.
-Mary Johnson, former member of the Missionaries of Charity, author of An Unquenchable Thirst: A Memoir

The books is now available on Kindle. Other e-book platforms, via Smashwords, will be ready very soon, and hardcopy format is coming later this summer. Check it out!