THE ATHEIST'S DILEMMA

Atheists are ridden with dilemma, constantly thinking thrice and more before speaking, conducting and even posting something against religion on social networks.

There is a constant nagging fear in atheists that they might offend theists if they speak up of atheism.

The above is true for moderate atheists. Atheists are perhaps the most tolerant people on earth and the hardest to offend bar militant atheists, who are said to be hostile towards religions rather than God and have the desire to propagate atheism and hold that religions are harmful. 

Militant atheism was an integral part of the French Revolution, Soviet Union and Cultural Revolution. That those days atheism was upheld not in a bid to deny the existence of god or to censure religion but to further vested interests contained in murderous rage and selfishness.

Like how there is militant theism, there is militant atheism, both extremes founded by the duty to protect religion and god for the former and the duty to rubbish god and religion for the latter.

Extremists are everywhere but thankfully they don't make the majority of the human population.

But, the perspective of a so called militant atheist, Hemant Mehta is that militant atheism is very much an oxymoron because it is not used to define atheists who take up arms to fight or kill believers in theism. It is actually used to define atheists who speak up about their ideas, having a strong opinion. Since criticizing religions, religious establishments and religious beliefs are not socially acceptable, theists automatically turn on the defensive. At this point, they find a need to label or demonize the opposition and the ad hominem is sometimes very cruel, bordering sadistic. 

And, it is at this point where the atheist's dilemma comes into being.

Foremost, we did not get to choose what religion we want to belong to at birth. Our parents or others made the choice for us.

As grown ups, we can choose to convert to another religion or convert due to marriage with a person of a different faith and pray to the God we think is the real god or to reject theism as a whole.

Now, having converted to another religion, the born again Christian or the born again whatnot would detach himself or herself from the faith and the religious rituals of their family and this is understood and above all, accepted without questioning. 

It is not the case of an atheist. 

This is the point where atheists transform into closet atheists, not letting out a squeak about their non believing ideals. It is because the atheist has an attachment to his or her family and the family has an attachment to god and religion. So, in order not to offend or hurt the feelings and the devotion of family, the atheist goes with the flow, celebrating religious festivals with family until perhaps the atheist moves out from the family house. Yet, the atheist would return to the lap of their sanguine sharers on festive holidays. The atheist doesn't mind taking part in the religious rites, tolerating the insult of his or her belief.

Do theists have such open mindedness? 

Believers are swift to criticize non believers in every angle while the latter does not feel insulted and leap onto defending atheism when the former are in supplicant mode and post God glorifying posts on Facebook. The atheist just moves on, giving theists their space.

And, then culture gets confused with religion and atheism. I was asked once that why in the world I wear bindi (a dot on the forehead in between eyebrows Indian women wear) since I am an agnostic atheist. Such is the perception of theists. Some Christian Indians wear bindi and Muslim women in India wear sari. Culture has nothing to do with theism and atheism. It is a separate attribute that identifies one irrespective of the one being a theist or not.

The atheist understands that theists have an emotional bond with God and the atheist generally respects the verity.

While theists tolerate different brethren, atheists are somehow in their worst books. But, when atheists are left out of the picture different theism hold the tacit idea that their religion is the true religion and others are just false. And, when atheists return to the picture all religious units unite and libel that atheism is damnation.

The atheist's dilemma would exist until the theist realize that the atheist is made from flesh and blood just like the theist and that both the atheist and theist are humans who did not jump from sky by birth and are immortal.

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