Atheism Response
Dear Carol,
I recently read your paper Spirit of Change for the first time. When I came upon your Musings "Musings: Atheists Are Alright With Me," (Spring 2013) I paused and began reading it out of curiosity.
Religion has always been around me, however I began to really take a fresh view of it about 10 years ago. I struggled to identify and put to words the feelings that began to shape my new faith.
Slowly over the years I began to feel more spiritual but less religious in a formal sense. It wasn't until I read your article that I was able to finally see the words that described my evolving spirituality. “What if god is simply the general operating dynamic of everything in the universe acting at once? This unites every single person in that mighty field of divine creation with the common task of doing their little piece in creating the world the best way they can at every moment. We are the ones we have been waiting for.” …and “You don't have to believe in God to know that when you go out the door in the morning, you walk on sacred ground.” [Kathleen Dean Moore]
I'll continue to look forward to reading more of your writings and thank you for your good work! — Warm regards, William Smith
Hi Carol,
Read the article about atheism (“10 Myths — And 10 Truths — About Atheism” by Sam Harris, Spring 2013) and frankly found it to be kinda’ offensive. As I see it, the problem with this article is primarily that it tries to make its arguments based on negative statements about religious people that just aren't true. Religious or spiritual people come in all different types, just like atheists do. People on a spiritual path are still capable of being intelligent, logical and tolerant. Some are and some aren’t, just as some atheists are tolerant, logical and intelligent, and some aren't.
If the author wants to say that people are intolerant of atheists and should be more tolerant, he needs to extend the same standards towards religious people. He doesn’t have to agree with the spiritual beliefs of someone else, but you cannot make a case for tolerance by being intolerant of others.
There’s a great deal that I enjoy about Spirit of Change. This article didn't measure up to what I've come to expect from you folks and I thought you deserved to know that. The only way to build tolerance and respect is to practice it, and this article, regrettably, falls short of that goal. I'd enjoy seeing more articles on atheism and other paths that explain and promote those paths without having to tear down others to do so.
— Sincerely, Catherine Kane
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