A Question of Faith

Recently, I read an essay by Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller) entitled “There Is No God”, and while I’m in agreement with the spirit of the title, I was disturbed by some of the author’s claims about belief and Atheism. Mr. Jillette contends that declaring oneself an Atheist is easy because not believing in something is simple. He turns that around by saying that he believes there is no God. Essentially, he is saying “I don’t believe in God/Higher Power/etc.” is substantively different than “I believe there is no God”, and by declaring a belief, rather than a non-belief, he has more clearly defined himself.

I don’t believe that the two statements above vary at all in meaning, and I strongly disagree with Mr. Jillette’s assertion that Atheism is about non-belief. The statement “I believe there is no God” is absolutely a tenet of Atheism and to suggest otherwise is an attempt to mislead the reader about what Atheism actually means. Why would Mr. Jillette do this? I suspect that he is uncomfortable with the label of Atheist and that he is trying to define himself in a more positive and palatable way that distances himself from the general public’s understanding of Atheism. Let’s face it, the word atheist has a very negative connotation in our society today and contrary to Mr. Jillette’s words, publicly declaring yourself an atheist isn’t easy. In fact, it’s courageous. Most people have been brainwashed to think that Atheists believe in nothing, are morally bankrupt and are generally dangerous to society. Admitting to all of that isn’t easy.

However, it isn’t unreasonable not to believe in something for which there is absolutely no evidence. Do you believe in the Easter Bunny? Do you believe in Santa Claus? I can say with equal conviction that there is no God as I can say there is no Easter Bunny. When discussing the evidence of God with a religious person, the person will invariably put forth the illogical and circular arguments that he has been armed with through the brainwashing he has received since childhood. In the end though, after you’ve exhausted all of the arguments, the person will say something to the effect of “you just have to have faith.” And you know what? I couldn’t agree more.

The pertinent question is: “what should I have faith in?” This is where Mr. Jillette missed the point of his “I believe” essay, which was surprising given his celebrity status. First, I have faith in myself and my ability to control my own destiny. My life is what I make of it; there is nothing supernatural involved in it. Secondly, I have faith in humanity. I believe that humans can create just societies and governments, can explore truth and the nature of the universe through science, and can lead ethical lives that aspire to a common good. Some may recognize these as characteristics of Humanism, and perhaps Humanism is the next evolutionary step for Atheism. It shows a distinct belief and faith in something (as opposed to nothing) and is where I think Mr. Jillette was heading. He just hasn’t arrived there yet.

For more information on Humanism, visit the American Humanist Association.