Are there Atheists in Pandemics?
We've all heard the line "There are no atheists in foxholes," but are there any in pandemics?
Before l I get to that, whenever hear the snide foxhole remark I immediately think of the comedian's one-liner: "I became an atheist because there are no atheists in foxholes." As an old antiwar activist, I can appreciate that.
It's not even a time for prayer because we all ought to be too busy rationally looking for ways to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our societies safe. Frankly, I don't get the "logic" behind prayer. Would an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God need to be persuaded to make the coronavirus disappear? And how could an all-knowing, all-powerful God change its mind? Why would it have created the virus in the first place? Innocent people have become seriously ill; many have died and will die in the days to come! How would that fit the plan of a supernatural omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent deity?
Right now we need thoroughgoing rationalists more than ever.
Before l I get to that, whenever hear the snide foxhole remark I immediately think of the comedian's one-liner: "I became an atheist because there are no atheists in foxholes." As an old antiwar activist, I can appreciate that.
Anyway, I'm confident that atheists have been in foxholes, even though, fortunately, I've neither been in one nor have been anywhere near one. I'm confident about this, though, because we know there have been atheists on deathbeds. The late Christopher Hitchens comes to mind.
As for pandemics, you just need to look on YouTube to find atheists persevering during these trying times. What we need during a pandemic are all kinds of people -- medical personnel, policymakers, and just regular folks -- who are uncompromisingly committed to reason. Atheism is really nothing more than an implication of such a commitment. Atheism is not a primary; it's a derivative. A pandemic is no time for mysticism or belief ungrounded in solid evidence. Emotion, important as it is to a flourishing life, should not be in the driver's seat, especially now. We need science not religion.
As for pandemics, you just need to look on YouTube to find atheists persevering during these trying times. What we need during a pandemic are all kinds of people -- medical personnel, policymakers, and just regular folks -- who are uncompromisingly committed to reason. Atheism is really nothing more than an implication of such a commitment. Atheism is not a primary; it's a derivative. A pandemic is no time for mysticism or belief ungrounded in solid evidence. Emotion, important as it is to a flourishing life, should not be in the driver's seat, especially now. We need science not religion.
It's not even a time for prayer because we all ought to be too busy rationally looking for ways to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our societies safe. Frankly, I don't get the "logic" behind prayer. Would an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God need to be persuaded to make the coronavirus disappear? And how could an all-knowing, all-powerful God change its mind? Why would it have created the virus in the first place? Innocent people have become seriously ill; many have died and will die in the days to come! How would that fit the plan of a supernatural omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent deity?
Right now we need thoroughgoing rationalists more than ever.
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