Inner Sanctum

Inner Sanctum

         It’s not easy holding beliefs concerning sometimes outdated ideals, especially religion. There are so many different religions that it’s hard to prove that one is more credible than another. Some are contradicting, while some are minor variations of others. There are theists, those who believe in a god or gods, as well as atheists, those who deny any gods. But while theism shows a strong benefit to the individual, atheism really doesn’t have any significant benefits for the individual. Its real benefit is the lack of concern it has towards other beliefs. Unlike theism, it creates a more peaceful and less conflicting society. In theory, atheism is more beneficial to mankind as a whole.

         These two groups, theists and atheists, are very different from each other. Theism relies on the need to prove itself right, and therefore in certain cases trying to prove other theories wrong. Some theists also feel it is their duty to spread their theology to other people in the world. Theism is such a wide and diverse group, however, which includes all religions and any other people that still believe in a higher power without committing to a religion. With so many different groups and ideas being spread around the world, theism in general is very opinionated, often times publicly expressed. Atheism, on the other hand, is a very quiet and self-focused theory. It requires no spreading of ideas or really disproving others. Some individual atheists choose to get into the argument of proving their belief right while disproving other beliefs wrong, but that’s only occasionally the case. Atheism is not just a belief in no god, but it can also be no belief in a god. In the latter case, there is no need for atheists to prove their theory right because there is no theory to prove.

         First off, there is the need for theists to prove themselves right to the world. For their beliefs to be accurate, many feel they must prove that all other beliefs aren’t true. This means disproving both other theist ideas as well as atheist ideas. A simple justification that some theists use for their ideology is Pascal’s Wager. It says that “"If you believe in God and turn out to be incorrect, you have lost nothing -- but if you don't believe in God and turn out to be incorrect, you will go to hell. Therefore it is foolish to be an atheist” (“Common Arguments”).

         It is easiest for a theist to prove their beliefs are the correct ones when the description of their god or gods and religion’s background is unspecified, lacking strongly detailed information. The less there is to actually focus on, the easier it is to prove the theory. Theists must degrade the beliefs of others to make theirs true. This can be in the form of denying such things as evolution, homosexuality, and other forms of existence or lack thereof after death. Some also believe that certain acts and beliefs that don’t follow their own code of morals are universally immoral and therefore inappropriate for humankind. This need for the theist to disprove all contradicting beliefs creates a superior atmosphere that inevitably degrades the values and morals of a wide range of people. Thus, this leaves the world lacking in a clear unity and focus on the basic fact that we are all one species, and ends up dividing people into sub-groups that create conflict.

         On the other hand, atheists hardly have anything to prove. Atheism covers only two theories. The first is the belief that no god exists, and the second is no belief in a god or lack there of. They do not need to disprove the wide range of theories and beliefs that theism covers, though some choose to. An atheist can believe in many different ideologies in the world, including things like evolution, acceptance of homosexuality, and no afterlife, and still these things have no importance to atheism. They are individual concepts that can not conflict with the basic beliefs of atheism. With no set laws from a higher being, atheists don’t have to follow and believe in ideas that are part of their belief system. This considerable lack of concern with a higher order of life has no negative effect on other atheists. Atheists only come into conflict with theists, when one side feels they must prove their belief is right, which in many cases is the theist since not all atheists have a theory to prove.

         Second, theists tend to have this idea that they must make the world share their views on religion and life. For centuries, certain religious groups have felt obliged to spread their views over many foreign lands. Missionaries are common examples of this act, notable mostly in the Imperial Age. They have gone to great lengths to conquer the minds and rituals of others. In many cases these missionaries have suppressed groups of people, defining them as inferior thinking to the greater religious systems. Certain religious groups have even gone so far as to take over other groups’ religious ceremonies in hopes of taking away their credibility. For example, Christians turned pagan holidays and traditions into Christmas and Easter in hopes of appealing to pagans and converting them to their religion (“Pagan Holidays”). Even in this age, some theists feel they must publicly humiliate atheists to get their point across. Former president George H.W. Bush was quoted as saying “No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God” (“Menu: Atheism”).

         At times, conflict has arisen from the contact of two or more theist groups. In the mild situations, simple sharing of ideas and arguments of beliefs have taken place between the groups. However, in the most extreme, this conflict between the groups has caused major wars that devastate all mankind. The most powerful examples of this would be the Crusades, World War II, and the current war between Israel and Palestine. The Crusades and the war between Israel and Palestine were battles over the Holy Grounds. World War II was started by Hitler, whose goal was to destroy the Jews in the name of God. Hitler wrote in his book Mein Kampf that “I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord” (“Common Arguments”).

         Contrary to this, atheists never create conflict within their group by sharing their beliefs. Since they all share the same essential belief to atheism, or have a lack of belief, then atheists have nothing to prove to each other. In this sense, they are all equal and have no need to create conflict. Any problems that come between them because of other views about life and society have nothing to do with atheism since they are not factors of being an atheist. Atheists, since they have no higher being to follow, are their own commander. They are not obliged to follow and uphold any set of divine rules since none exist to them. This is contrary to a theist who usually has a set of rules given by the divine being(s) to follow, rituals to uphold, and beliefs to keep alive. Unless an atheist has a problem with a specific aspect of a certain religious group, they are not on the attack. For most it is that they have a problem with theism in general, hence they are atheists. One reason for this is clearly, and more vividly, stated by Emma Goldman, an anarchist and feminist in the early 1900s, who said that atheism “is the concept of an actual, real world with its liberating, expanding and beautifying possibilities, as against an unreal world, which, with its spirits, oracles, and mean contentment has kept humanity in helpless degradation” (“Quotations”). It is this idea that atheism focuses more on a “real” world and not some spiritual surrounding that propels many atheists to have their voice be heard in the world.

         Finally, there are the different levels of gain for the individual in each belief. Most profitable is the spiritual enlightenment that theists receive. Through the discipline of their theology, theists are able to gain a form of holy wisdom that creates different views on how the world works, including theories and beliefs in the afterlife, the creation of life, and the purpose of mankind in the world. Many theist groups adopt the idea that it is their duty to help others, and that they must bring good into the world. This is beneficial to both the individual and the world. The individual gains a feeling of self-worth, of duty and responsibility that can allow that person to live a more fulfilling and helpful life according to the theology. This allows the individual to take on a role of need in society, becoming important in the progress of his/her community, region, nation, etc. The benefit that this has on the rest of the world is clear: humanitarian aid. With this promotion of helping others, the less fortunate are able to receive essential needs and support to provide a healthier, happier, and more comfortable life.

         The individual benefits of being an atheist are little, if any. There is no true measurable gain for not believing in a god. The choice of not believing in a god does not extend past that simple thought, and therefore does not provide any sense of responsibility that a set of divine teachings would. It does not allow any enlightenment on how the world works, how it was created, how life came to be, or what comes after life. It provides no new knowledge to the atheist in form of ideas, theories, reasoning, and self-worth. Being an atheist does not prevent anyone from helping others or bettering society. Adaptation of different beliefs, including humanitarian morals, allows the atheist to participate in the same fields of beneficial work that theists do because of their religious principles. But in all fairness, theists too can adapt other beliefs that their religion does not cover, and therefore share this individual power with atheists. Atheists do have no commitment to a religious community, and therefore are not bound to set rules and prior responsibilities dealing with this group. Though this does provide the atheist with a certain sense of freedom from these theological ties, it comes at a heavy price of not providing a spiritual basis for the individual’s views on the world. Though not key to survival, this basis can provide a comforting path for the individual to follow and grow upon.

         Atheism and theism both have benefits and disadvantages for the individual and mankind as a whole. It truly comes down to the person’s own choice. Many will find it easy to point out the flaws in each, in reality pointing out the flaws and benefits of theism. As is, there is no real tangible proof that either is right, nor will there probably ever be. One can not fully prove or deny the existence of something greater. Theism lies solely in faith and what is believed to be holy scriptures in many part, while atheism simply denies such things or makes no true claim to the existence or non-existence of a higher being. Neither use tangible, scientific and historical evidence to win their case.

         The key factor here is both involve mankind. In theory, the best solution to the progress of mankind is to have one belief system. Many would suggest that one religion would suit this, but in reality it wouldn’t. The fact that a religion is a following of people to a god defeats the purpose right there. The fundamental duty that an individual theist has to his/her god puts that god before any other human. This creates a society that honors a divine and abstract being before its own kind. When a god is placed higher in importance than humankind, it lowers the value of the society’s ability to be united. That is why atheism is the more beneficial of the two. Theism puts the emphasis on the fact that a greater being controls the fate of man, while atheism shows that humankind itself is the only source to rely on for survival in life.




Works Cited

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“Pagan Holidays: The Truth about Christmas and Easter.” Greater Things.
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